The Voice of Reason: Rich Eisen Reacts to AJ Hinch’s MLB Network Interview | 2/7/20

[@billmcginley]

After the clip, Eisen asks "what did he just say?" The answer is: he said exactly what he was told to say by the MLB publicist and the publicist told him to say that because that's exactly what the MLB lawyers told the publicist to tell AJ to say.

[@mikeneeley1284]

Yet none of these other morons watching understand what you just said. There is no way he is going to say anything outside of what the PR folks or his lawyer say he has to. It's that simple.

[@mikeziegler3365]

"Is the 2017 championship tainted?" is not a fair question. It's not even a question. That championship IS TAINTED. "Is the 2019 WS appearance tainted?" is a fair question.

Exactly! This is such bullshit.

[@faithful827]

according to the mlb investigation , it is not....

[@wolfwilliams]

"Would you swear under oath, A.J., that during your tenure no Astros player ever wore a buzzer under his jersey?" That's the first question any interviewer ought to ask him. If he evades, ask him the follow-up: "Why are you refusing to give a straight 'yes' or 'no' answer to my question?"

[@vijaynair2403]

To be fair, Verducci didn’t really grill him that much. The questions were very fluffy.

[@mylovesongs2429]

Plus, it looked as though Verducci was smiling at times. This was not a time to smile. Give hinch the evil eye! Frown at him! Verducci is a baseball fan. He is disappointed with the astros, i'm sure. He shoulda been rarher stern with hinch.

[@garyspaziani1699]

Vijay Nair ..and he still couldnt answer the questions..

[@garyspaziani1699]

my love songs he was prob laughing cause Aj was still avoiding the questions..

[@SemperSalam]

Not surprising, verducci is a hack.

[@mase5597]

Diane sawyer should have questioned AJ Hinch. She would have grilled him

[@carlosinda3553]

Hey Hinch, what do you prefer Beer or Wine? Hinch "That's a fair question, um I understand the question and everyone will write their own conclusions about the question. So I can't figure out how to answer that."

[@louis3141]

Spoken like a politician lol

[@JustMeELC]

Carlos Inda You forgot the part where he adds the pennant isn't tainted ugh. Nobody can believe a word any of them say at this point! Their only regret is getting caught smh 🙄

[@carlosinda3553]

@@JustMeELC i was hearing bullshit from him.

[@garyspaziani1699]

Carlos Inda I know bro, hunch is a freakin loser

[@garyspaziani1699]

Hinch..lol

[@roysreceptive]

"How I did it." - OJ Simpson "How we did it." - 2017 Houston Astros

[@aa697]

Altuve definitely knew which pitch Chapman was throwing when he hit the homerun in Game 6. There is no question in my mind Altuve was wearing a buzzer under his uniform shirt. Just look at the tape and read his lips when he was about to reach home plate beseeching his teammates not to rip his shirt off because he was wearing a piece as he appears to be saying.

[@mylovesongs2429]

And his excuse was his physique. His wife gets jealous when guys grab his shirt to rip it off in celebrating fashion? Really? Gimme a break!

[@itsalwayssomething7490]

@Jon Dough are you thick or gullible? Do you honestly believe he's thinking about where his jersey will go after hitting the biggest homerun of his life? The guy was more worried about his jersey than the celebration, then goes into the dugout while his team is on the field celebrating, comes out with a new shirt. What about the ball? Do you think he was looking for it, asked the organization to retrieve it so he can give it to a family member? Jeez, bruh.

[@MrMichael1313]

@Jon Dough Show me the all of the jerseys vs balls in the baseball HOF for critical moments. C'mon. Occam's Razor

Jon Dough lmao. Righttttt. And he’s just sitting on an 84mph slider with a closer that throws 103+ 🤦🏻‍♂️ not a baseball player I see

[@justgive568]

Here's a conspiracy theory. Maybe Hinch threw the World Series by taking out Grenke and not replacing him with Cole. Winning another World Series would have made all this even more crazy 🤪, ha

[@-C.S.R]

Why would they regret it??? They didn’t get punished and got to keep their rings! It’s unbelievable!

