My Turn

1. Mookie Betts - arguably the 2nd best position player in all of Major League Baseball was shipped out of Boston late last night as the Red Sox embark on the pursuit of lowering their current payroll under the luxury tax threshold. Betts is off to LaLa Land and those free wheeling spending Dodgers. This maneuver could make for a rating bonanza for Fox Sports with a Yankee / Dodger World Series come October. Where it leaves the Red Sox will probably years away. Payroll flexibility will allow them to reconstruct their rooster, rebuild their farm system and pursue free agents that fit their new norms. What id doesn't do is put them in the business of winning championships the next few years. The Yankees and Rays and to some extent, the Blue Jays are positioned to rule the AL East.
   Bottom Line - How will the Boston fans who already are paying the highest tickets prices in all of baseball going to react to losing the best position player to come through their system since the likes of Fred Lynn or Jim Rice? I would suspect there will be tickets available.
   
2. Pete Rose - Now here's a guy either full of persistence or just plain old ignorance . Given the sign stealing scandal of the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox, "Charlie Hustle" is taking the opportunity to ask for reinstatement from MLB. He has to be kidding, right! Even though no players in the recent scandal have been suspended or fined, Pete is seizing on the opportunity that two wrongs will somehow make his betting on baseball right. 
   Bottom Line - Pete has always been the truest definition of a huckster, peddling his innocence with every paid autograph or ball he signs. Pete should be always remain on the outskirts of Cooperstown.

     

                    Baseballs Trifecta                                 

                                  

The last two American League Champions are looking for new managers, as both A.J. Hinch of the Houston Astros and Alex Cora of the Boston Red Sox have been fired by their organizations due to their involvement in the on-going sign stealing investigation conducted by Major League Baseball. And now, it's being reported Carlos Beltran, who was the only player so named in the MLB investigation will never even have a chance to mange a single game and is out of his job as manger of the Mets.

My turn to sound off:

MLB did an incredible job under the leadership of Commissioner Manfred. He got results and applied the hammer to those who violated the rules. Surely different than old Bud Selig and the days of the steroid scandal. I'm not totally sure though the players should have been granted immunity, for they certainly bought into the crime.

Let's me say it a bit stronger. Those players both on the Astros and Red Sox who participated in this maneuver to exploit an unfair advantage are SCUMBAGS. They willingly padded their stats to the disregard or disrespect of their opponents and the game itself. There can be no silence. Knowing what a pitcher is about the throw is bullshit. I would love to know the analytics of what hitters averages were on breaking balls during their crime spree. Now we know precisely why the 2017 Astros and 2018 Red Sox seemed to be impossible to beat at their home ballparks. 

As a long time Yankee fan, I already have disdain for that team in Boston and I've now grown to have the same disdain for the Houston chapter. But even with that said, I'm not naive to think that this sort of technological cheating hasn't been used by other organization to some regard and if found to be true, they should be dealt with in the same manner.

So what's the solution? First, mine is a very simple one. Eliminate all on-field technology from the sport including replay. Put the umpires back in charge and if they miss a call or two, accept them for being human. The game has a long history without the help of modern technology. Besides, think of the time savings. 

Lastly, those who are caught inflicting damage to our American Pastime are ushered out of the game for life. No exceptions and no 2nd chances. If you want to run a clean ship, the consequences of cheating in any way shape or form should be extreme.