Former Blue Jays Pitcher Sues the Astros, Claiming Sign-Stealing Cut His Career Short

Quinn: It’s 1800-LAW-1010, 1800LAW1010.com. Paul Harding from Martin, Harding & Mazzotti on the phone.

Cantara: Hey. Morning, Paul.

Paul: Good morning guys.

Quinn: Did you take a huge hit in the stock market yesterday, Paul?

Paul: I think I might have, you know. I don’t really pay attention a whole lot, but yeah, dramatic, dramatic stuff.

Cantara: Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do, not pay attention?

Quinn: Oh see, exactly, yeah [inaudible 00:00:20] smart.

Paul: Well, you know it.

Cantara: Set it and forget it.

Quinn: He’s smart. He’s the kind of guy who would be able to do the 8 ounces of beer and live to be 110 or whatever. Yeah, rigorous.

Paul: Well, there’ll come a time when it’ll be scary. I don’t know if tomorrow’s scary yet. Yesterday was scary, but yeah, sure. It’s weird times coming, maybe, but, yeah, one day. You just kinda erase it and move on.

Quinn: That’s it. That’s the spirit.

Cantara: We were sitting on this story for you because I actually think this former major league baseball player has a valid point. He was a pitcher for the Blue Jays. He goes into the game during the 2017 season versus the Astros. He gets lit up. He never pitches in the big leagues again. And now he’s got a civil suit against I think the Astros, maybe even Alex Cora or AJ Hinch. He’s got a lawsuit against…

Quinn: Got a lawsuit.

Cantara: …basically against the Astros because they ruined his career, therefore causing him lost income.

Quinn: Explain to me. They ruined his career because they didn’t ask him back?

Cantara: No, no, no, because they were cheating. So the Astros knew every pitch this guy was gonna throw…

Quinn: I see what you’re saying, okay.

Cantara: So he got lit up and he never got a chance to prove himself again. I mean, in a court of law, I might take that case, Paul. What do you think? Is this a stretch?

Paul: You know, you know, I… Listen, I…The Astros, they’re under fire here. I mean, and this is probably just the first thing that we’re gonna see about this cheating scandal and people trying to recover money through the court system. But here, yeah, he gets lit up. There’s a one-third inning. Gives up four runs. He’s in Texas, where he’s from. His family is in the stands, you know, and never…get crushed so badly that his career literally just ends. You know, he wasn’t a… He was sort of a journeyman pitcher, anyway. Yeah, I mean, they cheated. They knew his pitches. It’s a heck of a lot easier when you do that. But to prove that his career was gonna turn into something more significant is gonna be tricky on damages. But I do think the case will proceed along. You know, again, he also wants $31 million to be given to charity.

Quinn: What’s journeyman mean?

Cantara: Meaning he’s pitched for a number of teams, and he’s never been a superstar.

Quinn: He’s been around for… Okay, okay.

Paul: He never really found a home, yeah.

Quinn: We can’t argue that with… I mean, maybe this is his retirement. Maybe this is his last shot.

Cantara: I actually think if the kid was an up-and-coming rookie, he might have more of a chance because he has less history for them to look at, you know?

Quinn: Yeah.

Paul: From a damage perspective, you know, sure, you look at this stuff. But, you know, the real thing that’s going on here, and it’s related, you got is FanDuel and DraftKings. So they have now sued Major League Baseball and the Astros, saying, “Listen, you know, as you all know, it is not a game of chance. It is a game of skill.” Which is how they got, you know, Fantasy Sports and betting to be a national, you know….no one thought they’d pull it off but they were able to prove that, no, this is not a game of chance. When you bet on a game, statistically, it’s like horse racing or football. You look at the players and you look at who’s there that day, and they have now sued Major League Baseball. So, because it changed the odds a little bit, and therefore, that lawsuit is the one that’s scaring Major League Baseball the most, not the [inaudible 00:03:20] one, although this one is still there. But the one involving FanDuel and DraftKings.
Quinn So what, what will happen? Will baseball just have to pay out a bunch of money?

Paul: They could. So if they show that the individuals, it’d be you and I, you know, anybody who participated during that season who bet on this game and not on this game, you know, we were betting based on players and statistics, and these things were inflated because of this scandal, because the batters knew the pitches that were coming is the theory. So…

Quinn: I love this line from the story, “The ability to succeed or fail on his own was stripped from him because of the cheating.”

Cantara: Yeah.

Paul: Yeah, big stuff. And the Red Sox are gonna be facing something coming up real soon. We kinda know. You know, but the funny part of baseball, it’s always been a bit of the fabric of the game. I remember, you know, just gonna be super clear. Being on second base, you know, in Little League, and kinda tryin’ to, you know, and watching which way they’re pitching and kinda waving to the batter, and saying it’s gonna be inside, outside, you know, that always sort of existed. The difference is the technology employed and the sophistication of how they got the signs, now how they told the batter what sign it was gonna be, wasn’t very sophisticated, they’re banging on a drum or, you know, that kind of thing. But so, it is a fine line because…

Quinn: Not even a drum, it was a can, garbage can.

Paul: A can, yeah.

Cantara: Paul’s right. The players on second base, that’s part of the fabric of the game, but this has taken it to a whole other level. I love that you brought to the table the FanDuel angle. Because I had no idea about that, Paul. That’s good stuff this morning.

Paul: Yeah that’s good stuff. Well, we’re gonna see that. That’s the one that could give a major financial blow to the Houston Astros and Major League Baseball.

Quinn: We’ll definitely keep an eye on that. Paul Harding from Martin, Harding and & Mazzotti. 1800-LAW-1010, and  1800law1010.com. Thanks so much, Paul.

Paul: All right, talk soon guys.

Quinn: All right, take care.

Cantara: Sounds good, see you later.

Recording: Quinn and Cantara, mornings on PYX 106.