MLB News: Astros Cheating Scandal Forces Massive Changes In Baseball
The Astros cheating scandal that rocked the MLB and Dodgers’ fans is causing plenty of ripple effects. The latest of which is a massive crackdown on the daily processes of baseball operations.
Baseball is ready to get things cleaned up and get the games to be decided on the field. The latest attempt at a league-wide crackdown includes several sweeping changes. Any non-uniformed personnel are going to be barred from entering the clubhouse and video rooms. Live video feeds will also have to be turned off with the exception of replay monitors which are of course, necessary.
There is also a desire to get better at catching pitchers using foreign substances on baseballs, though it’s unclear how that would happen. All of these new rules are under the threat of suspensions or even removal from the league.
The rules have not yet been put into place as the league still needs to work with the players association. Special assistant to the MLB commissioner Joe Torre and Senior Vice President Chris Young are in Arizona and Florida this week to prepare teams for changes.
“We’re not as far apart with the players association as you might think. Joe Maddon said it best: we need to return the game to being decided on the field rather than what’s going on behind it.”- Chris Young
Part of the new plans would include much more MLB security to keep track of personnel coming in and out of the restricted areas.
“Joe looked right at me and my manager,” said one GM after Torre addressed his staff, “and said, ‘If your team does not comply, you’re gone, and you’re gone.'” -Anonymous General Manager
In regards to the foreign substance crackdown, it likely stems from Trevor Bauer saying that the majority of pitchers in the league already use them. Bauer had a notorious beef with fellow UCLA teammate Gerrit Cole, and he accused most of the Astros pitching staff of cheating as well.
The rules are set to be in place by Opening Day, though there are still plenty of hurdles to overcome. From the looks of it though, Major League Baseball is very serious about keeping the game of baseball clean.
NEXT Dodgers Predicted By Baseball America to Win the West and More
It’s good MLB is cleaning up its act. Electronic sign stealing and allowing pitchers to use foreign substances has been around for years. There probably hasn’t been a totally innocent team in a long, long time.
Foreign substances are how the Astros cheated on the pitching side of the game. That’s how Verlander who was finished suddenly became better than he ever was before he declined
Now I know why pitchers that were traded to the Astros suddenly discovered better spin rates.
Apparently the Astros cheated in every possible way, hitters and pitchers. I’m not surprised. When you nurture a culture of corruption and cheating, I guess nothing is off limits. These guys are a bunch of scumbags, and Manfred is their facilitator.
Not a big Manfred fan, but I have to give him credit for keeping everything contained. From what I heard, this was a massive, widespread problem that could have destroyed baseball. By throwing a couple of teams under the bus, he satisfied the masses and protected his product.
Once again the world has to protect itself from debacle fostered by a former McKinsey consultant. Ironic that it occurred in Houston again.
Too late for the Dodgers. That they aren’t vacating the WS titles is everything you need to know about how serious the MLB is in cleaning things up.
Not sure what was reported in this story constitutes “massive” changes. The league has tried to clamp down on foreign substances before and not been successful. And as long as there are ANY electronic feeds there will still be efforts to get around any security. Do you really think that if a systematic violation (like what happened with the Astros) is uncovered in the future that MLB is going to penalize an entire team? No. That would cost too many people too much money. Besides, MLB continues to hold to the “never change an on field result” mantra that means that if you cheat and are successful, there is no effective penalty, no matter how the cheating may have influenced the on-field results. The minute MLB decided to not vacate the 2017 World Series, it set the standard for any future punishment. The end will always justify the means.
The only change that counts is to take away the cheaters false title and get a commissioner with guts.
With guts? It’s hie ethics that are questionable.
IF THE CHEATERS ARE NOT BANNED FROM BASEBALL THEN PETE ROSE SHOULD BE REINSTATED AND PUT INTO THE BASEBALL OF FAME ( THE CHEATERS ARE NO BETTER THEN PETE ROSE AND SHOULD BE OUT OF BASEBALL ) .
WHY WILL NOT MY LETTER BE POSTED ? WHO IS THE COMMISSIONER AFRAID OF ?
How can he enact new polices if there has never been a precedence of that? Wasn’t that his excuse for not taking the title away from the cheaters?