No Astros Cheating Conspiracy Theory Too Wild for Red Sox Fans to Embrace

The Boston Red Sox are down 3-2 in the American League Championship Series after allowing the Houston Astros to walk into Fenway Park and win a pair of games. The team's fans are down very, very bad as they as they struggle to understand why a team anointed by the baseball gods to punish another team with a recent cheating scandal would put itself on the brink of elimination. This isn't part of the masterplan. Surely there most be an explanation that doesn't include admitting the Astros are a hellacious offensive team that deliver time and time again in the playoffs.

There exists a lingering theory that Houston is still cheating. Somehow. On the road.

Here is the best evidence they were able to put together, presumably in a smoke-filled room with a corkboard and someone who won't stop talking about Pepe Silvia, and retweeted by Boston's No. 1 sports radio show, Toucher and Rich.

It involves Yordan Alvarez homering and doubling off of Chris Sale fastballs and someone whistling basically while the 94-95 mph rocket was leaving the lefty's hand. Judge for yourself.

It's never been a better time to mainline conspiracy and find like-minded people who share the paranoia, but this is truly incredible commitment to denying reality. It takes a special type of criminal mastermind to figure out a way to steal signs in hostile territory and then relay them against crowd noise. Perhaps Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve are more cunning than all the baseball players that came before and cooked up a system. Anything is possible.

But people also whistle at baseball games. And if the plan was to tip pitches, it might be helpful if the batter had a bit more advanced notice. These Alvarez clips suggest the ball would arrive at home plate before the hitter even had a chance to process the noise. Then there's some confusion over why there's one whistle in one clip and two whistles in the other when both extra-base hits came via the fastball. The whole system seems complicated enough without changing the cheating noises inning to inning. Then again, the truth may be out there somewhere waiting to be discovered by Red Sox fan who is the most upset and most creative.