St. Louis Cardinals Escaping Patriots-Level Scrutiny for Hacking, But Real Consequences Could Be Harsh
By Kyle Koster
Chris Correa, the former scouting director of the St. Louis Cardinals, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for hacking the accounts of the Houston Astros. His mission was to gain insight into a division rival’s scouting reports, internal evaluations and prospective trade plans.
Major League Baseball must now decide how to penalize the Cardinals. An investigation is underway.
This is a monumental story and yet it’s flying under the radar, buried under a sports consciousness cluttered with NBA free agency and Olympic trepidation.
Baseball was long ago surpassed as the national pastime. It lags behind football and basketball in public interest and is fighting to stave off surges from soccer and mixed martial arts. That relative anonymity is problematic for the future health of the sport. Conversely, that position has provided a double-edged sword with a dull blade.
The Cardinals’ reputation is not being ceremoniously slashed in the town square. The masses are not leaning on the sword, forcing the executioner’s hand. News of Correa’s transgression and subsequent consequences was relegated to the inside pages of newspaper and sidebars of websites.
It’s fair to ask how this story would play out had it involved a marquee NFL or NBA franchise. But one must understand that apples and oranges can’t always be placed in the same basket.
Dekker’s hypothetical isn’t entirely hypothetical. The New England Patriots have been involved in two scandals in recent years centered around gaining a “unfair” competitive advantage. In 2007, the Spygate scandal landed them in hot water. For filming the New York Jets sideline from an unapproved location, the team was fined $250,000 and lost a first-round draft pick. Bill Belichick was also docked $500,000.
Deflategate resulted in another forfeited first-round pick and yielded a four-game suspension for Tom Brady after a 544-day saga.
The Cardinals’ malfeasance is more sinister than either of these infractions, in my opinion. It provided more of an advantage than either secret video tape or soft footballs. The personal cost to Correa is far more severe than any Patriots party incurred, with the MLB action yet to come.
It’s important to draw the distinction between real sanctions and the less tangible losses in the court of public opinion. It’s fair to say the Cardinals have not been routinely raked over the coals in the same fashion as the Patriots franchise.
But that’s an obvious result of the comparative media coverage of MLB versus the NFL.
Star power is also at play. More people care about Belichick and Brady than a behind-the-scenes scout. The Cardinals, for all their success, do not feature a roster of crossover stars and a polarizing manager. Offices are not rife with employees discussing Mike Matheny around the water cooler.
As prevalent as outrage is in 2016, it’s still subjective. In baseball circles, there is a target on St. Louis’ back. They’re a successful organization which prides itself on doing things the right way. But the Cardinals Way is not a part of the lexicon in the same vein of the Patriots Way.
Existing outside of the brightest spotlight isn’t always bad.