Astros hit with 1-year suspensions for manager, GM, and heavy draft penalties UPDATE: Sox fire Cora

And, frankly, it's not out of the question that he did things to benefit his bets rather than the team. Given the way he has repeatedly copped only to what has already been proven by others, I consider his "I never bet against the Reds" defense with due skepticism.

 

Exactly. If he bet $10,000 on today's game and $50 on tomorrow, doesn't that give him reason to blow out his bullpen today because that game was more important to him?

 

Does it really matter how he managed when he bet on games or didn’t bet on games. The rule is: Don’t bet on games. Big bold rule without exceptions. He broke it. Whether it was flagrantly, causally or indiscriminately.

The only reason to give him any thought of any break is that he’s the only one in 50 years to be strictly held to any MLB rule.

 

It matters in that his defenders try to argue that he only bet on his own team. They insist he wasn't throwing games, so he didn't affect the outcome. That simply isn't true.

 

Engaging his defenders is like talking to Trump supporters. Ya can't fix stupid.

 

Or they are but suck at that too.

 

Pretty considerable overlap in the two fan bases.

 

The Alex Cora sacrifice seems to have satiated the baseball gods as the Red Sox escape any repercussions.

Or are they going to dump it Saturday night before the Conference Championship games?

 

Sox also fired Dombrowski, too, so perhaps that's factored in?

 

Is there any contemporaneous reporting that cheating had to do with his firing? Or is this one of those instances when the reporters 'kind of knew' but kept it in house?

 

None, but it would make some sense if he got fired for that and banging the help (which was the popular theory at the time). He also was the GM during the Apple Watch mess so that's two strikes against him.

 

Perhaps the fallout will extend all the way to Bristol?

https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/20...s-out-mike-fiers-for-exposing-astros-cheating