Well, MLB wanted the Yankee $$$$$...We were in the way.

Agree...but this goes back to the Patriots scandals. Everyone agreed that everything they did was unlikely to be that helpful. BUT sports is SO competetive, teams do it anyway, to gain whatever slight advantage they can.

From that perspective, I'm kind of glad their was a big penalty. Creates enough disincentive to hopefully make all the teams think twice about doing it. Sad that it was the Astros that got caught...but still probably something that needed to be addressed.

Everyone thought the Patriots got off fairly light...and sure enough, they went right back to doing it. If the perceived benefits, however slight, are greater than the perceived punishment...why not keep doing it? Would Kraft gladly pay what is for him a paltry sum in order to help win more Super Bowls? Of course he would.

Different topic, but this is why the league needs to just totally slam them for the new incident with Cincinatti. Nor can I see those things happening without Belichek being intimately aware, if not outright directing. Maybe he's better at using that information than other teams? Could be.

FWIW...it doesn't seem that hard to tell when teams are doing this. Collecting and analyzing the signs can be done in secret. Relaying that to the batter? That seems pretty obvious. Kind of like cheating at cards (card counting, etc). You can't tell when/how they are doing it...but you can EASILY tell be their actions/betting that its happening. The only way, for example, that counting cards really helps any at Blackjack is by MASSIVELY changing your bets when count in in your favor. That's fairly easy to spot. Sign stealing is simlar. Banging trash can lids? Who does that normally? No one...

 

What are the chances any of the other teams we called out get a serious investigation? By only going after the Stros and Red Sox, MLB spins it as a small problem and scapegoats us. If they make a full investigation, it tarnishes the entire sport. This is why Passan consistently takes the fire and brimstone approach on us but downplays the rest. It's a simpler story and keeps the rest of MLB from coming after him.

 

I think the Astros crossed the line but the MLB seems like a place where if you aren’t cheating then you aren’t trying.

 

I think what you described is pretty likely.

That being said, I think if they go after everyone it will actually strengthen the sport in the long run because it will show that the league is actually making an effort to make sure the game is as clean as can be.

At this point the common fan still assumes it still happens, their team got away with it. If the league went after other teams and nailed them, no rational HC/GM would continue to do this and the common fan would probably feel like the league cleaned it up.

 

Add the Saints and Patriots to the list to give back rings.

 

100% spot on

To me this is all ridiculous. Every team is trying to steal signs and using outdated hand signals that can easily be spied on is just inviting people to spy. Give the pitcher and catcher some kind of device to communicate pitches to get rid of this hand signal system.

 

I am ok with the punishment against the Stros, but we are precariously close to the Stros being tarred permanently by Passan as the cheaters' franchise. You are right that going after everyone would strengthen the sport, but MLB has given lip service to this idea so far. What MLB should do is investigate the camera sign stealing of every team and release it. Astros get a harsher penalty because they won the championship, but every team that did this should also be punished. There is no way that everything rotten in MLB sprung from Houston, yet that's the narrative that is being pushed and which we Houston fans are going to have to deal with for the forseeable future.

 

I agree. I don't think we will see the league truly investigate the rest of the teams, they don't have the stomach for it and they probably believe it will just prolong this (IE- get it over with, sacrifice a lamb, get back to positive press).

I think the league is wrong if this is the approach they take, and that equal enforcement would send a stronger message to the league and fan base, but I also see logic in getting it over and done with hoping that the message was loud enough for the rest of the teams to take notice.

I mean, if Hinch/Lunhow lost their jobs because of this, that's a pretty damned loud signal to the rest of the GM's/Coaches out there that don't want to lose their jobs... that's honestly a louder message than a season long suspension.

 

Why does it hurt?

It doesn't hurt me

Kiss the Ring

 

Manfred made JC fire them.

Cost? If that is all it cost to keep Luhnow/Hinch that would've been a small price to pay.

 

haha

 

I think the scapegoat angle works for the MLB anyways.

People think this is a stain on the sport, steroids was worse. I think many people will see this as gamemanship taken too far, scummy, but it doesn't taint the sport as much as PEDs did.

If anything, watch how many national TV games we get. Stros are going to be the prime villain and if you think that isn't marketable then you know nothing about the fight game. Mayweahter and McGregor made careers off being the villain and Astros are perfect for that role now.

 

Evidence?

Did Manfred make the Red Sox and Cora decide mutually to part ways, too?

Did he make you post this? He did, didn't he? I know it. Glad that's settled.

It wasn't. JC would have had to hire new Mgr and GM. Who would want the job for just one year? Why not keep the new guys you bring in? It also cost them 2 high draft picks. AND a lot in public perception..which translates to marketability...which translates to $$$.

Further...they ignored a direct order from him...and got them in this situation. Would you keep people around who directly ignored you, cost you millions of dollars and many draft picks, AND woulddn't be available for the next year for you anyway? If so....WHY?

 

After Kurt Russell’s son got caught shooting paint guns at people, he didn’t ground him, he made him shoot his car with paintballs and drive it around for life, lol. A scarlet letters ends this... that said, it’s funny that baseball is making the same steroid mistake again and ducking the issue while it boils beneath the surface.

 

If you dont think this was a negotiated settlement then you're very naive.

As far as the rest of your post, they should fully investigate ALL other MLB teams and punish them accordingly. The Red Sox should get an even worse punishment since they were a repeat offender and also hired Cora. But we know this isn't going to happen. This will all be swept under the rug.

 

Astros just became a household name.

We will forever be the villains in any stadium we play in.

and I love it!!

 

Like the Warriors and Patriots but without the multiple championships...

 

MLB has their scapegoats, they aren't going to keep investigating. They could probably ding almost every major league team (or at least every team that matters), but then it stains everybody.

The biggest loss is Jeff Luhnow. He was the best GM in the game and I bet $10 someone is going to hire him after his suspension and he's going to turn that team around.

 

I didn't say what I thought...I asked if you had any evidence. Clearly, you do not.

I suspect the Red Sox will get punished. So do they, hence their preemptive actions. After that, yes, I suspect they'll want this to go away, hoping that the punishments dealt out will be sufficient to curtail any future repeats.

 

Maybe Nook could weigh in on this post.