The Astros Cheating Scandal – Who Got Screwed The Hardest?
There were many winners in this Astros cheating scandal. Check that, there really weren’t any. Including the Astros.
Somehow, there were very few actual punishments doled out from this. Astros GM Jeff Luhnow and Manager A. J. Hinch were suspended for the entire 2020 season. The Astros franchise was fined $5 million and forfeited their 1st and 2nd round picks in the 2020 and 2021 drafts. And, that’s it.
So, with no clear winners, who were the biggest losers in this scandal?
Was it the Astros franchise who lost the most? While they certainly gained the most from the cheating, and that World Series Championship can’t be taken away (as far as we know), every time anyone thinks of their 2017 Title, the scandal will be the first, perhaps the only thing they think of. Was it worth it to them? Maybe. But they are definitely losers in this ordeal.
Was it the Astros players who lost the most? Like the franchise, they absolutely benefited from this, specifically the players that were doing the cheating. But at what cost? For the rest of their lives, they will have the “cheater” label attached to them, and they will hear the boos and taunts everywhere they go the next several years. Everywhere. And deservedly so. I know, you don’t feel sorry for them. Neither do I. But losers nonetheless. Now the players I genuinely do feel sorry for, are the players who did not participate in the cheating, whether they chose not to, or simply didn’t know about it. Their reputations are potentially ruined, through no fault of their own.
Was it the coaches involved who lost the most? Astros Manager A.J. Hinch was suspended for the 2020 season, the only punishment for an on-field participant. How about Alex Cora? As the bench coach of the 2017 Astros, he was the alleged mastermind of the cheating scheme, and allegedly implemented a similar system in Boston (where the Red Sox won the 2018 World Series). In the wake of this scandal, he and the Red Sox mutually agreed to part ways. Safe to say he did that in an effort to prevent his own suspension (which may still happen eventually). Also affected in the aftermath was Carlos Beltran, who was fired as Mets Manager before ever managing a single game. All 3 of these guys were involved in the scandal, so their consequences are deserved. But will they ever get a chance to manage again? Time will tell.
Was it the Yankees who lost the most? They lost to the Astros in the American League Championship Series in both 2017 and 2019. In 2017, the Astros scored less than 2 runs per game in New York…but won all 4 games in Houston. In 2019, there is speculation that Jose Altuve was wearing a device of some kind when he hit that walkoff, Series winning Home Run off of Aroldis Chapman ("Don't rip my shirt off"). True or not, all of the evidence against them makes it very difficult to give them the benefit of the doubt, right? Either way, what if the Astros weren’t cheating in those Series, do the Yankees have their 28th, perhaps 29th World Series Title?
Was it the Dodgers who lost the most? They lost the 2017 World Series to the Astros, 4 games to 3. Statistic – the Astros scored 3.5 runs per game in Los Angeles, and 6.67 runs per game in Houston. That’s an extra run every 3 innings or so. If the Dodgers win that Series, not only does the franchise have another World Series, but think about the players. How differently is Clayton Kershaw looked at if he was a World Series winner? How has it affected your perception of Yu Darvish as a big-game pitcher (he was 0-2 with a 21.60 ERA that Series)? Or how about Dave Roberts? Instead of being the Manager who can’t win with arguably the best players…he is a World Series winning Manager.
Was it Aaron Judge who lost the most? He finished 2nd in the 2017 American League MVP voting to Jose Altuve. How much did the sign stealing help Altuve? What am I saying, Judge should have won that MVP anyways. Look at their stats. Man did he get screwed in that vote.
Was it Rob Manfred who lost the most? Look, I agree, he could have handled this better, and come down harsher on the players. But his hands were tied. Giving immunity to the players was likely the only way they were going to get them to talk, which took away any possibility of player suspensions. Also, with as powerful as the MLB Players Association is, there were no guarantees the players wouldn’t have gotten off through grievances. Manfred has not looked great through all of this, but he was put in an almost impossible situation.
Was it someone you’ve never heard of who lost the most? Have you ever heard of Mike Bolsinger? Didn’t think so. He was a journeyman pitcher, who in an appearance against the Astros in 2017, gave up 4 earned runs, 4 hits, 3 walks, and a home run…in 1/3 of an inning. He never pitched in the MLB again (and is suing the Astros because of it). At the time of this writing, no other players have come forward with similar stories. But were there other players, very early in their career or on the tail end of it, that the Astros shelled, and never got another chance? We’ll find out.
Like I said, a lot of people got screwed in this scandal.
But you know who I think lost the most? Us, the fans. The 2017 Astros were a very likeable team. They seemed like genuinely good guys, and played with a youthful energy we rarely get to see. Simply fun to watch. Not to mention, they helped give us 2 of the most exciting World Series games we’ll ever see. They were a team you felt good about rooting for. Changes your memory about that Series, doesn’t it? Now all we think about are the video cameras, the garbage cans, and the buzzers. It’s really very sad.
I do want to congratulate 1 winner though…the 2018 Boston Red Sox. There are allegations that the Red Sox used a similar scheme in their Championship season, yet all the attention is being stolen by the Astros. Damn East Coast bias!
Wait, I lied. There were 2 winners in this. The biggest winner was Major League Baseball. And no, I am not crazy. Think about it. Can you ever remember baseball dominating the headlines in January and February? Or the week leading up to the Super Bowl?! Nope. I understand this isn’t a good thing, but baseball hasn’t been this talked about since the 1998 Home Run Chase. Good or bad, it’s got people following baseball, which baseball desperately needs. If you think baseball isn’t benefiting from this scandal, you’re wrong. Regardless of how bad this looks.
Now, tell me what you think!
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