The Houston Astros cheated for the past three seasons, and the only reason we’re talking about it right now is because former Astros and current A’s pitcher Mike Fiers went on the record to blow the whistle about the situation.
While there were plenty of players who thanked Fiers for bringing the Astros’ cheating into light, former Red Sox great David Ortiz wasn’t as mad about the Astros’ cheating as he was about Fiers going public about the scheme when he did.
Ortiz spoke to reporters Thursday at the Red Sox spring training facility in Fort Myers, Fla., and he called Fiers a “snitch” for waiting years to speak up on Houston’s cheating.
Ortiz said:
“I’m mad at this guy, the pitcher that came out talking about it. And let me tell you why. Oh, after you make your money, after you get your ring, you decide to talk about it. Why don’t you talk about it during the season when it was going on? Why didn’t you say, ‘I don’t want to be no part of this?’ Now you look like a snitch. You know what I mean?”
Sure, Fiers could have spoken up sooner, but Ortiz absolutely knows what would have happened had Friers gone to the media about the cheating operation while a member of the Astros in 2017. He would have been shunned by the clubhouse, and he would have put his own career in jeopardy.
Fiers isn’t the villain in this story. He’s the one who forced MLB to take action. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred even admitted that Fiers’ quotes were what sparked the league’s investigation.
So, don’t be mad at Fiers for calling out cheaters — be mad at the cheaters.
