Suit against baseball is just fantasy

The Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox are a disgrace to baseball — but the cheating teams did not defraud fantasy baseball bettors, a judge ruled Friday.

The decision by Manhattan Federal Judge Jed Rakoff took swings at both franchises for the sign-stealing scandal that rocked Major League Baseball, but said the teams’ lies did not rise to a breach of consumer protection laws.

“In 2017 and thereafter, the Houston Astros, and somewhat less blatantly the Boston Red Sox, shamelessly broke that rule, and thereby broke the hearts of all true baseball fans. But did the initial efforts of those teams, and supposedly of Major League Baseball itself, to conceal these foul deeds from the simple sports bettors who wagered on fantasy baseball create a cognizable legal claim? On the allegations here made, the answer is no,” wrote Rakoff, a passionate Yankees fan.

The lawsuit by DraftKings players, which sought classaction status, claimed the teams and MLB had defrauded fantasy baseball bettors by saying neither team cheated. The gamblers, the suit argued, relied on those statements when placing bets.

There were certainly instances when senior members of both teams lied, Rakoff noted in his 32-page decision.

Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow and Astros Field Manager A.J. Hinch both denied the team was involved in sign stealing, though a subsequent MLB investigation confirmed both knew of a scheme to do just that.

The Red Sox and Astros also made a false statement when they signed the MLB constitution pledging to adhere to the league’s rules and regulations.

A months-long MLB investigation determined that the Astros used a centerfield camera to steal opposing catchers’ signals.

The Red Sox were fined in 2017 for using Apple Watches to steal signs and gain an edge at the plate.