There were clear skies at Camelback Ranch when the Los Angeles Dodgers opened camp Thursday with pitchers and catchers officially reporting for Spring Training. However, a cloud was cast over the organization as the Houston Astros continue to deal with ramifications from their sign stealing scandal.
More than 2,000 miles away, Astros owner Jim Crane along with Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman read from prepared statements during a press conference. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he did not watch the blunder because he had already taken to the backfields.
However, several Dodgers players saw the press conference on TV, and had spirited responses to the continued lack of responsibility and remorse shown by the Astros organization. Perhaps no one more so than Cody Bellinger.
He accused the Astros of cheating for not only their 2017 World Series title but three seasons (2017-2019) and was hypercritical of Crane’s apology and Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred.
Bellinger also called into question Jose Altuve changing in the tunnel after delivering a walk-off home run that put the Astros in the World Series last year, via SportsNet LA:
“I don’t know what human hits a walk-off home run against Aroldis Chapman — to send your team to the World Series — and one, has the thought to say, ‘Don’t rip my jersey off,’ but two, go in the tunnel, change your shirt and then come out and do your interview. That makes no sense to me. Makes zero sense to me.
“Because I know me. Gary Sanchez said it yesterday. You can rip my shirt off, my pants off. I just sent my team to the World Series off Aroldis Chapman in the ninth inning at home. I’m going crazy.”
Altuve’s curious decision fueled speculation Astros players evolved from relying on a trash can to signal pitchers to wearing buzzers. In response, Altuve explained a prior celebration in which his jersey was ripped off upset his wife.
Furthermore, MLB issued a statement that noted their investigation into the Astros did not turn up evidence of wearable devices being part of their scheme. That’s done little to change public perception, and the cynicism was further emboldened by a report suggesting the Astros front office was more involved than initially believed.
If Bellinger were to ever deliver a walk-off hit that put the Dodgers in the World Series, it would not mark the first time his pants potentially are taken off. He suffered such a fate last season when sliding into third base, sending the Dodgers dugout into laughter and leaving the eventual National League MVP with a sheepish grin.
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