The nine-page “Statement of the Commissioner” regarding the three-month investigation into sign stealing by the Houston Astros is a meaty, historical document. It sets punitive precedents to deal with the growth of technology in baseball, defines the first term of commissioner Rob Manfred, and provides previously unknown details of how far teams and players will go to get an edge when technology is within easy reach.
All those reasons are why you need to look beyond the punishments that drew most of the attention upon its release Monday. Here are the most important takeaways from the report: