Winners Never Cheat

The carnage continues in Major League Baseball. Three managers have been fired, a general manager and millions of dollars of fines have been issued. And there is likely more to come.

This is a game that has weathered the Black Sox scandal, spitballs and steroids…but I can’t remember an episode where technology was a co-conspirator in violating America’s Pastime.

Here’s what we know…The Houston Astros, and likely the Boston Red Sox, used a center field camera to pick up pitch signals which were transmitted to the home dugout. From there, the information was coded by using banging sounds to give batters insight into the next pitch coming their way.

There is a huge advantage in knowing what’s coming out of the pitcher’s hand. If you know an off-speed breaking pitch is coming, you can lean into the pitch not worrying about a chin-high fastball.

Both the Astros and the Red Sox have experienced great success since the cheating began. Houston won the World Series in 2017…and Boston in 2018. The Astros were back in the Series last year.

In the NCAA, if you are nailed for violations of the rules, you can have your wins and championships vacated. That has never happened in baseball history.

But I think in this case it would be appropriate.

Winners never cheat. Cheaters should never win.