Aaron Judge and LeBron James Join Chorus of Astros Condemnation

Judge started his off-season training in early November, shortly after the Yankees lost another A.L.C.S. in Houston. The memory of that defeat has driven Judge for months, he said.

Did the Astros cheat in that series, too?

“To think that they just clear-cut stopped in ’19,” Judge said, “it’s tough for me to say that.”

The Astros’ past behavior casts doubt over all their achievements since, another sad consequence of the scandal. For players like Judge, who take their roles seriously as caretakers of a social institution, the stain of cheating will cling to the Astros. Shame alone is not enough of a punishment, but it is something.

“Wherever they go, they’re going to hear it, and even away from the field, it’s going to be tough for them,” Judge said. “That’s the thing. We’re all role models, no matter what, and we’ve got to make the right decisions because we’ve got kids watching us, we’ve got other peers watching us, watching every single move we make. If you try to cheat the rules or try to do something wrong, it’s going to come out eventually. It always does. The truth always comes out.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/18/sports/baseball/aaron-judge-astros.html