I must apologize in advance.

For those who frequent this site, you know that we try to stay away from ‘I / me’ type articles, but sometimes this just isn’t possible. This is one of those times and articles; again, for which I apologize in advance.

Early Friday afternoon, Sports Illustrated journalist Tom Verducci, for whom I have always had nothing but the utmost respect and have always considered to be among the best in the business, had his latest article linked on Twitter. It was, for lack of a better term, an admission or even a confession by members of the Houston Astros organization that they had, in fact, used sophisticated equipment to steal signs from opposing teams and transmit them in real-time to (or at least near) their dugout, and then by means of a less-than-sophisticated trash can-pounding system, notify the batter at the plate what pitch was or was not coming.

…and it worked to perfection.

Although those interviewed in Verducci’s piece (who went unnamed) would not – or at least did not – admit that this system was used during the 2017 World Series against the Dodgers, it goes beyond all logic to believe that it was not.

Obviously, this method of cheating would only occur during Astros home games at Minute Maid Park and Game-7 of the 2017 World Series was played (and lost by the Dodgers) at Dodger Stadium, so we know that it was not utilized in that ill-fated game. However, and this is huge, the Astros won eight of nine postseason games played at their home ballpark which, quite frankly, speaks volumes about the effectiveness and efficiency of their scheme.

In the Verducci piece, several of those interviewed, including several very high up in the Astros organization, not only admitted to using this system but actually attempted to justify it by referring to it as technical progress and advances that are available to all 30 MLB teams.

Do you believe the gall? This is like saying that murder, rape and robbery are ok because anyone can do them. This is absurd! This isn’t just gall, this is a complete lack of conscience and total disregard and disrespect for rules which, for the most part, have remained unchanged for over 150 years. Sorry, Astros, this is not ok just because you say it’s ok.

One of those interviewed, who Verducci referred to as “one team official,” went so far as to say:

“I don’t know if MLB wants to turn over every rock, because this is the culmination of where the game is going. Whatever comes out of this has to be good for the game. This gives MLB ample opportunity in this day and age to do whatever they want with protocols. You can reshape where technology is in our game. You have a golden opportunity to restructure some processes in baseball.”

Sorry, unnamed team official, this is not ‘where the game is going’ and this is not ‘good for the game,’ or reshaping ‘where technology is in our game,’ this is pure unadulterated cheating – period.

I need to point out (and you probably knew this was coming) that late Friday evening, there were reports that in order to get Astros players and team officials to talk, they were (reportedly) told that if they did, there would be no punitive action or fines imposed against them. It was even speculated that some were actually being paid to talk. If true, this is a perfect example of just how low the once highly thought of Astros franchise has stooped to. That being said, there was no mention that if the cheating allegations are indeed substantiated that the Astros would not be stripped of their 2017 World Series title, which would undoubtedly put an asterisk next to their name in baseball history … forever.

How’s that for ‘a golden opportunity to restructure some processes in baseball,’ Mr. ‘One Team Official?’

Play Ball!

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