YER SORRYS!
Astros’ ‘apologies’
for him.
“Not really,” Boone said. “It at least feels like there’s a lot of coincidental things and a lot of smoke.
“But can I say, one way or the other, what went on? Absolutely not. So, you know, the question that was asked to me was, am I sure? And my answer was no. At this point it’s hard to be certain of particular things. A lot of coincidental things went on that certainly from my standpoint, over the last several weeks, have made me think a lot about it. I draw a lot of different conclusions, but in the end I don’t really know either.”
One thing Boone and Chapman both know, however, is the advantage a system like the Astros would give hitters. Boone, a former major league infielder, smiled when asked about what it’s like to be in the batters box when you know what pitch is coming.
“If I know what’s coming as a hitter, it’s hard to put how big of an advantage that is, but if you asked every hitter — if they know with 100% certainty what’s coming, I’d feel pretty good about my chances, or certainly a lot better,” Boone said. “It’s why us and every team is always working to try and gain an advantage. If we can spot something within a team that allows us to have a really good idea of what’s coming, that’s a comfortable feeling for a hitter.“
In fact, it could have been the difference in Game 7 of the 2017 ALCS, Chapman said Thursday morning. It could have been the difference between the Yankees going home and a World Series appearance.
So, when he heard of Crane’s comments, Chapman did not back down.
“I disagree with that,” Chapman said in television interviews. “When you have an advantage like that, it’s definitely going to make you a stronger team.”