‘DIDN’T HAVE A CHANCE’

Ex-MLB Pitcher Mike Bolsinger Sues Houston Astros, Claims Sign Stealing Cost Him His Career

“I remember saying, ‘It was like they knew what I was throwing,’” the ex-Toronto Blue Jays pitcher said, recalling an Aug. 4, 2017, game against the Astros.

A former pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays is suing the Houston Astros over the team’s sign-stealing scandal, claiming it cost him his MLB career. According to USA Today, Mike Bolsinger filed a civil lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court Monday—specifically accusing the Astros of “unfair business practices, negligence and intentional interference with contractual and economic relations.” Bolsinger said he couldn’t imagine a “worse outing in (his) professional career” than on Aug. 4, 2017—when he faced off against the Astros in Houston. “I remember saying, ‘It was like they knew what I was throwing. They’re laying off pitches they weren’t laying off before. It’s like they knew what was coming,’” he told the newspaper. “I felt like I didn’t have a chance.” By the end of the game, Bolsinger allegedly had been demoted on the team and has not pitched for an MLB team since.

Bolsinger wants the team to forfeit their $31 million in bonuses from their World Series win and give it to Los Angeles children’s charities and a fund for retired baseball players who need financial aid. “There’s a message to be sent to youth out there... It was awesome to (grow up and) watch game played the right way. We’ve kind of drifted from that,” he said. “You don’t have to cheat to get to where you want to go. This kind of stuff doesn’t need to happen.”