Astros’ interviews don’t wow Manaea
MESA, Ariz. — Understandably, the A’s pitching staff is the most vocal group about the Astros’ cheating scandal, and on Thursday at Hohokam Stadium, starter Sean Manaea expressed his disgust with Houston’s morning news conference addressing the signstealing system.
“I saw a couple of interviews and they all said pretty much the same thing: They skated by everything. They swept everything under the rug,” Manaea said. “They didn’t own up to anything and they’re trying to move on which is like — what are you guys trying to move on from? You haven’t even said what it is you did.
“They just now said they’re sorry, but what about this entire offseason? It was like: deny, deny, deny. When the time comes, you have to say what you’re trying to move on from. It’s crazy.”
Infielders Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve provided vague apologies during the news conference that didn’t specifically address the signstealing scandal, and Houston owner Jim Crane was particularly the subject of scorn after suggesting his team’s systematic cheating had no effect on the outcome of games.
“What’s the point of cheating
then? Why as a team did you collectively do it? Why did no one stop it?” Manaea asked. “You’re not cheating to get worse or be the same. You’re cheating to win.”
A’s manager Bob Melvin said he saw the news conference, “which I thought might have been a little short on remorse,” but he thought there had been more sincere apologies from players after they came off the podium and spoke to reporters in the clubhouse. Among other things, Houston shortstop Carlos Correa said, “It was straightup wrong . ... There’s no other way to describe it.” First baseman Yuli Gurriel said, “No one put a gun to our head. It would be a lie to say that one or two people are responsible. We are all responsible.”
A’s pitcher Chris Bassitt felt the same, saying, “I think the intheclubhouse stuff was good, more personable, more sincere. Something this impor
“They all said pretty much the same thing — they skated by everything, they swept everything under the rug.”
Sean Manaea, A’s pitcher, on the Astros’ take on their cheating
tant in baseball history should come from the heart, not from a transcript.”
Like other A’s pitchers, Manaea said he’d rather face hitters who are using steroids than hitters who know what pitch is coming; the Astros were using video technology to relay such information in real time to batters. And he compared hitters knowing pitch types to using cheat codes in video games — it undercuts the fundamental idea of the game, batter against pitcher.
“It’s a very, very unfair advantage,” Manaea said. “It’s supposed to be the batter reacting to the pitcher — that’s the beauty of it. It takes all of that away. It’s messed up.
“It’s like giving your brother the junk controller with the button that doesn’t work and then just whupping his butt all the time.”
Bassitt pointed out that the impact on outcomes extends beyond players and teams, noting the money cities and regions generate during the postseason, benefiting vendors, security personnel, restaurant and hotel workers.
“This is one of the worst things that’s ever happened to this sport, and the ripple effect (goes) so much further beyond the game — you’re stealing money from hardworking people,” Bassitt said. “I don’t know if an apology will ever suffice, to be honest with you.”
The A’s acquired a former Astros infielder/outfielder, Tony Kemp, last month, and Kemp will arrive in camp Friday, The Chronicle has learned.
Kemp was a younger player and a reserve who often was shuttling between Houston and TripleA, but he is still more than likely to have known what was happening even if he didn’t partake in the scheme. What kind of reception might he get in the clubhouse?
“I have no idea,” Manaea said. “I’m sure some guys will be interested in what he has to say. I don’t know what it will be like for him. I don’t know if he should apologize, or if he should straight up tell us what was going on, or if he’s just going to be accepted by the team. I don’t know what will happen.”
Third baseman Matt Chapman said he believes Kemp will be greeted warmly, and he said he doesn’t think Kemp needs to apologize to the A’s.
“Whatever was happening over there, it’s not like he was the ringleader by any means,” Chapman said. “He was probably just doing whatever he could to stay in the big leagues. Having him over here is a clean slate. I’m excited to have him on our team, and I think he can help us. Everyone always seems to get a warm welcome here, whatever has happened in their past. It’s a fresh start for him here.”
“I think it will be fine,” Bassitt said. “If any of those guys move from the Astros, it will be OK. This was not a oneperson thing, it’s not like steroids. It was an organizational thing. There’s a right way and wrong way to play the game and the whole organization went the wrong way.”
The A’s play Houston at the end of March in the second series of the season, and Oakland starter Mike Fiers, who pitched for the Astros, is the only named whistleblower to make the scandal public. “It’s definitely going to be very interesting,” Manaea said.