The MLB Cardinals "like to think of themselves as paragons of virtue and traditionalism with their emphasis on doing things the 'Cardinal Way,' so it's no surprise" that yesterday's report of an alleged hacking scandal involving the Astros "is already generating some snark in baseball circles," according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com. The backlash is "not quite the caliber of schadenfreude" that Marlins Owner Jeffrey Loria "encounters whenever he's in the news." Crasnick: "But rest assured, you'll find a few people willing to weigh in on the damage this story might be doing to the Cardinals' brand." And the celebrants "aren't all located in Chicago or Cincinnati." An MLB scout said, "Gussie Busch must be rolling over in his grave" (ESPN.com, 6/16). In St. Louis, Joe Strauss writes this is "no trifling matter, some frat prank gone bad." This is a "breach that badly embarrasses" the league and "bruises the reputation of a franchise that counts character" among its pillars. It has "sent a shiver through one of the game’s most self-assured franchises," and one "can only wonder" about Cardinals President, Chair & CEO Bill DeWitt Jr.'s reaction. Like Patriots Owner Robert Kraft, DeWitt "now finds himself atop a franchise caught in a vortex of controversy that runs counter to what he is about" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 6/17).
ACHIEVING SAINTHOOD: NBC's Bob Costas, a St. Louis native, yesterday predicted the outcome of the scandal would turn out to be "relatively benign." Costas: "My gut notion is that it’s closer to least-damning than most." Costas added that any long-term impact on the team’s "vaunted image -- its 'Cardinal Way' reputation for classy, aboveboard operations -- depends on how high the scandal reaches into management echelons" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 6/17). The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jeff Gordon said, “The Cardinals don’t want to be the New England Patriots. … They try to be good citizens. They cannot be happy to get this kind of publicity" ("OTL," ESPN, 6/16).
FUNNY HOW? In California, Steve Fryer writes this is like Coca-Cola "spying on a lemonade stand in your neighborhood" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 6/17). In Dallas, Tim Cowlishaw writes there was something "initially funny" about the Cardinals "hacking into the Astros' computers at a time that that club was struggling to get its games on local TV." Cowlishaw: "But it's not funny. And it's very serious." It was "almost certainly low-level Cardinals officials attempting to embarrass Astros GM Jeff Luhnow" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 6/17). YAHOO SPORTS' Tim Brown wrote beyond the "occasional over-muscled slugger, the Cardinals honored their baseball, won with dignity, generally lost with composure, and were admired for their gainful competency." However, the "perception of the Cardinals as baseball's mom-and-pop dynasty has taken a flush hit" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 6/16). In L.A., Bill Plaschke writes under the header, "FBI Probe Of Cardinals Makes It Fair To Question Series With Dodgers" (L.A. TIMES, 6/17). In St. Louis, Jeff Gordon writes under the header, "No Reason For Cards To Act Like Patriots." No franchise "wants to deal with such nonsense." Should the FBI "bust Cardinals staffers on this beef, the repercussions could last years" (STLTODAY.com, 6/16). SI.com's Ben Reiter wrote under the header, "Cardinals' Hacking Into Astros' Database Is Worse Than Deflategate" (SI.com, 6/16). In K.C., Pete Grathoff wrote the "so-called Best Fans In Baseball are supporting a team that may have the Worst Employee In Baseball" (KANSASCITY.com, 6/16). ESPN’s Israel Gutierrez said, “It sounds [like] more of a personal thing than any sort of grand-scheme cheating situation" (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 6/16). ESPN’s Michael Wilbon said, “This is not like deflating some footballs” (“PTI,” ESPN, 6/16).