[@CelestialWoodway]

Because the title is tainted now. DUH

[@SemperSalam]

CelestialWoodway it’s not though. There is no asterisk in the record books. It will all be forgotten.

[@woodnutz78]

harry dixson Oh yea it is. Just because MLB didn’t say so is irrelevant. Court of public opinion has ruled. And this is coming from an Astros fan. It’s sickening. I know other fans are bent out of shape over it... try being an Astros fan with this crap. The 2017 WS was such an awesome thing for a city that had gone/was going through hell from the hurricane, and now we have to look back and be like WTF. It sucks. Hard.

[@woodnutz78]

harry dixson ...also, there’s no asterisks anywhere for cheating. If they were to open that can of worms, that’ll be one hell of an ordeal. Steroids would wipe out how many WS titles?

[@jamesanthony5681]

Altuve and those players will go through the season and the rest of their lives with the stain of being cheaters.

[@michaelzeisler2257]

Even a second grader could come up with the question if you had the best players why did you have to cheat?

[@wildernesswolff9350]

I lost all respect for Tom Verducci after that soft interview.

[@tjp5295]

Rich and Dr. Evil have the best analysis of this Houston cheating scandal. They tell it like it is.

[@mAKtre47]

As much as i want to believe him they show the clip of him lying about it in the press conference.. and all i can think is once they lie. They always lie

[@reginaldinoenchillada3513]

I c Rafael Palmiero shaking his finger in angry denial. Busted 2 weeks later.

[@michaelwalker2495]

Why do you want to believe him? That makes no sense whatever.

[@mAKtre47]

@@michaelwalker2495 it makes perfect sense..

[@mAKtre47]

@@reginaldinoenchillada3513 gets it

[@faithful827]

the press conference was from 2019 and the alcs.... mlb found no cheating going on in 2019.... he did not lie .... there may have been whistles.... but they didn't have anything to do with cheating

[@gospos1]

Verducci..."Is the 2017 title tainted?"....Hinch..."Hamana, Hamana, Hamana "...

[@jayrukks8039]

Exactly

[@robertmaxwell6065]

Or, he talks like Charlie Browns teacher, " wonk wonk wonk wonk, wonk wonk wonk wonk"

[@gospos1]

robert maxwell ...exactly!!..he said a whole lot of NOTHING!

[@louis3141]

Manfred needs to go.

[@JustMeELC]

Truth Hurts If he doesn't do a REAL investigation & penalize properly! Right now they are all just hoping this fades away smh

[@-C.S.R]

Truth Hurts I keep saying same thing! It’s BS!!!

[@avigdorbenhaim2551]

Plzzzzzzzz he sucks

[@louis3141]

Between this, The Mets debacle, The Mookie trade, Future CBA he's just a complete moron.

[@joshpezzner5929]

You need to see what Trevor Bauer tweeted

[@jeffk5238]

I really hope “Beltran’s Niece” has buzzer/vibrator pics. MLB just wants it to go away. The commissioner NEEDS to take this seriously!

[@NicholasLashway]

Great video love your show Rich

[@gonzaloarroyo3579]

That’s how you answer a question with another question.

[@leperrault]

Look back at the record. In 1997, the Astros actually had a particularly exceptional record ON THE ROAD. The 2017 Astros boasted a 53-28 record in road games, which tied for first in the Majors. In fact, their road winning percentage of .654 eclipses their percentage of games won at Minute Maid Park, which is .593.

[@marcoz3030]

"tHat'S a FaIr QuEsTiOn" Even if the commissioner didn't strip the title and punish the players. That title will be forever tainted.

[@rodafowa1279]

No it won't. It might take 5, 10, 20, 50 or 100 years, but eventually, nobody will care that much. I mean, look at Spygate. That went away in a couple of months.

[@DJ.B930]

Rodafowa that only “went away” because the Pats kept winning championships after the fact. But trust me, as a Jets fan no one I know forgets about spygate. Plus the Pats just caught cheating again(!!!!) this year. It’s likely spygate never really stopped

[@superjonh1000]

@@rodafowa1279 I'm not defending anyone but spygate was one instance thing they did, it doesn't compare with cheating a whole season and maybe playoffs. Also, people still talk about spygate and deflategate and Pats is still I one of the most hated teams in the NFL. There are a lot of other variables to why people acted soflty about Patriots' scandals, but this Astro thing is easily the biggest case of cheating in sports history. The buzzer thing is still inconclusive for most people and might draw a line of next level cheating if proven. Some people even think MLB it's trying to hide that part because it could potentially damage the whole foundation of the league. Believe me when I say people won't forget this until someone comes out and spit it out all the gutsy details about it.

