Major League Baseball (MLB) commissioner Rob Manfred has expressed regret over granting immunity to Houston Astros players during the sign-stealing scandal. In a recent interview, Manfred admitted that the decision was “maybe not my best decision ever.”
The Scandal
The Astros were found to have cheated during their World Series-winning 2017 season and part of the 2018 regular season by using a camera-based sign-stealing system. However, MLB did not punish any of the Houston players. Instead, the team’s manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were suspended for the entire 2020 season and later fired by the Astros. The team also lost draft picks and was fined $5 million.
Regrets
Manfred’s decision to grant immunity to the players drew widespread criticism. In his interview with Time, he acknowledged his regrets and said that he would have approached the investigative process differently. He indicated that he would have started without granting immunity to the players to see where it would take the investigation.
Once the players were granted immunity, it limited what MLB could do in terms of punishment. Manfred said that he might have been better off without granting immunity and not punishing anyone instead.
Backlash
Some members of the 2017 Astros team are still being booed in road ballparks and vilified by opponents. This outcome was alluded to by Manfred in an interview with ESPN in 2020, where he defended his decision. White Sox pitcher Keynan Middleton recently called Twins shortstop Carlos Correa “a cheater” after striking out the former Astros star, indicating that the MLB community has not forgotten the scandal.
Manfred also expressed regret over adding to the furor when he referred to the World Series trophy as “a piece of metal” during his 2020 interview with ESPN.
Final Thoughts
Manfred acknowledged that there were some decisions that he would like to have back, particularly those related to the Houston situation. He admitted that taking more time during times of pressure might have led to a different outcome. While he cannot change the past, Manfred’s comments signal a desire to move forward and learn from the scandal.
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