All over the internet, Houston Astros fans are getting irky about the attention that the sign-stealing by their team is getting. How do they expect this to blow over like that when people are still talking about the 1919 Black Sox scandal or about the 1990s PED scandal. People will remember this for decades and have an opinion about it. Especially now the MLB Player Association (Player’s Union) is entering the argument.
The other day the MLBPA claimed that the players were not told about the sign-stealing rules… MLB commissioner Rob Manfred also claimed something similar during his press conference last Sunday. With this statement, one can wonder who the MLBPA is representing. The cheaters or those players that are ticked off by the cheaters. It clearly looks like the MLBPA is on the side of the Astros’ players here.
When MLB clearly stated in 2017 that sign-stealing with electrical devises was forbidden as they investigated the sign stealing with Apple watches by the Boston Red Sox, how can the MLBPA still claim the players did not know. This is absolute baloney?
It is even worse. Rob Manfred claimed on Tuesday that the player’s union refused to cooperate in an investigation as he stated that the MLBPA asked if there would be disciplinary actions. When MLB said that they were not to be ruled out, the union said that any punishment would be a problem. When MLB suggested a list of players that could be punished, the player’s union demanded an overall immunity.
Manfred: “So I’m not being critical of anyone. But the fact of the matter is the union wanted an immunity agreement to protect their members. That’s how we got here.”
But according to the MLBPA, MLB said from the outset that it was not its intention to discipline players, in which they are right. So once again, Manfred shows two faces and now he his hiding behind the MLBPA to save face.
But the MLBPA is also losing face by claiming players did not know. Unless the players have been living underneath a rock, they must have heard or read about it as it was mentioned in the media back in 2018.
As long as the owners think their profit is more important than the integrity of the game, this won’t blow over like that. Also when a player’s union is siding with the cheaters, this will be a big mess.
The cesspit is getting bigger again. Aren’t you disgusted with MLB yet? I am.