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Description of  Astros and Asterisks: Houston's Sign-Stealing Scandal Explained (Terry and Jan Todd Series on Physical Culture and Sports)

An in-depth and multiperspectival look at the Astros sign-stealing scandal and its roots in the culture of baseball fandom. In 2017 the Houston Astros won their first World Series title, a particularly uplifting victory for the city following Hurricane Harvey. But two years later, the feel-good energy was gone after The Athletic revealed that the Astros had stolen signs from opposing catchers during their championship season, perhaps even during the playoffs and World Series. Their methods were at once high-tech and crude: staff took video of opponents pitching signals and transmitted the footage in real time to the Astros dugout, where players banged on trash cans to signal to their teammates at bat which pitches were coming their way. Wry observers labeled them the Asterisks, pointing to the title that no longer seemed so earned. Read more