Beanballs, boos, lost legacy? Astros, MLB brace for fallout

AJ Hinch, Alex Cora and Carlos Beltrán lost their jobs in the wake of the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scam, leaving three teams without managers three weeks before the start of spring training.

On and off the field, the fallout from one of the biggest scandal sin Major League ge st scandal sin Major League Baseball history is bound to carry over. A look at what’ s on deck for the Astros and M LB:

The Fiers factor

Whistleblower or whiner? Fact is, when A’s pitcher Mike Fiers went public, MLB was forced to act. If he speaks anonymously, most likely his comments get whisked into the whispers bin. Fie rs won’ t have to bat against the As tr os, and it’ d be too obvious to bunt up the first baseline and try to run him over. Will Houston hoot and holler at it sex-teammate? We won’ t need to wait long to see if there’ s any ill will—the A st ros’ first road game of the season is at Oakland on March 30, the start of a threeseries. Count on those Athletics fans in the outfield bleachers at the Coliseum to bang their drums loudly to signal ridicule, not pitches.

Getting even

Cleveland ace Mike Clevinger hinted at drilling Houston hitters. Others will, too. There was plenty of tough talk when Michael Jordan tried baseball and more when juiced-up sluggers teed off in the Steroids Era. “Can you imagine if Nolan Ryan knew you were relaying his signs? You’d probably be missing a head,” Mike Piazza said last week.

So will the beanballs fly? Not likely. That kind of retaliation just isn’t a big part of the game anymore. Wouldn’t be a shock to see some guys hit in the ribs and backside, perhaps on those wayward curveballs that now serve as purpose pitches.

But Alex Bregman & Co. are bound to hear taunts everywhere they play outside Minute Maid Park, especially when they swing way over a slider: “Didn’t know that was coming, did ya?”