The use of technology by the New York Yankees during the 2015 and 2016 seasons was relatively benign in the context of the sign-stealing scandals that occurred around the game at the same time, according to a years-old letter sent by Major League Baseball to the New York Yankees.
The Yankees wanted to keep the letter from Rob Manfred to Brian Cashman under seal.
SNY published the letter on Tuesday.
Information about technology violations that occurred before the commissioner issued a memo to all teams in September of last year was included in the letter. The front offices and staffers were warned that they would be held accountable for violations and that they could lose draft picks.
In January 2020 the Houston Astros were fined for using technology to steal signs, and the Boston Red Sox were fined for using technology to steal signs.
The details contained in the letter to the Yankees are what players and staffers say became commonplace after the installation of instant replay monitors.
The Yankees were told in the letter that their players watched the monitors in 2015 and 2016 in order to communicate pitch-sequence information to base runners. According to sources, the letter states that Larry Rothschild called the replay room to ask about pitch identification, which is against the rules.
MLB said in a statement Tuesday that use of the replay room to decode signs was allowed as long as the information was not communicated electronically to the dugout.
The threshold established in the Astros case was not mentioned in the letter to Cashman.
The Yankees said in a statement that they were not punished for sign stealing but for improper use of the telephone in the replay room. After the Commissioner's specific delineation of the rules on September 15, 2017, sign stealing became illegal in Major League Baseball.
Major League Baseball fined the Yankees $100,000 and allocated the money for Hurricane relief.
The Yankees fought to keep the letter under court-ordered seal in recent years, and some baseball officials have been confused by the team's handling of the issue.
In their statement Tuesday, the Yankees said they fought the release of the letter to prevent incorrect equating of events that occurred, and that the $100,000 fine that was imposed on the team was before MLB's new regulations and standards were issued.
In its investigation of the Astros, MLB determined that with the use of a television monitor, hitters were informed of the identity of the forthcoming pitch during their at-bats, in real time -- extensive, systematic violations that would lead to the suspensions and dismissals of general manager Jeff Luhnow
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