Baseball players and fans have long memories. Sometimes, proof of those long memories can hit you in the arm really hard.
Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, a member of the 2017 Astros championship team that used a highly sophisticated cheating scheme to help “win” the World Series, got hit in the left arm Thursday night by a pitch from Oakland’s Chris Bassitt. In response, many of the Oakland fans in attendance rose to their feet and applauded.
While no one can be in the mind of a pitcher when he throws a ball, the pitch had all the trappings of a deliberate attempt to “send a message” to the batter. Bassitt didn’t throw the pitch too hard. Though, it also tailed up and into Correa, pretty much giving him nowhere to go. The coronavirus pandemic and Major League Baseball’s resulting decision to keep spectators out of stadiums last year prevented the Astros from enduring the backlash they so richly deserved for their cheating ways.
The Astros will play the two teams most victimized by their cheating ways -the Dodgers and Yankees – on the road on August 3-4 and May 4-6, respectively.
One can expect the reception for them on those dates will be, lively.