Major League Baseball is in the midst of a scandal that has had a major impact in the past and will impact the future of the game of baseball. The Houston Astros were caught stealing signs during their World Series championship season in 2017 and in 2018. Rob Manfred, commissioner of the MLB, handed a punishment to the Astros that many players and fans believe is not enough. These penalties include; a $5 million fine to the team, a one year suspension of general manager, Jeff Luhnow, and manager, A.J. Hinch, and no first or second round draft picks for the next two years. Luhnow and Hinch were inevitably fired by the Astros organization. Many players have come out and said they believe that the Houston Astros completely messed up the game of baseball. Cody Bellinger, from the Los Angeles Dodgers, said Jose Altuve “stole” the 2017 MVP award from New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge through sign stealing. A number of people are so angered by what the Astros did that they would like to see the organization stripped of their 2017 World Series title. In response to these desires, commissioner Rob Manfred called the World Series trophy a “piece of metal” and that a stripping of the Astros’ 2017 championship is not going to happen. 

As a baseball fan and someone who has played the sport their whole life, I believe what the Houston Astros did is a disgrace to the sport. If you have to cheat to win a championship, you should not be the champions, period. For the commissioner to call the trophy, that is named after his position within the MLB, basically worthless is an absolute joke. He should be ashamed of his words and his actions. The Astros are not the rightful champions of the 2017 season. That team is a disgrace to the sport and should be punished further. The MLB needs to do the right thing as soon as possible. Either way, this event will dramatically shape the future of the game of baseball.