Apr 1, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers former pitcher Orel Hershiser attends the game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Dodgers broadcaster Orel Hershiser had words for the Astros as they moved on to the ALCS.
Orel Hershiser has been a vocal critic of the Houston Astros, which is understandable given his role as a former Dodgers pitcher and current broadcaster.
So when a Houston-based radio personality taunted Hershiser about the Astros moving on to the ALCS, Hershiser had an answer.
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Astros fans are salty with Hershiser because he’s made a point of calling out the team’s cheating during their 2017 World Series run.
Before the season, Hershiser spoke on the podcast he shares with Joe Davis about
“It’s just emotional to me because ’88 changed my life, and this should’ve changed those guys’ lives. They’re champions in my mind. They’re champions in my heart. They’re not champions in the books of baseball,” Hershiser said. “We can get into the punishment. We can get into cheating and what it does to the pitcher and what it does for a hitter. But for me, the emotional side of this equation of them getting ripped off, killed me. Absolutely killed me, because of what I have gained from winning a championship in 1988 with my Los Angeles Dodgers.”
His criticism continued into the season. When Jose Altuve was struck out while facing Los Angeles, the Dodgers’ broadcaster quipped, “Guessing is harder than knowing.”
Houston can celebrate its trip to the ALCS all they want. They put away the Oakland Athletics on Thursday with an 11-6 victory to take the series 3-1.
However, they’re not going to escape the criticism from people like Hershiser still upset over their past sign stealing. It’s going to keep coming.
It’s certainly not going to slow down the longer the Houston franchise leans into the villain role by denying the importance or significance of their cheating.