If you have not heard about all of the turmoil surrounding baseball right now, you certainly have not been paying attention to sports news recently. No worries though, this post will catch you right back up and have you understanding the conversations once again.
In 2017, the battle for the American League pennant was intense as the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees traveled back to Texas to play the sixth and what would be the final game of the series. As the MVP of the league Jose Altuve stepped up to the plate in front of New York’s renowned closer Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the ninth inning with the score tied at four runs a piece, the stage was set for an epic ending. Not long later, Altuve delivered. Sending a two run homer out over center field was the perfect way to send the home fans into jubilation as their team would be moving on to the World Series where they would face the Los Angeles Dodgers.
This series was no disappointment to the viewers either. Going back and forth for seven games, the Astros were finally able to edge out the Dodgers and bring home their franchise’s first ever World Series title. No one could ever predict what was about to happen next.
After the Astros walk-off win against New York, Jose Altuve did something peculiar, he motioned to his teammates what was believed to be a signal to not rip his jersey off as he ran in to home. Not the typical gesture you would expect after lifting your team into the World Series. In the moment, no one thought much of it, but looking back, it signifies everything. While the Houston Astros had been questioned within the league for years about ill intent, this offseason was the first time that major information broke to the public. The league had investigated actions of sign stealing and other cheating related exploits and came back with definitive results. Not only had Houston been sign stealing in that now infamous game six, they had been using the method all season.
By having cameras in center field, the team was able to watch the signals that the catcher was making and learn when certain pitches would be coming. This information was then relayed to the batter through various methods including a buzzer which could be placed under a jersey and banging on a trash can so that the batter could hear.
After news of the situation was confirmed, the general manager and manager of the Astros were fired and the entire league was devastated to learn that their collective hard work might have been undermined by another team cheating their way to victory. At this point, however, no player of that 2017 team has been punished in any form. They still have possession of the World Series title and continue to play in the league without repercussions. To many, including myself, the MLB did not go far enough in reprimanding the actions of the Astros as a team. While the general manager and manager were certainly culprits in the case, the players were just as much of a factor. They agreed to participate and willingly used the sign stealing methods. Instead of standing up for what was right, they decided to use any means necessary to win. These actions should be met with equally harsh punishments. If nothing else, the World Series should be vacated for the seasons in which the Astros cheated.
By allowing a team and players to come off serious rule violations and disrespect of the league’s integrity with ease, the MLB is setting itself up for another similar case in the near future. Without repercussions, cheating will go unchecked and unnoticed by the league and for the fans this will mean that it is not the best players, but the best cheaters who will win.