2019 Major League Baseball Thread

[JBR]

Altuve and Bregman better armor up this year... home or away. Possibly to a lesser extent, the rest of the Astros hitters too.

They are going to see some serious chin music. I can't wait.

[N-E-B]

The Astros are a joke but the bigger joke is that they still have their World Series title. Keeping their title won’t stop anyone from doing this in the future because they’d still be the winners.

[flamingred89]

What a pathetic apology. I’d expect no more from such a deplorable franchise. Can’t wait to see the bean balls rain in on those losers. Strip that title.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

The Astros are a joke but the bigger joke is that they still have their World Series title. Keeping their title won’t stop anyone from doing this in the future because they’d still be the winners.

Absolutely, MLB baseball needed to strip the titles after their cheating directly led to them. There's no feelings to even save here so I'm not sure why they let them stand. Everyone knows they aren't real - The organizations, the players, the fans of the teams, every fan in MLB, media etc.

Just strip them, they're fake now anyways.

[Jay's Beagle]

I actually am shocked at how pompous Jim Crane was. I love how old jimmy went back on his word once they opened it up to reporters.

Sid as excepted ripped him a new one. I can't wait to see how this ends this can't be over. It will be interesting when the buzzer scandal of 2019 comes out, through some media source, what happens to Manfred and friends who to this point covered it up.

[Sylvanfan]

Why throw at Altuve's head...He's wearing his cheat buzzer on his chest.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by Yamer

Lol

[flames_fan_down_under]

For Athletic subscribers this Trevor Bauer interview is unreal. Well worth the read.

https://theathletic.com/1609477/2020...on-his-answer/

It pisses me off because all we want to do – everyone comes here to win, but we agree to play by a set of rules and we want to play fairly and compete and see are we better than you or not? So we all assume that’s what’s going on. When it’s not, it’s, “Hold on a second, why is it that I have to abide by the rules? That guy has to abide by the rules. That team has to abide by the rules but you guys think you are better than everyone and you don’t have to abide by the rules?” #### you. You know? That’s how I feel about their whole operation, especially, especially when you’re so outspoken against stuff. If you take a stand and you’re so firmly against stuff, you better ####ing make sure that you’re not doing the stuff that you’re talking about.

[Jiri Hrdina]

MLB really blew it by not stripping the title. But it doesn't matter - because the title is meaningless now anyways. History will place that team alongside the Black Socks.
They will be held forth as examples of cheaters not as champions.
So I guess the formality of actually stripping the title matters little.

[Joborule]

I hope the *'s; especially Altuve and Bregman, get booed relentlessly for each of their road games throughout the season. Really embarrass those players, and that organization.

[flames_fan_down_under]

Well now Carlos Correa is the latest Astro to lose any credibility they may have had left, which was already next to none. He defends Altuve saying he was one of the ones that didn't cheat, he did, says they didn't cheat in 2018, they did, doesn't understand why people question their World Series win, because you cheated.

It's incredible that these guys still act so entitled. They don't get that everything they have accomplished as a team has to be questioned now. They have no credibility. They laughed at others who accused them of stealing signs, they were cavalier in their non-apologies and now they want all of us to move on? Honestly #### this team. How can they even look in the camera and still be so defensive? They don't get how big a deal this is and how historically bad this is.

https://theathletic.com/1610301/2020...ir-2017-title/

The problem I have is when players go out there and they don’t know the facts, they’re not informed about the situation and they just go out there and go on camera and just talk. With me, that doesn’t seem right. It doesn’t seem right at all. So when (Bellinger) talks about that we cheated for three years, he either doesn’t know how to read, is really bad at reading comprehension or is just not informed at all. The commissioner’s report clearly says that all those activities were conducted in 2017. 2018, nothing happened. 2019, nothing happened. It was just talented players playing the game of baseball with passion and winning ballgames.

Rosenthal: In 2018, it did say you guys did things.

[flamingred89]

I don’t envy Dusty Baker who got thrown into this mess. But now he’s speaking out that the league needs to step in to protect his players from retribution. Cmon man. Those ###hats dug their own grave and now they have to answer for it. You can tell the Astro’s are trying to flip the script and play the victim. Even Verlander today was very woe is me. Dude your career was dead before joining the cheaters. Hows that 0-6 in the World Series treating you? Such a dreadful bunch of losers.

[Resolute 14]

Baker's doing his job, and the last thing MLB needs is pitchers throwing at them. Because then they very much will be the victims. All the verbal sniping is great though... that is what keeps the Astros looking like the bad guys.

Also, Verlander is married to Kate Upton and they have enough money to literally re-enact Scrooge McDuck's swimming pool full of money. I doubt he's too worried about your disdain, lol.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

I just clued in that Pillar signed with the Red Sox. I wish him luck, but not too much luck.

[Strange Brew]

MLB didn't strip the steroid cheaters of their individual records so they weren't going to do this for the Astros. Probably too much money changed hands in sports books around the world to do that anyway. And IDK if the Black Sox are a great comparable. They didn't cheat, they lost on purpose.

Crane is not a good guy. Sometimes the less you know about people the better. BTW the rumor that I have heard a couple of times is the reason Hinch destroyed the monitors was because they had gotten the pitch wrong. FWIW.

It's a shame. THe Astros were a great story in 2017 and many likable personalities on the team. Unfortunately the whole experience for the fans is tainted now, not to mention how fans and players from all over the league feel cheated. I am always amazed at how easy it for some people to lie and the Astros were good at it.

Regardless I will be cheering for the deplorable bad guys again this year. Should be interesting as hell. The team itself doesn't look as strong though.

[flames_fan_down_under]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

I just clued in that Pillar signed with the Red Sox. I wish him luck, but not too much luck.

The more bad players on the Red Sox the better!

[flames_fan_down_under]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

MLB didn't strip the steroid cheaters of their individual records so they weren't going to do this for the Astros. Probably too much money changed hands in sports books around the world to do that anyway. And IDK if the Black Sox are a great comparable. They didn't cheat, they lost on purpose.

Crane is not a good guy. Sometimes the less you know about people the better. BTW the rumor that I have heard a couple of times is the reason Hinch destroyed the monitors was because they had gotten the pitch wrong. FWIW.

It's a shame. THe Astros were a great story in 2017 and many likable personalities on the team. Unfortunately the whole experience for the fans is tainted now, not to mention how fans and players from all over the league feel cheated. I am always amazed at how easy it for some people to lie and the Astros were good at it.

Regardless I will be cheering for the deplorable bad guys again this year. Should be interesting as hell. The team itself doesn't look as strong though.

Sorry can you elaborate on the bolded part please? You mean the guy making the banging sound was giving incorrect info?

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by flames_fan_down_under

Sorry can you elaborate on the bolded part please? You mean the guy making the banging sound was giving incorrect info?

Simply a rumor that in a couple of instances they got it wrong and that is what made Hinch so angry.

[Drake]

Astros pitcher Francis Martes suspended 162 games without pay after testing positive for Boldenone, a performance-enhancing drug. He was previously suspended for a similar violation last March.

Martes gets 162 suspension for taking something that theoretically can help you cheat

All other Astros players get a 0 game suspension for actually cheating. Perfect logic. lol

[browna]

In other news, the over under for Asstros getting HBP is at 83.5.
Hammer the over there.

Angels play them opening day. The Angels should have 10 pitchers warmed up, some who've never played in the league since getting roughed up, and hit each Astro on their first pitch. They will each get tossed, then bring in the next guy.

So what,they'll be down 5-0 in the bottom of the first with bases loaded and no outs.