TAINTED ASTROS COMMITTED FRAUD & SHOULD BE BANNED FROM BASEBALL

Lance Armstrong cheated.  He admitted to doping.  He was stripped of his medals and honors in the world of cycling.  In 2000, China National Gymnastics team lied about a player's age.  They were stripped of their bronze medal and it was then awarded to the next in line, US team. Tim Donaghy, former NBA referee, intentionally blew calls and was later convicted by the FBI and given 15-months in prison.  The 1919 White Sox blew the World Series on purpose and therefore were given the name the Black Sox for this "fixing the series" incident. Eight players were indicted on nine counts of conspiracy. 

What the Astros did is far worse.  What the individual team members did to contribute to this cheating scandal was based on greed, entitlement and just down right desperation.  They misused and abused technology for their own benefit. They just wanted something and they stole.  They committed fraud.

"The Astros were punished by Manfred with suspensions, lost trade picks and a fine, but the history books won’t change. They won’t be stripped of their first championship due to cheating and there will be no asterisk," reported NJ.com.

This is absolutely ludicrous.  They stole something that was not theirs to steal.  They manipulated the game and other players' individual stats.  They took championships away from other teams using inappropriate behaviors and extraordinary measures.  If a college student could be expelled and even has legal ramifications for plagiarism, or a university or coach violates NCAA rules and procedures and is banned from bowl games or tournaments, how are the Astros players able to get off relatively free?

Back in 2017, given the evidence, "the Astros had an unfair advantage during their four home victories that probably led to runs that might have changed the outcomes of games at Minute Maid Park," reported NJ.com.  Both Jose Altuve's (8 for 15 .533) and Carlos Correa's (.467 vs. .000) batting averages were extraordinarily higher in Minute Maid Park.

Source: NJ.com

“Forever in my mind now, in ’17, we won the World Series,” Sabathia said. “I don’t give a F what nobody says. Period," exploded CC Sabathia on R2C2” podcast with co-host Ryan Ruocco.

But in the history books for the Yankees, it shows failure to advance to the World Series, at the tainted hands of the Astros.

Source: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

Another identity stolen, the Los Angeles Dodgers's pitchers, who appeared to choke when things got tough.  "The Dodgers pitchers who were diminished in defeat should be viewed more charitably now that MLB’s findings are public. Unfair as it is, however, their names will never be completely cleared. The stigmas remained with them in the years that followed, affecting how they were perceived, how they were treated, even how they thought of themselves. All of that became part of their public profile. Most of the harm inflicted can’t be undone," reported the LA Times.

Source: NY Daily News

When you deposit money to your bank, the bank doesn't use technology to steal your money.  When you enter a testing center, you are wanded, you prove your identity, you surrender your technology and you are patted down for the purpose of integrity.  Why aren't players held to the same standards of integrity of a competition?  There is no difference in my mind.  Everyone should be held to the same standards and be punished if they misuse technology or create fraudulent documents or misrepresent themselves. They shouldn't even allow technology in the dugout.  iPads don't belong. There is should only be that one phone with the chord to communicate with bullpen.

The Astros and their players who cheated for their own gain, should be banned from baseball. If you are banning Pete Rose, and stripping Lance Armstrong, whose crimes was not nearly as egregious as this team's, then there is something wrong with the system and there is something wrong with baseball governance.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof