I sure hope that World Series title was worth it. Because to say the Houston Astros won it by "dubious" means sure seems like an understatement now. And Houston's 2017 championship will forever be tainted (as will Boston's in 2018) by the sign stealing scandal that has cost GM Jeff Luhnow and Manager A.J. Hinch their jobs.
After the MLB investigation started and people realized Mike Fiers' story had merit, the question was no longer about whether the Astros would get punished. It was about who would and how severely. Then, when the depths of the Astros' cheating was exposed, the expectation was that MLB would drop the hammer. And that's exactly what happened. Luhnow and Hinch were suspended for a year, the organization got hit with a $5 million fine and, perhaps most importantly, Houston's first- and second-round picks in the next two drafts were taken away. For a team that got good by drafting well and won a World Series with all that homegrown talent, that might be the biggest blow of them all.
The MLB penalties weren't enough for Houston owner Jim Craine, though. A few hours after Luhnow and Hinch's suspensions were announced, Craine did the Commissioner one better. He fired them both. Manfred and Craine both acknowledged that it was mostly a "player-driven" scheme, but Luhnow and Hinch were the ones in charge. And as such, they were the ones responsible for it.
Keep in mind this is the same organization that went out of its way to try and not fire Brandon Taubman, even though that was the only logical (and acceptable) outcome in that situation. After trying to pass the blame and accuse others, they didn't fire him until MLB forced their hand...days later. And the Astros' incredibly terrible mishandling of the Taubman debacle likely had a hand in the severity of their punishment for the sign-stealing. (Taubman, by the way, also received a one-year suspension.)
There was obviously a big problem with the culture in Houston. One that considered Taubman's actions no big deal and condoned a sophisticated system of electronic sign-stealing (which continued even after the Commissioner sent a league-wide memo to all clubs reiterating that the practice was prohibited). That culture emphasized winning over everything, ethics be damned. And that culture was driven by Jeff Luhnow and A.J. Hinch.
They've both claimed that they weren't directly involved in the sign stealing. Luhnow accepted that he's responsible since it happened under his watch, but also said he would've stopped it had he known (sorry, but I have trouble believing that). Hinch evidently DID know what was going on, but did nothing to stop it. If he had, it would've. But how much they both knew and their level of involvement is irrelevant. They were the proverbial "adults in the room." And by not doing anything to stop it, they were complicit.
It's about so much more than sign stealing, too. It's an integrity of the game issue. That's why Rob Manfred came down so hard on the Astros. He even said that while he can't prove their banging-on-the-garbage-can scheme gave them a competitive advantage, the perception across Baseball was that it did. And that was enough for him to come down hard. Harder than people expected, in fact.
Of course, this issue isn't limited to the Astros (or the Red Sox). No one's claiming it is. It's been a problem throughout Baseball ever since replay became a part of the game a few years ago. Which is part of the reason why MLB nailed the Astros so severely. The message has been sent. Using video to steal an opponent's signs WILL NOT be tolerated!
"Everybody's doing it" isn't a defense! The fact of the matter is the Astros are the ones who got caught, so they're the ones who had to pay the price. No one knows if they would've won the 2017 World Series anyway, but the optics certainly aren't good. That surely came into play, too. Whether or not the Astros cheated their way to a championship is irrelevant. The perception is that they did, and it's going to be very hard for them to shake that.
While MLB acknowledged that the sign stealing was mostly player-driven, they were quick to point out who they considered the mastermind of the whole scheme. Alex Cora's name is all over the report. He was Houston's bench coach in 2017, then left to become manager of the Red Sox. Boston went on to win the World Series in Cora's first season as manager in 2018.
However, the Red Sox are subject to a separate investigation regarding alleged electronic sign stealing. And now that the investigation into the Astros is over, MLB will turn its full attention to Boston. Although, it's not hard to find the common link between the two teams.
Cora wasn't suspended for his involvement in Houston's scheme, but that's only because MLB is waiting to conclude its investigation into the Red Sox. Make no mistake, though. He's going to get nailed. And, if the punishments handed down on Monday are any indication, Cora's will be far worse. After all, Hinch and Lunhow were given one-year suspensions even though they had no direct involvement. Cora wasn't just directly involved, he was directly involved in two separate incidents.
Whether or not he's fired, it's safe to say Alex Cora won't be managing the Boston Red Sox in 2020...and probably beyond that. What seems more likely is that he's managed his final game fo for the Red Sox. Judging by the degree of his involvement, it's reasonable to assume Cora's suspension will be significantly longer than those of his now-unemployed bosses in Houston. And it's hard to believe he'll be able to get another Major League managing job anytime soon...if at all.
With the suspensions of Hinch and Luhnow, and the coming suspension of Cora, MLB has hopefully gotten its point across. Stealing signs the old-fashioned way is fine. But when you start using technology to cheat, that's crossing the line. That's affecting the integrity of the game. And when the game's integrity is at stake, expect to pay the price. Just ask the Black Sox or Pete Rose.
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