[@rodafowa1279]

@@DJ.B930 You're right in one sense. They got caught again this year, and it was talked about for a week before it just went away.

[@rodafowa1279]

@@superjonh1000 Spygate wasn't a one time deal. They spied on teams for years. The NFL destroyed the tapes and hoped everyone would forget about it. It worked for the most part. The MLB is trying to do the same thing right now. Manfred released that pitiful report, levied out a slap on the wrist as a punishment and is hoping people just forget about it. If nobody else steps up and provides 100% proof of the buzzers, it will just go away.

[@robertkemp8440]

Just realized that AJ Hinch looks like Ben Affleck and Matt Damon combined

[@dadawesome784]

Robert Kemp I always knew those two would eventually hook up.

[@jeremysmith1202]

The guy that came up with the entire system Koch-Weiser is still in charge of their "analytics" (lol) so that's how sorry the Astros are.

[@BootyDoctor]

Isn't it absurd? Essentially the engineers of the entire cheating system get away scot-free. I feel like the people that were punished directly (Luhnow and Hinch) seem to have the least involvement based on the evidence we've seen. The front office scouting guys built the system, and the players themselves took it to another level, and they're fucking getting away with it! The MLB is trying to sweep this under the rug. It infuriates me every time it crosses my mind.

[@joshpezzner5929]

How do you know they are still there?

[@stevenverhoeven4262]

Can we agree that it’s time to break ground on a Baseball Hall Of Shame?

[@MrGarysugarman]

Big difference between regretting doing something and regretting getting caught.

[@mylovesongs2429]

Cannot wait til the beanballs start!! It might get really nasty!!! Commisioner Manfred will probably ruin our fun and announce that any astro hitter that gets ONE beanball, or even a ball that gets tooo close, the opposing pitcher gets ejected. I personally hope the umps look the other way. I gotta tell ya. This scandal has given me a little renewal in my interest in baseball, like i had when i was a youngster. I haven't had this much interest in baseball in decades! I watched a ton of youtube videos lately on the sport. It used to be my favorite sport, until i got into football back in 1981 or so. Now, i have been reminicing about baseball through youtube vids. I will watch more baseball in the future. I will still watch mostly football, but i will keep an eye on baseball more than i have in a long time!

[@charlesrocks]

I have a sneaking suspicion that Hinch threw the World Series by pitching Harris and not Cole in Game 7.

[@lt6731]

I really like your show!

[@laborlitigator]

Follow up questions and or re-direct, any good interviewer would naturally know what to ask

[@aikhis]

tom verducci journalism fail.... it was a puff piece aimed at letting the Astros and Hinch off the hook. That's the only conclusion you can take from the word salad non answers, and the lack of serious question we all need to know.

[@alntr2872]

This makes no sense. the host wants them to put out a statement admitting guilt and at the same time say they do not regret winning it all, so that is not an apology and is not a sincere admittance of wrong doing. When you apologize you admit guilt and the consequences of ones actions. Once you admit guilt you forfeit the winning because the guilt is the outcome of the wrong doing, so in admitting guilt you are taking responsibility for winning it wrongly, so the people who say they should have the championship revoked are standing on a higher moral ground, because how can you admit guilt and keep the spoils of the wrong doing for which the guilt is predicated? All the host wants is for them to admit guilt in writing, "button it up" so they don't have to answer the hard questions, where is the justice in that? And how does that restore the integrity of the game? The game as of now has no integrity. With all due respect.

[@alntr2872]

@MrBrenman21 ​ If you listen carefully, I think you are correct, he wants honesty, but you don't go about it by making a statement just not to face the issue. True honesty is paying recompense for the wrong. The idea is to not let it go away, it is to face the issue head on and yes, revoke the championship.

