Astros Player Feels Dodgers Are Talking Because They Wont Face Them in 2020
As much as we’d all prefer to move on from the Astros cheating scandal, it just plainly will not go away. And in all likelihood, the headlines will return once the commissioner rules on the Boston Red Sox in their cheating allegations.
So if we’re going to live in a world ruled by Astros cheating headlines, we might as well cover them all.
As the wind was dying down on the Houston scandal — going against the well thought out advice of Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish — Astros players chose to still speak out on the reverberations around the league. In particular, pitcher Lance McCullers spoke out on the subject as Houston players were trying to move away from the scandal and look to the new season.
“Those guys aren’t going to have to face us, which is maybe why they feel like they can speak like that.” -Lance McCullers (Astros RHP)
His response to why @Dodgers players have been outspoken on the #AstrosCheatingScandal (https://t.co/CFpcbYW792)
— Tim Cates (@timcates) February 20, 2020
Indeed, the pitcher who didn’t even pitch in 2019 shared his thoughts on the recent vitriol against his team days after the storm had died down.
Here’s the quote from McCullers:
[The teams talking trash are] going to have to play us. Except for the guys who are popping off the most. Those guys aren’t going to have to face us, which is maybe why they feel like they can speak like that. But we’re moving on. That’s not what people may want to hear, but we stood here as men and we addressed [the scandal].
To clarify, he’s talking about the Dodgers… mostly. Atlanta Braves All-Star Nick Markakis spoke out against the Astros by calling their cheating ways “damaging to baseball” and stating that “every single guy over there needs a beating”. Chicago Cubs star Kris Bryant was less than complimentary as he called the Astros’ apology a “disgrace.”
But if we’re being realistic, McCullers more than likely had Los Angeles on his mind.
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[adace-ad id=”119991″]Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger ripped the Astros and devalued Houston second baseman Jose Al-tat-uve’s 2017 AL MVP award. Moreover, Justin Turner went off on both the Astros and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. For as much as manager Dave Roberts is ready to move on, Dodger players, and MLB are all very much not.
For the entire 2020 season and likely beyond, the Astros will have a target on their back (perhaps literally). As much as they try to run from their past transgressions, or tough-guy their way around them, any play from that 2017 World Series title team will forever be label a cheater, even if MLB won’t officially.
One final note in this storyline, McCullers is a pitcher in the American League which means the designated hitter rule protects him from potential retaliation. So, for intents and purposes, this feels like one of those pot calling the kettle black situations.
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Let him face some of the Dodger fans from Highland Park. He won’t last 2 minutes.
While it is true that we need to stop talking, McCullers is moronic and cowardly for stoking this fire again. You can hear the groans across baseball when a fool like McCullers starts flapping his lips.
Interesting because no one is shying away from this. Players from the Yankees and angels for example have spoken about it so you’ve got no point Houston once again. Keep digging yourselves though
The Astros have a point here. They will not be playing the Dodgers in 2020. When the Dodgers are playing in the WS, the Astros will only be able to watch it on TV.
As a lawyer and a judge,I can tell you that no one should profit from their own wrongdoing. At the very least, the commissioner should direct the Astro organization and each player do donate their World Series shares as winners as opposed to runner-up share to charity. This way everyone feels somepain.
Again, this will get ugly once games start because all the other MLB teams want the Astros to be justifiably punished in some way because that Manfred let them get away with murder.
Bottom line . . . If you need to cheat to win, probably means you don’t think you can beat the other team. As a manager I see the same shenanigans applied in our softball league.
Yep. Astros are already conceding that they won’t be in WS because they can’t cheat anymore!
Here’s what the real punishment will be. Since MLB didn’t do enough all the rest of baseball can.
If you are an Astros player and become a free agent who would want to sign you? No one! You either stay in Houston or don’t play.
If you are a player on another team and become a free agent would you want to sign with the Astros? No way!
So both the Astros organization and the player’s can be blackballed easily enough. That should be a good resolution that will have far reaching effects. Good riddance!!
That’s true! And maybe it will force that moron to sell the team. That’s the only way they recover, drain the swamp!
Yeah, McCullers, you “faced it like men.” Men with integrity wouldn’t have cheated in the first place. But then again, according to Crane, you didn’t get “guidance” from your leaders (as if you were in kindergarten and needed guidance to know your repeated actions were wrong.)
I just love how people who are caught act indignant at others for objecting to their misdeeds.
Who cares if the Dodgers play The Asterisks this season. The Asterisks are unrepentant cheaters so they should be talked about in the most unflattering light and the Dodgers are the team they cheated against in the World Series, Their 2017 title should be revoked. Normally if you cheat you are disqualified.
The Oakland A’s have been in the postseason hunt for the past few years. The Angels have Rendon, and a healthy (hopefully) Ohtani. I would love to see both of them challenge Houston this season. Every team that plays Houston this year should go for the throat. Houston missing the postseason doesn’t compare to the Dodgers winning the WS, but it would be nice.
Tough guy “McCulpable” hasn’t said crap about the AL players like Trout and Judge who will face the Asterisks this season. What a hero! I hope those guys destroy him and the rest of that cheat squad! Rather than own it, apologize, and move on, idiots like McCulpable want to flap his ignorant gums.
GO BLUE!!!
I think Astros players should stop talking already because all they are doing is adding fuel to the fire. The other teams and players are tired of the lies and excuses. Also some are trying to play the victim now.
When will the Astros just shut up. Have they ever heard of the term digging your own grave? Now they are starting to fill in the hole. They are just fortunate that the baseball commissioner is a gutless lawyer that doesn’t have any business being in his position. Think of how many teams would give up 5 mil. and four draft choices to call themselves world champion.
Good grief, now the Astros are starting to sounds like little kids. “Oh yeah, well I better not see on the street.” How old is this cheating Astros pitcher?
I shart on all their cheating faces.
Didn’t Dusty Baker say that his Astros’ players are going to have to “put their big boy pants on?” Two days into preseason and we have yet to see a single 2017 World Series “champion” take to the field or bat. As fans of baseball heckle and show their signs calling the Astros out for cheating, the Astros need to accept that this is how many baseball fans are feeling. Its time for Dusty’s players to stop hiding, minimizing and whining. Although MLB gave players immunity, baseball fans did not. One leg at a time, boys….