Major League Baseball has been in the news for all the wrong reasons ever since it was discovered the Astros broke the rules to steal and decode signs from opposing teams en route to a championship in 2017. We later found out that the 2018 Red Sox had a similar scheme during their championship run.
The league formally investigated and punished the Astros. GM Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch were each suspended without pay for one year (and subsequently fired). The club was fined $5 million and forfeited its first- and second-round picks for both the 2020 and ’21 seasons. Many feel the league did not come down hard enough on the Astros, including the players who were heavily involved in the cheating operation.
Among MLB players to have criticized the league are Mike Trout, Cody Bellinger, Aaron Judge, and Trevor Bauer. The scandal has even transcended the sport as actor Ben Affleck went on ESPN’s First Take to discuss the issue on Tuesday. Athletes in other sports are chiming in as well. Lakers forward LeBron James tweeted this evening:
Listen I know I don’t play baseball but I am in Sports and I know if someone cheated me out of winning the title and I found out about it I would be F*^king irate! I mean like uncontrollable about what I would/could do! Listen here baseball commissioner listen to your.....
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 18, 2020
players speaking today about how disgusted, mad, hurt, broken, etc etc about this. Literally the ball(⚾️) is in your court(or should I say field) and you need to fix this for the sake of Sports! #JustMyThoughtsComingFromASportsJunkieRegardlessMyOwnSportIPlay
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 18, 2020
Commissioner Rob Manfred has not had a great week. And now he’s getting dunked on by LeBron.
Vacate the title bruh!!!!!!! Take back the MVP.. and 1 year postseason ban!!!!! https://t.co/hCvLaAtQLt
— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) February 18, 2020
