MESA, ARIZONA – Yu Darvish got hit hard by the Houston Astros during the 2017 World Series — both his ERA and reputation took quite a beating.
On Sunday, after a bullpen session for the Chicago Cubs, he sought to settle the score a bit. He said the Astros, their sign-stealing scheme exposed, should be stripped of their title.
“Like the Olympics, when a player cheats, they can’t have a gold medal,” the Japanese-born star said. “But (Houston) still has a World Series title. It does make me feel weird. That’s it.”
The 33-year-old pitcher became the latest player to criticize the Astros. But Darvish said he wasn’t actually “angry” about the sign-stealing scandal that resulted in managers AJ Hinch, Alex Cora and Carlos Beltran losing their jobs.
Pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Darvish lasted only 1⅓ innings in both of his 2017 World Series appearances. He was tagged for four runs and six hits in Game 3 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, then the four-time All-Star lost Game 7 at Dodger Stadium.
Darvish wound up with a 21.60 ERA in his two starts. The poor results led many to question whether Darvish was tipping his pitches, or not up to the challenge or just wasn’t very sharp.
“I know they were stealing signs, but at the same time, I was not good during the World Series,” Darvish said. “I’m better for what I went through. But, yeah, everyone is wondering about (their numbers) pitching against them.”
Darvish also referenced the back and forth between former Dodgers teammate Cody Bellinger, the reigning NL MVP, and Astros star Carlos Correa. Darvish said the Astros should be more “apologetic.”
“So they cheat, I think, right now, they don’t have to talk. They shouldn’t talk like that,” Darvish said.
He said he’s been getting harassed on Twitter by Astros fans posting images of the racist gesture Yuli Gurriel made at Darvish after homering off him in Game 3. Major League Baseball suspended Gurriel for the first five games of the 2018 season.
Darvish was 6-8 with a 3.98 ERA in 31 starts for the Cubs last year. He’s going into the third season of a six-year, $126 million contract.
Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred also addressed the scandal on Sunday.
Manfred said MLB officials discussed the possibility of vacating the Astros’ 2017 World Series championship.
“First of all, it had never happened in baseball,” Manfred said. “I am a precedent guy. The 2017 World Series will always be looked at as different, whether not you put an asterisk or ask for the trophy back. Once you go down that road as for changing the result on the field, I just don’t know where you stop.”
Astros players were granted immunity for taking part in the investigation but Manfred said that “if I was in a world where I could have found the facts without granting immunity, I would have done that.”
“They had an obligation to play by the rules and they didn’t,” Manfred said. “I understand when (people) say the players should have been punished.”
Manfred met with nearly half of the MLB managers and warned them against any notion of get-even beanballs.
“I hope that I made it extremely clear to them that retaliation in-game by throwing at a batter intentionally will not be tolerated, whether it’s Houston or anybody else,” Manfred said. “It’s dangerous and it is not helpful to the current situation.”
Bellinger, Kris Bryant, Trevor Bauer and Correa were among the All-Stars recently trading threats, accusations and barbs as spring training opened. The poorly received apologies by the Astros further enhanced anger across the sport, with players, club management and fans all joining in.
“I think that the back and forth that’s gone on is not healthy,” Manfred said.
Source : Baseball – The Japan Times
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