The Astros must have thought no one was ever going to notice this was happening.
Closing paragraph of this long article:
This sign-stealing scandal poses by far the greatest threat of Manfredâs commissionership, and a day like Thursday, which introduces something like a buzzer into a landscape ready to believe anything, certainly does no favors. Thursday synopsized what Manfred faces: a scandal that no matter how tidily he tries to bow-wrap it remains, at least for now, maybe forever, amorphous, full of surprises, ever ready to grow another tentacle. Itâs represented in the nervous calls of executives wondering if disgruntled ex-employees are saying anything, in the feverish Twitterverse fiending for content, in the opportunity for one man to change baseball history just like Mike Fiers did. Itâs there, coiled and poised, all possibility, every day ready to lose its mind like Jan. 16, 2020.
It wonât happen, but vacating the World Series titles for 2017 and 2018 mayâŚ
One of my friends suggested that Joe Kelly should receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
I wish he couldâve thrown at Altuve. Joe KellyâŚthe hero we all need.
Funny how they canât throw at players but cheating your way to a WS victory with impunity is totally acceptable.
I actually think 8 games is too light for Joe Kelly, when the incident is evaluated on its own. You simply canât go at someoneâs head, ever. And he did it not once, but twice. True he didnât hit anyone, but the intent was there. MLB is likely trying to put the kibosh on this by making an example of Kelly (a guy with a past of doing this- that certainly comes into play) so that we can get back to baseball.
Kelly should have gone for a shot to the gut, leg, or arm. The Astros players deserve that. But once you go for a headshot, you become a coward (especially a relief pitcher who under normal rules would never step into a batters box and wont at all under this yearâs rules).
I agree 100% that its absurd to give kelly 8 games when compared to what the astros got.
8 games is pretty significant considering that the season was shortened by 100 games. And this kind of stuff happens quite frequently from my experience. It really is part of the game. It is true that what he did was crappy and quite dangerous, but it is part of the game.
With respect, going for a head shot is a grand canyon away from going for the legs, arms, gut, etc. and has never been part of the game and never should be.
I think in you see behavior like this in every sport. When I was reading your posts I was reminded of a player from the NBA who would intentionally plant his feet under players shooting jump shots that frequently resulted in twisted ankles and sometimes even worse injuries (Bruce Bowen anybody?). Thatâs a world away from a head injury, but stillâŚ
The article below sums up my point. It most definitely has been part of the culture of the game, but it can have horrific consequences, to Benâs point.
Ahhh ok. Got ya. Yes. My point i guess is that i think mlb needs to step up and start punishing anything close to a head shot. Like I said, I have very little issue with a plunk on the arm or leg that will likely leave a bruise for a few days at worst. (I do hate that the agressors seem to get an unfair advantage in that the umps often warn both dugouts if someone gets hit by a fastball, giving the other team no course for tit for tatâŚbut thats for another day).
But thatâs the thing. He didnât go for the head. It could be argued that he intentionally went for him with the fastball, but thereâs no mlb pitcher in the world that would intentionally go for the head. JK had control issues all night especially with his breaking ball. At the worst Iâd say he was going for them but couldnât even do that right.
And even his actions after the inning ended werenât unprompted. The Astros, as usual, instigated that with comments from the plate and the bench. Letâs not forget when Astros players made racist gestures in relation to Yu Darvishâs Asian heritage and laughed about it (while stealing his signs and acting as if it was just because they were better). These guys are cheating punks who are going unpunished. Now that doesnât mean I condone retribution, but how is it the Dodgers are being penalized heavier than them?
A stolen championship, a stolen mvp trophy, managers and players who lost their job or were demoted to AAA as a result of games played against them, and these guys get off scot-free? Iâd be pissed if I was a mlb player as well.
As a red sox fan, I watched Joe Kelly for nearly 5 seasons through a lot of high highs and a lot of low lows. Inconsistency has plagued him his entire career. And yes he was all over the map with his non-fastballs teh other nightâŚbut im sorry, a fastball up high (and behind in the case of Bregman)âŚthats not a control issue in any way, shape or form.
So youâre saying that he intentionally went for the head with a fastball? I mean you could be right, I never played anything beyond Babe Ruth league, but I canât think of anyone that would ever do that.
And P.S.
Red Sox suck! 
Yeah, the brushback pitch is part of baseball, but not the beanball. A pitcher can kill a batter with a beanball.
Hereâs a fun video on the subject:
Ha! This is going to be a long year for my team!
Iâm just saying that its mighty suspicious for someone like kelly to âmissâ and have the ball go there on two fastballs. And I think mlb made the right call here, generally. I dont think they made teh right call on the astros.
Honestly, I almost didnât want to watch baseball anymore because whatâs the point? A $5mil fine is nothing compared to the revenue you get from being in the playoffs and a World Series, and then the 'stros werenât even apologetic about it in their statements. Not to mention what they said during Spring Training was infuriating.
So if those are the monetary fines, draft pick penalties and suspension penalties (couple of suspensions for the GM and Coaches), why not cheat? Youâre still in the record books, you have a ring and you can just keep going as if nothing happened. My teams got double screwed in that the Dodgers lost the title, and the Aâs finished second to the 'stros in the AL West. Steroid users got worst penalties and this was far more egregious.
MLB and the NFL commissioners are terrible.
Just like boxing.
I see why Kelly would be so upset. Pitchers, of all players, should be the most upset about the Astros cheating. They think theyâre up against a batter in a head-two head battle, but against the Astros it turns out they are really just pitching batting practice because the batter knows whatâs coming.
Still, if Kelly really was throwing out their heads, thatâs a serious problem
I love that baseball is able to police itself (less so now than in the old days). I fully endorse plunking the Astros. Itâs also too bad there are no fans in the stands for the sake of heckling.
However, throwing a fastball at someoneâs head is bush league. I donât fault him for the curveball that got away (guys donât use off speed stuff for retribution). Also, not impressed with his juvenile performance as he walked off the field. Very 4th grader-ish.