Luhnow and Hinch Suspensions

[DigitalRock]

It's astounding that they replaced Bud Selig with someone who seems even worse than Bud f***ing Selig.

 

Yeah MLB is a mess, they have no idea what to do with the sport.

[Pendleton]

[Beans]

The Astros owner and press conference was an embarassment.

 

Cringe!

 

They had three months to think of how to say sorry. Instead they have the two midgets in Bregman and Altuve speak for less than two minutes combined, and then Dusty Baker comes in to say he's there to save the team... ha!

 

My favourite was Jim Crane: "Our opinion is this didn't impact the game. We had a good team. We won the World Series, and we'll leave it at that." ... 55 seconds later ... "I didn't say it didn't impact the game."

 

I actually enjoyed watching them hang themselves :-)

 

#Schadenfreude

[Grant77]

[Pendleton]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2187[/ATTACH]

 

[TheHurl]

I'm getting tired of the outrage from the players when most of have said they have known. Nats are saying they changed their signs every batter. Yet no one complained...because in the end they all have done something which they know would draw a negative reaction from fans. MLB really has to come out and make a statement about how their office needs to be more accepting of player complaints.

[glory]

The one positive about this is that MLB has effectively created a super villain team now in the Astros. Every other fanbase is going to hate them. There will undoubtedly be players (Bregman) who will be hit on purpose, which will trend on Twitter/lead Sports Center when it happens, etc. It will bring attention to the game. For a league that needs attention, that's the best part about this scandal. A Yankees/Astros playoff rematch (which could still conceivably happen as the Astros without Cole and without cheating are still probably really good) would be great for the sport considering the circumstances around 2017 and 2019.

 

I just think players are acting outraged because it is easy to do and will garner attention. It's a smart move on their part with no downside.

[Spanky99]

Yeah, as someone said today on Astro earlobes, when will it stop.

 

Should be interesting.

[TheHurl]

The one positive about this is that MLB has effectively created a super villain team now in the Astros. Every other fanbase is going to hate them. There will undoubtedly be players (Bregman) who will be hit on purpose, which will trend on Twitter/lead Sports Center when it happens, etc. It will bring attention to the game. For a league that needs attention, that's the best part about this scandal. A Yankees/Astros playoff rematch (which could still conceivably happen as the Astros without Cole and without cheating are still probably really good) would be great for the sport considering the circumstances around 2017 and 2019.

 

I just think players are acting outraged because it is easy to do and will garner attention. It's a smart move on their part with no downside.

 

I want to see the Astros go full heel. Bat flips on singles, telling pitchers they don't need the trash can if they throw up that garbage. Have Dusty talk about how he never even liked Hank Aaron, he just hung with him for the pussy

[Abomination]

I want to see the Astros go full heel. Bat flips on singles, telling pitchers they don't need the trash can if they throw up that garbage. Have Dusty talk about how he never even liked Hank Aaron, he just hung with him for the pussy

 

I've always wanted the Jays to play up the "man in white". Give fans a bunch of white shirts in the outfield and have them make random movements during at bats. You don't have to actually cheat. You just have to make the other team paranoid as hell that you are.

[glory]

 

Damn, even Trout is going in on Manfred and MLB for the (lack of) punishment.

 

Manfred needs to vacate the 2017 World Series title. That’s the only way to get players and fans to move on.

[Boxcar]

 

He's not wrong.

[Boxcar]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2187[/ATTACH]

 

Omfg I lol'd

[Inklink]

Disgusting limp response from the league. Wonder if Manfred knew about it when it was happening? 0 punishments to the players is laughable. The Astros will eat some baseballs this year, hopefully. Funny to see Dusty Baker worrying about players retaliating throughout the season. F the astros.

[Captain Adama]

Disgusting limp response from the league. Wonder if Manfred knew about it when it was happening? 0 punishments to the players is laughable. The Astros will eat some baseballs this year, hopefully. Funny to see Dusty Baker worrying about players retaliating throughout the season. F the astros.

 

Yeah, Manfred then has the f***ing nerve to warn teams about throwing at players that there will be consequences if they do so. Maybe he should've handed out punishments proactively, instead of dealing with s*** when it inevitably happens

[Pendleton]

 

Amidst all this hate and outrage, it's good to see something positive come out of Houston

[Brownie19]

How do you guys feel about categorizing cheating?

 

Do you believe that all cheating is cheating and it should be punished similarly?

 

Do you believe we should 'rank' cheating into different levels and penalize them differently? If so - how do you decide those levels?

