The Integrity of the Game

“Houston, we have a problem.” Apollo 13

C.S. Lewis said, “Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.” Why is integrity so important? If one checks the dictionary, honesty, moral principles, and a sense of wholeness are mentioned. Alexander Hamilton said, “Those who stand for nothing fall for everything.”

That’s the problem right now in baseball. Baseball season is near. Pitchers and catchers reported. Full squad workouts are happening. Reporters are sharing videos of practice. Whether you’re a fan of baseball or not, you probably have heard about the Houston Astros’ cheating scandal.

In short, the Astros were found to have used technology to steal opponents’ signs (which is prohibited) during the 2017 season—a season in which they won the World Series. One doesn’t have to be a fan of baseball to recognize that if a hitter knows what’s coming, the game will be easier. This isn’t the first cheating scandal for baseball, either.

Shoeless Joe Jackson isn’t in the Hall of Fame because of the Black Sox scandal (check out his numbers during the 1919 World Series). Pete Rose bet on his own team and is not in the Hall of Fame despite being the all-time hits leader. Don’t even get me started on the era of steroids! Yet with Houston, despite several key players and leaders not acting with integrity, they get to call themselves champions and have rings, too.

Although some suspect Houston’s cheating took place more recently, it is known this whole ordeal took place a while ago. It’s only recently players and key leaders have spoken about it. That means the organization had time to prepare how to handle the situation and conduct some damage control by apologizing.

The apologies, however, have come across more like a kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar rather than a dog who counter-surfed some food and was scolded. To make matters worse, the commissioner of baseball has not helped in follow-up interviews. (Again, don’t get me started on the commissioner!)

Not good, Houston! Not good, Mr. Manfred! Not good for baseball!

How can the Astros and Mr. Manfred salvage this situation? What can leaders and others learn from situations such as these?

Well, we all call can A.C.T. differently.

Let me explain.

First, Houston needs to be Accountable. They need to admit their wrongdoings. Frankly, this starts from the owner all the way down to the bat boy’s cousin. In addition, they need to answer the questions. Sure, they may not want to do it. It’s a tough predicament, but they did it to yourselves. When a yes/no question is asked, it begs for a yes/no response. From what I’ve seen, they’ve dodged, deflected, and denied when accountability was there for the taking. Sure, it’s uncomfortable, but the whole world deserves a little more than hearing about the commissioner’s report. Furthermore, the Astros are not victims, so they need to quit acting like it. This is already going to follow them around the rest of their careers with or without asterisks. If they own it now, they can move forward more quickly, and so can baseball. Whether a particular player participated (read that three times really fast), it’s irrelevant because that player benefited. Houston players, own your part.

Second, the Astros need to be Consistent. Trust is broken because there are inconsistencies in their words and actions. From what I’ve seen and heard, I personally do not trust their apologies. So, other players and reporters are going to keep doubting and asking Houston, and frankly, I don’t blame them. The Astros have been inconsistent in their words and actions for several years. They won a championship under false pretenses. Their actions didn’t just steal a championship; they damaged the integrity of the game. Now, not a lot of sports talk about integrity, but you see, baseball does. Houston may not understand that many of us baseball fans (including other players) are grieving. Many of us are shocked, hurt, angry, and even feel betrayed by Houston’s actions. Astros, please step out of the batter’s box away from those prepared, cookie-cutter responses. When there are inconsistencies in words and actions over time, trust is damaged or broken. It’s not going to be quickly repaired, especially by surface-level apologies. Questions will fade in shorter time if they own their parts and started being consistent in their words and behaviors. After all, people do enjoy a comeback story!

Finally, Houston needs to tell the Truth. A mistake implies a one-time offense. What is described by Houston’s behavior is a methodical and intentional plan to cheat occurring over the course of a season of baseball at least. While some details are lacking, there is, however, deflection; there is taking up for teammates; there is flat denial that their cheating affected the game (which, of course, it did); and then there’s flat denial about denying (come on, Mr. Owner). I think questions will continue mainly because the entire organization isn’t being honest about what happened. If one wants to build something and have it last, a foundation of trust is critical, and the truth is the cornerstone.

The Bible says the truth will set us free, which really in reference to being free from sin (John 8:31-38). I still think that concept applies here because freedom tends to flow from honesty in my experience. We aren’t worried about being discovered; we get to be our genuine selves. In telling the truth, accountability and consistency naturally take place.

Why else is telling the truth so important? The Lord hates lies (Proverbs 6:16-19). Words are words indeed, but you see, we are accountable for the things we say (Matthew 12:33-37). We have to be mindful of what comes out of our mouths and keep it positive. In fact, we’re supposed to build others up (Ephesians 4:29). If we’re dishonest consistently, our focus tends to shift more to ourselves than to others.

Besides honesty, we can learn a thing or two about being judgmental from the mistakes by the Astros. If I’m being extremely honest with you, I’ve been fairly judgmental about this process. I have even thought about how fans of the Astros treated fans of my team, the Cards, when we had our own cheating scandal that actually involved the Astros. It’s important, however, to remember John 8:7. Truthfully, we’re all guilty of something, and we all need Jesus, a forgiving Savior.

Baseball is a great game that doesn’t need many changes (pay attention, Mr. Manfred!). The integrity of the game needs to be preserved. Let’s learn from Houston’s mistakes. Let’s admit our wrongdoings by being accountable. Let’s show remorse and show that we care. Let’s be consistent in our actions and words. Finally, let’s all tell the truth. It will be better for not only those around us, but also for ourselves.

Think about this: There are lots of little eyes looking up to how the Astros have handled this situation. Like it or not, kids learn how to apologize and treat others by our behavior. I’m not a fan of the Astros, but I think if they/we take these steps, we will all be able to move forward more easily and so will all of baseball. For love of the game, Houston, get your A.C.T. together!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some batting practice videos to watch!

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