In 2017, the Houston Astros won the World Series. It was the first time they won the championship in their storied history. What a moment! The players went crazy, jumping up and down at the mound after they closed out the victory.
There was just one problem – they cheated. You see, the catcher on the team provides signs between his legs that tell a pitcher what pitch to make. After the pitcher sees the sign, he throws that pitch. The Astros set up video equipment in the stands behind center field to steal signs from the opposing catcher. The Astros then assigned people to decipher the catcher’s signs and relay it to the batter. Specifically, they used a bat to bang a trash can in the dugout – two bangs equaled a change up, 1 bang equaled a fast ball. When the batter knows the pitch, he is much more prepared to hit it. If a team does this over and over, they gain an unfair advantage. If a team does it during a World Series, it is enough to win a championship.
Punishments: As a result, Major League Baseball decided to suspend the manager and the general manager for 1 year. In addition, they took away their 1st and 2nd round draft picks and fined the team $5 million. Apparently, these punishments weren’t enough because the owner decided to fire their manager and general manager. However, the Houston Astros have been allowed to keep their World Series title.
Joe’s Perspective: Since the beginning of the game, teams have tried to steal signs to gain an advantage. Runners on second base attempt to decipher the signs and relay his findings to the batter. Baseball purists say it’s part of the game. However, using video equipment is considered cheating. Everyone knows it. So, when players were traded to other teams, these players began to spill the beans to their new teammates. Other teams told Major League Baseball and the investigation was on.
Every sport has their rules. They players knew this was wrong and commented as much during the investigation. If players knowingly breaks the rules, it is cheating, pure and simple. Since they did this during the World Series, I say they should vacate the championship. I believe Major League Baseball could have sent a powerful message, but didn’t.
Your Turn: Do you think this is cheating and, if so, what should the punishment be for the Astros?
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The Houston Astros definitely cheated. I know sign stealing is a part of the game, and it is fun when you can steal them from second base without the other team knowing. Then, when they do find out, they get uncomfortable and need to change their signs. However, using technology to do this is definitely illegal, and I agree with the punishments. Being able to steal signs is such an advantage, and being able to do it with a camera and the other team not knowing it makes hitting 10 times easier for the other team.
I don’t know very much about baseball, but I definitely know that what they did was wrong. And I think the punishment probably wasn’t strong enough. I mean, they suspended the managers, but what does that do to the players? And $5 million I’m sure is nothing to them as a team. I also think by letting the Astros keep the title, that’s such a kick in the shins to the other team.
I think that they had a fair punishment I mean they did technically cheat.
They actively acknowledge that to some degrees it was cheating. Considering sign deciphering is part of the game the punishment shouldn’t have been so severe. 5 million but keeping the title is fair because the message comes across. They found the line and crossed it.
I admit that what they did was wrong, but the punishment was severe enough. It served as a sort of warning to the team not to do it again. You have to have a warning before the real punishment. It was probably nothing to them, but it let them know not to do it again, or something worse will happen. It also probably ruined their reputation and painted them as the “cheating” team.
They should make the punishment way worse
I agree because it is an unfair advantage and they are a good team and don’t need to do that like every away game they won without that tech
Cheating can be a good feeling in the beginning but it ends up coming to the light and leaves you feeling bad.
Yea it is cheating and I think they should lose the Championship for that. A 5 million dollar fine was nothing for the team.
I believe it was right that they suspended the manager and the general manager. But I also believe that they should’ve gotten their World Series Title taken away. If they wanted to win they should’ve done so the right way.
I believe it was right that they suspended the manager and the general manager. But I also believe that they should’ve gotten their World Series Title taken away. If they wanted to win they should’ve done so the right way. So yes, they did cheat.
I think the title should be rewarded to the opposing team because they deserve it.
I don’t think it is right since they cheated like how the ball was flat for the patriots and they all weren’t in on it. They should just give up their title and give it to runner up.
Yes I do think this was cheating considering the fact that they used video and had a code to determine the hit if the runners on second based just memorize them then that’s different. I think the punishment for the Astros should half been a half of season to a full season sit out without pay
I think that they should have gotten their world series title taken away from them also. Because they didn’t use just their skill to win they had to revert to cheating. So everything should have been taken away.
Yes I do think this was cheating considering the fact that they used video and had a code to determine the hit if the runners on second based just memorize them then that’s different. I think the punishment for the Astros should half been a half of season to a full season sit out without pay
Yes , I do believe this is cheating they didn’t work hard at all to receive the ‘world series’ title they just cheated their way through it
Them figuring out the hand signals wasn’t cheating, but bringing in cameras evolved it into cheating, as punishment their title should have been taken away and been forced to pay a bigger fine than 5 mil.
It is cheating, but I think they should get their title taken away due to unfairness. If they cheated they didn’t really win the championships so they don’t deserve to keep it.
I do think that this was cheating, they shouldn’t be able to play anymore and have the championship taken away. Because the fine won’t do anything.
I think cheating is necessary some times but its not always good . You could get caught and doesn’t always end out good. But I think the Houston Astros should get their trophy taken away because they didn’t work for it.
