Astro's Punishment

[Cobra Mgr]

Kind of twisted that none of the other players are punished, but Beltran is. Even though he participated as a player. Timing is everything? If I was Carlos, I'd have to get paid a heavy penny by the MLB to walk away quietly.

[TwinsGuy11]

If the buzzer thing is real, vacate the title. Could you ban them from future postseason?

[dkgo]

he wasnt punished by mlb. he was fired by/"mutually parted ways" with his current employer

any player could be cut by their team too if the team wanted to

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by dkgo

he wasnt punished by mlb. he was fired by/"mutually parted ways" with his current employer

any player could be cut by their team too if the team wanted to

That's what the history books will say. We all know what really happened. I don't like people losing their jobs for stuff that happened while elsewhere. MLB front office should punish him. The Mets shouldn't.

[Cobra Mgr]

Oh yeah, and he is the only player made to suffer while the others go about their careers. Doesn't sit right with me.

[ezpkns34]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

Oh yeah, and he is the only player made to suffer while the others go about their careers. Doesn't sit right with me.

Decent chance that Fiers struggle to find another deal when his current one ends, ironically

[thehef]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

That's what the history books will say. We all know what really happened. I don't like people losing their jobs for stuff that happened while elsewhere. MLB front office should punish him. The Mets shouldn't.

It very well could be mutual. Not only do the Mets not want their new leader having this dark cloud following him around to where the first question in every city is going to be about the scandal, but Beltran may look at what Hinch and Cora have ahead of them (in order to rebuild their reputations and salvage a future baseball career), and think that lying low for awhile (as opposed to those questions hounding him all thru spring training and on every road trip, etc...) is the way to go... Both sides might be thinking, how can a new manager (new to the club, new to managing) take the reigns of a rebuilding team and keep everyone's focus where it should be when he is at the very center - and on the wrong side - of one of the biggest scandals in baseball history?, etc... I'm not taking Beltran's side, nor am I even rooting for him, but it seems like a logic step from both his and the team's perspective.

And, strictly from the team's perspective, I don't see the "parting of ways" as punishment, as much as it is simply doing what they need to do from a business perspective. When you hire a new manager, you're thinking "fresh start," and if you consider how much MLB wants to put this whole thing behind them, you can only imagine how much the Mets - who, other than Beltran, have no association with the scandal - don't want to be dealing with it at all.

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

Oh yeah, and he is the only player made to suffer while the others go about their careers. Doesn't sit right with me.

Like I said in my blue-and-orange rant thread over there, even for a routinely tone-deaf team like the Mets, Beltran in his central function in the scheme became absolutely untenable. (Yes, I never wanted another rookie manager without the least clue after the Callaway disaster, but those two things are unrelated)

He had to go - especially given how - by casual glance over this thread - each and anything or -body that has worn Astros colors recently seems to be already ranking lower than the run-of-the-mill wife-beating players or even the roided-to-the-gills folk from before I watched baseball.

You can't have a confessed cheater as MLB manager in the post-"boys will be boys" traditional and social media landscape of 2020, because that is the only thing everybody will ever write about for six months; seven if you're lucky. If twitter and radio talkshow loudmouths are going to question the validity of every ball four in April, you can stay home altogether.

He may be the only player punished as of yet, but that is by circumstance, since he is the only one that tried to step over to managing in the meantime. IF the union has its hand on the playerbase he's not singled out - he is literally the only one there is.

But I don't assume that other c.2017 Astros players will be considered for managerial positions for a good while.

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by cephasjames

Did he also cheat in your imaginary world?

Well, we haven't won the world series since he's been on the team!!!

Actually I avoid having jerks on my team. Don't draft them, don't trade for them. Guys like Rose, Dykstra, Schilling...

