MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred Finally Speaks On #SignGate
I don't believe this scandal has officially been declared a "gate" yet, has it? Not sure I've seen it out there yet but let's just call it #SignGate for all intents and purposes. Before we begin, do NOT listen to Ryan Spaeder
He's a bum, declaring things "gates" is about the most American thing you can do outside of cheating in baseball. Fuck you Spaeder!
Anyways, today Rob Manfred issued his first comments on the scandal:
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You smell that? That's the smell of the Houston Astros' front office, 25 man roster and bullpen catchers shitting their pants. Sounds like, as Passan says, Manfred is going to come in GUNS BLAZING when he's ready to dole out a punishment. Even Carlos Beltran and Alex Cora should be worried as they were more than likely involved in this to some extent.
That, and it's hilarious that Manfred won't say that other teams aren't doing the same shit. Perhaps not to the full on nuclear levels that Houston was, but teams are always trying to skirt the system. Rewind it back a few years when Chris Sale accused Detroit of stealing signs with binoculars:
Nothing ever came of that but Victor Martinez used to beat Sale like a goddamn drum. No other explanation than him stealing signs. This, and the Red Sox Apple Watch thing are two other recent examples.
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If you don't think teams try to steal signs... you're wrong, which is why what Manfred says is so funny to me. And even though I do think he has some fault in this mess like I said yesterday, I cannot wait to watch him drop the hammer of Thor on the Astros. The popular take on the Twittersphere right now is that he's going to punish them so severely that other teams will be way too afraid to pull moves like this in the future, and that's exactly how it should be.
That is until baseball finds a new way to cheat, which will 100% happen.
PS - been wondering about this for a while now. What the fuck is this guy thinking right now?
And no, I'm not talking about Jose Altuve. Talking about the guy breaking down the sign stealing station. NOBODY knows who this guy is. I'm surprised Twitter and Reddit weirdos haven't dug up his name, address, and blood type yet. Not saying they should, just surprised that they haven't, those savages. But he's just gotta be some low level staffer that knows where the bodies are buried right? Like I gotta imagine he's either in witness protection or buried in an Indiana cornfield a la Nicky Spilotro right now. Just depends on who got to him first, Lunhow or Manfred.
Manfred's quotes, along with the cryptic Reddit thread that may or may not be Brandon Taubman that came out today are all just the tip of the ice berg. It's going to be a lot of fun watching these scum bags squirm over the next few weeks and months.