MLB analyst defends Houston Astros' All-Star amidst recurring backlash from cheating saga

Jose Altuve and the Houston Astros in general received heavy backlash from fans and the entire MLB nation after the 2017 sign-stealing scandal. The Astros eventually went on to win the World Series, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven grueling games.

"Jose Altuve was villainized for playing what was at worst a tiny role in the 2017 scandal. He is a future HOFer, one of the greatest 2B ever, and currently the best 2B in the entire sport. It's time we start talking about Altuve as the 1st Ballot HOFer that he rightfully is" - RyanGarciaESM

All the other ballclubs and players wanted the league administration to take stringent action against the Astros and rescind their title. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred decided against it and allowed the Houston Astros to keep the title, punishing a few players in addition.

How did Jose Altuve and the Houston Astros manage to get past the scandal?

The Houston Astros were always well prepared and used their home field to maximize their chances of getting away with their sign-stealing routine. It all started with a person tending to a video camera sitting at the center field of Minute Maid Park. The individual captured the catcher's signal to the pitcher and immediately relayed the message to the video room.

The info was further delivered to the dugout. Players in the dugout would slam trash cans loud enough if it was going to be an off-speed pitch and stay quiet for a fastball to alert the hitter at home plate.

"Everyone hates the Astros because they can’t beat the Astros. If this was truly about sign stealing, then this would’ve been a more widespread heat. You all are jealous because you watch us playing the World Series every year. Making it what it’s not" - cpenny81

Carlos Beltran, Jeff Luhnow, AJ Hinch, and Alex Cora were among the big names on the management and coaching staff who were reprimanded and then suspended. Most of the other players, including Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve, got away with it because there was no circumstantial evidence against them. The Astros were fined $5 million and stripped of their next four first-round picks.

"Carlos Correa says one reason why Jose Altuve didn't want his shirt ripped off is because the Astros star had "an unfinished tattoo that looked kinda bad." - sportingnews

Jose Altuve hit a walk-off home run to send the Houston Astros to the World Series in 2019 and motioned to his teammates not to pull off his jersey after rounding the bases. Many started to speculate that maybe he was hiding pieces of wiretap evidence, but who can say for sure since nothing has ever been proven?

Although the Astros will continue to face criticism for the scandal, they are still a force to be reckoned with given their four World Series appearances in the last six years.

About the author

Karan has been a baseball sports betting expert, analyst and content strategist at Sportskeeda since 2022. He holds a Master's degree in Sports Management from Virginia Commonwealth University, and worked with the VCU Rams baseball team as a trackman analyst. He started following the sport at 18, watching postseason on television.

Karan is a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers owing to their successful history in the sport, and their consistent performances at the highest level. He admires Mookie Betts’ on-field defensive and offensive prowess, along with his off-field charitable exploits, while Bruce Bochy is his favorite coach.

The Mets’ miraculous rally from a two-run deficit in the 1986 World Series Game 6 in the bottom of the 10th inning despite being two outs and two strikes down is his all-time favorite baseball moment.

Karan’s strengths are player profiling and technical deep dives, for which he always refers to reliable sources such as the social media handles of the best MLB analysts.

When not strategizing, he likes to read, listen to music, go for a run, and watch sit-coms.

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