 

 

 

I mean it's universally known that almost every pitcher in baseball is using a foreign substance to gain grip. That's cheating. Is it 'OK' because everyone is doing it? Why isn't the baseball world losing their minds over it? Is it because they assume it doesn't have a major impact on outcome of the game? I mean in this new world of spin rates and strikeouts - why isn't there more focus on this?

 

Do we know whether it gives some pitchers more advantage than it does other pitchers? Do we know if some teams have a better 'product' than others? Do we know when pitchers started using it? Was it one (or a handful) of teams using it originally and did they have an advantage over the rest of the league for a year or two?

 

I find it fascinating that fans are losing their minds over the Astros. Change the record books, life suspensions, etc...when there's probably all kinds of cheating going on in baseball. It's fascinating that players will speak out against the Astros - yet I don't remember Bellinger (or other players) speaking out against other players and even his own teammates who were using PEDs and cheating. Why not? Why isn't there talk of throwing at players coming back from PED suspensions?

 

discuss.

[wilko]

How do you guys feel about categorizing cheating?

 

Do you believe that all cheating is cheating and it should be punished similarly?

 

Do you believe we should 'rank' cheating into different levels and penalize them differently? If so - how do you decide those levels?

 

 

 

I mean it's universally known that almost every pitcher in baseball is using a foreign substance to gain grip. That's cheating. Is it 'OK' because everyone is doing it? Why isn't the baseball world losing their minds over it? Is it because they assume it doesn't have a major impact on outcome of the game? I mean in this new world of spin rates and strikeouts - why isn't there more focus on this?

 

Do we know whether it gives some pitchers more advantage than it does other pitchers? Do we know if some teams have a better 'product' than others? Do we know when pitchers started using it? Was it one (or a handful) of teams using it originally and did they have an advantage over the rest of the league for a year or two?

 

I find it fascinating that fans are losing their minds over the Astros. Change the record books, life suspensions, etc...when there's probably all kinds of cheating going on in baseball. It's fascinating that players will speak out against the Astros - yet I don't remember Bellinger (or other players) speaking out against other players and even his own teammates who were using PEDs and cheating. Why not? Why isn't there talk of throwing at players coming back from PED suspensions?

 

discuss.

 

They are basically the fall team for all of the 'cheating' that was going on. They should have done a full investigation and found out what players were involved (maybe they did that already but wont release it), and punish them. Now they are basically leaving it in the players hands to retaliate against the Astro's. It's going to be a s*** show.

[Deadpool]

How do you guys feel about categorizing cheating?

 

Do you believe that all cheating is cheating and it should be punished similarly?

 

Do you believe we should 'rank' cheating into different levels and penalize them differently? If so - how do you decide those levels?

 

 

 

I mean it's universally known that almost every pitcher in baseball is using a foreign substance to gain grip. That's cheating. Is it 'OK' because everyone is doing it? Why isn't the baseball world losing their minds over it? Is it because they assume it doesn't have a major impact on outcome of the game? I mean in this new world of spin rates and strikeouts - why isn't there more focus on this?

 

Do we know whether it gives some pitchers more advantage than it does other pitchers? Do we know if some teams have a better 'product' than others? Do we know when pitchers started using it? Was it one (or a handful) of teams using it originally and did they have an advantage over the rest of the league for a year or two?

 

I find it fascinating that fans are losing their minds over the Astros. Change the record books, life suspensions, etc...when there's probably all kinds of cheating going on in baseball. It's fascinating that players will speak out against the Astros - yet I don't remember Bellinger (or other players) speaking out against other players and even his own teammates who were using PEDs and cheating. Why not? Why isn't there talk of throwing at players coming back from PED suspensions?

 

discuss.

 

I don't think the league wants to out (or at least highlight) cheating, and using a foreign substance to help with grip is a lot easier to get away with sweeping under the rug than video evidence showing a loud bang every time an off speed pitch was thrown... Same reason there's not likely to be any investigation into the buzzer theory, they can ignore it, and will as long as possible.

[Brownie19]

I don't think the league wants to out (or at least highlight) cheating, and using a foreign substance to help with grip is a lot easier to get away with sweeping under the rug than video evidence showing a loud bang every time an off speed pitch was thrown... Same reason there's not likely to be any investigation into the buzzer theory, they can ignore it, and will as long as possible.

 

Why don't players speak out against PED users and pitchers using foreign substances? Is it simply because half their teammates are also cheating? Or did they decide that cheating isn't 'as bad'?

[Brownie19]

They are basically the fall team for all of the 'cheating' that was going on. They should have done a full investigation and found out what players were involved (maybe they did that already but wont release it), and punish them. Now they are basically leaving it in the players hands to retaliate against the Astro's. It's going to be a s*** show.

