WALLS CLOSING IN ON CHEATING ASTROS

That little Jose Altuve dude isn't as adorable anymore these days, is he? That's because he's a cheater.

Looks like everyone is piling on the Astros and for good reason. That's because everyone can see that what they did, and yes, there is no "accusation" here, they did it, is considered actual cheating.  It's not sign stealing. It's sign stealing with a twist.  They need to be punished severely.

Now Fay Vincent is getting into the mix. I love this story so much.

The Pittsburgh Gazette here, and Fay writes this, giving many historic examples.  Guess what? The Astros are a big part of corroding the integrity of the game. They need to be punished severely:

"I do not know the full story of the Astros' alleged sign-stealing or what the defense to the allegations might be. Thus, I begin with that disclaimer. But one thing I do know is that sometimes the lessons of baseball mean drawing solid distinctions. cheating casts a shadow over one of the most famous moments in all of sports. 

In the 1951 National League playoff game between the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers, according to a 2001 Wall Street Journal article in which several Giants players finally came clean, the Giants used a telescope perched in their center-field clubhouse at the Polo Grounds to steal the opposing catcher's signals. 

"...when physical steps are taken — whether it's a team using a telescope or video camera in center field, or a pitcher using Vaseline (Gaylord Perry) or an emery board (Joe Niekro) to alter the surface of the ball — the sport descends into cheating. "

"When A. Bartlett Giamatti was the National League president — before he became MLB commissioner in 1988 — he confronted the issue of what the punishment should be for scuffing a baseball. Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Kevin Gross in 1987 was caught with sandpaper attached to his glove, presumably for roughing up the ball, which can dramatically alter the way pitches move.
Giamatti seized the case to make a serious point. Mr. Gross received a 10-day suspension..."

'Cheating has always been considered destructive of the essence of a contest designed to declare a winner,' he wrote. 'Cheating corrodes the integrity of any game.'"

Fay is one of the most respected baseball men out there.  If you can't take his word for it, you're delusional.

Manfred isn't in a tough spot here.  This is a slam dunk.  Crush the Astros. Take everything away from them.  No 10 game suspension. No fine. Ban these players for life, fire the coaching staff, remove the Astros front office. It's over.