Astros, Cheating, And Baseball: Do We Actually Care?

Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman

I’m sure you’ve heard the popular phrase, “If you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying.” Everyone cheats. We cheat on our diets when we sneak in some late-night ice cream. Your drunk uncle cheats in Uno when he stashes some extra wild cards in his hand. Hell, men and women cheat on their significant others all the time. If we’re so used to cheating, do we actually care about the Astros’ cheating scandal in baseball?

By now, you probably know about the Houston Astros and their sign-stealing scandal that dates back to 2016. The year is noteworthy because the Astros won the World Series in 2017 and fell one game short of winning it all in 2019. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred conducted an investigation and handed out punishments: manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow received one-year suspensions, loss of 1st and 2nd round draft picks in 2020 and 2021, and a $5 million fine.

Clearly, the majority of baseball fans including myself viewed this as a slap on the wrist and the outcry for harsher punishments were evident. To avoid the PR nightmare, the Astros fired Hinch and Luhnow. From there, two of the ring leaders in the scandal, Alex Cora and Carlos Beltran, also lost their managerial jobs with the Red Sox and Mets, respectively.

The main lesson from all of this may end up being to not fuck with the Internet. And, don’t bang trash cans to steal signs.

And don’t piss off Trevor Bauer and Mike Clevinger.

And don’t wear buzzers on your chests (?).

Now that you’ve read my Wikipedia entry above, let’s get down to business. Do we actually care about the Astros’ cheating scandal? Yes, I care, but it’s not black and white and there is a level of hypocrisy.

Full disclosure, I am a Yankees fan. The Astros have been a thorn in my side for the past three seasons. From Altuve’s multiple home runs to Verlander’s endless strikeouts, the Astros contributed to my seasonal depression over the winter. Therefore, I’m fully invested in this scandal.

Before I’m accused of throwing stones in glass houses, I’m fully aware the Yankees have cheated before. If you’re anti-steroids, then you can have a field day on Yankees in the late 90s and early 00s. I’m aware that Yankees violated a rule that deals with the use of the dugout phone. I’m also aware the Yankees used their video room to try and decode signs from 2015-2017 before rules were put into place during the 2018 season. If you want to attack the Yankees for all of that, have a field day. However, it’s not like the Yankees were the only team using steroids and trying to decode signs in the replay room.

Now, I feel that I can now speak on what the Astros did, which is bullshit. I’m fully aware every team tries to cheat including my own, but what the Astros did took what we view as cheating and raised it to the tenth power. If you can decode signs without the help of electronics, by all means, go for it. It’s like when Mike D discovered Teddy KGB’s tell in Rounders. That’s gamesmanship. I’m all for it.

However, the Astros used a center field camera to spy on the catcher’s signs, decode them in the replay room, and bang trash cans to relay the message to the batter. That’s cheating. Plus, imagine if there’s concrete evidence that the players were wearing buzzers on their chests. The Astros are very talented, but if the buzzer rumor is true, is their World Series title legit? I’m not giving it an asterisk, but it’s clouded in controversy.

So here I am as a conflicted baseball fan. In a game that has had countless instances of cheating, does this cheating scandal matter? It does matter. What the Astros did was bullshit and they should be punished. I’m not one to take away a World Series, but after Altuve and Bregman’s unapologetic comments, I’m willing to consider suspensions for the players involved. The players do not receive the benefit of the doubt, anymore. The coaches should not be the only ones who fall on the sword.

I’d like to believe the majority of fans care about this scandal, but as baseball has taught us, some other scandal will come in a few years and the Astros sign-stealing will be in the rearview mirror. Until then, I’m going to care and I hope you (pretend to) care, too.

Do you care about the cheating scandal? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet us, @unafraidshow.

Why your Favorite MLB Team Won’t Win the World Series!!

World Series

Heck with the positive feeling going into the playoffs, it is important you know why your MLB team won’t win the World Series! The playoffs begin for real today. Sorry Wildcard games we are not including you. It’s all about the Great Eight! You may not like it, but here is why your team will leave you shaking your head at the television! Let the Heartbreak begin.

AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS:

1 Boston Red Sox (108-54)

The Red Sox will not win the 2018 World Series because the starting pitching turns into a pumpkin when it counts the most. When its October this current starting staff has an ERA well over 5, In fact, David Price acts as if he is the New York Yankees pitching coach (ERA over eight as a member of the Boston Red Sox vs. N.Y. Yankees). Don’t believe me? Watch this montage!  The bullpen is also very shaky before Craig Kimbrel with a lot of red flags as the Yankees come to town. Who is Ryan Brasier and when will that bubble burst!  Other than that, the Red Sox are deep and have the MVP on it (take your pick, Mookie Betts or J.D. Martinez). They set all kinds of team records (108 wins).  The pressure is entirely on Boston who if they don’t win it all, like Seattle in 2001 (116 regular season wins), the season would be considered an epic failure!  J.A. Happ a Red Sox Killer?  Yup, he has a 1.78 ERA against the BoSox since 2015. Ouch, he starts in game one! Sorry, Beantown this hurts me, but the pitching will break those Dirty Water hearts.

2 Houston Astros (103-59)

It’s pretty simple; it’s tough to repeat. The 2018 MLB playoffs have many stacked teams, and unfortunately for the Stros, they are all in the American League. You want proof look at these additions by those sharing the playoff spotlight with Houston (Red Sox got J.D. Martinez, Yankees got Stanton, Britton, and Happ, and the Indians added a ton of bullpen arms and Josh Donaldson). The bullpen is still a significant concern for me. Closer Roberto Osuna (2-2 2.37 ERA 21 Saves) is better than Giles but this team has to find a way to get to him.  Also, the line-up does not seem as scary as it was last year when the Astros won it all. Carlos Correa is just not the same this year end of story. Look, if I were to put money on a team, this is who I’d take but Houston, we have a problem! They are not going to make it two in a row.

3. New York Yankees (100-62)

The Bronx Bombers will not win because those record-breaking Home Runs get neutralized by great pitching in October. The A’s didn’t offer excellent starting pitching; they turned to some reliever from Australia to start. Who do the Yankees get to open up the series versus the Red Sox at Fenway? Not a reliever but certified Yankee killer Chris Sale.  New York also has some concerns with the starting pitching.  J.A. Happ, Servino, and Tanaka do not match-up to the other four teams rotations in the AL playoffs.  If you were to rank the four AL teams and the starting staffs, the Yankees would be last!  The bullpen is the best in baseball so who knows maybe the Yankees should start David Robertson!  Sorry, Frank Sinatra, your song will not be played with World Championship implications for the Bronx Bombers.

4. Cleveland Indians (91-71)

The Cleveland Indians will not win the World Series because they are the Cleveland Indians. It’s been 70 years since they last won and this teams bullpen scares nobody late in games. Sure they added 100 arms at the deadline but Andrew Miller is not Andrew Miller (2-4 4.24 ERA), and Cody Allen has been a pinata the whole year (4-6 4.70 ERA). The starters are excellent, and strikeout bandits but they are going up against an Astros team whose rotation is deeper.  The Tribe is destined to let its faithful down probably in heartbreaking dramatic fashion so no, in 2018 they will not rock! Sorry, Drew Carey maybe next year.

NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS:

1. Milwaukee Brewers (96-67)

The Brew Crew will not win the World Series because they never do. Look, I remember Harvey’s wall bangers (Yount, Cooper, Molitor, Thomas, Oglive) in 1982, what a team. They had good starting pitching as well but when you are starting the bullpen for game one, it just doesn’t sound right.  It didn’t work for Oakland versus the Yankees and it won’t work for Milwaukee. The starting rotation (Wade Miley really?) is just not good enough, but I will say this, Christian Yelich is out of his mind awesome right now. When you look at all these teams left in the playoffs, the Brewers starters just don’t match-up and why they won’t win it all! Hey Aaron Rodgers, Old Milwaukee Beer, and those cheese curds will keep you happy in late October!

