NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 03: : General Manager of the New York Yankees Brian Cashman looks on prior to the American League Wild Card Game between the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on October 03, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City.
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New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman believes the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing impacted the 2017 ALCS.

Past actions lead to current consequences, and that’s what the Houston Astros are dealing with at the moment. The MLB recently found the ballclub guilty of sign-stealing, a cheating system they implemented during the 2017 and 2018 campaigns. Houston fired manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow after they were suspended in January. Now, the organization must face the music going forward.

The former of the two unloyal campaigns saw a World Series title for Houston, but owner Jim Crane doesn’t believe the sign-stealing led to that. He ultimately said the cheating “didn’t impact the game.” New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is calling his bluff though, saying Houston’s system most certainly affected the 2017 ALCS between the two ballclubs.

“I definitely think [the cheating] had an impact on things, without question,” he said. “The Houston Astros were dealing with a distinct advantage more so than their opponents. That’s a fact. So I don’t think anybody could disagree with that, even though they may try.”

The Yanks lost that very series in seven games, and it all adds up when you look at the outcome of every matchup. Houston won all four games at home while scoring an average of 3.75 runs. But on the road, they were 0-3 while recording an average of 1.67 runs.

Remember, the Astros implemented their system while in their home ballpark.

After the ALCS, Houston then went on to win the World Series in seven games over the Los Angeles Dodgers. It’s a title that should forever possess an asterisk next to it.

Ryan Honey is a staff writer and host of the Wide Right Podcast.