Timeline of Houston Astros cheating scandal

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Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Timeline of Houston Astros cheating scandal
Here's how the illegal sign stealing evolved.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Early 2017 season

Sometime in the beginning of the 2017 season, Astros employees in the video replay review room began using the live game feed to steal signs.

Alex Cora, the Astros bench coach at the time, then began to call the replay review room from a dugout phone to get information on the catchers signals.

Two months into 2017 season

About two months into the 2017 season, Carlos Beltran and other players discussed that the team could improve decoding opposing teams' signs and communicating those signs to the batter. Cora arranged to have a video monitor showing the center field camera feed to be set up right outside the Astros' dugout.

Through the 2017 season into post season

Players watched the video feed, decoded the catchers signs, and banged on a nearby trash can with a baseball bat to communicate the pitch to the batter. This lasted into the Astros 2017 post season run.

One key thing to note from the report - witnesses consistently describe the new trash can banging scheme as being "player-driven." It did not involve any off-field personnel.

Part of 2018 season

The team's replay review room staff continued to decode signs using the live center field camera feed for part of the 2018 seasons. However, the report shows no attempt by the Astros to utilize electronic equipment to steal signs in the 2018 Postseason.