FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Mike Fiers bravely put his name to reports that the Astros stole signs with a trash can in 2017, but he shouldn't expect any hugs from Red Sox legend David Ortiz.
Speaking at JetBlue Park on Thursday, Ortiz singled out Fiers for blowing the whistle on the Astros and plunging baseball into scandal.
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"I'm mad at this guy, the pitcher that came out talking about it, and let me tell you why," Ortiz said. "Oh, after you make your money, after you get your ring, you decide to talk about it?
"Why didn't you talk about it during the season when it was going on? Why didn't you say, I don't want to be no part of it? So you're looking like a snitch. Why do you have to talk about it after? That's my problem. Why did nobody say anything while it was going on?"
Ortiz criticized the Astros for perpetrating the scheme, and noted his sadness that superstars like Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and Alex Bregman have tainted their accomplishments.
But he's looking at the big picture and what this means for the sport.
"All those things that are going on right now, it's going to be a huge distraction for the game for a while, and you don't want that," he said. "I retired, it's going to be four years now, and I have so much fun watching this game because of the talent out there.
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"There is incredible talent right now. You watch the game, and the speed, physically the guys are in unbelievable shape, everyone's in their 20s. It's fun to watch. Then this thing comes in and I think it's going to be a distraction for the whole season, and we need to avoid that."