Jim Gray slams MLB's 'ridiculous' response to Astros sign-stealing scandal, calls for player suspensions
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is making the situation much worse, says veteran sportscaster and Fox News contributor Jim Gray.
The Boston Red Sox were disciplined Wednesday for their own sign-stealing scandal while former manager Alex Cora received punishment for his actions only during his time with the Houston Astros.
Cora was determined to be an integral part of the Astros’ cheating scandal when he was a bench coach for them during the 2017 World Series-winning season. He got caught up in Boston’s own scandal from the 2018 season. He was fired after MLB released its findings into Houston and was later given a one-year suspension after baseball revealed its findings into the Red Sox’s own issues.
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While the Red Sox removed the “interim” tag off of manager Ron Roenicke, Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy was asked during a conference call whether Cora deserved another shot to be a manager.
“I do,” Kennedy said, according to NESN. “That’s my personal feeling. He does need to go through a rehab process. What he did was wrong. He acknowledged that to us and apologized to us. I’m a big believer in second chances, so we all wish him well.”
Cora is considered to be one of the brightest minds in baseball.
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He released a statement apologizing for his actions while he was with the Red Sox. He told ESPN he was “relieved” the investigations have come to an end.
“I am grateful for the Commissioner's thoughtful and thorough investigation relating to my conduct as Red Sox manager,” Cora said. “I also take full responsibility for the role I played, along with others, in the Astros' violations of MLB rules in 2017. The collective conduct of the Astros' organization in 2017 was unacceptable, and I respect and accept the Commissioner's discipline for my past actions.”
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Boston also had a second-round draft pick taken away and their video-replay system operator J.T. Watkins was suspended through the 2020 postseason without pay.