The Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB) have been labeled with one of the worst names you can have in the sports world – cheaters.
Recently, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred released a nine-page report on findings from an investigation into claims that the Astros used video surveillance technology in their 2017 World Series run, per Dodgers Nation.
The Astros took care of the Los Angeles Dodgers in that World Series, and it was a feel-good story for baseball fans across the league. The Astros were the doormat of the league for years before becoming a powerhouse. Not only that, Texas and the city of Houston were reeling from the aftermath of a hurricane.
Those are my favorite kind of sports stories. I love seeing downtrodden teams like the 2017 Astros go on and win it all, similar to what the New Orleans Saints did in 2009 when they won the Super Bowl a few years after Hurricane Katrina devastated southern Louisiana.
Unfortunately, I can no longer feel good about the Astros’ run to the World Series since the club used illegitimate means to get there. They committed one of the most egregious sins in sports.
The fallout from the scandal has been astronomical. Astros’ manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Lunhow lost their jobs and were suspended by the league. The Astros were also fined a hefty sum of $5 million, in addition to losing their first- and second-round draft picks in 2020 and 2021, according to The Guardian.
“Although Lunhow denies having any awareness that his replay review staff was decoding and transmitting signs, there is both documentary and testimonial evidence that Lunhow had some knowledge of these efforts, but he did not give it much attention,” said Manfred, per The Guardian.
Former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers prompted the investigation after talking to The Athletic.
A debate among baseball fans, and really sports fans in general, is if the Astros should have their World Series title stripped and left vacant. People across the country feel as if the Astros’ management, players and organization were not punished enough by the MLB.
The players should feel ashamed for being a part of the incident, but I feel like it would be a nightmare trying to punish every player involved in the scandal, especially now that some of those players now play for other teams.
I’m not a Dodgers fan, but I still feel bitter about this scandal. I live by the life motto of “I’d rather lose playing fair than win by cheating.” To me, this situation is even worse than players using performance-enhancing drugs, though I still despise that practice.
Winning a championship should take all the blood, sweat and tears you can muster. It should be about giving everything you have for your team and fans. The Astros took the easy way out, and it’s a real shame.
But should the Astros lose their title? No.
Think about it. Why do we never “delete” amendments from the U.S. Constitution? Why do we just add contradictory amendments, such as the prohibition of alcohol and its subsequent repeal?
We do this because it’s how we learn from mistakes. History isn’t something that should be erased just because it’s convenient or we disagree with something happening.
Like it or not, the Houston Astros did beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2017 World Series, and the record books should note this accurately. Going back and erasing the past is an abhorrent practice that tyrants use to make themselves look better. History is written by the victors.
So the question still stands, what do we do now? Well, I think that the MLB’s sanctions on the Astros were enough, as they will hurt the team severely, mainly the loss of draft picks, but the extent of the damage will be felt outside of that as well.
There will forever be a big, fat asterisk next to the Astros’ sole World Series win. Everyone will know how Houston won the World Series without any integrity as a professional sports team. Not only will they likely return to the league’s basement, but they will become a laughing-stock in the baseball community.
With all this being said, the Astros should keep their World Series win. Erasing history is never the right thing to do, and it’ll likely be the only one that they’ll have for a long time.
Photo Credit / Wikimedia Commons
