FBI Investigating St. Louis Cardinals Front Office

[W3WN]

The FBI is conducting a criminal investigation of the St. Louis Cardinals front office on allegations that they hacked into the database(s) of the Houston Astros.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/17/sports/baseball/st-louis-cardinals-hack-astros-fbi.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/13089501/report-fbi-investigating-st-louis-cardinals-hacking-houston-astros-database
http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/06/16/st-louis-cardinals-fbi-investigation-houston-astros

Essentially, the current GM of the Astros came from the Cardinals organization. Someone figured that he might be using the same passwords with his new team that he used with the old one, and tried them... and they worked.

The articles assert that one of the reasons that the hack was attempted was that members of the Cardinals front office appear to have been concerned that when the (now) Astros GM left their organization, he may have taken sensitive information with him.

If these allegations are true... and they appear to be... this is much worse than Deflategate. There's a huge difference between breaking a League rule (be it the NFL or MLB) and breaking the law.

[W2NAP]

if you or I was to do this, we would already be in jail.

HOWEVER, I got a feeling this will just end up with a fine and a slap on the wrist.

[K7SGJ]

I wonder who that leaves on first.

[W3WN]

if you or I was to do this, we would already be in jail.

HOWEVER, I got a feeling this will just end up with a fine and a slap on the wrist.Oh, I'm sure there's some backroom negotiating going on between the MLB Commissioner's office and the Cardinals front office and/or ownership.

I suspect that when all is said & done, there will be some staff terminations or unpaid suspensions at the very least.

A huge fine wouldn't be out of the ordinary, and the Cardinals may be forced to make some sort of compensation to the Astros as well.

And to be honest, I'd be severely disappointed if a couple of those involved didn't serve some jail time.

This ain't Deflategate. More than just MLB rules were broken.

[PA5COR]

So, a bit like FIFA then?

[NQ6U]

So, a bit like FIFA then?

No. No evidence of graft or an egregious misuse of funds as is alleged was done by FIFA officials, just a dick move by some moron in the Cardinals front office.

[NQ6U]

Speaking of dick moves, BTW, the Padres front office fired manager Bud Black yesterday. Always bad baseball ju-ju to fire a manager mid-season.

[koØm]

The FBI is conducting a criminal investigation of the St. Louis Cardinals front office on allegations that they hacked into the database(s) of the Houston Astros.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/17/sports/baseball/st-louis-cardinals-hack-astros-fbi.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/13089501/report-fbi-investigating-st-louis-cardinals-hacking-houston-astros-database
http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/06/16/st-louis-cardinals-fbi-investigation-houston-astros

Essentially, the current GM of the Astros came from the Cardinals organization. Someone figured that he might be using the same passwords with his new team that he used with the old one, and tried them... and they worked.

The articles assert that one of the reasons that the hack was attempted was that members of the Cardinals front office appear to have been concerned that when the (now) Astros GM left their organization, he may have taken sensitive information with him.

If these allegations are true... and they appear to be... this is much worse than Deflategate. There's a huge difference between breaking a League rule (be it the NFL or MLB) and breaking the law.

The Cincinnati Reds bribed Houston to rat them out.

.

[W3WN]

Speaking of dick moves, BTW, the Padres front office fired manager Bud Black yesterday. Always bad baseball ju-ju to fire a manager mid-season.It's a signal that the ownership/front office have given up on the season. Look for some of the more talented players to be sold off, and the aging veterans to be released.

Keep in mind that the Padres ownership changed a few years ago, and they have a new GM this year. Bud Black was hired under the old ownership & management. So this (the reason for the firing, under-performing team) is merely a convenient excuse for the GM to bring in his own people. That the GM is the one who signed the under-performing "stars" is conveniently overlooked... by him.

[KG4NEL]

Steinbrenner would have done this if he was an owner today.

[W3WN]

Steinbrenner would have done this if he was an owner today.Funny you should say that.

In 1990, after losing a power struggle in 1988 and leaving the Pirates, former Pirates GM Syd Thrift went to work for Steinbrenner as VP of Baseball Operations. He only lasted a few years. The two of them didn't see eye to eye on a number of things, and there were other issues...

But I learned, when this story about the Cards broke, that Steinbrenner was also concerned that Thrift (and one of the assistants he brought along with him) had brought proprietary information with them from the Pirates. Steinbrenner fired the assistant, and then had the MLB Commissioner's Office investigate. (I will find the link to this, I don't have it handy)

So much as I didn't care for Steinbrenner's management (or lack thereof) style, he did have some lines he wouldn't cross. And this appears to be one of them.

[suddenseer]

The Cincinnati Reds bribed Houston to rat them out.

.They need all of the help they can get this season.