[@Nick_Barone]

Nice text wall

[@pjl_007]

A new sign that shouldn't be too hard to for the Astros to decipher...the catcher throws up the bird and the pitcher goes head hunting.

[@jeffgo5742]

I don’t think there gonna admit to anything for a long time if ever

[@joeman425]

No doubt that the Astros and everyone tied to this cheating scandal should take heat but MLB is really to blame in all of this. You mean to tell me that you can pick up the trash can banging on video replay, but the MLB umpires didn’t catch it? You mean to tell me that teams were complaining about the Astros and MLB did nothing to put a stop to it like they did with the Redsox? MLB is to blame for this one.

You’re assuming the Red Sox stopped? They only won the WS the next year under Cora. Surreeeee, they stopped.

[@bobspizza7444]

Rich eisen you are awesome. I love how you keep hoping even ONE of those cheaters have REMORSE. You keep giving the chances but they don't care. Only sad they got caught. Oh p.s. that Mendoza lady that came out against the whistleblower deserves everything she is getting as well

[@jmiogo]

No... they installed their own camera and monitor separate from the replay system.

[@louminox3065]

Im predicting that a lot of Asterisks players will be beaned this coming season.

[@erikmendoza312]

lou minox .... I see this comment a lot and I think you have to be an idiot to think that the Astros are not gonna do the same or do they just stand there and get hit cmon it works both ways buddy

[@armyjoe_9842]

Different take. I think in a big game situation u might see a very close pitch when they expect something else. Keep them uncomfortable in the box

[@Flying-xh9kj]

I really hope pitchers just pitch to the Astros and find out if they can hit or not. I am tired of these interviews and don't believe word. They are all lying cowards.

[@austintaylor9441]

Get em rich!!!!!

[@aa697]

And perhaps 2018

[@cesarmarrero7210]

He said he couldn't pinpoint what advantages they had because other teams were doing it and ARE doing it, too. It's obvious!

[@cspartacus716]

It just hit me - all year long there was a discussion about the baseballs being jacked because there were so many homeruns across the league. It wasn't the balls. It was this kind of tech being used by team after team. And this is why everyone's reluctant to say the things that are obvious to us all.

[@SCORPAIN88isme]

There's not that much time from signal to pitch. Some of the bangs were coming as the pitcher was winding up and I would think that it would be more of a distraction than a helper

[@puppy034]

I think that AJ, the coaches, and all players on the 2017 roster should handover their championship rings. (Backoffice staff can keep their rings if they choose to.) Take the entire "Team Set" and put it up for auction, which would be worth millions, possibly into the tens/hundreds of millions. All proceeds from the sale will be used to help underprivileged youths learn and participate in the game of Baseball. (This would include building Little League fields and facilities, sponsoring teams, hosting training camps, mentoring, etc.) A gesture like this would go a long, long way in expressing the regret that the 2017 Astros team members feel for their actions and their disgrace of the game of Baseball.

[@pandemic7]

“I’m sitting here wondering ‘is their championship tainted?’” Are you kidding me? Of course it fucking is.

[@peted7687]

what did he say?!!!

[@r2b2sw25]

how do they let this go???????

[@pm_-wm1wq]

Dear MLB, time to reopen the investigation!! it’s obvious!!

[@flickmybic7174]

So far, the best thing of all this is that Bregman has gone completely silent on social media. His youtube comments now are hilarious. Hinch is a clown.

[@jesselarios1783]

They won a championship why would they regret it ? Ban Everyone no one will ever cheat like this it wouldn’t be worth it

[@raybradley4939]

They been killing them self for years now this is the nail in the coffin

[@rickt1951]

Hey, Rich, I'm still waiting for you to react to Sapp and Faulk getting fired from the NFL channel. What's up with that?

[@JustMeELC]

Feirs should get a standing ovation in EVERY park he plays in this season! A-holes are going to make this season hard on the only guy who gave a crap about the game & was brave enough to do anything! Lets make this idea viral!

[@johnschull1120]

No. Fiers is should also be out of the league but for VERY different reasons

[@JustMeELC]

John Schull smh

[@JustMeELC]

@MrWagman11 He tried ffs... mlb did nothing so later he went public smh

[@JustMeELC]

@MrWagman11 Several reports were made to mlb by players. Nothing was acknowledged or done until it went public :o(

[@johnschull1120]

elc It’s not about him whistle blowing it’s about him getting with underage girls

[@chrisgonzalez2945]

Tom sugar-coated those questions!

