HOUSTON — The Astros are in a whirlwind right now.
Major League Baseball levied a hefty punishment Monday after determining the team stole signs during the 2017 season.
Witnesses confirmed that one or more players would watch the live feed from the center field camera and a runner would relay the information to the dugout. Someone in the dugout would then signal a runner on second base, who would then signal the batter.
Investigators interviewed 68 witnesses including 23 current and former Astros players. They also reviewed tens of thousands of emails, Slack communications, text messages, video clips and photographs.
The Astros are being fined $5 million and will forfeit 1st and 2nd-round draft picks in 2020 and 2021. MLB also suspended manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow for the 2020 season as part of its harsh punishment for stealing signs during the team's run to the World Series Championship.
After the punishment was issued, Astros owner Jim Crane said Hinch and Luhnow will not return to the team.
"We need to move forward with a clean slate," Astros owner Jim Crane said. "You can be confident that we will always do the right thing and will not have this happen again on my watch.”
Here's how social media reacted to the news: