Clayton Kershaw will always remember the 2017 World Series. He was the star pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team that had an incredible season with 104 wins and their first pennant since 1988. They faced off against the Houston Astros in the World Series and unfortunately lost in seven games. At the time, it was a tough defeat but nothing to be embarrassed about.
However, two years later, it was revealed that the Astros had been stealing signs throughout the entire 2017 season. This scandal led to the firing of Astros’ manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow, as well as fines and lost draft picks for the team. Surprisingly, no players were punished, but Carlos Beltran lost his job as the New York Mets’ manager before even coaching a game. The Boston Red Sox also went through changes by firing and rehiring their bench coach, Alex Cora.
When asked about the current Dodgers’ lineup compared to others he’s faced, Kershaw didn’t hold back. He mentioned that while facing leadoff hitters like Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman was tough, it’s not the same when they were cheating by stealing signs.
There has been debate about Altuve’s involvement in the scandal. Some sources indicate that he had minimal participation and even teammates have vouched for his innocence. However, Altuve has faced backlash, especially after an incident where he refused to have his jersey ripped off after hitting a walk-off home run in 2019. This led to speculation that he might have been wearing a device to receive pitch information.
Altuve has been booed in many stadiums, particularly in Dodger and Yankee stadiums. The Astros have had success against the Yankees in the ALCS, defeating them three times, including in 2017 and 2019.
During the 2017 World Series, Kershaw struggled in his two starts against the Astros, giving up nine earned runs in 11 innings. While Kershaw has had some ups and downs in the postseason throughout his career, it’s possible that his performance could have been different if the opposing team didn’t have advance knowledge of the pitches.
Overall, the sign-stealing scandal has left a mark on the Astros organization and players like Altuve. It has also impacted the way fans view the team and certain players. As the Dodgers continue to excel in the league, Kershaw and others will always remember the tainted World Series loss to the Astros.
