David J. Phillip/Associated Press
Joon Lee of ESPN reported on Friday that baseball fans' viral Twitter videos uncovering the Houston Astros' 2017 sign-stealing schemes played a key role in Major League Baseball's investigation into the practices.
"The internet's social media sleuthing skills played a crucial role in shaping the investigation, dramatically reducing the time the league needed to comb through video for evidence," per league sources to Lee.
Jimmy O'Brien, best known on social media as Jomboy, launched the most prominent video on Nov. 12:
Jomboy @Jomboy_Astros using cameras to steal signs, a breakdown https://t.