Hank Aaron is living up to his Hammerin’ Hank nickname and thinks the Houston Astros players got off too easy and should have been hammered harder in their punishments for cheating. Specifically, Aaron thinks MLB should have banned the cheaters for life.
Aaron was interviewed by Craig Melvin for “Today” and was asked for his thoughts about the Astros.
“They did [steal signs],” Aaron said of his day, but noted, “they didn’t steal them that way.”
Aaron said he did not think the punishment fit the crime.
“I don’t. I think whoever did that should be out of baseball the rest of their life.”
Aaron was also asked by Melvin about Pete Rose asking for reinstatement by MLB because of inconsistencies between his punishment and the Astros players getting off easily. He said Rose should not be allowed in.
Aaron’s comments should not come as a surprise. He smacked 755 home runs over his 23-year career, only to be surpassed by a cheating Barry Bonds. He has long taken an anti-cheating stance and advocated for harsh penalties against those who used performance-enhancing drugs.
At a time when many people feel like there should not be any penalties for crimes, and when people are blaming the whistleblowers rather than the cheaters, it’s nice to have a man so accomplished and respected step up and speak out on the side of playing within the rules.
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