[Cobra Mgr]

If it was initiated by Beltran, fine. If he felt true remorse and felt this was the way to show it, my respect. But if the Mets initiated it because of bad PR or out of some phony sense of duty, then I don't think it is right when the commish already gave his baloney excuse for not punishing the rest of the roster. It's just the principle of the thing for me. I don't feel sorry for him. I'm sure he is set for life. And he can go to another country & continue in the game if he wants.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by swoboda

Now Beltran is gone as well.

Again, I cannot say that I am disappointed despite not relishing his demise. The best reason that I can give is to feel the pessimism expressed in this article: When Titles Are Tarnished by Cheating but Not Taken Away

Do you really want to live in a world where "moral outrage [is] often in short supply"? Where "Everyone else is doing it, and winning is worth the risk"? Where "cheating is no longer a moral issue but a form of coping"?

I'm on the brink of advocating the final step of vacating of titles. This episode has been a healthy one but that final step may be what is needed to get the message across to everyone.

[dkgo]

I think you should instead be directing your anger to the teams who aren't taking action instead of the one that did.

The Astros are obviously an organization filled top to bottom with scumbags and most of the 2017 players are still there so they won't do anything. But the Twins could get rid of Marwin Gonzalez for example if they wanted to.

[dkgo]

The commish was clearly too weak and showed zero spine by not vacating the title.

[thehef]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

If it was initiated by Beltran, fine. If he felt true remorse and felt this was the way to show it, my respect. But if the Mets initiated it because of bad PR or out of some phony sense of duty, then I don't think it is right...

But what if the Mets initiated it simply from the perspective that it was unworkable situation? A new, young manager whom they knew was going to be asked relentlessly about the scandal while trying to lead a new team. Why should the Mets have to be on the forefront of the scandal any more than any other team not named Boston or Houston.

Again, I don't see it at all as the Mets trying to punish him, and while PR might be a component, I see the move (to part ways) as simply the only logical way for the Mets (and Beltran) to move forward.

As an aside, I also wonder if Beltran was asked about the investigation, etc., during his interviews with the Mets. IOW, "Carlos, what was your involvement in the sign-stealing thing we are hearing about? And do we have anything to worry about regarding MLB's investigation?" If he was asked (hard to believe he wouldn't have been) and his answers were less-than-forthcoming (which would not be surprising), then that could've factored in.

[thehef]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Like I said in my blue-and-orange rant thread over there...

Which sub-forum? I'm usually up for reading a good rant

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by thehef

Which sub-forum? I'm usually up for reading a good rant

It's the "Mets" thread right here which is mostly me snapping for the last three years or so.

[low]

It just keeps getting better. What a bunch of cheating scumbags.

[Hrycaj]

This just keeps getting worse.

https://971theticket.radio.com/artic...-at-home-plate

[thehef]

Originally Posted by Andy

I wouldn't be surprised if Hinch is managing in 2021.

That would shock me if it were that soon...

Who knows if he will ever manage again. But I'm guessing that, if he wants, he'll find his way back into MLB eventually. His path would be something like:

1) Laying low for a year or so.
2) Give a humble interview to someone, where he apologizes and takes full responsibility, etc...
3) Gets hired as into a low-visibility advisor role to some well-respected baseball GM.
4) Works his way into a bench-coach position.

And then who knows... Asst GM, GM, manager... It certainly won't go exactly like that. And future circumstances - like more teams being implicated in similar schemes - could smooth his path...

Cora's path will likely be more-difficult, since he will be starting his rehab from a position of being the ring-leader in a cheating scheme, whereas Hinch at least starts from a position of being against the scheme but not doing much about it.

[thehef]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

Kind of twisted that none of the other players are punished, but Beltran is.

As I wrote above, I don't think Beltran's departing from the Mets was punishment. However, it might be worth noting that - in all of our sports - while we may not hold head coaches/managers to the highest of societal standards, we certainly hold them to higher standards than players.

That said, I'll reiterate that I think it's absurd (and revealing of Manfred's spinelessness when it comes to his willingness to deal with the union) that the players are going completely unpunished.