6 Angriest MLB Player Statements About Houston Astros' Cheating Scandal

Imagine putting in countless hours for years at a time, working toward the dream of a World Series championship. Imagine committing to doing it honestly and fairly, the way the game is meant to be played.

Now imagine that elusive championship instead being claimed by those who chose to cheat and undermine the game, rendering all your commitment and hours of work obsolete.

That's the reality for players on 29 MLB teams in the wake of the Houston Astros cheating scandal, so it can be understood that a few of them have some choice words for the team that cheated their way to a championship.

6. Seth Lugo: "Who Knows Where I Could Be?”

Lugo had the chance to earn a spot in the starting rotation with an audition against the Astros at the tail end of the 2017 season. For five innings, he pitched a shutout, and it looked like he might be working his way toward that spot. But then all of a sudden in the sixth, the Astros decided to start hitting, which relegated Lugo to the bullpen ever since. "The whole idea of cheating to win — I don’t understand how people cheat ... I just don’t understand how it makes you feel good.” Lugo said. "If I could’ve finished a shutout against the Astros that game ... who knows where I could be?”

5. Sean Manaea: "They Didn't Own up to Anything."

Manaea has gone 2-4 in seven starts against the Astros since 2017. His team missed out on the chance at a division title to Houston each of the past two seasons, but scandal aside, the bit that really drives Manaea up a wall about the whole situation was the Astros' weak apology last week. “They didn’t own up to anything, they all just sort of said the same thing. They want to move on but they haven’t even said what they’ve done," Manaea said. Then, when he addressed owner Jim Crane's statement that the cheating didn't affect the outcome of games, Manaea went in even harder. "Then what’s the point of doing it then? Why are you all cheating if you don’t think it’s going to affect the game? You’re not doing it to try to lose or stay the same.”

4. CC Sabathia: "Vacate (the World Series)."

Sabathia nearly threw his shoulder out making the last pitch of his career against the Astros this past October. In the twilight of his career, he was twice denied (by the Astros) the chance to pitch in one more World Series, and was forced to retire after the Yankees fell to Houston in the 2019 ALCS. He recently used his platform to shame the Astros and insists that they should be stripped of their 2017 World Series title, one that he believes would have gone to his New York Yankees had all parties played fairly. "It’s getting frustrating...to sit here and know that late in my career I could’ve had a title, maybe (in 2017) or maybe ’18, but we got cheated out (by) a team kind of doing something that’s not within the rules of the game," Sabathia said. "Vacate it. I wouldn’t be mad at that.”

3. Cody Bellinger: "Everyone in the Big Leagues Lost Respect for Those Guys."

Of all the team's victimized by the Astros' shady tactics, it's hard to imagine a bigger one than Bellinger's Los Angeles Dodgers. The grind of 177 games and the poise to claim 114 wins was all wasted by the Astros' cheap tactics with a World Series defeat in seven games. Bellinger was just a rookie that year, and has since suffered two more heart-crushing postseason losses. Needless to say, he didn't accept Houston's apology from Wednesday's press conference. "These guys were cheating for three years. I think what people don't realize is that Altuve stole the MVP from Judge in 2017 and everyone knows they stole the ring from us," Bellinger said. "I lost respect for those guys. I would say everyone in the show, in the big leagues lost respect for those guys."

2. Trever Bauer: "F--- You. That's How I Feel About Their Whole Operation."

Bauer has been an opponnent of the Astros over the past three years, both on the diamond and via social media. Bauer even famously suspected Houston was cheating before they were outed! His claim, which was seen as bold back then, was met with harsh and condescending comments from the now-fired AJ Hinch as well as some Astros players. Bauer had the last laugh, but even after being right, he has shown more rage than ever over the whole situation. "I'm not going to let them forget the fact they are hypocrites. They are cheaters. They've stolen from a lot of other people, and the game itself was completely unfair," Bauer said. "You guys think you are better than everyone and you don't have to abide by the rules? F--- you. You know? That's how I feel about their whole operation."

1. Mike Clevinger: "I Don't Think Any of Those Motherf---ers Should Be Able to Look Us in the Eye."

Clevinger gave some perspective before going off on the Astros in an interview with Momentum. He talked about just how hard it is to get to the big leagues, having to grind financially and in the weight room just to earn a chance to play at the highest level. "I've been there. I've had to live with my mom before I came to the big leagues," Clevinger said. He was then overcome with anger by the thought of someone trying to deprive him of his opportunity after working so hard through dishonest tactics. "Now you're telling me that someone could have potentially shortened my career or sent me back down to have me figure s--- out because they knew what I was throwing when I was in there park?" Cleviner said. "I'm not going to sit here and be quiet about someone blatantly taking millions of dollars off my table, let alone other peoples tables. I don't think any of those motherf---ers should be able to look us in the eye."