[@gene1278]

A.J....Baseball Never Forgets, just ask the 1918 Black Sox. Lunhow and his "dark arts" clandestine department should all get life time bans.

[@LordofDublin4]

1919 Black Sox

[@gilbertfalling493]

Over/under on number of times Altuve and Bregman get plunked this season.

[@paperchaser4176]

That world cup trophy tho

[@luisburgos9059]

I watched the interview and felt totally disgusted. This is a carefully crafted PR job aided by MLB. Hinch makes it sound like he was helpless to what was happening, when in fact he was a willful participant and conspirator. Might as well be saying “ blame those puertorrican coaches” . He should’ve owned it all. He was the manager.

[@Burnzy1976]

You're either lying or a moron. Probably both. Hinch says he owns it and never copped out as helpless to stop it. Pay attention ffs.

[@CT-mw7yu]

Not going to happen, they escaped punishment and talking about it increases the chance of being punished. Think Ray Rice, punishment delivered, then we saw the extend of the situation, the backlash was huge.

[@Hectoreosos]

They dont regret anything. 5 million dollar fine. Managers get fired but no players punished plus a world series? Anyone is gonna take that trade.

[@WWTaveler]

I am with Rich on this one all the way. As an aside, it was the same kind of teaser clip which was taken out of context from the Gayle King interview with Lisa Leslie regarding Kobe Bryant that got everyone so hot and bothered and King receiving death threats to her and her children. Information taken out of context is a recipe for epic disaster every time. The networks need to stop doing this "controversial" teaser clip system BS because it does no one any good and only adds fuel to the fire. Just my opinion.

[@metalheadmailman992]

He is a himmin and a hawin and squirming like a man whose inner moral voice is SCREAMING at him during interview.

[@mazadams4951]

Spoiler alert: it wasn’t a teaser.

[@michaellittlewood3032]

BAN THIS EXCREMENT FROM BASEBALL!

[@dadawesome784]

His answer is ALMOST as good as Bregman’s BS response.

[@ricktemmen6272]

Houston regrets getting caught.

[@lawrenceaderneck7165]

what ever happened to that list mlb had of suspected players that used steriods? if that list got out it would have been the end of fan support

[@johnfarr2738]

OF COURSE YOU KNEW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED A.J.!!!! You destroyed 2 monitors and never did a damn thing to stop it. He’ll never manage again.

[@NIghthorseGrows]

This is outta control. Hey as a Mariners fan at least we know they weren't cheating. 🧐

[@spence61]

What the hell...”no one can really answer that question” you were there!!!! And apart of it Don’t drop this topic rich!! These players need to answer our questions

[@mikeneeley1284]

Actually they don't. The investigation was done, the punishments were handed down. If you don't like it that's your opinion. If I was a player or Hinch I would keep my fucking mouth shut and not say a word just to watch everyone bitch and complain. The public isn't owed anything. MLB did what they were required to do.

[@GD-me2lv]

The unecessary monitors are the culprit. If you need a monitor to see if a call was egregious, then it wasn't egregious. Lose the monitors!

[@mikekiviranta4421]

If they do Rich then they admit to cheating in a major we haven't seen. Whoever signs that they will be subject to the penalty. They will force the hand of the commissioner to do something which should be suspension for a year and return of those bonuses they all got for their playoff performances At The Very Least.

[@timjeffries1555]

So if we can’t cheat with the monitor, let’s destroy the evidence.

[@frankderudder7290]

Hinch was stil evasive and he is stil protecting his former players!! Atleast he took blame but now the players have 2 step up and come clean but have a feeling that wont or give prepared speeches!!

[@mrsmith3869]

Todays mlb managers dont call the shots Aj hinch had no choice because the GM was calling the shots AJ was just caught in the middle and couldnt do anything about it

[@mt9054]

and baseball players always want to “police” themselves....

