Postmortem

 

I noticed something interesting in Game 6 of the 2022 World Series.

After the blistering sixth inning, when Alvarez hit his homer and the Astros secured a 4-1 lead and it became clear that this team was going to win a World Series, the FOX broadcast team turned it over to Ken Rosenthal. Normally, when Rosenthal has been given the mic this postseason, it's been to interview a home-run hitting ballplayer, or talk to someone, or provide some extra context. But this was different. 

Rosenthal came on, and said, though not verbatim, the following: The Houston Astros did, in fact, cheat in 2017 and 2018, and stole-signs, and were fined 5 million dollars as well as giving up draft picks in 2020 and 2021. However, this team has a different manager, a different GM, only 5 key players from the 2017 team, and the heroes of this series, like Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Pena and Framber Valdez, came up after the 'cheating years'. In addition, this is a different MLB, with different rules, and anti-cheating measures have been put into place in order to ensure that the Astros never win that way again. 

Let's...analyze this.

I'm not gonna say that any of these statements are fabricated. The Astros cheated, got caught, paid the consequences, and then reformed themselves accordingly. This is technically a different Astros team than the one that cheated. So they're not just making things up. But why are they bringing this up as the Astros are about 9 outs from winning a World Series? Because they are trying to influence the nationwide opinion on the Astros by making sure the public will be okay with the final outcome of the season. The last thing the MLB wants is for more people to stop watching, because they're disillusioned by how the 'bad guys' keep winning. And so they are doing anything they can to reframe that narrative and try to influence, subliminally or no, the viewing audience that it's okay to like these Astros, even saying that flagrantly. 

Now...there's a few things Rosenthal didn't mention, like the fact that Manfred's sanctions against the Astros didn't break up the already booming farm system that would keep them a competitor for years to come, or how Jose Altuve was never officially reprimanded personally for using a device to time pitches against the Yankees in the 2017 ALCS, or even the fact that while the inndividual members of the 2017 cheating effort were reprimanded or fired, all three of A.J. Hinch, Alex Cora and Carlos Beltran are still employed by the MLB, with even the latter being rehabilitated as a broadcaster in time for his Hall of Fame eligibility next year. But, you know, if he mentioned any of those things, Rob Manfred might lose his job. I mean, who would want that, right?

The bottom line is that if the 2017 Astros were properly reprimanded for cheating, the 2022 Astros never would have won the World Series. And I don't know if any of you noticed, but even if this was a 'kinder, gentler' Astros team, they still weren't saints. We heard about Martin Maldonado 'not knowing' that his Albert Pujols bats weren't legal, but last night Maldonado leaned suspiciously far into a Wheeler pitch [compared to a previous at-bat], got on base and started a rally that led to the Alvarez home run. If Machete doesn't do that little lean that causes the HBP, the Astros don't have that sixth inning. Maldonado meant to get hit, therefore Maldonado, uh, what's the word here, CHEATED, yes, and because it's not one of the types of cheating that Manfred outlawed when the Astros did them before, the umpires just shrug and let him.

The Astros still cheat, folks. They've just found new, more subtle ways of doing so. And either directly or indirectly, they have won a World Series, with the MLB, the media and, I assume, Rob Manfred, cheering them on. 

This may seem like the ravings of a cranky Phillies fan. They're not. I would have been this analytical even if the Cardinals were in their spot. The Astros did what they always did, and the MLB let them, and they will probably do more of the same going forward because all of the cheating they've been doing hasn't been detected yet. 

I am proud of these Phillies. They made it here when no one, even me, thought they would, and they got 2 wins against the toughest team in the AL. Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh, Ranger Suarez and Nick Castellanos will never have to buy a beer in this city again. The shitty part is that I don't even know if the Phillies can even get close to this point again with their current business model. They were always going to be this underdog type team, and I don't know if the stars are gonna align like they did this year again. I could be wrong, and I'd like to be, but even if they were to try it again, they could be without Aaron Nola or Jean Segura, and the team may look completely different and lack the qualities that made them a contender this year. 

Hell of a thrilling World Series to watch. Wish it had a different outcome, and wish the MLB wasn't so intent on making me like these cheating bastards the Astros, but...the best team won, and that's fair, I guess. 

Now...who's gonna stop 'em in 2023?