Clayton Kershaw’s unnecessary shot at the Astros isn’t based in reality

One of the most tired Houston Astros takes in the marketplace of ideas is that there is no point in giving them any credit for their success recently because of the sign-stealing scandal. Yes, Houston absolutely broke the rules and they were punished for it. If we are being honest with ourselves, there have been a lot of teams that have skirted or crossed the lines when it comes to the rules, but the Astros have become the pariahs for being caught.

Perhaps that is simply going to be Houston's ongoing punishment. It will be 2050, and both Yankees and Dodgers fans will still be complaining about the Astros' cheating when they make the ALCS with Carlos Correa's kid is on the roster.

Unfortunately, the fact that Houston has also been objectively good gets lost with some of these folks.

As it turns out, there are still Dodgers players that are holding a grudge as well, despite some recent comments that suggested LA had moved past the scandal. When asked about the best leadoff duo he had faced in the playoffs, Clayton Kershaw took a misguided shot at the Astros while mentioning Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman.

Clayton Kershaw's memory has been infected by his grudge against the Astros

It is a little weird to ask Kershaw this question if only because he isn't pitching this postseason, but he is a legendary pitcher whose opinion has value. Rather than actually provide a thoughtful answer, Kershaw felt the need to rehash his grudge against Houston while also completely distorting the facts.

Aside from the fact that there is reason to suggest that the Astros' sign-stealing (which, again, they absolutely shouldn't have done) didn't help Houston in 2017 as much as some think, Altuve and Bregman weren't even the Astros' 1-2 hitters. George Springer was the Astros' leadoff hitter in that World Series, and was followed by Bregman and Altuve. It was abundantly clear that Kershaw was wanting to name two current Astros and flame them instead of actually putting some thought into it.

In fairness to Kershaw, his grudge is understandable. He got torched in Game 5 of that World Series, and he is probably convinced that the only reason that happened is because Houston was stealing signs. Surely, the Astros' dominance had nothing to do with the fact that Kershaw has been a mediocre pitcher in the playoffs in his career. The gripe is justified and he will probably carry it to his grave, but his timing and recollection of the facts here leaves a lot to be desired.

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