[@georgebutt3631]

If ur going to taint the Astro 2017 Super Bowls u got the do the Sam for the patriots for stealing signs from opposing sidelines

[@Drago2600]

George Butt touchdown YANKEES

[@georgebutt3631]

Donovan I think if ur going to to one sports u got to do it for all but I don’t think it matters cause as the old saying going if u ain’t cheating u ain’t trying

You’re wondering if it’s tainted? Lmao we are wayyy past that

[@hardymotorsports]

Baseball fans will make them pay for it...every game, every season until they retire.

[@pd94832]

Just because it didn't work every time doesn't mean it wasn't wrong to try to do it... If you go out and try to cheat on your wife but no one will sleep with you, she's still not letting you back in the house.

[@brentfreeman8626]

He didn't destroy any damn monitors. And if by some crazy chance he did. His players are effin idiots for not taking a hint.

[@pauladams9287]

The astros on the 2017 World Series for 2 reasons They're cheaters who stole signs, And Dave Roberts completely mishandled his pitching staff

[@robmason6466]

the 2017 world series is history. as a matter of opinion its either tainted or it isn't. it shouldn't matter what happens going forward and should have no bearing on your opinion regarding the 2017 series. it's been determined that the Astros did cheat. why does AJ think he can sit back for 10 years and then, based on the subsequent careers of the players, claim legitimacy for that victory?

[@kore6078]

They regret getting caught

[@bernieward9972]

They regret getting caught! Everyone on that Houston 2017 team should be suspended for the first two weeks of this season without pay and every player on that Houston 2017 team should be fined the exact equivalent of their World Series pay !! Sending out a letter is a cop out and lets these players off !!

[@Balmighty1981]

Hinch didn’t look like he showed real true remorse cold blooded cheater

[@troythomason8032]

Angles open at home with the Astros. Expect A LOT of Dodger fans in attendance to voice their displeasure.

[@pedrogonzalez6368]

If Astros player say they use buzzers. They might be forgiven. If not there making it worse.

[@Henlarious]

Look forward to Astro batters being beamed with 95mph fastballs all season.

[@pedrogonzalez6368]

I prefer a crackerjack ring .then that word series ring at least i earned it .📟📟📟📟📟

Manfred will be exposed as a liar about buzzers. Weak, sorry little Commissioner. Pathetic.

[@2Oldcoots]

Mr. Hinch: The Houston Asterisks committed an unprecedented theft of a championship and you don't have the courage to admit it. The record must be rewritten to state there was no World Champion in Baseball in 2017.

[@ayersd82]

As always, the coverup is worse than the crime. I cancelled my MLB Direct TV package. My wife and I drive from Baton Rouge to Houston every year, for Astro games. NEVER AGAIN !

[@aa697]

2017 and 2019

[@gunsmoke6230]

Even if the Astros when the World Series in 2020 it won’t be enough to show Rich that they didn’t need it to win. He doesn’t want them to win it so he can talk about it forever! Let it go Rich !

[@chef423]

If thats the case, take every Ring away from the Yankees in the 2000's. Take them all from the A's in the '80's as we all know the Bash brothers were more full of juice than blood. So.....get your high horse out of here.

[@avigdorbenhaim2551]

Your really stupid

[@salmanjets718]

Hinch should throw the organization under the bus. They win everything and he loses..? Nah. Make them burn also Hinch. I wouldn’t blame you

[@element720]

LIFETIME BANS

[@dadawesome784]

You’re a fool if you think the Astros just suddenly stopped cheating after 2017. They cheated and won the top prize and were not caught. Why would they have just stopped?

[@pensive69]

If Manfred can't take away the illegally won Series and the money and the rest of it from those Astro teams, the rest of the league owners need a new Commissioner of Baseball.\ Hell the rest of the owners should sue for damages.

[@vinnievictory1186]

Worst scandal since Black Sox 1919.

[@megodoy]

I'm following the Houston Astros Facebook page. I go on and say "what's up cheaters" and holy cow the Houston fans are in serious denial. Immediately hate on me for trolling them. Few of them are class acts expressing their wishes that things were different. They're cool. The rest of them getting angry because the truth hurts. Houston, your 2017 title smells like a dirty diaper. keep it. LA doesn't want it. LA will earn it back eventually.