Houston Astros owner Jim Crane once claimed cheating was not restricted to Houston but was widespread in MLB

In May 2022, Houston Astros owner Jim Crane claimed cheating was widespread in the MLB, but that his team was the only one that got caught and subsequently punished.

Referencing the controversial 2017 sign-stealing scandal, Jim Crane told USA Today:

"I think there was a bigger problem out there, but we caught the brunt of it. We did what we did. We took our punishment. People want somebody to get after it, and we're it."

During the 2017 and 2018 seasons, the Houston Astros stole signs of opposing teams. Former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers, who was part of the 2017 championship team, was the first player to divulge details about the scandal during the 2019 postseason.

The MLB investigated and commissioner Rob Manfred revealed the findings on Jan. 13, 2020, stating that the Astros had employed a camera system unlawfully to steal signs during the 2017 regular season, postseason, and portions of the 2018 regular season.

As a result, Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and field manager A. J. Hinch were fired by the franchise. Additionally, the team lost their first and second-round selections in the 2020 and 2021 drafts and were fined by MLB.

Besides the Astros, MLB also fined the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox for unlawful activities. The Yankees were penalized $100,000 in April 2022 for inappropriate use of a dugout phone during the 2015 and early portions of the 2016 seasons.

The Boston Red Sox, on the other hand, had to forfeit their second-round draft pick due to sign theft in the 2018 regular season. Yet in both cases, the penalties were less severe than what the Astros received.

"Astros owner Jim Crane avoids questions about sign-stealing scandal at MLB owners' meetings." - New York BBWAA

Interestingly, none of the Houston Astros players were disciplined as the MLB granted them immunity in return for their cooperation in the investigation.

Former Houston Astros GM Jeff Luhnow sued franchise for making him the scapegoat

Kansas City Royals v Houston Astros: Jeff Luhnow.

In November 2020, Jeff Luhnow sued the Astros in Houston's district court. He said Rob Manfred and Jim Crane used him as a scapegoat in the 2017 sign-stealing controversy.

In his complaint, Luhnow claimed that Manfred and Crane "negotiated solutions," which allowed the team to retain their 2017 World Series trophy. He further mentioned that he was completely unaware of the Astros' strategy.

"Former Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow is suing his former employer for breach of contract, alleging that Astros owner Jim Crane and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred conspired to make him the scapegoat for the team's sign-stealing scandal." - Wall Street Journal

While A.J. Hinch was welcomed back to baseball as the Detroit Tigers' manager, Luhnow has been unable to secure employment in MLB.