Tarnished Star

Monday was a day of shame for major league baseball.

How else would you define the actions by the Commissioner -- who, after a lengthy investigation over sign stealing, suspended Astros manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow for a year, took away the club's two top draft picks for the next two years and fined the organization $5 million -- in the wake of a sign stealing scandal that ranks near those of Pete Rose's gambling and the 1919 White Sox attempting to throw the World Series.

Minutes after that news broke, Astros owner Jim Crane advanced the story by firing both Hinch and Luhnow.

In Jack Webb-ese, those are "just the facts, ma'am [and sir]." Now baseball has to take further steps to best assure we don't see a repeat of this. It's fine to eliminate access to any kind of in-game video for players and other on-field personnel. In a time of rapid advances in technology, you want to see a harsh message that clearly states: You. Won't. Cheat. This. Way." Period.

Where does this leave the Astros' 2017 title? Should Rob Manfred have vacated it the way the NCAA did for Reggie Bush's Heisman or Louisville's 2013 college basketball title? It's a little hard to put the horses back inside the barn -- the games are played, the memories are etched in public perception.

How about this solution: put a large asterisk next to every entry in the records for the 2017 Houston Astros. Large enough that any book or website will clearly indicate this team did it the wrong way, using a scheme that soiled the idea of fair play. And should the still-ongoing probe of the 2018 Red Sox, managed by Hinch's former lieutenant Alex Cora, come to a similar conclusion, give that club one as well.

Baseball has never penalized the idea of being clever. A runner on 2nd can, for a moment shift his glance to the catcher's fingers. But a plot, an organized effort using a private camera and audio clues loud enough to make the TV broadcast, is far beyond all that.

The National Pastime has enough issues these days involving demographics, TV ratings and access. The challenge is even greater now, as legal gambling becomes more widespread. This would be the worst time for anyone to suspect that games might considered less than legitimate.

Good luck, Rob Manfred. Your next moves will be a lot harder than extending screens or cutting a new streaming deal.