Astros should be stripped of championship, former Dodger says
MESA, Arizona -- The list of those who believe the Houston Astros should be stripped of their 2017 World Series title continues to grow. Most recently, former Dodger and current Chicago Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish joined the list.
"It's like the Olympics," Darvish said from Cubs camp Sunday. "When a player cheats, you can't have a gold medal, right? But they still have a World Series title. It (feels) weird."
He struggled in Games 3 and 7 while pitching for the Dodgers in the 2017 series. At first, he was told he was the one tipping his pitches, but he now wonders whether the Astros stole the signs.
"Was I tipping, or were they stealing?" Darvish asked last month.
SEE ALSO: Timeline of Houston Astros cheating scandal
Kenta Maeda is openly wondering whether the Astros' sign stealing affected Darvish's performance, during the Los Angeles Dodgers' 2017 World Series loss to Houston.
"Yu Darvish usually doesn't give up that many hits. In that sense now that this news has come out, it makes sense. And he didn't get any strikeouts," Maeda said through an interpreter Friday morning at Minnesota's spring training complex, four days after he was acquired from Los Angeles.
On Sunday, Darvish said that he wasn't angry but that he felt for opposing pitchers who lost their jobs because of the Astros scandal, while telling Houston players it might be better to be quiet right now.
"So they cheat, I think they shouldn't talk right now," Darvish said referencing Carlos Correa's comments about Cody Bellinger. "Some people lost their job. They have to show more apology. I don't feel anything from those guys."
After days of hearing his team and teammates be criticized across the majors, Houston Astros shortstop Correa spoke out Saturday, telling The Athletic that players on other teams - particularly Bellinger - are not informed enough when they address the scandal or 2017 American League MVP Jose Altuve.
RELATED: NL MVP Cody Bellinger says Astros' Jose Altuve stole 2017 AL MVP from Aaron Judge
"When (Bellinger) talks about that we cheated for three years, he either doesn't know how to read, is really bad at reading comprehension or is just not informed at all," Correa told The Athletic. "The commissioner's report clearly says that all those activities were conducted in 2017. 2018 nothing happened. 2019 nothing happened. It was just talented players, playing the game of baseball with passion and winning ballgames."
No Astros players have been punished in the scandal, and Houston's apologies have been widely criticized.
Darvish compiled a 21.60 ERA over his two games pitched before going to free agency after the 2017 season. He ended up signing a six-year, $126 million contract with the Cubs, who admitted they might have taken advantage of other teams being scared off after his World Series performance.
"I know they were stealing signs, but at the same time, I was not good during the World Series," Darvish said. "I'm better for what I went through. But, yeah, everyone is wondering about (their numbers) pitching against them."
Jose Altuve, Justin Verlander and other Astros players apologize for cheating scandal
ESPN contributed to this report.
