The 2017 World Series was one of the most exciting in recent memory, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros battling it out for seven games before the latter ultimately took home the trophy.
But that World Series win by the Astros has since been tainted as they were caught for sign stealing by the use of a camera in center field, which is illegal, of course. Major League Baseball concluded a three-month investigation and levied unprecedented penalties.
The collateral damage included the Boston Red Sox parting with manager Alex Cora, and the New York Mets following suit with Carlos Beltran. Both were heavily implicated in MLB’s nine-page report.
Multiple Dodgers players have voiced frustration over the matter, but also acknowledged there is little that can be done about the matter now. In an interview with David Vassegh on AM 570 L.A. Sports, Rich Hill stated he believes the Dodgers had the superior team during the 2017 World Series:
“I mean, look, we had such a good team in 2017 and 2018. Specifically that 2017 team because we’re talking about Houston, we took them to seven games. I mean, think about that. That team took them to seven games. We had a better team in my opinion. Whatever comes out, if it proves to be leaning towards the scales of unfair, I think that’s something we can at least look back and say we had a helluva team.”
Even with the Astros being found guilty, and the L.A. City Council approving a vote to ask MLB to strip them — and the Red Sox — of the title, there’s no undoing the heartbreak for players such as Hill.
The 15-year veteran has accomplished plenty in his career but winning a World Series is the one thing that has evaded him. Despite doing everything he could in his four seasons with the Dodgers to make it happen, Hill and his teammates fell short every year and he has now moved one by signing with the Minnesota Twins in free agency this winter.
It was a bit surprising that the Dodgers did not make a bigger effort to re-sign Hill. Though, he recently underwent elbow surgery that will keep him out of the first half of the 2020 season, which may have been a factor.
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