Astros sign stealing suspensions

[steve B]

In general I don't agree with removing titles.

They did that in cycling, and removed all Lance Armstrongs titles. In other cases the win went to the second place finisher. (Also done in other sports)
Except... in one of the years the top finisher who could be thought of as totally clean was 23rd or something like that. So there are no winners for seven years.

In Team sports it's just silly.
One guy gets paid, so everyone "loses" a title, and players years later lose the opportunity to play in bowl games.
Sure, punish the people who were outside the rules, but punishing players who didn't cheat, and players years later - Like USC which was punished in 2010 for stuff done in 2004-5. None of the players in 2010 or 2011 were even on the team the coach had even left.

[packs]

I'm not one for forfeiting titles either. I think an apt punishment for the players on the Astros postseason rosters would be to take the bonuses back and give them to the players on the teams they cheated to beat.

[TNP777]

To me, this scandal is second only to the 1919 Black Sox. An entire team, over the course of an entire season plus the postseason, conspired to use illegal technology to gain an advantage over their opponents. Regardless of active participation or silent partnership, the entire team made a mockery of the game and the game's integrity. Every team was explicitly warned in September 2017, yet the Astros continued to cheat. That is symptomatic of an organization that has lost its moral and ethical compass, top to bottom.

It's too bad Manfred is loathe to take on the union, and that he apparently thinks the union also lacks a moral and ethical compass. If Manfred had any cojones, he'd get together with Tony Clark and get him to agree suspensions would a major step to rebuilding the integrity of the game within their own player base and the fanbase. It ticks me off to no end that no player will see any punishment from their cheating.

Further, the 2017 title should be vacated. Again, Manfred lacks the spine to make it happen, so Astros owner Jim Crane should step up and do the right thing. The Astros are going to get crucified wherever they go in 2020. Fans will be merciless. Can you imagine the good will Crane could build up if he were to vacate his own title?

And I do mean vacate. The Dodgers lost in 2017 and 2018 to the eventual "champions", but so did the Yankees. It can never be known who would have prevailed in either season had the Astros and Red Sox not cheated. Two blank years, one now and one after the Boston investigation is over, would set the tone for all time.

[Jim65]

Originally Posted by TNP777

and that he apparently thinks the union also lacks a moral and ethical compass.

The Players Union never cared about whats best for the game, the steroids era more than proved that. They protect players, right and wrong, and thats fine, thats what they are paid for.