Houston Astros ringleaders, Carlos Beltran and Alex Cora, both must come forward and speak up in order to let the healing begin.
It’s time for Carlos Beltran and Alex Cora to speak. Say what you want regarding those statements Thursday from Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman and Justin Verlander; the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal will not fade quietly into the night.
Beltran, in particular, is the culprit reportedly behind the entire thing, a scandal that has rocked the foundation of baseball.
Jim Crane, Astros owner, claims he’s in the midst of rearranging his baseball operations department. In the meantime, the Astros are public enemy No. 1 and baseball has a long time to go in the damage control department.
And the culprits, the masterminds, Beltran and Alex Cora, need to be heard. Yeah, their dismissals as managers of the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox were warranted.
The players cannot be fired. Suspensions and fines? Players received immunity and that influential Major League Baseball Players Association provided protection.
But, Beltran, in his last year as a player with that 2017 club, has not made that apology or statement. Cora, the then-bench coach, seems to be secluded from the controversy.
Altuve, Correa, Bregman—they, and some of the other culprits of the 2017 Houston Astros, continue on their merry way in preparation of the 2020 season.
It sounds like Beltran’s guilt is equalling his right to remain silent. Cora, in hiding, needs to explain the whistleblowing, garbage-can banging, camera, and video monitors that have become the topic of baseball this offseason.
And for the first time, we heard from the players who were granted immunity by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred.
But nothing from Beltran or Cora is unacceptable. Fans and the game of baseball deserve to hear apologies and explanations from the top culprits that were behind this scheme.
“It was wrong,” Altuve said. “We feel bad. We feel remorse. Like I said, the impact on the fans, the impact on the game. We feel bad.”
Correa denied and put down all the reports about wearing a buzzer to steal signals. The buzzer? Well, considering Altuve’s epic walk-off home run in October, it is hard to prove.
Furthermore, a buzzer in the ALCS did not eliminate the New York Yankees. That was attributed to the wrong pitch thrown from Aroldis Chapman. It’s not the main reason we are talking and reporting about this scandal.
It was the techniques and culprits behind the scandal, though, we should be reporting and writing about as spring training continues to build momentum.
However, the Astros have admitted guilt to stealing signs, a clever plan that was contrived, and that has been the headline. And this is far worse than the steroid scandal that rocked baseball.
Unfortunately, it gets deeper. Beltran and Cora need to speak In the aftermath of the scandal, because the Houston Astros are now facing a flurry of headline-grabbing litigation.
The latest lawsuit has been filed by former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Mike Bolsinger, who claims he was cut from his team and immediately terminated after he allowed four runs, four hits and three walks in a 16-7 loss to the sign-stealing Astros in 2017.
Bolsinger insists the loss ended his career. Even though MLB officials have determined the Astros cheated, Bolsinger will have difficulty establishing causation in court.
The defense for Beltran and Cora is to make those statements. Reputations are damaged. And it will take a long time for both to resume any type of baseball activities.
So, what’s become evident from Thursday? Apologies are good and fans do have short memories. The exception, of course, occurs for fans who root for the Yankees and Dodgers.
They will always blame cheating as a reason the Astros have won 100 games or more three consecutive years. Of course, they won’t accept the fact the Astros eliminated their teams in postseason play.
The Astros’ World Series championship remains in the record books. You can’t replay the 2017 World Series. You can’t take away the hardware that’s already been dished out. Putting an asterisk on the title would hold as little meaning as the championship itself. That doesn’t mean all is perfectly well.
We need to hear from the culprits. The lost trust must be rebuilt.
And until we hear those formal apologies and explanations from both Beltran and Cora, they will continue to serve as the main culprits of this epic modern-day cheating scandal that rocked the foundation—one that will continue to be questioned and dominate the 2020 baseball season.
Yes, my friends, the damage control did not conclude Thursday with those apologies and statements from players and Astros owner Jim Crane.
It’s beyond the official time for Alex Cora and Carlos Beltran to come forward. Admit wrongdoing, apologize to baseball fans. They need to assist with damage control as the main culprits of this scandal.
- Comment: Ring786@aol.com
- Twitter @Ring786
- Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
