The ASStericks Cheating Scandal

ASStericks! 2Demeter2 came up with that and I give him his props for that… actually I am jealous that he thought of it before me. Henceforth (or is it Hinchforth) they are no longer the Astros, but rather… the ASStericks. Here’s is what 2Demeter2 has to say about the cheaters:

2Demeter2

Having just completed reading Commissioner Rob Manfred’s 9-page report regarding this matter… there were many things that made my stomach turn.  There were, however, a few things that really stood out to me.   

•   The first was this statement:   “Many of the players who were interviewed admitted that they knew the scheme was wrong because it crossed the line from what the player believed was fair competition and/or violated MLB rules. Players stated that if Manager A.J. Hinch told them to stop engaging in the conduct, they would have immediately stopped.”    Are you freaking kidding me?  I knew it was wrong to beat my wife or embezzle funds from the business, but if only my friends, or my boss, would have told me what I was doing was wrong, I would have stopped.  They didn’t so I kept on doing it.   

•    The second statement:    “Although the Astros’ players did not attempt to hide what they were doing from Hinch or other Astros employees, they were concerned about getting caught by players from other teams. Several players told my investigators that there was a sense of “panic” in the Astros’ dugout after White Sox pitcher Danny Farquhar appeared to notice the trash can bangs. Before the game ended, a group of Astros players removed the monitor from the wall in the tunnel and hid it in an office. For the Postseason, a portable monitor was set up on a table to replace the monitor that had been affixed to the wall near the dugout.”   I’m going to keep cheating on my wife, but I’m worried about getting caught, so I’ll develop better methods to cover up my bad behavior.

Given these findings, it is beyond my comprehension that no player was disciplined.   Some claimed that they weren’t sure that it helped them.   Really?   Their team batting average for 2017 was a collective .282.  Ironically, the worst hitter in the starting line-up was 40-year-old Carlos Beltran, who hit .231 and had an OPS of .666.  Enough said.  If players can be suspended and have their reputations tarnished because they innocently took an over the counter product, not punishing the “Ass” terisk players seems very hypocritical to me.   Reading the report, I was reminded of Jerry Tarkanian, the legendary college basketball coach, and his ongoing battles with the NCAA.   He was very quick to point out the double standards within that organization.  As he would often rail: “The NCAA was so mad at UCLA, they were going to put Cal. State Northridge on 2 years probation!”  I haven’t quite put my finger on it yet, but I feel that MLB has a much deeper institutional problem within the hierarchy of the upper echelons of Major League Baseball.   There’s a sort of elitist attitude that allows them to wink at existing problems in an effort not to tarnish the sport to badly. 

Overall I think the punishment was too light.   I’m not sure what I would have done differently, but I do know that Alex Cora should take a seat next to Pete Rose.  Moreover, if Carlos Beltran is allowed to keep his job with the Mets, after these disclosures, the resulting stench will be awful.    

My Take

I think MLB did all they could do and the punishment was severe, however, justice could never be served in this case. The ASStericks took a World Series Championship from the Dodgers by cheating. Nothing can ever restore that. MLB can’t vacate that Championship and sanctioning players individually would result in long and protracted litigation with the MLBPA. Their decision was decisive and severe, given the constraints they operate under.

In Game 1 of the World Series in 2017, Clayton Kershaw was dominant, going 7 innings, allowing just 3 hits and striking out 11. Then in Game 5, he was uncharacteristically bombed, giving up 6 ER. Dodger fans assumed that he was a “choke artist” but now we find out the ASStericks with their CF Camera and Morse Code Bat Banging knew what was coming.

A .250 hitter becomes a .400 hitter when he knows what pitch is coming because he lays off the curveball that ends up in the dirt and sits on that fastball at just the right time. It’s a game-changer and instead of going back to LA with a 3-2 lead, the Dodgers were behind 3-2. It was more than just a game that was lost when Kershaw was bombed in Houston. Seeing your Ace get crushed was akin to the team having their hearts cut-out: “uh oh, here, we go again!” The whole series turned on that entire cheating incident, and it changed careers, legacies, and lives… forever!

I believe AJ Hinch when he says he did not promote cheating. It was Alex Cora and the players led by Carlos Beltran. However, he did nothing to stop it and he was in charge. A one-year ban and being fired is light in my opinion, but I think MLB did what they felt would stick. I do not believe that Jeff Luhnow did not know. He knew and ignored it.

Like Barry Bonds HR record, the ASStericks 2017 World Series Championship is officially a joke and the Architect who built the 2017 Dodgers still has to endure the morons who still insist on saying “Andrew Friedman has never won anything!”

In the next few days or weeks, we shall learn about the fate of the cheating 2018 Red Sox, led by the criminal Alex Cora. Their GM is already gone, but Alex Cora will be suspended for at least a year… most likely longer. Possibly for life. Allegedly, the Red Sox stopped cheating in the playoffs…

It’s possible that Andrew Friedman could have two titles if not for the cheating. Here’s what needs to happen TODAY: John Henry and the Red Sox need to grow a pair and fire Alex Cora, NOW! They need to act decisively in the interest of baseball and their own organization. Cut ties now… get a new manager and move on!

You are not going to hear anything from the Dodgers about the Astros punishment as they released this statement:

“All clubs have been asked by Major League Baseball not to comment on today’s punishment of the Houston Astros, as it’s inappropriate to comment on discipline imposed on another club. The Dodgers have also been asked not to comment on any wrongdoing during the 2017 World Series and will have no further comment at this time.”

This whole thing sickens me.