Girardi: "I wasn't shocked" by Astros sign stealing story

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Joe Girardi was hardly stunned to learn his firing two years ago as manager of the New York Yankees may have followed a canning by the Houston Astros.

“Word gets around,” he said.

Entering his first season as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, Girardi said Monday the Yankees suspected Houston was trying to steal signs during the 2017 AL Championship Series. The Astros won the seven-game matchup with four victories at home, then won the World Series — an accomplishment tainted last month when a former Houston pitcher publicly alleged the Astros used electronics to steal opposing catchers’ signs that season.

“I wasn't shocked,” Girardi said.

Major League Baseball has been investigating since right-hander Mike Fiers told The Athletic that Houston was using outfield cameras to steal signs and banged a garbage can in the dugout tunnel to alert players. Fiers played for those ’17 Astros but left in free agency after the season. He’s now with the Oakland Athletics — one of Houston’s AL West rivals.

Girardi’s 2017 Yankees were highly suspicious of sign stealing in visiting ballparks. They reported the Boston Red Sox to MLB for using an Apple Watch in the dugout at Fenway Park during the regular season, and they had plenty of concern about Houston, too. it's unclear whether Houston's trash pail pilfering extended to the postseason.

“I thought we did a pretty good job of combating it,” Girardi said. “I don't know how great of a job we did, but I thought we did a pretty great job.”

Suspicions over sign stealing have only swelled since. The Yankees alleged in this year’s ALCS that Houston was whistling from the dugout to tip off batters during Game 1 at Minute Maid Park. MLB investigated and cleared the Astros of that charge....

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Girardi-I-wasn-t-shocked-by-Astros-sign-14894461.php