 

It's going to be ironic when a pitcher reaches for the rosin and Bullfrog sunscreen mixtures on his arm to get some extra grip before hurling a ball at the back/head of an Astros batter. He'll sure show him what happens to dem cheaters!!!

Edited February 18, 2020 by Brownie19

[DigitalRock]

It's going to be ironic when a pitcher reaches for the rosin and Bullfrog sunscreen mixtures on his arm to get some extra grip before hurling a ball at the back/head of an Astros batter. He'll sure show him what happens to dem cheaters!!!

 

nothing ironic about it as they two are not remotely the same, an individual cheating versus a Organisational effort from an entire team using a computer algorithm, and using technology to relay signs in real time...you're dum.

[TheHurl]

Everything Brownie is saying is the reason I don't give a s*** at all. If you ain't cheatin', you ain't trying!

[TheHurl]

nothing ironic about it as they two are not remotely the same, an individual cheating versus a Organisational effort from an entire team using a computer algorithm, and using technology to relay signs in real time...you're dum.

 

so it's not a problem until the entire team was doing it?

[DigitalRock]

Why don't players speak out against PED users and pitchers using foreign substances? Is it simply because half their teammates are also cheating? Or did they decide that cheating isn't 'as bad'?

 

Because every team had players on Roids...this is not the same, it's not that hard bro. Players are mad because what the stros did crossed a line, and they and they alone went as far as they did. If everyone was doing it players would not be speaking out like they are.

[DigitalRock]

so it's not a problem until the entire team was doing it?

 

Never said that, do you always put words in peoples mouths? it's a problem, but there are different levels of cheating... Anyone caught using roids or peds gets a hefty suspension , so what's the issue there? I was also talking about specifically WHY players are speaking so harshly on this, and not roids, it's because roids was rampant, this is different. If every team was doing what the stros did they would not be blasting them publicly because once it got out they would look like idiots..that's pretty common sense no? i never said it was not an "Issue" anywhere.

[glory]

Damn I didn't realize Manfred referred to the World Series trophy as a "piece of metal". No wonder the players are lashing out at him. What a tone deaf thing to say about what should symbolize the biggest prize in your own sport. No wonder the marketing under his watch is so bad.

 

I hope this Astros thing pisses off the owners too. I don't think it will unless the league starts losing money, but dammit I'm fully on board with Manfred getting the F out of this sport.

[P2F]

Damn I didn't realize Manfred referred to the World Series trophy as a "piece of metal". No wonder the players are lashing out at him. What a tone deaf thing to say about what should symbolize the biggest prize in your own sport. No wonder the marketing under his watch is so bad.

 

I hope this Astros thing pisses off the owners too. I don't think it will unless the league starts losing money, but dammit I'm fully on board with Manfred getting the F out of this sport.

 

Yeah, the way he inexplicably devalued the World Series trophy in that manner was egregious and indefensible. Like, what? That's the entire reason they play the game! The absurdity of his statement is incomprehensible.

 

Justin Turner's retort to Manfred's comments was right on the money.

[TheHurl]

Yeah, the way he inexplicably devalued the World Series trophy in that manner was egregious and indefensible. Like, what? That's the entire reason they play the game! The absurdity of his statement is incomprehensible.

 

Justin Turner's retort to Manfred's comments was right on the money.

 

In theory I believe that Manfred handled punishment correctly, as I believe there should be none. But he's not trained enough to have a microphone near him this often. He says too many things which won't piss off the owners or the PA (who have remained very silent here) and instead he's pissing off the people that he can't afford to piss off...the fans. The media is going to ask every single player (even the Radio Scouts asked it in their recent interview). Every single player is going to have this outrage (much of it fake outrage I'm sure). Manfred needs his PR people working on this and make a statement before the season that either puts the blame on the league (and possibly result in him stepping down) or just hope that some positive baseball story happens during the season.

[Boxcar]

In theory I believe that Manfred handled punishment correctly, as I believe there should be none. But he's not trained enough to have a microphone near him this often. He says too many things which won't piss off the owners or the PA (who have remained very silent here) and instead he's pissing off the people that he can't afford to piss off...the fans. The media is going to ask every single player (even the Radio Scouts asked it in their recent interview). Every single player is going to have this outrage (much of it fake outrage I'm sure). Manfred needs his PR people working on this and make a statement before the season that either puts the blame on the league (and possibly result in him stepping down) or just hope that some positive baseball story happens during the season.

 

#1 Rob Manfred fanboy right here. He'll drive baseball into the dirt and Hurl will still be waving his pom poms.