The latest coronavirus-related updates from around the game:
- Second baseman Jose Altuve has cleared Major League Baseball’s COVID-19 protocols and will return to the Astros, manager Dusty Baker told Jake Kaplan of The Athletic and other reporters. Baker isn’t sure when Houston will activate Altuve, one of five Astros who went on the COVID list back on April 14. The team has since activated the other four (Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez, Martin Maldonado and Robel Garcia). Altuve had a down 2020 season, but the former AL MVP has gotten off to a fast start this year with a .318/.380/.455 over 50 plate appearances. Houston has started Aledmys Diaz and Alex De Goti at the keystone during Altuve’s absence.
- Twins shortstop Andrelton Simmons has cleared the testing phase and can return to the team, manager Rocco Baldelli informed reporters (including Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com). Simmons stormed out to a .355/.474/.452 start in 38 PA this year before testing positive for the virus and landing on the IL on April 14. He’ll need time to ramp back up before he can return to the Twins’ lineup, Park notes. Jorge Polanco has received the lion’s share of playing time at short with Simmons out, and he’ll start there again Friday.
- Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernandez has also gotten through the protocols, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet tweets. Hernandez, who tested positive two weeks ago, has returned to taking batting practice and hitting in the case. Manager Charlie Montoyo said he’s hopeful Hernandez will be back in Toronto’s lineup soon.
Certainly Altuve coming back will create quite a buzz, his return will electrify the ‘Stros.
So naive and gullible.
Asterisks.
Absolutely. The fact this thread is one of the more popular in terms of # of participants highlights the impact the scandal has on tarnishing the WS win.
I’m sure fans and members of the Astros organization enjoy the banner all the same, but regardless of the validity or the strength of the average objection, the majority of people will at least look at their championship through a different if not disqualifying lens.
LazingLeopard is correct: A lot of us wish they had won it without cheating but that’s not what happened. Despite that, we love that tainted championship not because we lack morals but because they made Houston feel great after Hurricane Harvey. That’s not something we can easily forget and because of that, they got our gratitude. Also, we before 2017 we only had two major sports titles thanks to Hakeem Olajuwon and Clutch City. How we feel about the cheating scandal isn’t a simple black-and-white issue where we lack morals like so many people think it is. I personally love that tainted championship because it was the first time I ever got to see one of my teams win it all. On the other hand, it’s perfectly understandable for people to think that 2017 championship isn’t valid and people who feel that way are entitled to their opinion. After all, the Astros cheated. Granted, they weren’t the first to cheat like that but they were the first to do so AND win it all.
That’s exactly how I feel. The team didn’t deserve to win, but I was happy for the fans and still am. The Dodgers winning just a few years later makes it easier to feel that way.
Correction, 2 major sports titles thanks to Michael Jordan trying baseball for a couple years.
No correction was needed because Jordan had nothing to do with it.
Go look at the head to head between the teams when Jordan and Hakeem were playing. Hint, Jordan didn’t have the better record.
I’m ready to let that all go and move on with our collective baseball lives.
Moving on is fine and all, but they DID cheat and win the World Series because of it. Cameras. Trash Cans. Buzzers. These dudes cheated in like 10 different ways. Not exactly a small thing, but to each their own. I for one, hope they get roasted forever…..
Always amused at you folks who ignore the facts. Beltran started the sign stealing after coming from NYY and telling the Astros they were behind other teams in cheating. They ALL cheat! Astros hit better on the road, outpitched everyone in the playoffs & clinched the series in LA.
Narrative pushing is so hot right now. People hate acknowledging facts when they want so badly for them not to exist. It’s much easier to ignore the truth and shout, than it is to put together a sound, reasonable argument. Just like now, the Astros have been struggling without half their lineup, 4 injured relievers, a starter who pitched ill then was hospitalized, and another starter that missed all of spring training, but none of that has anything to do with there struggles. It’s because they need a trash can and can only win if they cheat, even though they didn’t need to cheat in ‘19, or ‘20. Then, they lean on rumors and false stories to push their narrative forward. It’s sad.
That aside I’m just glad Altuve is going to be back and Valdez is only a few weeks away from his return. GO STROS!!!
I’ve seen you play.
twitter.com/patmcafeeshow/status/13544957719246929…
Drop the buzzer narrative. Stop getting your info from Jomboy.
I will never understand how these angry ‘fans’ believe that the Astros were able to to get a camera in CF in every opposing stadium they visited.
“Astros hit better on the road”. … seriously dude?
