New York Yankees executive Brian Cashman did not hold back when addressing the infamous Houston Astros cheating scandal, a controversy that has haunted Major League Baseball for years. Cashman furiously claimed that the Astros “cheated us” out of a World Series opportunity during the ALCS matchups in 2017, 2019, and even alluded to the possibility of misconduct in 2022.
The Yankees have endured a frustrating drought since their last World Series appearance in 2009. However, 2024 has presented a fresh opportunity for the franchise, free from the shadow of the Astros this time around. Despite facing off against Houston four times, including the notorious 2015 wild card game loss, Cashman believes that cheating was the defining factor in their inability to break through.
Cashman specifically pointed to the 2017 ALCS, where the Yankees were eliminated in seven games. He claims that the Astros’ now-exposed sign-stealing operation robbed them of a fair shot at the Fall Classic. “It doesn’t accurately reflect history,” he told Chris Russo, expressing his frustration with the Yankees’ 15-year World Series absence. He added that the scandal may have extended into 2019, casting further doubt on the legitimacy of Houston’s success.
The Astros’ cheating scandal came to light in November 2019, with reports revealing that the team had used illicit tactics to steal opposing teams’ pitching signs. Banging on trash cans to relay signs to batters, Houston’s operation ran rampant from 2017 through 2019. One particularly damning admission came from former Astros player Evan Gattis, who admitted in a now-deleted social media post that he knew which pitch Yankees ace CC Sabathia was about to throw in Game 7 of the 2017 ALCS.
Major League Baseball responded to the scandal by suspending Astros manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow for one year, imposing a $5 million fine, and stripping the team of key draft picks. Astros bench coach Alex Cora, who was also implicated, received a season-long suspension. Despite these penalties, the damage to the Yankees and other teams remains, with Cashman still seething over the missed opportunities.
Now, in 2024, the Yankees are back on baseball’s biggest stage, with a chance to claim their long-awaited World Series title. Having dodged an Astros rematch, New York will face another fierce rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in a best-of-seven series that kicks off on Friday. For Cashman, the mission is clear: to bring the championship back to the Bronx and finally put the painful past behind them.
