Do you know what all this means? It means it will be that much sweeter when we run their asses out of the playoffs in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Jomboy is the biggest tool next to that Utah Jazz fan............What's his name again? Z Dog right? He can pass as a character in a Deliverance remake.
I think MLB is going to try to make an example out of the Astros, and the penalties on this are going to be pretty harsh. Losing Hinch for a year could hurt for this year, I say "could" because I think the players love him, and it could easily become a rallying point for them. Losing multiple first round draft picks could be fairly crippling though. You might say losing those picks wouldn't really hurt them for several years because those guys take a bit to develop. I don't think that's totally true though, if you know you won't have a first round pick for 2, maybe 3 years, you would be less likely to trade organizational prospects to help out the club this offseason, or at the deadline next year. It could hurt now, and for years to come. Drayton not signing draft picks was one of the things that set us on the path of tanking in the first place. I wish MLB would make a ruling quickly, but it wouldn't surprise me if they drug it out to hurt our offseason. Not knowing what the penalties will be has an affect on potential deals happening now. Say what you want, but MLB watching a mid-market team do all this consistent winning isn't nearly as good for their bottom line as it would be if the Dodgers or Yankmes were racking up titles. I wish Crane would say screw yall and go all in. Sign Cole to a long term deal with an opt out, bring in another strong option for the back end of the pen, go get a solid catcher. Do whatever it takes to give ourselves the BEST possible chance to win it all the next two years. Then when Correa leaves and Verlander and Greinke are done, deal with it. I've been of the opinion all this time that our "window" would stay open much longer than many on this site think it will, and in the end it probably will. All of this crap makes me want to just say hell with it and let's go try to win another one or two right now
F MLB. Can't believe it but as much as I despise the Pats I understand what it's like. They're after us, I kind of believe they're intentionally dragging this and want us to be hurt. Maybe we can "rally around the flag" and go on a "Fck You" tour (as in Pats after Deflategate). If Hinch is gone for 2020 (can see a Sean Payton-esque 1 year suspension, like Bountygate), who is the interim manager? I would go Biggio, he's always been Mr Astro, stayed with the organization post-retirement, and would be a great interim guy to keep the seat warm but vacate it once Hinch comes back. MLB protecting their precious big market coastal teams. There. Said it again. I really don't know what to think if we get a "death penalty"-style punishment. But considering the Patriots/Saints never got their titles stripped, I don't think we're in any danger of losing 2017. Flags fly forever, we'll always have that. IDGAF what people say, haters always try to discredit every title. C'est la vie.
Delino Deshields Jr., who was selected eighth overall by Houston in 2010 and now plays for the Texas Rangers, along with Ramon Laureano, an outfielder for the Oakland Athletics who was drafted by Houston in the 16th round in 2014, both told The Los Angeles Times they suspected Houston was going above and beyond accepted tactics to steal signs. Now both would like to see the league send a strong message by “significantly” punishing the Astros. Laureano was particularly outspoken about how the league should handle the situation. “They should suspend everyone who knew about it and was involved,” Laureano said. “We were in the same division as them and suspected it. It’s not fair for the guys affected by it, especially the opposing pitcher. Stealing signs is part of the game when you’re on second base and things like that, but you can’t take it to another level like they did. Because of them, teams started to have multiple signs with nobody on base. I’d never seen that before. You started to see mound visits with nobody on base. The whole thing was crazy.” Added DeShields: “They really need to do something that is going to scare the … out of everybody in baseball,” DeShields Jr. said. “It can’t be slap on the wrist. They have to scare the … out of everybody. If not, then everybody’s going to try it to win a World Series. “I don’t think they can strip their title and act like that year just didn’t happen, but the league needs to penalize them heavily if the facts are the facts. Everyone is responsible for it from the ownership to the manager. I like [Astros manager] A.J. [Hinch] personally, but if he was allowing this stuff to happen he should get a significant suspension.” For DeShields, the suspicions began with sudden improvements to the Astros’ approach at the plate. “I would talk about it all the time with my teammates, whether it was on a plane or in the clubhouse after a game,” DeShields Jr. said. “We’d wonder how certain things happened. One day they would look really bad, and the next they’re putting everything in play. I was in that organization and I’m close with a lot of those guys and I’d ask them, ‘What’s different about you guys? How do you go from being the worst team in baseball as far as strikeouts go to being the best team as far as not striking out?’ “They would just say they stick to their approach and have a selective, aggressive mind-set. They were teaching us that when we were coming up so it made sense, but looking back maybe there was more to it than that. I always thought they were really good at picking up signs, but what gets lost is they were also really good at not letting other teams pick up their signs.” “We could never figure it out. They were really good at the sign stuff on both sides. The paranoia when teams played them was extreme. You knew when you went into Houston you had to really be prepared.”
Can't you say that about any team in baseball, where so many random things can happen that may contribute to a team's success of failure. To simplify their futility at the plate one day and hitting prowess the next to some form of cheating is absolutely ridiculous. By that logic, the Nats must have cheated on the road in the WS and Yankees had to have cheated in game 1 of the ALCS. Obviously the Astros have brought these suspicions and accusations onto themselves, but is it so hard to accept their improved results over the last five years to a better approach at the plate? We have hitters now that are more selective with really good plate discipline. But no, it must be sign stealing. And then lost in his statement is that the team was good at preventing sign stealing as well. Nats were too in the WS. So maybe stop blaming other teams for your own team's failures (ahem Yankees fans).
MLB could also be dragging this out in order to allow the noise to die down and eventually sweep this under the rug with a slap on the wrist once everyone’s attentions are on something else. Works for the NFL in most of their high profile cases and MLB may be taking a page out of their book.
Wow, that is so true, and it didnt even cross my mind til you mentioned it. And just like that is how this "journalism" is taking advantage of the story. Such bad taste. Despicable, really.
Possible, keeping my hopes up, but I'm still fearing the worst. Want this investigation done as soon as possible. And yes, thanks to my fellow CF members for pointing this out: Former Astros farmhand ≠ Former Astro. Probably bitter that they were traded away/let go of and onto a team that can't win AL West titles (for now). Just sayin'
Yep, just former Astros prospects. DeShields needs to just focus on sticking on a 25-man MLB roster first before he can talk **** like this.
So you mean division opponents hope we are punished harshly? Really? Never would have thought that lol
Hmmmm, well in hockey, a former player is accusing the Calgary Flames head coach of using racial slurs against him(can't remember if it happened in junior's or the NHL). The coach claimed he apologized that same day and is regretful but the player claims his apology is misleading because he never apologized. He said he was asked to come into his office and the coach again made racial slurs. Then a day or two later, another player claims that same coach physically assaulted him and another player while he coached the Carolina Hurricanes. Apparently he kicked the guys back and the other players head during a game and acted like nothing happened. The current coach of Carolina was an assistant and he said it did happen. Also apparently the GM at the time was notified but did nothing. That GM is the GM of the upcoming Seattle team. He's yet to comment. Maybe this will become a bigger story outside of Canada. Maybe then the MLB can quickly end this Houston drama.
this might be my favorite thing i've ever seen in a sports article. imagine how these big market teams we would rather be covering must feel. yes, i'm sure they are paragon's of virtue who don't just buy their championships. will someone please think of the yankees?!
Considering that 2 of the teams we beat in the playoffs in 2017 paid fines for cheating that year I don't really care how they feel.
The torchy Tacos renovation was all a sign stealing front to get more tacos to the masses. Clever girl. Clever.