Baker to MLB: Tell teams to stop negative comments on Astros

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — New Houston manager Dusty Baker would like Major League Baseball to prohibit more negative comments and possible retaliation from opposing pitchers for the Astros sign stealing scandal.

“It’s not good for the game, it’s not good for kids to see it, so I think both,” Baker said Saturday. “Stop the comments and also stop something before it happens.”

Bakers comments came in response to a slew of negative comments during spring training about the Astros illegal use of video to steal signs in 2017 and 2018. Los Angeles Dodger first baseman Cody Bellinger said Friday the Astros “stole” the 2017 World Series title from them. He added Jose Altuve stole the MVP trophy from Aaron Judge.

Houston players, management and ownership spent the first day of camp apologizing for their actions and professing remorse. But many players and front offices around the league didn’t feel they went far enough.

Washington general manager Mike Rizzo said he wanted to hear the Astros use the word “cheated” when addressing the situation.

“I’m depending on the league to try to put a stop to the seemingly premeditated retaliation that I’m hearing about,” Baker said. “In most instances in life you get kind of reprimanded for when you have premeditated anything.”

Los Angeles pitcher Ross Stripling indicated he might show his displeasure by intentionally throwing at Houston batters.

“We don’t start nothing,” Baker said. “This is kind of the slogan of my team, we don’t start anything – not intentionally. Guys are going to be getting hit intentionally and unintentionally. If you say you are going to drill somebody and all of the sudden you drill them, you can’t say, ‘I wasn’t trying to hit them,’ you know what I mean?”

Shortstop Carlos Correa and outfielder George Springer declined to speak with the media before Saturday’s workout. Altuve wasn’t present in the clubhouse during the time it was open to the media. Position players don’t begin their first official workouts until Monday.

Houston ace Justin Verlander is concerned about the respect he and his teammates have lost around the league. However, he expects more revelations about the sign-stealing actions of other teams to emerge.

“Yeah it bothers me,” Verlander said. “But like I said (Bellinger’s) entitled and everybody else is entitled to their own opinion. I think facts are still coming out, information’s still coming out, and I don’t think this is going to be something that’s done – not even for us. There’s going to be information that’s going to continue coming out for a along time.”

Could the Dodgers be one of those teams to have revelations emerge?

“I don’t want to insinuate about other organizations,” Verlander said. “The other day we apologized about what we did.”