Sanchez, Boone not sure there was no sign stealing in 2019

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Yankees catcher Gary Sánchez and manager Aaron Boone are not convinced the Houston Astros' use of electronics did not continue into last year's AL Championship Series.

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred found the Astros broke rules against electronic sign stealing in 2017, including during the postseason, and during the 2018 regular season. The 2019 Astros were not implicated.

José Altuve sparked speculation of nefarious conduct when he hit a pennant-winning homer off the Yankees' Aroldis Chapman in Game 6 of the 2019 AL Championship Series, then told teammates not to rip off his jersey as he completed his home-run trot. Some suggested he may have been wearing a buzzer underneath the jersey that could have signaled anticipated pitches.

“It's a good question. I'll tell you that if I hit a homer and I get my team to the World Series, they can rip off my pants," Sánchez said through a translator Thursday as Yankees pitchers and catchers reported for spring training. "They can rip everything off if I get the team to the World Series hitting a walkoff homer like that. They can rip anything off."

Boone said he was not sure there was no rules breaking in last year's playoff against the Astros.

"That's certainly one of those great unknowns," Boone said. “I've spent time, as I'm sure a lot of people have, wondering all the things that could have potentially been going on, and we'll probably never know for sure, frankly.”

Boone still considers the three managers that lost their jobs due to to be friends: Houston's AJ Hinch, Boston's Alex Cora and the New York Mets' Carlos Beltrán. Boone says he has struggled “making sense of it all.”

“Wrestle with my emotions, in a way get some clarity,” Boone said. “I don't think you ever totally get...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Sanchez-Boone-not-sure-there-was-no-sign-15051344.php