DUNEDIN, Fla. — Bo Bichette isn’t satisfied with the way Major League Baseball has handled the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal.
The cheating itself came as less of a shock to him.
“Cheating is cheating, people are going to do it … but when there are no consequences for it, that’s probably a problem,” the Blue Jays shortstop said Saturday at Toronto’s spring training facility.
“People do things they regret. But when you get away with it, it just becomes a bit bigger than it is. We’ll move on from it, but it’s a tough pill to swallow.”
An MLB investigation found illicit use of electronics to steal signs during the Astros’ run to the 2017 World Series championship and again during the 2018 season.
Houston manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were suspended for a year after the investigation by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred — then promptly fired by owner Jim Crane — and the Astros were fined US$5 million, the maximum allowed under the Major League Constitution. The team must also forfeit their next two first- and second-round amateur draft picks.
But none of the players involved in the scandal have received any punishment.
Cody Bellinger of the L.A. Dodgers, the team that lost to Houston in the 2017 World Series, was one of many players to speak out against the Astros as camps opened across Florida and Arizona this week.
Bellinger said Houston’s Jose Altuve stole the American League MVP from New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge in 2017 and he suspects the Astros kept scheming last season too.
“I think the way it was handled is probably bad for the game, the fact that those guys aren’t getting in trouble,” Bichette said. “I’m glad Bellinger stepped up and said something. I think more guys in his position need to. But like I said, I think it’s more the (lack of) punishment that’s bad for the game and not necessarily what happened.”
MLB’s investigation found that the Astros used the video feed from a centre field camera to see and decode the opposing catcher’s signs. Players banged on a trash can to signal to batters what was coming, believing it would improve the batter’s chances of getting a hit.
“I believe if I know what’s coming, I will hit .500, but I mean, it is what it is,” Blue Jays third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said through a translator. “For myself, I don’t know, I don’t like what happened.”
Guerrero also believes the penalty handed down by MLB should have been extended to the players.
“It has been a while for them to be doing that. They should get some kind of punishment,” he said.
Some of Houston’s star players offered apologies at their spring training facility Thursday, but Bichette questioned their sincerity.
“It’s been tough to watch, honestly,” the 21-year-old said. “I don’t know what they’re really thinking. I don’t know what their true intentions behind the apologies are. I don’t know.
“From the outside looking in, it doesn’t seem too apologetic. They got away with it, we’ll move on and hopefully that’s behind them and behind everybody.”
Bichette and Guerrero were still in the minors during the 2017 and 2018 seasons and weren’t directly affected by Houston’s cheating. Bichette was 3 for 14 with five strikeouts in the three games he played against the Astros last year while Guerrero was 2 for 14 through five games.
Bichette said he would “absolutely not” have stolen signs the way Houston did over those two seasons, adding that he hoped he would make “a pretty big ruckus” if he found out a teammate was cheating.
“In a way it would be dumb to not take advantage of what we have, but at the same time I think that … personally I’d be fine if there was no technology in there whatsoever,” Bichette said. “I mean they did it back in the day, why can’t we do it now?
“So I’m sure part of the reason they did what (the Astros) did, it is because of how easy the access was to it. And for me, I’d have no problem taking every bit of it away.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 15, 2020.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
