Because of the World Series 2017 cheating incident, Joe Musgrove isn’t exactly proud of the title ring he won with the Houston Astros. With the San Diego Padres, the pitcher is now hoping to win one that feels more “deserved,” as he elaborated on to the Associated Press on Wednesday.
Musgrove admitted to the AP, “I still don’t feel great about wearing that ring around or telling people I was a World Series champion on that team. “I want one that was truly a title and felt earned. Thus, that is the aim.”
Before this week’s conversation, the 2022 All-Star was upfront about his thoughts on the Astros ring. When questioned about the cheating in January 2020, Musgrove responded, “That stuff goes around the league all the time.” Musgrove said that he wouldn’t be affected by what others thought, but a month later he acknowledged that the title did feel “tainted.”
According to the MLB inquiry report, Astros staff members used game feed in the video room to translate and communicate the signals of other teams to Astros baserunners on second base. Houston’s championship, the first and only one in franchise history, was not taken away. A.J. Hinch, the Astros manager, and Jeff Luhnow, the general manager, both received one-year suspensions as part of the penalties. They were promptly let go by the company. A $5 million punishment and the loss of future draft picks were also involved.
Musgrove, a 2021 Padres acquisition, has a chance to acquire a brand-new ring this season. San Diego was awarded the No. 5 overall seed and a Wild Card berth in the National League. They take against the New York Mets on Friday at 8 p.m. ET, marking the start of their long postseason run.