Op-Ed: How baseball's bungled investigation gave the Astros amnesty for cheating (via latimesopinion)
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With spring training presumably redirecting the attention of players and fans, what would be a better way for the representative of baseball’s owners to handle serious cheating than to sweep it under the rug as quickly as possible? No union appeals, minimal disillusionment of the Houston fan base, and a modest fine that would pacify angry players and fans. No muss, no fuss, minimal financial fallout.
The charade of an investigation purporting to serve justice began with the commissioner’s grant of across-the-board immunity to all the Houston players involved in season-long cheating. Manfred is right that perpetrators generally won’t describe their involvement or how a scheme operated without a grant of immunity. But in real investigations, immunity is sparingly granted, with it given first to a little fish or two who can implicate bigger fish. Mass immunity goes by a different name: amnesty.
Manfred has sought to justify his across-the-board immunity to the Houston players as the only way he could learn the details of the sign stealing. As an investigative tactic, it makes no sense. He essentially learned the same thing over and over from all the teammates. In exchange, everyone was let off the hook with not even a slap on the wrist. It’s hard to think of a more effective way to encourage cheating.Manfred’s second error was to blame the players union for across-the-board immunity.
Manfred’s final error is to insist that the Astros’ 2017 World Series Championship, secured with the aid of knowing which pitch would be coming next, cannot be rescinded. He claims there’s no precedent for this action, but he’s wrong. There is plenty of precedent for revoking titles in sports competitions. It has been done in
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