Dick Allen

I didn't say they would have won, but they definitely had the horses to do it. They were good enough to win a WS without doing this. Whether they would have won is anyone's guess because no one can tell you either way how each playoff game was effected.

If the suspension got them fired, it is way stronger than a one year ban. Teams aren't going to touch these guys. Personally, I have no idea why the Astros did what they did. They clearly were good enough to win playing straight. I have no problem with teams stealing signs the old fashioned way, but TVs, and binoculars are just wrong.

You said he was a bad choice last year, and a good choice as a back up this year. I just feel the exact opposite. He was a good choice last year, my posts on his signing will confirm it, although I did erroneously refer to him as a good framer. He's a bad choice this year. Grandal is here. There is no need to watch James regress for more than double the cash in a very limited role. Of course this goes with the caveat they could get something useful. If it's just trash, and the team can't or won't use the savings to sign another pitcher, I agree, keep him, but chances are he won't be worth his paycheck. It's a back up to one of the best in the league, and the Sox have a ton of catchers on their 40. It's a luxury not needed.

The point being the $5.4 million isn't a big deal, the Sox have a lot of money vs. the $2 million savings of McCann and Smith. If money was a factor last year, why wouldn't it be this?

Kind of strange from a guy who pointed to McCann's $2.5 million salary last year and thought because of that, Kevan Smith was the better choice. I don't think the Sox spent all the money they spent on Grandal to have him not catch as much as possible. And with Encanarcion around, DH isn't much of an option vs. LHP. This is such a limited role, while his salary isn't a ton, it's still an overpay, especially if there is at least a little regression, which seems inevitable.

I would rather allocate McCann's salary towards a reliever. Probably helps the team more than a seldom used catcher.

Melky apologized and Balta was not OK with that.

Did he acceot his WS ring and playoff share? Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111

Why is Fiers a hero? He didn't try to stop it did he? He just said something well after the fact. Where is his apology? Start booing.

Not Dylan Covey. That's a pretty good development.

Pick someone out of the stands. Covey will either be back or some other stiff will be signed to a minor league contract.

That'll show him.

I just was watching MLBN. Rosenthal doesn’t think there is a chance in hell Lunhow holds a job like GM again. And Hinch is supposedly going to go on an apology tour.

No he doesn’t. He is suspended for 2020.

Because they will forever be known as cheaters. With so many other candidates for the very few number of jobs they were in, it isn't worth the trouble. Besides I have read on this thread cheating seems to he the o ly reason they ever won, although it did seem to stop after 2018 and they did win 107 games this year Hinch might get a coaching job but he won't manage in the major leagues. Luhnow has way too much baggage now. Maybe a lesser role out of the public eye for him, if that, but no one will let him run their club

So that is basically a lifetime ban. Can't see them getting a managerial or GM position with another team.

The one question I have is what happens if they sign someone that requires the loss of a draft pick. Does that now become a 3rd rounder?

I read a Keith Law chat where he mentioned they can go through phone records, emails, etc. If he is stupid enough to not comply with his suspension, he is going to get caught.

Most teams could cheat twice as much as this and have no shot at a WS. The fact is, this team could have won without cheating.

It's a pretty significant penalty. Your manager and GM are gone for a season. The max fine is given, and you lose your top 4 picks the next 2 seasons. I think that is enough to deter teams from doing this again.

$5 million is the most they could be fined under MLB rules.

As it is so easy to track what should be balls and should be strikes, it is easy to track catchers who have more balls called strikes and vice versa. The thing that amazes me is the consistency of most. Obviously the vast majority of these pitches are borderline. You would think human nature might take over once in a while. Umpires have to know who the good and bad framers are, and in their quest to get it right, a borderline pitch they are tempted to call a ball with a bad frame catching would have to be tempting to call a strike. And a borderline strike with a great framer an umpire might be tempted to call it a ball. That doesn't appear to happen at least very often. But to me, a great framer is worth a lot, especially if you have the proper pitching to take advantage. Like you alluded, a great framer only really matters if you are close to the plate. Carson Fulmer it wouldn't matter.

Why would a pitcher hate dingy lighting?

Part of the Holy Triumvirate.