There's little doubt most players are downplaying the Astros situation, and the soundbites we're hearing are the ones the media wants to help their narrative.
Red Sox sign stealing scandal: Ian Kinsler says investigation ‘won’t find anything substantial,’ Boston just had ‘very good system of relaying from second base to home plate’ Link Sounds like all the players got together and said don't talk...we don't talk....they have nothing on us. Easy to do when the ones who accused Boston are unnamed sources.
When the media has enabled/weaponized Jose Canseco to comment on this situation... and some are applauding him... you know the story/narrative has gone beyond what it ever should have.
my favorite reply to that from Jan 2018: I was disappointed that the Astros got caught up in this, Mad that Hinch didn't stop it and that if you're going to do the crime you have to do the time. Now, with the bizarre conspiracy theories and the blatantly naive belief that only the Astros were doing it, I'm all hyped for the 2020 campaign more than any other season including the 2006/ 2018. Beltran with the Yankees was nothing but an errand boy. Beltran with the Astros was the mastermind cheat and originated there. Mhhhmmm. Sure, Jan(boy)
THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS. RETURN THE RING YOU COWARD! https://www.sfchronicle.com/athletics/article/A-s-Mike-Fiers-I-ve-dealt-with-death-15071066.php MESA, Ariz. — Mike Fiers acknowledged Thursday that he has received threats of physical violence since his public comments launched MLB’s investigation into the Astros’ cheating scandal, but he’s not overly concerned. “Whatever, I don’t care,” he said. “I’ve dealt with a lot of death threats before. It’s just another thing on my plate.” Fiers also isn’t worried about any backlash from the Astros, saying, “If I’m worried about any retaliation, I’m not going to be ready for the season.” The A’s and Major League Baseball are aware of threats to Fiers’ safety, and they are taking measures to protect him and his family, particularly when Oakland plays at Houston three times this season. Fiers said although he’s not concerned about his safety, he’s always concerned about his family’s. One contention among Astros fans is that Fiers was a part of the 2017 World Series team and as a result, he benefited from the team’s use of video technology to steal signs, too. There have been calls for him to return his World Series ring. Asked if he’s considered doing that, Fiers said he might have once mentioned it as a possibility to A’s teammate Ryan Buchter, but he has no plans to do so now, unless it is required of the rest of the 2017 team. “I said from the beginning, ‘I’m not away from this. I was part of that team, I was one of those guys,’ ” he said. “Suspensions, fines — I’m willing to take as much punishment as they do. If they ask me to (return the ring), it’s not the end of the world.” The Houston pitching staff wasn’t implicated in the scheme by the league’s investigation, but reaped the riches of more run support and greater team success. Fiers said he didn’t consider saying anything to MLB or Astros higher-ups in 2017, just as no one else had. “I couldn’t tell you why,” he said. “We were all in a weird spot. Everyone was in a weird spot.” It took moving on to other teams — the Tigers and then the A’s — for him to warn his teammates to be careful about possible sign stealing.
The Astros did stop around the time the A's filed their complaint and MLB began putting personnel in the dugouts for the postseason. This was all being handled internally by MLB. Fiers did nothing but bring up the past to people outside of the league. Fiers probably figured the Astros were still stealing signs in 2019 and that's why he sucked against us. By coming out, he could get vindication that his 2019 stats against the Astros weren't legit.
Oh this pisses me off. Mike Fiers apparently thought this cheating was so egregious, so abhorrent, so unethical that he took it upon himself to alert the media. Yet, somehow, it's not terrible enough to make that ring absolutely worthless to him? On what planet does that make sense? If he REALLY felt strongly about this stuff, he would be at the front of the line to return the ring. But now it's up to the rest of the team? I've hated some rival athletes before, but Fiers is now in his own stratosphere.
INSIDE SOURCE CONFIRMS ASTROS SIGNAL FOR A SLIDER WILL BE WHEN DUSTY BAKER SWALLOWS A TOOTHPICK https://www.theheckler.com/2020/02/...ill-be-when-dusty-baker-swallows-a-toothpick/
David Ortiz calls out ‘snitch’ Mike Fiers for blowing whistle on Astros “After you make your money, after you get your ring, you decide to talk about it?” https://larrybrownsports.com/baseba...itch-mike-fiers-blowing-whistle-astros/539059
Astros whistleblower Mike Fiers says he's received death threats but won't give back his World Series ring https://sports.yahoo.com/astros-whistleblower-mike-fiers-says-hes-received-death-threats-but-wont-give-back-his-world-series-ring-192605373.html?src=rss