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MLB Cardinals Facing FBI, DOJ Investigation For Alleged Hack On Astros' Internal Database
The MLB Cardinals "are the subject of an investigation by the FBI and Justice Department to determine whether club officials hacked" into the Astros’ baseball-operations database, according to a front-page piece by Derrick Goold of the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH. The investigation "stems from a breach more than a year ago in the Astros’ database that houses scouting reports, medical information and other proprietary evaluations of players." No charges "have resulted from the investigation, though the revelation of its existence could change the Cardinals’ reputation and brand during an era of unprecedented success." The Cardinals declined to comment. MLB "has been involved in the investigation since it began a year ago." Commissioner Rob Manfred yesterday while speaking to reporters in Boston suggested that patience "should come before judgment because the investigation had not been completed." The individuals who are the focus of the investigation "are not known, though many members of the Cardinals’ front office hired attorneys as a result." In late February, the FBI "visited Busch Stadium and took computers as part of the investigation." It is "not clear how high up in the front office the investigation reaches" ( <a href="http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/fbi-looks-at-cardinals-in-data-breach-of-astros-last/article_6b26c46b-edc4-5a9f-ab99-3373aada869b.html" target="_blank">ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 6/17</a> ). In N.Y., Michael Schmidt in a front-page piece cites DOJ officials as saying that internal discussions about trades, proprietary statistics and scouting reports "were compromised." Law-enforcement officials believe that the hacking "was executed by vengeful front-office employees for the Cardinals hoping to wreak havoc" on Astros GM Jeff Luhnow, who "had been a successful and polarizing" Cardinals exec until '11. The attack "would represent the first known case of corporate espionage in which a professional sports team hacked the network of another team." The Cardinals personnel under investigation "have not been put on leave, suspended or fired." The case is a "rare mark of ignominy for the Cardinals, one of the sport’s most revered and popular organizations" ( <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/17/sports/baseball/st-louis-cardinals-hack-astros-fbi.html?_r=0" target="_blank">N.Y. TIMES, 6/17</a> ). The Cardinals pregame show yesterday led with coverage of the scandal. FS Midwest’s Pat Parris led the broadcast reading a Cardinals statement, followed by an MLB statement on the issue, but he did not discuss the issue and quickly delved into an on-the-field baseball discussion ( “Cardinals Live,” FS Midwest, 6/16 ).
