Baseball Fans Search for Cheating Evidence in Shadow of Astros 2017 Scandal

The Houston Astros' 2017 World Series scandal, in which the team was proven to have used signs to boost their chances of winning, has led to fans accusing them of cheating again this time around as they face off against the Philadelphia Phillies.

While a search on social media will see a plethora of tweets and comments pointing the finger, it would seem that this time around there have been logical explanations for any exaggerated claims of underhand tactics.

There's been a furor about an illegal baseball bat, accusations about a pitcher's behavior and allegations about tipping pitches.

While fans are desperate for a conspiracy or proof that the Astros are not playing fair, it would seem that there are actually proper reasons that can put these claims to bed.

Was an illegal bat used?

A 50-second segment on FOX during Game 2 of the World Series explaining the reasons Martin Maldonado changed bats from Game 1 has unwittingly opened up allegations of foul play.

It would seem that Maldonado had been informed by the MLB that the bat he used in Game 1 was not legal.

"Martin Maldonado is using a different bat today here in Game 2," the FOX segment said. "He found out from MLB today that the bat he used last night was not a legal bat. It was a model he obtained from Albert Pujols, and he used it because he thought it was very similar in size and weight to his own model.

"The barrel, he said, was slightly bigger. He also thought it was a way to honor the baseball legend, of course retiring with the close of the season, but here's the catch to it, guys: in 2010, Major League Baseball changed the bat specifications and that bat that Pujols modeled was no longer applicable, except if you were playing prior to 2010—it was grandfathered.

"So Albert Pujols could use that bat but Maldonado, who began his major league career in 2011, was not legally able to use that bat."

The bat was made of maple and could splinter more easily and had subsequently been barred. After Maldonado was made aware of this, he retired that bat and won't use it again. It has also been pointed out that there was no competitive advantage gained from using it—more a sentimental factor for Maldonado.

Allegations of substance abuse

During Game 2, fans took to Twitter to accuse Astros pitcher Framber Valdez of using an illegal substance because he was sweating profusely and "wiping his forehead and touching his right hand."

He was checked throughout the game and umpires found nothing.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson reacted after the game, saying: "It's all over Twitter. The umpires check these guys after almost every inning and if there's something going on, MLB will take care of it,"

Valdez was quick to pour cold water on the accusations during the post-match press conference, saying that it was just a method to distract the batter and there was nothing more untoward than that.

He said: "Nobody should think it the wrong way. Those are just tendencies I do throughout the game, distracting the hitter from what I'm doing."

No action has been taken by the MLB.

Astros accused of tipping pitches

Pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. had a night to forget in Game 3, with him looking uncharacteristically rusty and being hit for five home runs.

A clip circulating on Twitter showed the Phillies' Bryce Harper, who had just smacked a homer off McCullers, talking into teammate Alec Bohm's ear before walking out and hitting another home run off McCullers.

This led to social media blowing up with claims that McCullers was tipping pitches, or using a tell for specific throws.

After the game, he denied the allegations and said that the Astros' 7-0 defeat was simply a bad day at the office

"I got whupped. End of story," McCullers said. "We got beat up pretty bad, and I got beat pretty bad. I obviously wanted to pitch well and pitch much better than I did, but at the end of the day, all I can do at this point is get ready to go for a potential Game 7."

What happened in the 2017 World Series?

The spotlight has been on the Astros since their 2017 World Series win was tarnished by a 2019 investigation by the MLB which concluded that they had stolen signs during the game by using a camera in the outfield.

Former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers detailed what the team did so that they always appeared to be a step ahead of the opposition in an interview with The Athletic in 2019.

Fiers, who now plays for Mexico's Leones de Yucatán after 11 seasons in MLB, said that a player would review footage of their opposition's signs so that the batter would know what to expect. This led them to eventually win the World Series.

"That's not playing the game the right way. They were advanced and willing to go above and beyond to win," he said.

The Astros were fined $5 million and had their top draft picks in the future removed, with the team's managers A.J. Hinch and Jeff Luhnow being fired in the process after the MLB concluded the investigations in 2020.

Despite this, Robert D. Manfred, the baseball commissioner, has been heavily criticized for not stripping the Astros of their 2017 World Series title. The New York Yankees, who lost to the Astros, were outspoken about not being handed the title.

"Once you go down that road of changing what happens on the field, I just don't know how you decide where you stop," Manfred said during a press conference in February 2020.

Despite the investigations, the Astros didn't seem to worry about courting controversy during the American League Championship Series in 2019 against the Yankees once again.

With the game tied, second baseman José Altuve hit the winning home run to send the Astros to the World Series.

With the celebrations beginning as he rounded third base, teammates were seen indicating to him not to remove his shirt in jubilation, with rival players and fans questioning whether he was wearing a buzzer, which could alert him to the pitcher's selection.

Manfred, who said the MLB couldn't find any evidence that Astros players used buzzers as part of the sign-stealing controversy, also admitted that they couldn't be completely certain that they hadn't.

The Astros' wins in recent years continue to be linked to allegations that they are reaching their goals by any means necessary, whether legal or not.