2017 Postseason
9 Road Games = .208/.284/.347/3 RPG
9 Home Games = .273/.343/.519/6 RPG
Altuve
Road =. 143 BA / .497 OPS
Home = .472 BA / 1.541 OPS
Need I go on?
Yeahhhh … I’m sure Passan would accuse a superstar of cheating, that would go over really well for a reporter who is dependent on access to MLB players and front offices.
And Passan was in the clubhouse when Altuve rushed in to change his shirt, right?
You’re literally basing your argument on a sample size of 18 games? Plus, the Astros have repeatedly stated that the postseason was too loud to use trash cans.
Plus, Dallas Keuchel pointed out that almost all the 2017 postseason teams were using advanced signs with no runners on. So, everyone knew cheating was in the air.
If you need to hate the Astros to give meaning to your life, please fly to Houston, pay for expensive seats and buy lots of $10 beers. Spend as much money in the city as you can. We appreciate your tourism.
If you don’t believe a credible reporter then please share proof from a CREDIBLE REPORTER that they used buzzers. Jeff’s job is to break news and write stories. If he broke news that a team was doing something wrong and then they denied him access in the future that looks bad on the team not Jeff.
And I hope you’re not a red sox fan.
You’re actually implying that the cheating occurred throughout most of the entire 2017 season? No, they are not gonna risk getting caught by cheating in relatively unimportant regular season games. They won the freakin’ division by 21 games, there was no need to cheat during the regular season. Except maybe to occasionally “test out” their schemes.
Obviously I’m not a Yankee fan, I loved the Altuve homer off Chapman. But the Yanks and Dodgers got robbed of postseason victories, and maybe even my team as well.
So it’s the trash cans fault that the Yankees were only able to score Three Runs in FOUR GAMES in Houston?
You’re missing the point. I’m not saying Jeff lied, I’m saying he didn’t see Altuve in the clubhouse at all times and couldn’t possibly know whether or not he was wired. Not seeing what’s under a guy’s clothes isn’t proof that nothing is there.
What we do know as a fact is that Altuve was holding his jersey tightly closed after hitting an improbable homerun.
What we do know is that a very well respected reporter, Ken Rosenthal, was told by Altuve that he didn’t want his jersey off because he’s “shy” and because his “wife wouldn’t approve”.. yet there were countless public pics of him posing shirtless.
And yes, at times it was too loud in the postseason to bang trashcans. Which is another reason why so many believe they switched to buzzers.
Astros pitching is irrelevant, nobody is accusing Astros pitchers of cheating. It’s the hitters that cheated. If you are saying the Yankees deserved to lose anyway because they couldn’t hit in Houston, that’s a poor argument because they WOULD have won the ALCS if not for the cheating-fueled Astros hitting at home.
What are you talking about? Every stadium has a camera in CF. Nearly every pitch in a broadcast is shown from the CF camera.
Yes, but not every camera in CF had a direct feed to monitors close to the clubhouse where they relayed the signs aka banged the trash can.
Yes they overwhelmingly beat the Yankees in Game 1 & 2, where they scored a combined four runs.
I will never deny that they cheated and support what they did. However, if you would actually read the DOZENS of reports about the usage rate and success rate of the trash can then you would know it did more harm than good.
Fever Pitch is a pretty good movie.
Yankees didn’t deserve to lose because they couldn’t hit in Houston. However, because they couldn’t hit in Houston they didn’t win. The Astros cheating played a role, but let’s not ignore the fact that if the Yankees can just drive in 2 more runs in either game 1 or 2, they would’ve won the series despite the Astros cheating. After all, baseball is a sport of momentum and driving in 1 or 2 runs in a close game can energize a team and cause a momentum swing. Were they able to get it done? Nope.
There are different degrees of cheating. Like if every team is using greenies, that’s fine. However if one team is using greenies and steroids, not fine.
The Astros took cheating to a whole new level, that’s the issue everyone has with that team. Sports is not and should not ever be about who is the best at cheating.
Yeah I thought so, I was basically Fallon’s character for a while. Lots of similarities.
Nope, due to the trauma that COVID caused everybody last year when we didn’t get to BOO the Astros in person, fans now get two years for the price of one, so the Astros will be mercilessly booed and hated through the 2022 season. Sorry, blame it on COVID.
Fans can boo if they want to. I don’t mind that. Players however seemed to have let it go. Note: I said let it go, not forget that it happened.
