It was just another mundane Monday until 8:40 am PST when Andy Martino dropped this Tweet.
MLB is in very final stages of Astros investigation, and could announce discipline at any time, sources tell SNY.
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) January 13, 2020
We’ve seen tweets come out recently suggesting MLB was close to announcing their judgment on the Houston Astros electronic sign-stealing scandal. Still, that Tweet by Andy Martino made it seem imminent.
The theories on what the Astros punishments would be were anywhere from MLB bans on team personnel (player, coaches, front office execs), to hefty fines, to loss of picks, and even to vacate their 2017 World Series Championship. Well, some of those theories came to fruition a couple of hours after Martino’s “heads up.”
BREAKING: Per sources, MLB’s penalties for #Astros include:
*One-year suspensions for GM Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch.
*Losses of 1st and 2nd round draft picks in both 2020 and ‘21.
*A fine of $5M.
Full story and more context with @EvanDrellich: https://t.co/djvKEYFiC7
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 13, 2020
BREAKING: Houston Astros GM Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch have been suspended for one year after an MLB investigation found the team used technology to cheat during its World Series-winning 2017 season, sources familiar with the punishment tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 13, 2020
BREAKING: MLB has suspended Astros GM Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch for one year apiece for Houston’s sign-stealing charges. Astros have also been fined $5 million, and will forfeit their first- and second-round draft picks in both 2020 and 2021. No players were disciplined.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 13, 2020
Astros do not vacate their 2017 World Series title for their sign-stealing violations, source says.
However, MLB has suspended GM Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch for one year each, fined the Astros $5 million and stripped them of first and second picks in 2020 and ‘21 drafts.
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) January 13, 2020
The first sentence in Bill Shaikin’s Tweet helped trigger Dodgers fans because it sure seemed as if the team was destined to win it all that year. They nearly swept through the playoffs up until the World Series. So, of course, the reactions from Dodgers Twitter were of disgust and disproval of the punishment handed out by the league.
https://twitter.com/ianenielson/status/1216796622387965960
We didn’t want to punish the players because they were ALL cheating is some pretty fucked up reasoning. You know how you punish all the cheaters? You strip their fucking title. pic.twitter.com/mi7TgAEzWA
— Jody Wahl with an A (@JodyWHL) January 13, 2020
Pete Rose bets on his own team to win: Banned from baseball for life
Astros use cameras to cheat all season long and in the postseason: Don’t lose fake World Series Championship
🤔
— LA Dodgers HQ (@LADodgersHQ) January 13, 2020
Allowing the Astros 2017 World Series championship to stand compromises the integrity of the game and the MLB organization as a whole.
Sign the petition below to let MLB know that you believe that the 2017 WS Title should be vacated.https://t.co/xidMiCN9jC
— THINK BLEU (@ThkBleu) January 14, 2020
A little over an hour after MLB announced the penalties, Astros owner, Jim Crane, fired both Jeff Luhnow and AJ Hinch. A move to save face among the league and Astros fans. People saw right through it and voiced it on Twitter.
No,all that does is cut ties with the " guilty" so he can defer blame and appear to be cleaning house. They are scapegoats https://t.co/LA25jpVkG9
— Dr. Eephusblue ¯_(ツ)_/¯ 🇵🇷 (@EephusBlue) January 13, 2020
Houston Astros fire almost everyone. Is it enough? #waittosee
Jim Crane needed to fire Luhnow and Hinch to move forward: pic.twitter.com/joPEvqaTK3
— David P. Samson (@DavidPSamson) January 13, 2020
1. Hinch and Luhnow getting fired is a very temporary issue. Everyone is replaceable.
2. $5 mill is a drop in the bucket for Crane. His net worth is billions, man. Means absolutely nothing.
The only legit punishment the Astros got was the draft picks and , yes, it’s not enough
— Paully Bananas (@UpstatePaully) January 13, 2020
Then there were the sarcastic ribbings towards the Astros org.
Jim Crane has also said he will rehire Luhnow and Hinch in a year because he thinks they will have "learned their lesson by then". https://t.co/dTizraBSSb
— pls (@doyerspls) January 13, 2020
Oh man Jim I really hope you can get through this. I feel so sorry for you. Thoughts and prayers are with you during this tough time. Signed, a Dodgers fan. https://t.co/FpGDSoKbTp
— David Rosenthal 🏆 (@_therealdrose) January 13, 2020
Our Dodger Stadium Express signs will be going up soon! Report any suspicious sign stealing activity to 888.950.7233 (😒 Astros) pic.twitter.com/uxxh3eBqPb
— LA Metro (@metrolosangeles) January 14, 2020
You figured it out though didn't you "champ"
— DontLookAtAngie (@4Ev3rblue) January 14, 2020
The last tweet works as the perfect segway. Over a day after MLB laid down their penalties and Jim Crane’s firing of Luhnow and Hinch, the Red Sox dropped their bomb.
Statement from the Boston #RedSox and Alex Cora: pic.twitter.com/qXsUhSobSy
— Red Sox (@RedSox) January 15, 2020
And with that, the responses — Good, bad, and funny.
Siri, play Another One Bites the Dust https://t.co/dLknPKBu1I
— Brook Smith (@brookme3) January 15, 2020
Gotta hand it to these billion dollar corporations, they use up the people who sacrifice their integrity to win them a WS and bring in profit and then discard them like trash with little consequence.
— Dr. Eephusblue ¯_(ツ)_/¯ 🇵🇷 (@EephusBlue) January 15, 2020
BREAKING: Alex Cora hired as manager of Houston Astros
— Ned2point0 (@Ned2point0) January 15, 2020
Alex Cora and AJ Hinch when they see each other again pic.twitter.com/mbw4NOxjl5
— Randi 🏆 (@randi_radcliffe) January 15, 2020
As punishment, @MLB should drop Alex Cora off in the middle of East L.A. holding those World Series trophies from 2017-2018. If he makes out, he gets to keep them. If he doesn't, Los Angeles gets 2 World Series parades.
I honestly can't think of a more reasonable solution.
— pls (@doyerspls) January 7, 2020
https://twitter.com/james__loney/status/1217266306011090945
Well, it was hard to find any bad ones.
Ultimately, coming from a Dodger fan’s perspective, nothing will replace the agony we went through in those World Series’. Game 5 in ’17 and game 4 in ’18 felt like it took years from my life. But as I’ve continually declared for the last seven years (oh my heart), it’s not a matter of if, but how soon will the Dodgers finally break the drought and get that monkey gnawing at our necks off our backs.
Oskar is a writer/editor for Dodgers-Lowdown. Follow him on Twitter @2rawsko94. Photo Credit: Fox 5 DC (Cora), Beyond The Box Score (Luhnow), WGMD News Radio (Hinch).