2. Los Angeles Dodgers (92-71)

Not since Kirk Gibson took Dennis Eckersley deep have we seen championship baseball in Dodgertown. I believe Ronald Reagan was the president and the year was 1988. LeBron is a Laker, Rams are undefeated at 4-0, and the Azul barely got into the playoffs. Kenley Jansen is not the same, Clayton Kershaw is 7-7 4.35 ERA in the post-season, Rich Hill will get a bad blister, this team is not clutch. Do you feel right about Ryu as your game one starter? Nope! The dream, “Hollywood” ending for the 2018 MLB Playoffs will once again slip away for the Doyers, but hey the Rams are good!

3. Colorado Rockies (91-72)

I’m Sorry, the Coors will not be chilling in championship mode this October. The Rockies barely got by the Cubs thanks to Tony Wolters (.170 AVG. got his first hit in like a month) dramatic single. You have to love baseball right, Tony Wolters the 3rd catcher are you serious? The Rockies made such an impressive run just to make the 2018 MLB playoffs. This team has power and some sneaky good players, but the pitching is not deep enough despite Kyle Freeland’s brilliance (17-7 2.85 ERA) to raise that championship banner. Getting closer but not there, have some Rocky Mountain Oysters next year is just a few months away.

4. Atlanta Braves (90-72)

No question the biggest surprise in the 2018 MLB Playoffs! Maybe the team with the best and most exciting young players in the postseason. Unfortunately for Atlanta, Youthful exuberance does not add up to a championship. Look, the Braves fans who show up are excited they forgot what playoff baseball was (It has been 5 years). Yes, we get to hear that annoying Braves chant for a week or so but that will be it. Like the Rockies, the Braves could be real contenders for years to come but not this year! When you read stories written, “Braves pin playoff hopes on rich history” I’m sorry Smoltz, Glavine, and Maddux are not part of this rotation. Go ahead name me the four starting pitchers on this team right now? I didn’t think so!

The 2018 MLB playoffs are wide open.  MLB playoffs are drama filled and arguably the best of all four major sports. One pitch can change an entire series and one player possibly the last guy on the bench can be a hero. So you have compelling reasons why your team will not win the World Series. Who will win and why? Listen to the Unafraid Show (3 pm – 5 pm PST/ 6 pm – 8 pm EST on Friday evening/afternoon on Dash Talk Live), and we will tell you but realize that seven cities will be left counting the days until why your MLB team won’t win the World Series yet again! It’s a hard thing to do to win 11 or 12 games in October.

Boston Red Sox must win the World Series or this season is a failure!

Red Sox must win it all!

EVERYTHING IS PERFECT RIGHT?

2018 AL East Champions. Celebrating on Yankees field. If you are a Red Sox fan like me, this season has been a pure joy to watch! 100 wins for the first time since Ted Williams was knocking balls around in the forties. This team has a little bit of everything, speed, power, good pitching. What will happen when the New York Yankees roll into Fenway this Friday night? All of Red Sox nation will be biting their nails in anticipation. Does it get any better than this?

Alex Cora should be favored to be the manager of the year for sure (Kevin Cash a close 2nd in Tampa followed by Bob Melvin in Oakland), who has made a significant impact on what is happening right now. The offense is aggressive, which he demanded from his players whom he called passive in plate approach last year. He has had the Midas touch calling upon the right players at the right time. Most importantly, the players like him, unlike John Farrell and it shows.

MVP!

JD Martinez (43 HR’s 130 RBI’s 330 AVG.) has more than earned his big free agent salary.  He is battling his teammate, Mookie Betts (32 HR’s 80 RBI’s 30 SB .346 AVG.) for the coveted MVP title and had an outside shot at winning the triple crown for most of the year.  Mookie is the better all-around player (first player since Jacoby Ellsbury to get 30 Home Runs and 30 Stolen Bases), but JD has added that middle of the line-up bat that has made everybody better. The only significant difference from last year to this year has been his offensive production, hence why I lean towards giving him the MVP.