As time goes on and players move between teams, it’s difficult to hold a grudge. You never know if that Astro player you’re hating on someday becomes your teammate.
It would’ve been funny if they made a serious attempt to sign Trevor Bauer.
Heads up: last paragraph says “case” instead of “cage.”
We need Altuve. The team has been tough to follow. I’m sure they’ll bounceback.
Astros won the World Series, Altuve got the MVP. They were caught cheating. When they give back the rings, take down the banner, donate their post-season money to charity, and Altuve gives the MVP trophy to Judge, then I’ll drop it. Until then, when there’s an article about the Astros, I’ll likely post something about them cheating. Get used to it. Expect it. They and their fans don’t deserve to enjoy 2017.
None of that’s going to happen. No one cares what you think either way. Stay mad, move on, it makes no difference. Astro’s fans love their team and always will. Were we happy about the findings? Not at all, but to scapegoat them and drag an entire fan base for…
A. Something they had no say in.
B. For supporting a team that they love.
C. Rooting on a new group that is almost 5 years removed from the incident.
…Is absolutely ridiculous and a complete waist of time. GO STROS!!!
*waste
There’s been an awful lot of defending and rationalizing of the Astros by their fans, saying that other teams cheat, they only did it at certain times, etc. etc. including in this thread. Like I said, I’ll probably drop comments here and there. If Astros fans want to respond or not, that’s their choice. If they want to perpetuate the discussion instead of moving on, that’s fine with me.
FTR my issue is with the players, coaching staff and management involved in the cheating – especially Cora who played the biggest role in it. Other than the few Astro fans who continue to deny, I don’t begrudge them for continuing to support their team. Every fanbase would do the same.
Astro fans weren’t involved in the cheating, so they did deserve to enjoy the championship. At the time I think most of the country was rooting for them in the postseason. Not only because they had never won before, but also because of what they had gone through with Harvey. Similar to Red Sox fans in 2013 after the marathon bombing.
And that’s why many us of still haven’t turned our backs on them. Forgetting what they did for our city isn’t that simple. Sure, we’re defending cheaters (many of us wish they won it all without cheating) and our arguments might be faulty and silly, but they have our gratitude. To me, the lowest point in Astros history is the cheating scandal. I personally feel like if I turned back on them because of that, I was never true Astros fan and I have no desire to ever be a bandwagoner, especially since I willingly watched them during those 100 loss seasons. No matter how bad my teams are, I will always keep up with them via checking out the score, paying attention to their off-season, and hope they can one day be a contender again. I said this earlier on this article that prior to 2017 I had never seen one of my teams win it all and it’s 100% true. I was born in 1992 so while I own the 1994 finals on DVD, I didn’t see Clutch City as as it actually happened in real time.
I would think the lowest point in Astros history was hiring Jimy Williams, man what a mistake that was!
Well said!
@bhambrave Amen. Beautifully said.
@Bhambrave, what we deserve to enjoy is not for you or any one else to decide. Also, MVPs don’t hit .190 for almost 2 months straight so even if Altuve gave it back, Judge didn’t deserve it.
Sorry but Judge did deserve MVP over Ramirez.
As for whether Altuve should give back the award, that’s a really tough call that I’m not prepared to make.
FWIW, I can decide whatever I want.
You can decide your opinion so have at it. I’m going to celebrate my tainted championship.
why should Judge get the MVP?he hit .188 in the 2017 postseason so no he shouldn’t have it
You know that MVP voting is based solely on the regular season, right?
The Astros win in 2017 was like the McGwire-Sosa home run race in 1998. It was exciting at the time, but when the truth came out the baseball world replied “Oh, uh, never mind”.
And then Bonds surpassed that home run chase with one of his own, which stands to this day and is recognized by MLB while his truth was basically the same as Sosa and McGwire so if the Astros winning in 2017 is like that, I’ll take it.
According to a Houston fan in this thread, it helped Houston after the Hurricane. Good thing they didn’t know then what they know now.
And we still celebrate that championship, knowing what we know now is/was out of our hands. Therefore, knowing then what we know now most likely wouldn’t change how we feel.
We know they cheated and we still celebrate that championship. After all, it was out of our hands. The what-if notion of us knowing then what we know now is moot. Maybe I’ll rewatch the Astros big game 7 win, you know, the one where they gave us a championship that us Astros fans deserve (I mean hey, saying we deserve it makes as much sense as saying we don’t). Yes, them wining helped Houston like how the Saints winning helped New Orleans after Katrina.