Yes is cheating although on their side of this perspective it was to win for the first time but it was still wrong to do and unfair. I think punishment they gave out was reasonable because they are in charge and shouldn’t let this happen
I believe this is not fair at all, because everyone sees that they were let off easy, making others think it’s somewhat okay. The fact that only the managers are suspended meaning the team could potentially still play makes no sense, especially because everyone was involved, so they faced no consequences.
Yes it is cheating that should loose there their championship and the players should be suspended for a year
Yes I do think it’s cheating because you have to play by your ability and know the play of the game. The punishment for the Astros should at least to take away the world title
I dont know enough about baseball. I think some call it cheating, I call it smart. Though if it’s illegal to do in a game then yes it was cheating. But if it’s not banned then they used it to their advantage. If it is, they should’ve done more than got off so easily. Maybe lose their title. Though that won’t change much.
Yes, I believe they should’ve just played the game as the others played. They had an advantage over other teams knowing their plays. Not only the managers but players should have been suspended.
I believe that it is cheating and even though it got them the championship that they wanted, I think they don’t deserve it . Also the fine of $5 million alone was not enough because they still kept the recognition of winning the championship which may let others think they can do the same and just get away with a simple fine.
I think this is unfair advantage, the team knew they were cheating. I think the punishment was fine except for the fact they still have the world series trophy.
Yes, I believe they should’ve just played the game as the others played. They had an advantage over other teams knowing their plays. Only the managers Got suspended but players should have been as well because that’s only fair
My punishment would be to take away the world championship because They didn’t deceive it.
I think the Astros definitely cheated and I agree with the punishment. Kudos to the owner for going beyond the MLB punishment and firing his coach
Yes it was cheating and a possible punishment could be losing their championship
I think they cheated and deserved the punishment
I do think this is cheating. It’s different when the players pick up the signs while on base than having them recorded. I don’t think the Astros should have been able to keep their title as champions because they played an unfair game.
I think the cheated and their championship title should be taken away
The Astros definitely cheated, no team should be setting should be setting up camera’s behind the pitcher to steal signs to provide to there team
The team deliberately used technology in an unfair way, which is where I draw the line. It is cheating. In baseball there are many written and unwritten rules, but everyone knows it is cheating whether it was written or not. There should be an asterisk on their championship.
They definitely cheated. It was not fair. The game should have been played fairly.
yes I think this is cheating because the Astros were using video and code to determine the pitch. I think they should have taken away their championship title
I do not believe what the Astros did was right. The manager being suspended was the right thing to do because the technology was used in a way that they knew was not right.
I do believe what the Astros did was cheating and I also believe the punishment was good enough.
I believe that if you cheat, you never really win. There is always a consequence intended or unintended.
I believe that this was definitely cheating. They knew the rules and knew what they were doing was wrong yet they still did it, so ultimately they should be punished. Furthermore they should have been punished by having their World Series Title removed in order to show other teams in the league that they will not put up with cheating under any circumstance.
This was certainly cheating and was disrespecting the game of baseball and the others who put in the same work and work for the same thing as the Astros did and any Alex Cora coached team including the Red Sox should lose their title if significant evidence is found to support it
I think they had a fair punishment, after all they did cheat.
Any cheating should come with consequences even if it’s intended or unintended
I do feel that this was definitely considered cheating but if it was that easy to do it then why wouldn’t other teams do that and it’s not like they still wouldn’t have won because they are still a really good team and if it made it that much easier how come they didn’t win 4 straight and end the series right away?
I think the Astros were cheating and knowing the pitches that are coming puts the batter at a huge unfair advantage. I don’t think that the punishments were enough though and the Astros should have probably been revoked their World Series.
they did cheat i think that the mlb should take away there world series. I think that is i stupid and cheap that they banged on the trash cans for the pitch. I think that he might have had on a buzzer to tell what pitch was coming. And that is just wrong.
Astros were cheaters because gaining an unfair advantage is counted as cheating. Their punishment is deserving.
They were obviously cheating and there’s no doubt about it. It’s ok if the runner on 2nd tries to steal the signs my baseball team even does that. But using cameras is just on another level. They should have taken away their title in my opinion.
In my opinion I think that it was cheating and they should be punished for it. I think that it was a fair punishment but I think that the manager should have been suspended for a long period of time.
I think they definitely cheated. I know somethings are part of the game, Being able to steal signs is an advantage, and being able to do it with a camera and the other team not knowing makes it easier for the other team
I think this is cheating because the batter knows what pitch is coming and they can prepare and the World Seires should be given to the other team
The Astros did something that was not fair for the other team and probably caused their fans to not lose faith in them because of it.
I think it was fair
I believe that the punishment for the Astros want fair. I believe this because, they already had been charged 5 million dollars. Then they had to stay out the whole season. What they did was wrong but not bad enough to have to be fined and stay out the whole season.
The astros cheating scandal rocked the world i feel like the 5 million dollar fine was a slap on the wrist for such a huge organization and being suspended for a year is nothing for a coach and organization.
