Recently in the world of sports, there have been some major headlines surrounding Major League Baseball (MLB). MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred caught the Houston Astros and the Boston Red Sox cheating.
The Astros, who won the 2017 World Series, and the Red Sox, who won the year after in 2018, were both found guilty of cheating in their playoff runs. The Astros’ Manager AJ Hinch and General Manager Jeff Luhnow have been fired by the Astros’ owner Jim Crane. Hinch and Luhnow, who are probably not the only people who were involved in the cheating scandal, are being used as scapegoats for the situation, and the Astros have decided to fire these men and have a clean slate going forward.
Similar to the Astros, Red Sox manager Alex Cora has parted ways with the Boston Red Sox after just two years of being the manager. Cora was named manager for the Red Sox in 2018, and his previous job was bench coach for the Houston Astros. It is believed that Cora brought over the cheating ideas from the Astros to the Red Sox. Cora was facing harsh punishment and before he could even be suspended, the Red Sox and Cora parted ways.
Hinch and Cora had set up a system that had cameras and other forms of technology to illegally steal signs from their opposing teams to give their players an upper hand at the plate. Players would be notified of certain pitches by players and coaches banging on the dugout ceiling with trash cans and whistling. The MLB has made it clear that any use of technology to decode and steal signs from the opposing team is a clear violation of baseball’s rules and regulations, and harsh punishments will be given if these actions are committed. Previously, both Hinch and Cora were highly respected managers, but now, future involvement in the MLB does not look likely to be in either one of these men’s futures.
In other news, the college football playoffs are over. Louisiana State University defeated Clemson by a score of 42-25 to be crowned the college football champions. Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow had an outstanding game with 463 passing yards, five passing touchdowns, 58 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, and, most importantly, a national title victory. Burrow has showcased his talents to the world this whole year and he especially showcased his talents in his biggest game of his young career. Burrow is expected to be the first overall pick in the 2020 National Football League (NFL) draft, and for good reason. Burrow, who was a former third string quarterback for Ohio State University, has completely flipped his career around and is a force to be reckoned with. Burrow is highly respected by his teammates, coaches, and even competitors. With his breakout performance in 2019 and his spectacular championship game performance, I believe Joe Burrow will be the next big thing and that the NFL should get ready to be turned upside down, because Joe Burrow is a game changer.
Editor’s note: At the time of this writing, Carlos Beltran was the manager of the New York Mets; he has since been fired for alleged cheating as well.
