Prior to Major League Baseball temporarily suspending operations due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Houston Astros were often in the headlines due to fallout from their sign-stealing scandal.
Spearheaded by Mike Fiers’ claim that Houston electronically stole signs at Minute Maid Park in 2017, MLB conducted a three-month-long investigation into the organization before levying significant punishments to those most prominently involved.
Former Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch were each dealt one-year suspensions, only to eventually be dismissed by owner Jim Crane.
Their firings had a ripple effect on the rest of the league, as the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets went on to part ways with managers Alex Cora and Carlos Beltran, respectively.