HISTORICAL

It’s been a historically fantastic year for the Boston Red Sox. They broke the team record for wins with 108.  The last team to get close to that won 105 games when some guy by the name of Babe Ruth was on the club back in 1912. That’s a long time ago.  They are AL East Champions for a third straight year which is very impressive. All that means nothing if they don’t win it all.

Ask the 2001 Seattle Mariners, who won an astounding 116 games with Edgar Martinez, Bret Boone, and Ichiro Suzuki how they felt when they got beat by the Yankees in the playoffs. You forget about what that team accomplished. Let’s make this clear; the Houston Astros remain the team to beat as the playoffs begin. They are experienced, loaded, full of front-line starters like Justin Verlander, but if the Red Sox don’t win this year breaking all these vaunted team records, the season will be considered a major disappointment.

QUESTION MARKS?

David Price (16-7 3.58 ERA) is the key figure and needs to pitch the way he has in the 2nd half of the season come Saturday night.  His only kryptonite recently has been the Yankees. The playoffs have been a nightmare for him and he desperately needs a dominant post-season win.

Chris Sale must show that he is healthy.  He didn’t finish up the year strong so a lot of answers will come tomorrow night. Will his control and nasty slider be back or is the velocity dip going to rear its ugly head. Just don’t ask him about his success vs the Yankees this year (2-0 0.69 ERA with 19 strikeouts).  He looks mad and ready to go which is a good sign but his shoulder is the biggest story going into game one.

Rick Porcello (17-7 4.28 ERA)  has to find some October success or all this is for not. The talent is there and he had an amazing start versus the Yankees in early August, throwing a one-hitter. His issues against New York has come at Yankees Stadium. Porcello is currently penciled in to be the game three starter. The results in the playoffs for those three pitchers have not been. As good as the vibe that Red Sox Nation is feeling, it’s all about finishing for a team who has struggled in the playoffs lately.  Pitching will be key.

THE GOAL & PRESSURE!

This team has given its fans many an incredible moment, like in Atlanta a few weeks back, down 7-1 in the 8th inning coming from behind capped by a Brandon Phillips Home Run.  Every night it seemed like a new hero would pop up like Blake Swihart, Jackie Bradley Jr. or Mitch Moreland.  All those memories will be for not without an appearance in the Fall Classic.

With the biggest payroll, a stacked line-up, power, and speed, it’s the starting pitching that will determine the result. People are also very concerned with the bullpen, which has been for the most part strong all year. Joe Kelly has lost it (4-2 4.39 ERA). Matt Barnes, Has had some rough stretches due to a recent injury. Heath Hembree has given up the long ball a lot lately.

The key to the Bullpen success was little known, Ryan Brasier (2-0 1.60 ERA 0.77 WHIP) who has been the find of the year. He has been a solid bridge to Kimbrel. Craig Kimbrel is one of the best closers in all of baseball. He posted solid numbers, (5-1 42 Saves 2.74 ERA) and can be unhittable.

Nathan Eovaldi and Eduardo Rodriguez will add serious velocity to the pen.  Whoever does not get the 4th starters job in the postseason will be that guy, and Steven Wright will add his nasty knuckleball to give the Red Sox depth and variety in the bullpen. It’s the big three starters Sale, Price, and Porcello (2-13 with an ERA over 5 in the post-season) who carry the burden of this teams success.

108 wins is a fantastic accomplishment, the regular season was a blast to watch but it is the 11 wins that come this October that will determine this team’s success and place in history. Evoke the spirits of Curt Schilling, David Roberts, Big Papi, Manny, Dustin Pedroia and figure out how to succeed in the playoffs. Since 2013, Boston is 1-6. If the BoSox don’t win it all, then the year will feel empty and considered a failure.