MLB Acquires Part of YouTube Channel That Helped Expose Cheating Astros

The Houston Astros cheated in 2017 and won the World Series. Both things are likely connected, even though there isn’t concrete proof that they cheated during that championship season. There is, however, proof that they cheated that season. While sign-stealing is not inherently illegal in Major League Baseball, the Astros are not the only team that has done it. They just happened to get caught in a spectacular fashion. The team used cameras in center field to watch for signs that would be then sent to someone who would bang on a trash can to alert hitters of what pitch was coming next. Seriously.

There was reporting on this. It was a league-wide scandal. While plenty of the usual suspects reported on the event, the most surprising contributor was a YouTuber called Jomboy. He sifted through the MLB’s archives and found specific instances where you could hear the trash can being used and discussed them on his channel. In short, they blew the f*** up. While his channel was already relatively successful, the cheating scandal helped put it on a national stage, and it’s only grown since then.

It all began with Jimmy doing a podcast called Talkin’ Yanks with his best friend, Jake Storiale. Then it grew into lip syncing over baseball footage, trying to say what he thinks the people are saying on the field, called Breakdowns. It was a great idea, and a lot of them are very funny. Now, it’s Jomboy Media. There are employees and an office in NYC. Other YouTubers were brought into the fold, creating a business of baseball fandom not really seen before at an (initially) grassroots scale. Now there are in-depth videos on teams, stats, and players. It’s an empire.

Now, Major League Baseball has announced that it has purchased a stake in the company. Jomboy Media had already signed a partnership with the YES Network, which broadcasts all things Yankees, but this is even bigger. There were times when Jomboy’s videos would be flagged for copyright violations on YouTube because they were using MLB footage, and we all know you can’t do that without the express written consent of Major League Baseball. It sucked, especially because Jomboy was arguably helping expand MLB’s audience, especially among younger fans. Now, that’s no longer a problem.

The deal means that Jomboy now has access to MLB’s intellectual property. It is a huge step forward for the once-fledgling company. “I continue to be amazed by what our community enables us to do through their endless support,” O’Brien said about the deal. “When we started talking about baseball on the internet, it was just a fun hobby. Our community is the reason we’ve been able to turn this from ‘just a hobby’ into something bigger than we ever could’ve imagined.”

I love baseball, and am always happy to see people find inventive ways to enjoy the game. But, perhaps most importantly, I love the Texas Rangers. It borders on an obsession. So, knowing that the man and team who helped expose their awfulness are moving on up in the world put a big old smile on my face. The Astros may not have faced as significant consequences as they should have, but in this house, they’re known as the Trashtros. Their 2017 World Series win has a big fat asterisk next to it. And the company that helped get read them for filth is now part of the MLB. Hell yeah.