sign-stealing

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Stephen A. Smith Suggests Dramatic Punishment For The Astros

Stephen A. has had enough with the cheating Astros.

Perhaps one of the biggest stories in sports over the last little while has been the Houston Astros and how they were caught stealing signs. The Astros had a fairly elaborate plan that saw them bang on trash cans and partake in a whole lot of antics just so they could have a leg up on opposing pitchers. Thanks to this strategy, the Astros were able to win the World Series in 2017 and were even the runners up in 2019. In light of this discovery, baseball players and fans have been up in arms. Despite this, Major League Baseball has decided not to punish the players and people want answers.

Today on First Take, Smith blasted the Astros for their cheating ways and suggested a way to make things right. As he explains, they should have their championship taken away which means every player should give back their rings. He also thinks it would behoove the league to ban the Astros from the playoffs for at least one season.

Smith's suggestion might sound dramatic but for many, it would certainly be warranted. The Astros have acted with a disgraceful amount of hubris over this whole situation and seem to be content with how it all played out. If the team were to give up their title, we're sure they wouldn't be so quick to deflect the blame off of themselves.

What do you think should have happened to the Astros?

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Houston Astros Hit With Massive Penalties After Cheating Scandal

The Astros 2017 World Series has been brought into question.

It's been a wild few months for the Houston Astros after they were defeated by the Washington Nationals in the World Series. The Astros won the World Series back in 2017 so their World Series appearance in 2019 was supposed to be a celebration of their continued growth. However, it was soon reported that the Astros engaged in sign-stealing during their run in 2017 and that Major League Baseball would begin an in-depth investigation. After months of interviews and footage reviews, the league has determined that the Astros did, in fact, break the rules.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Astros general manager, Jeff Luhnow and manager, AJ Hinch, will be suspended for the entirety of next season. Not to mention, the team will be fined $5 million and will have to give up their first and second-round picks in the 2020 and 2021 drafts. 

This is a huge blow for the Astros although it's certainly an expected one. The Astros are fairly hated by baseball fans at this point and with this latest punishment in mind, fans are waiting for even more justice to be doled out. There could be even more sanctions on the way so stay tuned as we will be sure to bring you the latest.