The fall out over the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal continues to reverberate in Major League Baseball. This time, Cleveland Indians pitcher Mike Clevinger slammed the Stros for their actions in the cheating scandal.
Last week, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer jumped into the story with a tweet revealing that he had heard rumors that Astros players had been wearing electronic warning devices to let them know what pitches might be coming their way from opposing teams.
Now, Bauer’s former teammate, Indians pitcher Mike Clevinger, added his voice to the condemnation of the scandal, saying that the Astros should be “ashamed” of themselves. Clevinger also said that he thinks MLB has been too lenient on the Astros, according to USA Today.
“I don’t think any of those mother (expletive) should be able to look us in the eye,” Clevinger said in a video. “They should feel ashamed.”
Clevinger went on to note that the cheating taints the whole league and damages the efforts players have undertaken to break into the big leagues.
“I’ve had to live with my mom until I got to the big leagues. And now you’re telling me that someone potentially shorting my career, sent me back down, make me figure shit out because they figured what I was throwing in their park?” Clevinger said on the video. “So many guys are going ‘How can I stay here? What will make me stay here?'”
Clevinger also said he felt that the whole scandal was not even necessary to win.
“Another part that pisses me off: that lineup is talented enough that if they just did the regular baseball (expletive) and pick what I’m tipping, they’d do damage,” the pitcher adding that the Astros is guilty of “taking millions of dollars and food off my table and other people’s tables.”
Clevinger ultimately said he thinks Major League Baseball was simply too lenient on the Astros.
“You want to protect the guy next to you? You want to protect the sanctity of baseball?” Clevinger exclaimed. “It’s not giving (a) $5 million (fine) to a $1 billion corporation while they’re walking around with the same ring on their finger in the same uniform, the same city, and the same contract. What’s that really going to change?”
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