Dusty Baker is in the somewhat awkward situation of managing the team that everyone hates right now while simultaneously having nothing to do with the reason they’re hated.
Baker is trying to manage the Houston Astros to success amid the backdrop of their prior cheating and the open anger at the organization as a result. That means Baker has seen his players on the end of a lot of criticism, and some pitchers have even suggested Astros hitters may be thrown at for their role in the scandal.
Baker wants Major League Baseball to put a stop to that talk right now.
“I’m depending on the league to try to put a stop to the seemingly premeditated retaliation that I’m hearing about,” Baker said Saturday, via Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. “In most instances in life, you get kind of reprimanded when you have premeditated anything. I’m just hoping that the league puts a stop to this before somebody gets hurt.
“It’s not good for the game. It’s not good for kids to see it. I think both: stop the comments and also stop something before it happens.”
Baker’s words come on the heels of multiple pitchers suggesting the Astros might get thrown at for their blatant cheating and general lack of contrition. Baker probably has a point that this kind of rhetoric isn’t good for the game. Critics would also argue correctly that the Astros’ inept attempts at apology aren’t good for the game, which is something the commissioner has already hinted at.
The Houston Astros are confirmed cheaters and deserve an asterisk. Send that message by wearing our Houston Asterisks T-shirt! You can buy it here:
