Bill Text: CA AR74 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Relative to Major League Baseball.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-21 - Introduced. [AR74 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AR74-Introduced.html


CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

House Resolution
No. 74


Introduced by Assembly Member Bloom

January 21, 2020


Relative to Major League Baseball.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


HR 74, as introduced, Bloom.

WHEREAS, During the 2017 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers won a historic 104 regular season games, the most in baseball and reached their first World Series since 1988; and
WHEREAS, The 114th edition of the World Series was played between the American League champion the Houston Astros and the National League champion the Los Angeles Dodgers; and
WHEREAS, The 2017 World Series was one of the most entertaining World Series in history. A seven-game series, the Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, four games to three, to win their first World Series in franchise history; and
WHEREAS, In 2019, Major League Baseball launched an investigation into allegations made against the Houston Astros after former Houston pitcher Mike Fiers told The Athletic that the Houston Astros used technology to steal signs during the 2017 season when they won the World Series; and
WHEREAS, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred’s investigation, documented in a report, revealed that the Houston Astros used cameras and video monitors to steal the signs of opposing catchers at Houston’s Minute Maid Park, then signaled those signs to their hitters before pitches throughout the 2017 regular season and playoffs; and
WHEREAS, The report also revealed that former player Alex Cora, who was then a Houston Astros coach, set the whole thing up when he arranged for a video room technician to install a monitor displaying the center field camera immediately outside the Houston Astros dugout; and
WHEREAS, On January 13, 2020, Major League Baseball Commissioner Ron Manfred announced the Houston Astros’ punishment, which includes a yearlong suspension of Manager A.J. Hinch and General Manager Jeff Luhnow, a $5,000,000 fine, and stripping the Astros of their first- and second-round draft picks for the next two years; and
WHEREAS, Houston Astros Manager A.J Hinch and General Manager Jeff Luhnow were subsequently fired. The Boston Red Sox also decided to part ways with General Manager Alex Cora, who managed the Boston Red Sox for the past two seasons, including the World Series championship season of 2018; and
WHEREAS, At this time the appropriate level of discipline for Alex Cora is yet to be determined as the Major League Baseball Department of Investigations is completing an investigation of the allegation that the Boston Red Sox engaged in electronic sign stealing in 2018; and
WHEREAS, The report also revealed that virtually all of the Houston Astros’ players had some involvement or knowledge of the scheme and that most of the position players on the 2017 team either received sign information from the banging scheme or participated in the scheme by helping to decode signs or bang on the trash can; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly hereby requests that, in addition to the penalties already imposed, the Commissioner of Major League Baseball remove the 2017 World Series title from the Houston Astros and hereby requests that the Commissioner of Major League Baseball impose penalties or fines against players on the 2017 Houston Astros team found to be complicit; and be it further
Resolved, That the Assembly calls upon the Commissioner of Major League Baseball to require the Houston Astros owner Jim Crane to publicly apologize for cheating throughout the 2017 regular season and playoffs; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
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