Houston Is the Problem: How Their Cheating Scandal Affects All of Baseball
Avery McGrail, staff Writer
In a league that features the New York Yankees, the Houston Astros have managed to take the label as the primary antagonist of the MLB. The Astros were caught cheating, stealing other teams’ pitching signs throughout the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Mike Fiers, who pitched for the team during 2017, revealed the organization’s misdeeds late in 2019. He detailed how the Astros used a camera at center field to film opponent catchers’ signs to their pitchers. Team staff in the Astros dugout would watch the camera feed and then signal the batter what kind of pitch was coming. They would do this in different ways, banging on trash cans in different rhythms to indicate different types of pitches.
Once Fiers revealed this information to the press, the MLB started an investigation into Houston’s organization immediately. The investigation committee found the claims to be true, and the league took dramatic action to punish the Astros. The team was fined 5 million dollars, the maximum allowed amount. They were stripped of their first- and second-round picks in the next two drafts. Their general manager was fired. Alex Cora, who was the Astro’s bench coach in 2017, mutually parted ways with his new team, the Boston Red Sox. Carlos Beltran, who played with the Astros in 2017, parted ways with the New York Mets, the team he supposed to manage this season.
Many believe these repercussions are not enough, particularly because no players were punished for their involvement in the scandal. Several Astros players have apologized for their actions, but they will not have to face any consequences because they were granted immunity by the MLB because of their cooperation during the league’s investigation. Because of this, other teams’ players have taken justice into their own hands, as seven Astros’ players have already been hit by pitches during spring break.
But Houston is not the only party that will suffer because of their actions. The MLB allowed technology, and unlimited access to it, to overwhelm the game of baseball. Baseball expert Mark Kreiss had this to say about technology’s place in the sport:
“I hate the Astros’ scandal and I think it ruins the game, and I wish the players would have been punished. What’s frustrating about it is the fact that no one said anything until Fiers, and that was well after he was gone. I hope they take away the technology in the dugouts during the game, and force people to do their homework like old times. I’m not a fan of that stuff during the game. I would prefer less technology and more reliance on human intelligence than artificial intelligence. At some point a line needs to be drawn, and it needs to be upheld and consistent.”
Fans, media members, and players are furious with the image this scandal gives the league. The MLB needs to be very careful how it handles the situation from here, as opening day for the 2020 season is quickly approaching. The MLB needs to be transparent and vigilant in how their operations commence in the dugouts, or risk another scandal. People, especially in a cutthroat environment like a professional sports league, will do whatever it takes to win. The Astros won, and now they, and many others, will have to pay for it.
