Houston Astros Cheating Scandal; My Opinion on Pete Rose and Tom Brady
Baseball has a serious problem and it’s not the length of games.
As teams began their exhibition schedules last week, the revelation of the Houston Astros cheating scandal and its aftermath continue to dominate a sport that should be bringing smiles to the faces of fans who have renewed hope for their favorite teams.
Here’s what’s going on. The Astros electronically stole signs in 2017, giving their batters knowledge of what the opposing pitcher was about to throw. They set up a room near the dugout with video of cameras stealing the signs and relaying them to their hitters by either banging on a trash can or equipping them with buzzers inside their uniform shirt.
They actually stole the 2017 World Series but what has transpired after this revelation may actually be worse than the crime.
Yes, the Astros’ General Manager and field manager were first suspended by the Commissioner of Baseball, then the two were fired. The manager of the Boston Red Sox, who played a role in the shenanigans has since departed from the Boston club, and an investigation into whether the Red Sox engaged in a similar exercise is ongoing.
But all of these events smells of just trying to sweep the whole ugly incident under the rug.
It’s not been enough.
There has been no apology from the ball club. Their owner claims the sign-stealing had no impact on the Series, and pitchers on opposing teams who were victims of the illegal actions have openly come out and claimed they will get revenge by throwing at Houston batters.
The Commissioner would like the furor to simply die down.
But it won’t.
It won’t because the penalty that should have been imposed, and imposed immediately never happened.
The Commissioner, Rob Manfred should have quickly vacated the Astros world championship.
That means, in the public record, there was no 2017 World Series champion.
Rob Manfred
The Astros can display their title banner in their ballpark to their heart’s delight. But officially history will show there was no champion. Years from now, if people want to learn why, they will find out.
It’s happened, unfortunately in other sports, primarily in college athletics.
Louisville’s 2013 NCAA basketball championship was vacated. Rules violations surrounding a sex scandal cost the Cardinals the title, games that were won, and money. It also cost their head coach Rick Pitino his job.
Vacated
It was the first time the tournament champion was stripped of its crown.
Louisville, like the the Houston Astros can act to ignore the harshest of penalties, but the rest of the sports world knows.
There have been other occasions when schools have been wiped from their Final Four appearances in the NCAA basketball tournament.
In 1961, St. Joseph’s was the first school to have their appearance vacated. An investigation revealed illegal benefits associated with gambling involving three St. Joe’s starters.
Ten years later, Villanova, which lost to UCLA in the championship game, had to forfeit its place because Howard Porter, the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament had illegally signed a contract with a professional team in the American Basketball Association during his senior year.
These were either the earliest, or most prominent cases of schools having their appearances vacated for illegal activities.
Actually there have been nine other cases of college basketball teams who have faced similar sanctions.
But the blatant act of cheating during a contest has to be the lowest of the low in sports.
As bad as the steroid era was in baseball, I believe what the Astros, and perhaps other teams did, is worse.
The real culprits were the players, of course, who actively took part in the scheme.
I realize it is impossible to suspend the number of players who took part. That would wipe out the team.
But to wipe out the Astros championship had to have been the only principal recourse.
As we enter the 2020 baseball season, I don’t think it’s business as usual.
Sad.
We move on. Maybe not as fast as we’d like.
I get two questions from those I encounter. One has been asked of me for decades. The other is more current.
What’s my opinion of Pete Rose?
Rose, as most of you know, has been banned from the Hall of Fame for betting while he was the manager of the Cincinnati Reds. Gambling is illegal. In any sport. So, end of story.
Not so fast.
I believe Pete Rose was one of the most exciting PLAYERS in the game’s history. He has more base hits than anyone who played. If I were a father and took my son to Cooperstown, and he wanted to know who had the most hits of any player, I would want to point to Pete Rose and explain all about “Charlie Hustle”.
Rose broke perhaps the longest standing rule of the game as a MANAGER.
The symbol of Hall of Fame players is their plaque. What is written on that plaque is indelible. Can never be altered.
I would accept Pete Rose being enshrined in the Hall of Fame with a plaque that not only described his accomplishments and style of play, but included the fact he was found to have gambled as the manager of his team, breaking one of the most serious rules of the game.
His play deserves Hall of Fame recognition, but he can never escape the shame.
Pete Rose
The other question concerns Tom Brady.
Where will he be in 2020? It’s the most compelling dilemma of the NFL off-season.
I have no idea. But I can offer a guess.
Brady had to be disappointed in the Pats offense this past season. I get the impression he didn’t feel he had enough weapons at his disposal. Especially at wide receiver, where a mostly youthful group didn’t get it done.
And an offensive line that wasn’t up the usual Patriots standards.
He is a free agent and he is milking his status. Offers will be pouring in. Yes, even for a quarterback in his 40’s, whose reaching the end of the line.
Reports say the Brady family has moved out of their Massachusetts mansion to Connecticut for the time being.
Others say the family is eyeing a move to Nashville. That tale could be a stretch.
The safe call is that Tom Brady will return to the Patriots make a fortune, and sign for perhaps two years.
Tom Brady
But let’s go outside the box, and take a shot.
If number 12 decides to exit Foxboro, how about the Tennessee Titans for a landing spot?
The Titans are on the rise with head coach Mike Vrabel, a former teammate of Brady’s, and a system that would be familiar. Having Derrick Henry to lead your running game would make any QB’s mouth water.
Ryan Tannehill, who emerged big-time in 2019, would be the backup, just in case.
And maybe there’s truth to the house-in-Nashville rumors. That city is a winner, and growing by the day.
So there you have it. An out-of-the-box opinion on Pete Rose and Tom Brady.
But not about the Houston Astros.
The fact that they’re still considered 2017 world champions is an embarrassment to baseball.
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