I think they they got the correct punishment. I think this because they should not have cheated and it is unfair to the other teams. It was pretty smart of them but not right. It also puts the batter at an unfair advantage.
I mean, there good and all that, but it was pure cheating. The punishment should be like not playing for 6 games straight. But they are my favorite baseball team. Also they should get charged.
I think it is fair because they cheated so they got suspended however the got to keep the title and trophy which is unfair because they cheated.
They shouldn’t have cheated and they champion title should be taken away from them
I believe that is was not cheating and it is okay for the game
if they did cheat they should no longer be able to compete for some time
I think it should be considered cheating, because of the fact that they used modern-day technology for America’s pastime. By using this technology to cheat, it just makes it worse. Using your eyes, ears, and brain are one thing, but using video cameras is an entirely different story. However, you can’t take away a title like that, but you could reward the runner ups for their fight against the cheaters.
the Astros did cheat and I saw this and pointed it out to my dad while we were watching this world series and he didn’t believe anything was happening but I do believe that the punishment should have included losing the victory
Cheating is a bad thing, and they definitely cheated. This was actually a very sly way of cheating, but it was also very wrong. 5 million dollars is a lot, and they definitely deserve it, and it is a fair punishment. I think this punishment is enough, because that is a lot of money and they fired their managers and everything. They also banned them for one year, which doesn’t sound a lot, but it’s 365 days.
I believe that the Astros did indeed cheat. Looking for signs is okay because it’s a strategy, but using video cameras crosses the line. The Astros were given an unfair advantage which would be enough to win a championship. I think that they made the right choice by firing the manager and general manager. I don’t believe that the Astros should have kept their title.
I think that what happened is fair for they cheated
In my opinion, no kind of cheating should ever be tolerated, no matter the circumstances.
i think cheating is not good because its not right and its not part of the game
The astros should not have cheated those cheeky boogers.
If you cheat and win that is a shame, if you cheat, win, and hide, it it’s disgraceful.
I do believe its cheating because if you know what pitch its easier to prepare for the hit and if you know where to hit you can run bases easily.
I don’t think they cheated. Sure they had the unfair advantage, but remember that it probably took hard work to do. And even if it was cheating, the punishment seems to extreme.
This is an example of cheating and the punishment should stand as is.
I know cheating is a part of baseball. Stealing signs from second base or trying to decipher coaches signals, cheating has an intricate part of sports, but this kind of cheating takes it up to another level. The Astro’s deserve to have their title be stripped away, they cheated in a flamboyant fashion. They shouldn’t have the advantage, no one should, baseball and all sports should be a competition of skill and wit.
I don’t think this is cheating because the other team could do the same thing and I think it’s a viable strategy to use.
They cheatedd and their punishment is being suspended for a long time.
Yes they should suspend all the players who played in the series
they should be suspended from the league for a while
suspend them and then talk to them to not cheat ever again
if they cheated they should be suspended from future games.
the Astros did indeed cheat and it is unfair.
I think this is cheating because it is giving the team a competitive edge which gives them a large advantage over the other team
Yes this is cheating and they should be suspended from the baseball league for 5 years
The Astros should have had their title taken away from them.
They definitely cheated.
Thee astros should not have won…its unfair.
The Astros definitely cheated. i know stealing is very fun in baseball because i personally play it to but that is no exception for cheating i hope they learned there lessons.
Unfair
Its unfair
They should of punished the astros way worse.
i dont know a lot about baseball but from what i heard what they did wad wrong
I think they had a fair punishment because of how they cheated. I think they cheated because they knew that they were going to get beat because they aren’t that good.
They did technically cheat and they should’ve been punished for that. If you cheat you really don’t win and you shouldn’t feel like you actually won.
Cheating is part of the game and therefore needs punishment. what they did will suffice
I don’t know very much about baseball, but I definitely know that what they did was wrong. And I think the punishment probably wasn’t strong enough because $5 million dollars, I’m sure is nothing to them as a team. I also think by letting the Astros keep the title, that’s such a kick in the shins to the other team.
it is part of the game everyone cheats at some point but they don’t get caught
cheating is cheating there is no way passed it it only counts if you get caught
I believe that this was cheating. I think that this was cheating because it wasn’t fair to the opposing team because they were making signs that are illegal in the game. I think that they should be suspended from playing games for a while. This is because they should learn that cheating is an unfair move to play in any game. this is what i think a good punishment would be for the Astros.
Yes I think that is cheating because its like football its like you are stealing someone play. But you are watching there hands you looking at there hands to learn there play. I think they should be disqualified.
I think any time the rules are broken to that certain extend is cheating. Actions such as those in sports should have consequences as well.
i think this is cheating because they are getting an advantage on the other team and in a normal game may not to bad but in a world series game is a big deal
This didnt show honestly which was exactly the reason i picked it. It was the complete opposite. Instead of being honest about cheating during the game, others had to expose them. If they played fairly they wouldnt have gotten all of the consequences. If one is looking for honesty dont follow this teams play signs.
I do think this is cheating as it isn’t allowed and it gives a unfair advantage. The punishment they received is appropriate but I think they should lighten it as it was not officially prohibited.