Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo Takes a Shot at the Astros
Since the Houston Astros were exposed to have cheated using technology to steal signs, there has been an overwhelming wave of disappointment and frustration towards them over the last several weeks. Many players around the league have voiced their frustration about the situation. It has also led to them being hazed by fans about the Astros’ methods that they used to cheat during games. That has now seen Chicago Cubs star first baseman Anthony Rizzo chime in with his own shot at Houston.
MLB reaction to Astros’ cheating scandal
It has been a few months since the entire league has had a chance to take in the revelation that the Astros were involved in a sign-stealing scandal.
That has led to many of the game’s top players, such as Mike Trout, Cody Bellinger, Kris Bryant, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton, among others voicing their firm stances. It was an outpouring of anger and disappointment in the Astros’ actions with the belief that the MLB didn’t go harsh enough with their punishment.
It’s a scandal that goes much further than just the 2017 season, where they won the World Series as there are indications that they used other methods to cheat following that year. That resulted in a tremendous amount of respect lost for many Astros players that were involved in that matter.
That has also led to their peers finding different ways to poke at their own expense, which has put the Cubs’ star first baseman front center on Monday afternoon.
Anthony Rizzo takes a shot at the Astros
With the Astros’ cheating scandal now publicly known, it has foreseeably led to many to send verbal jabs at the organization.
The latest has seen Rizzo venture that route as he took a shot at Houston during Monday’s spring training game against the Los Angeles Angels. He was chosen to be mic’d up for the contest, which he voiced during his at-bat in the third inning that he no idea what was coming next in terms of the pitch thrown.
Rizzo: “I’m doing some math in my head what he’s going to throw.” Announcer: “What do you got?”
Rizzo answered: “I have no idea, I wish I knew… Somebody bang for me.”
It was a playful jab, but it shows that it’s a topic of conversation for players around the league. The Astros have become the butt of that kind of joke that will continue to remain. It also demonstrates that there is an underlying anger towards the situation.
Rizzo had no intention of those comments going viral, but it could be a microcosm of what’s to come around the league this season.
It will be a rough 2019 season for the Astros
The first couple of weeks of spring training have made it quite clear what’s to come for the Astros in the 2019 campaign.
That has already seen several players hit such as Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman, which have been with apparent intentions. It will continue to see that happen even if players fined or given other types of punishment from the league.
The overwhelming consensus is that the Astros were let off quite easy, which saw them retain their 2017 World Series title and no player punishment. It has angered many around the game, which will lead to opposing teams handle their matchups against Houston in their own manner they deem appropriate.
It’s a black eye for baseball that saw the Astros violate the integrity of the game. That makes it only natural for opposing players to be angered by their actions to cheat. There should be much more to come on this front in the coming months.
