- An MLB investigation found the Houston Astros guilty of stealing signs during their 2017 World Series-winning season.
- Astros owner Jim Crane, along with players Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve, addressed the media on Thursday to issue an apology.
- They couldn’t have sounded less contrite if they tried.
It had to happen eventually, and when it did, it looked as staged and fake as you could have possibly imagined. Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve’s so-called “apology” was so cringeworthy it was almost hilarious.
Seriously, watch it:
I’m sure some people are buying into this public show of groveling from the Astros, but you shouldn’t let yourself be fooled.
There’s a simple reason why.
The Astros’ World Series win is tainted
This is the elephant in the room. The one thing that neither the Astros organization nor the league wants to discuss.
All of the apologies in the world don’t change the fact that their cheating helped them to a World Series. And all of the rewards that came with it.
We’ve already seen the first lawsuit pop up, and there are hundreds of players around the league who are not happy with how this all went down.
Why dance around the issue any longer?
Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve’s words ring hollow
And let’s not pretend that this little media show on Thursday was anything other than a box-ticking exercise.
The apology by Jose Altuve was nothing short of “by the numbers”:
I want to say that the whole Astros organization and the team feels bad about what happened in 2017. We especially feel remorse for the impact on the fans and the game of baseball. And our team is determined to move forward.
Alex Bregman’s words weren’t any less empty:
I am really sorry about the choices that were made by my team, by the organization and by me. I’ve learned from this, and I hope to regain the trust of baseball fans.
Here comes the excuse parade
More irritating than the fake apologies from Altuve and Bregman was owner Jim Crane’s statement of regret. Or should I say excuse?
I want to say again how sorry our team is for what happened. I want to repeat this will never happen again on my watch. These are a great group of guys who did not receive proper guidance from their leaders.
Um, what?
MLB referred to this scandal after its investigation as a “player-driven scheme.”
Sorry Jim, but we’re not dealing with a bunch of college amateurs here. Jose Altuve is a 29-year-old pro with almost ten years in the big leagues. Alex Bregman is no kid either.
We’re talking about adult men who knew precisely what they were doing.
This had nothing to do with a lack of guidance. It was a gang of cheaters who took advantage of technology to defraud their fellow professionals.
The only thing they’re sorry about is getting caught.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.
This article was edited by Josiah Wilmoth.
