Show No Sympathy for Chris Correa or the Houston Astros

photo: Chris Correa (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The Houston Astros are in the news again for all the wrong reasons.

Following such sordid matters as trivializing domestic violence, discrediting journalists, and placing a cameraman in an opposing team’s dugout, old accusations of using electronic means to steal signs have resurfaced. This time, they are backed up by video evidence and at least one former player from the team going on record with details on how the acts were committed.

The Astros, under General Manager Jeff Luhnow, have developed the reputation of a business skirting the very edge of ethics in the push to field a winning team. In those areas in which it can be proven that they crossed the line, they need to face appropriate punishment. Whether Major League Baseball is willing or capable of enforcement without outside encouragement remains to be seen, however.

This article is not about any of that.

What this article is about is Chris Correa and the Houston Astros hacking scandal that put the former St. Louis Cardinals scouting director in Federal prison.

Since the Houston sign-stealing accusations re-surfaced with new evidence, some on social media have twisted the Astros’ recent ethical missteps into somehow partially or fully vindicating Correa.

That misguided view, driven perhaps by an incomplete understanding of the details of what occurred previously, is why I am writing this.

That Houston employees were alleged to have taken Cardinals intellectual property with them was not disputed, but by their choice of inaction, the Cardinals organization did not consider the situation to be as significant as Correa apparently did.

Over the ensuing months and years, the situation spiraled out of control – all Correa’s doing and all after the suspected intellectual property pilfering matter had been closed by his employer.

Background

To re-set the stage, then-Cardinals employee Correa suspected former coworkers of taking intellectual property developed while with St. Louis with them to their new employer in Houston in late 2011-early 2012.

Using passwords provided when the ex-employees turned in their Cardinals-issued computers, Correa accessed Houston’s internal systems and found what he apparently believed was compelling evidence to support his concern.

Correa later testified under oath that he came forward to Cardinals colleagues with his discovery. But, the organization chose not to press the matter. Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. later confirmed the Cardinals’ decision.

Again, the Cardinals were aware that their intellectual property was believed to be in the hands of the Astros, but made a cognizant decision to let it go.

Here is where the original story should have ended, but it did not.

Had it concluded there, I might have some empathy for Correa as a dedicated but misguided employee, but he did not let it go. He used the information he continued to illegally retrieve to further his career and discredit the Astros.

What follows is a high-level summary of why he eventually accepted a plea bargain on five counts in Federal Court rather than face trial.

Long after his initial discovery, Correa continued to access Houston’s systems and personal email accounts. This occurred at least 48 times over 16 months, with the actual count likely much higher, according to court documents. On multiple occasions, he devised new ways to get in, even as the Astros made changes to tighten security.

He repeatedly gathered information from Houston about players, including scouting reports, medical records and projected bonuses, which he used directly in the execution of his job with the Cardinals, including during the draft.

Correa earned three promotions along the way, progressing from analyst to director, ultimately with responsibility for amateur scouting and the draft, the high-level job held by Randy Flores today.

In 2014, shortly after an article praising the Astros and several of the former Cardinals employees for their analytical prowess was published, a vast quantity of Houston internal emails – which included trade discussions and many other subjects that embarrassed the team – were posted anonymously on the internet. Correa was eventually named as the source.

In July 2016, Correa was sentenced to 46 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and a fine of $279,037. Each of the five counts of unauthorized access to a protected computer could have carried a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison and $250,000 fine.

MLB ordered the Cardinals to pay $2 million in damages to the Astros, and surrender to Houston their two top remaining picks in the 2017 amateur draft, #56 and #75 overall. Correa received a lifetime ban from baseball.

Correa was reportedly released from Federal custody late in 2018.

I will stop there, as my intent here is not to recount the full details of the Correa case. I have already done that in this article:

The Comprehensive Cardinals Correa Chronicle on Houston Hacking


In conclusion

My intent is to remind readers that the Cardinals knew of Correa’s intellectual property concerns and made the decision not to ask for an investigation of the Astros. The reasons why are unknown, but one has to assume it was not considered serious enough to pursue.

Correa did not stop there, however, repeatedly breaking Federal law over several ensuing years. He accepted his punishment and served his time. His former employer also was penalized heavily for his actions.

Knowing this, how can one feel that Correa is vindicated just because the Astros have demonstrated ongoing unethical behavior?

Correa was wrong and was convicted. And now, for other misdeeds, it is the Astros’ turn to pay the price.

No one should feel sorry for either.


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