Houston Astros get the well deserved shaft

[ny325]

When someone/players commit unjust acts. It’s a matter of time they get what they deserve. The players involved will pay.

[ptper]

The Astros are speaking to the media today. Waiting for everyone's hot takes...

[EricVR4]

Pretty much went as I expected it to. Everyone acting like the Astros committed genocide or something, no matter what they said, people would've be happy about it. They should've just taken a page from the Patriot's playbook and not apologized.

Everyone: Apologize to us dammit!
Astros: We're sorry.
Everyone: Not like that! Liars!

I just wish Manfred would pull his head out of his ass and investigate the rest of the league. Enough former and current players/managers have openly said the Astros weren't the only ones doing it. The rest of the league acting like the Astros single-handedly ruined baseball by stealing signs is laughably hypocritical.

[No Boost]

The owner's comments were utter bullshit. "Our opinion is that this didn't impact the game" One minute lafer: "I didn't say it didn't impact the game." Another one: "No, I don't think I should be held accountable."

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...ic-non-apology

All owners of a professional team live in their ivory towers. This guy is smoking angel dust in his.

[EricVR4]

Crane definitely isn't doing himself any favors. Neither is the Astros PR firm.

I thought the player interviews in the clubhouse afterward were infinitely better though. Candid and honest.

[ptper]

This whole story could be bonanza for MLB/Manfred. We've been talking about it all off-season, it will certainly be a story throughout this season. Houston will be the most hated to team on the road (move over, evil empire), tv ratings and park attendance should be pretty high as a result. All because the contrition wasn't genuine--pathetic, really. I'll certainly be watching their first road game to the Bronx Zoo, unless, some kind soul can hook me up with some tix, lol.

[EricVR4]

Originally Posted by ptper

This whole story could be bonanza for MLB/Manfred. We've been talking about it all off-season, it will certainly be a story throughout this season. Houston will be the most hated to team on the road (move over, evil empire), tv ratings and park attendance should be pretty high as a result. All because the contrition wasn't genuine--pathetic, really. I'll certainly be watching their first road game to the Bronx Zoo, unless, some kind soul can hook me up with some tix, lol.

It should be too. Personnel within the Astros specifically told Manfred during his investigation that 8 other teams were using tech to steal signs too. That apparently got thrown in the trash by Manfred though because nothing has been done after he handed out punishment to the Astros.

Pretty ridiculous to me. From the beginning, MLB should've just said "look, this is a league-wide issue, we messed up by not policing it properly but going forward we're doing more to make sure it doesn't happen again."

But instead they decided to just duck around any form of responsibility and pointed blame at someone so they could punish and look like the good guys.

[ptper]

Originally Posted by EricVR4

It should be too. Personnel within the Astros specifically told Manfred during his investigation that 8 other teams were using tech to steal signs too. That apparently got thrown in the trash by Manfred though because nothing has been done after he handed out punishment to the Astros.

Pretty ridiculous to me. From the beginning, MLB should've just said "look, this is a league-wide issue, we messed up by not policing it properly but going forward we're doing more to make sure it doesn't happen again."

But instead they decided to just duck around any form of responsibility and pointed blame at someone so they could punish and look like the good guys.

MLB is Barney Fife. This thing didn't catch fire until journalists (and a whistle-blower) shed direct light on it. Then, MLB had to look at it. The report isn't really even comprehensive or definitive. I have more faith in those Twitter fans that combed through all videos of home games and plotted graphs of trash-banging per batter. That was pure gold. However, I do believe other teams were/are cheating (glass houses)....but, I also believe they used buzzers, lol.

[EricVR4]

Originally Posted by ptper

MLB is Barney Fife. This thing didn't catch fire until journalists (and a whistle-blower) shed direct light on it. Then, MLB had to look at it. The report isn't really even comprehensive or definitive. I have more faith in those Twitter fans that combed through all videos of home games and plotted graphs of trash-banging per batter. That was pure gold. However, I do believe other teams were/are cheating (glass houses)....but, I also believe they used buzzers, lol.

The plotted graphs were done by an Astros fan too. Dude spent over 60 hours combing through all available video from 2017 just because he wanted to know how bad it actually was. The results were interesting as well. Altuve has been hammered on the most by MLB Twitter and he was one of the ones that used it the least.

I still can't find any credibility behind the buzzers though. I'm not in the tech industry but I have no idea if that tech even exists, let alone how they would get away with it. It seemed to be a fun conspiracy theory though that somehow turned into cold hard facts thanks to some unbelievably awful "professional journalists"

[F30lolz]

I wonder if pitchers will be plunking Altuve all season long or other Astro players. Plus, so glad Dusty Baker is their new manager. He is a mediocre manager, nothing bad about him but neither great.

