Tampa Bay Rays: It’s OK to be angry about cheating

Carlos Beltran was a veteran player on the 2017 Astros and was fingered as a player who played a big role in the scheme, as well. Since he was a player, he was protected from punishment by the commissioner’s office. That didn’t save him from the court of public opinion.

The Mets have parted ways with Beltran before he even managed his first game.

What a week of baseball!

The Astros eliminated the Rays from the playoffs last season. The Red Sox won the World Series from our division in 2018, despite our best efforts in a 90-win season.

Tyler Glasnow was evidently “tipping pitches” in the ALCS against the Astros. Glasnow, who had a 1.78 ERA in the regular season, didn’t even last three full innings.

It’s okay to be skeptical. The Astros went to extreme lengths to cheat already. It doesn’t sound as crazy as it would have a week or two ago.

How big of a difference does it make for a Major League hitter to know what pitch is coming? It’s an acceptable answer as to why an elite pitcher looked like he’s throwing batting practice. “Oh he was tipping his pitches.” Good enough! 

They said the same thing about Yu Darvish after they demolished him in the 2017 World Series.

Now we are hearing rumors that the Astros were recently using a buzzer system. That’s right, the rumor that they were using a buzzer under their jerseys to notify them of pitch-types is an unconfirmed rumor (last time I checked) but who cares at this point?

Buzzers?

It makes this whole stupid scene look really suspicious.

Jose Altuve is evidently going on the defensive about it, but nobody is listening. You don’t deserve to be heard out anymore. 

It’s okay to be suspicious. It’s okay to be angry. After they went to the lengths they did to cheat the game, this sounds pretty reasonable. The Astros and Red Sox have earned this suspicion.

They all come off as scumbags and it’s okay to be mad. It’s okay to wonder if the Rays were cheated last year if they were cheated by Alex Cora and the Sox in 2018. It’s okay to be mad and believe the things you hear because they have all earned it.

If I was told the Red Sox or Astros put a sedative on the rosin bag to drug opposing pitchers, at this point…I’m open to it. 

How much did this impact other players over the last few years? How much did it impact the Tampa Bay Rays over the past few seasons? Would the Rays have made the postseason in 2018 without all the cheating in Boston?

Would Tyler Glasnow have dominated the Astros like he had everyone else in the league and sent the Rays to the ALCS?

Baseball is a great game. I recall audibly gasping the first time I ever saw a Major League field in St. Louis. I walked up the stairs of the old Busch Stadium, out of the shadow of the bleachers and into the sun. It was the most beautiful patch of green grass and dirt I had ever seen. Baseball is more than a game to this country and it has once again been disrespected by a bunch of greedy scumbags.

It’s okay to be angry about it.

I thought we’d end on a fun tweet directly from the Astros’ twitter account from last season.

This story will have a happy ending with the Rays roll their WAR Machine through the American League in 2020. They won’t have their little schemes to help them anymore! #RaysUP