The Houston Astros might be fighting to survive in the 2020 ALCS against the Tampa Bay Rays, but that’s not the only problem they might have in the near future. They are about to get swept off the playoffs, but that would not be the only time they’re trashed today.
Senator Ben Sasse, R-Nebraska, seems to have a big problem with the Astros, as he decided to use his five minutes to question Amy Coney Barrett for Supreme Court nomination to attack the Texans, calling them big names, claiming they should’ve suffered a bigger punishment than they suffered.
The Senator somehow found a way to turn things into a conversation about baseball, going from “constitutional structure to baseball for a minute.”
“I’d like to talk about the Houston Astros, who are miserable cheaters,” Sasse said as he turned his attention to John Cornyn, who represents Texas. ” I think all baseball fans know that the Astros cheat. They steal signs. They bang on cans. They’ve done a whole bunch of miserable things, historically.”
Astros sign-stealing scandal
Major League Baseball conducted an investigation where they determined the Astros had been stealing signs in real-time from their opponents during their 2017championship run, using an illegal device to do so. The signs were then transferred to the players on the field by banging on a trash can in the dugout, usually.
As a result, plenty of people involved in the scandal lost their job, including General manager Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch. Ex-bench coach Alex Cora (then the Boston Red Sox manager) and then-player Carlos Beltrán (then the New York Mets manager) after MLB‘s report was released.
Senator Sasse, though, indicated that he believed the Astros should’ve suffered a stronger punishment. None of their players received any discipline from commissioner Rob Manfred, their title wasn’t removed and things stayed pretty much as they were before the scandal saw the light.
“They deserve to be punished probably more than they have been,” Sasse added.
Not only in the Majors but in American sports, in general, have condemned this scandal and the nearly non-existent repercussions it had. Even though they didn’t have a positive record this season, Houston managed to land to the ALCS, but everything points out that the Rays will kill their dreams sooner than later.
That, at least, will paint a smile on the face of Mr. Sasse.