[EricVR4]

Originally Posted by F30lolz

I wonder if pitchers will be plunking Altuve all season long or other Astro players. Plus, so glad Dusty Baker is their new manager. He is a mediocre manager, nothing bad about him but neither great.

I can see it going two ways:

1. They hit our batters, we hit theirs back, both teams get warned by the ump and then MLB after. If either do it again, suspensions and fines.

2. Numerous pitchers have said and/or hinted at that they can't wait to hit Astros batters. That's against the rules and is dangerous, so if they do it and it's intentional, they're thrown out of the game and then suspended/fined.

Either way, we'll take the free bases. We have ridiculous hitters so if anyone wants to intentionally hit them all season, feel free. It's just doing us favors

[F30lolz]

Originally Posted by EricVR4

I can see it going two ways:

1. They hit our batters, we hit theirs back, both teams get warned by the ump and then MLB after. If either do it again, suspensions and fines.

2. Numerous pitchers have said and/or hinted at that they can't wait to hit Astros batters. That's against the rules and is dangerous, so if they do it and it's intentional, they're thrown out of the game and then suspended/fined.

Either way, we'll take the free bases. We have ridiculous hitters so if anyone wants to intentionally hit them all season, feel free. It's just doing us favors

But will those ridiculous hitters turn out to look ridiculous after not knowing what pitches will be coming?

[ptper]

[EricVR4]

Originally Posted by F30lolz

But will those ridiculous hitters turn out to look ridiculous after not knowing what pitches will be coming?

I mean, yeah. Look at their at-bats in 2018 and 2019 when they weren't using the sign stealing. They still hit a ton.

I know that's not the narrative that the media and everyone is portraying, but contrary to popular belief, these guys can hit a baseball. They're good.

Bellinger is a baby too. Dude went 4-28 in the WS, struck out 17 times, with a whopping .173 average. But yeah, we stole the WS from him

[No Boost]

Bellinger could have been a little more forthcoming

[F30lolz]

They should have done a better job than Dusty Baker IMHO. Buck Showalter probably makes the Astros a +6 win team over Baker at least. Believe me, I wasn’t happy when the Yankees parted ways with Showalter after the 1995 season and was angry when Torre stepped in. But history proved me wrong.

[EricVR4]

Originally Posted by F30lolz

They should have done a better job than Dusty Baker IMHO. Buck Showalter probably makes the Astros a +6 win team over Baker at least. Believe me, I wasn’t happy when the Yankees parted ways with Showalter after the 1995 season and was angry when Torre stepped in. But history proved me wrong.

I honestly wasn't too enthused when we signed him either but after listening to him talk more, I think I like him. He's just a no-bullshit kind of guy and obviously very old-school. Which is exactly what the Astros need right now I think. Someone to tell them just shut up and play baseball. Don't worry about anything else, just play.

We only signed him for a year though. Which has me thinking too after hearing Crane's "apology". Crane is clearly pissed about Manfred and the Astros being singled out. I wouldn't be surprised if:

1. We let Baker do his 1 year, thank him, and send him on his way
2. We re-sign Hinch after his 1 year suspension
3. We watch all of MLB meltdown in rage

[RickFLM4]

California... lol

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...ban-use-astros

[CT335xi]

Originally Posted by EricVR4

It should be too. Personnel within the Astros specifically told Manfred during his investigation that 8 other teams were using tech to steal signs too. That apparently got thrown in the trash by Manfred though because nothing has been done after he handed out punishment to the Astros.

Pretty ridiculous to me. From the beginning, MLB should've just said "look, this is a league-wide issue, we messed up by not policing it properly but going forward we're doing more to make sure it doesn't happen again."

But instead they decided to just duck around any form of responsibility and pointed blame at someone so they could punish and look like the good guys.

Yeah sure , and those other 8 teams all had cameras and monitors like the Astricks . Don’t kid yourself either they didn’t all of sudden stop cheating it for sure carried into 2018-2019, matter of fact if they didn’t get caught they would still be doing it as cheaters will always cheat.

[F30lolz]

Originally Posted by CT335xi

Yeah sure , and those other 8 teams all had cameras and monitors like the Astricks . Don’t kid yourself either they didn’t all of sudden stop cheating it for sure carried into 2018-2019, matter of fact if they didn’t get caught they would still be doing it as cheaters will always cheat.

Also, they are only sorry for getting caught.

[ptper]

hmm, excuse seems legit.

[No Boost]

The more layers you peel off an onion, the more it stinks. Everyone in the Astros organization should not comment any further as it just makes things worse for them. Perception is reality and in this case, the perception indicates an ever growing hatred towards the team. Luckily for me, my Phillies have been sub par for the past 8 years so they haven't been shafted in the postseason by Houston. If I were a Yankees or Dodgers fan, I'd be out for blood.