Getting down to the honest truth these days seems to be a challenge for some. Just ask the Houston Astros.
Ripping a page out of Political Science Today 101, Astros players have attempted to take responsibility for their role in their now infamous sign stealing scandal in the same way a less-than-contrite toddler apologizes for stealing a cookie.
Yep, they sure got caught. But hey, the resulting success tasted pretty good while they were doing it.
Perhaps that’s why many across the baseball landscape can’t quite accept the numerous half-baked apologies that have come from top Astros players and top brass.
It’s a process made even worse prior to the start of spring training when Astros owner Jim Crane turned what was supposed to be the start of a public apology press tour into a viral showcase of how not to fix a team crisis.
You can’t Mea your Culpa if one is unable to determine the scandal surrounding your team impacted the game or not, Jim.
Spoiler alert – Yes, it does.
The reality is any apology said, read or tweeted by an Astros player or high level executive won’t resonate with anyone outside of earshot of Minute Maid Park.
It’s hard to blame baseball fans for doing so. So much damage has been done to the game as a result of this wide-ranging sign stealing scandal that its going to take years, perhaps even decades, for it to pass.
Baseball fans don’t take kindly to abuse of their game. Cincinnati Reds great Pete Rose still hasn’t been inducted to Cooperstown as a result of his gambling scandal. It’s hard for the Astros organization to expect anything less.
The most frustrating part is how the fallout from this scandal is now on the shoulders of a Houston fanbase that’s been caught in the crossfire. Perhaps more importantly is how the fan base chooses to go forward from this point.
Four months ago, most Astro fans felt the worst thing that could happen to their beloved club heading into March was a hangover from a depressing World Series defeat.
Gone are those good ole halcyon days of George Springer Dingers and Justin Verlander TV broadcast puff pieces, I tell you what.
But it’s also hard for Astro fans to face the prospect of the team possibly one day handing back that tainted 2017 title won by less-than-reputable means. While Major League Baseball officials fined the Astros millions of dollars and took away future draft picks, the organization hasn’t expressed interest at this time of taking away the title, much to the consternation of multiple teams and thousands of fans. Whether they should or shouldn’t will be up for debate for some time.
Selfishly, this Astro fan hates to consider giving back a championship that allowed a community reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey to finally heal.
Another thing to consider is what would happen to all that sweet championship swag we all bought after that title? It’s not like the Astros are going to buy it back, right?
At the same time, I also understand vacating the championship might just allow for the game and the organization to heal, too.
After all, in today’s world where lies are told to justify how right we want to be, sometimes it’s better to admit we’re wrong and to accept whatever punishment might come.
Houston, we do have a problem. It’s us. And we need to change that.
