Steve Garvey says Astros cheating vs. Dodgers, Yankees in World Series run was 'like taking steroids'

EXCLUSIVE: Steve Garvey knows what a Yankees-Dodgers World Series means to America. 

He played successful the past 3 betwixt the 2 franchises, helping the Dodgers triumph the astir caller meeting successful 1981 and playing connected the losing extremity to New York successful 1977 and '78. Before that, helium was a shot lad for the Brooklyn Dodgers and watched with wide eyes erstwhile Brooklyn bushed the Yankees for the archetypal clip ever to triumph the title. 

And similar galore others successful baseball, Garvey knows however adjacent America was to witnessing a matchup betwixt the 2 teams successful 2017. The Yankees fell 1 crippled shy, losing to the Houston Astros successful Game 7 of the ALCS. Then helium watched his erstwhile squad suffer to Houston successful Game 7 of the World Series. 

Two years later, Garvey was shocked by quality Houston had cheated that year. The Astros were exposed for an elaborate amerciable sign-stealing operation, resulting successful sanctions by MLB and suspensions and eventual firings of manager A.J. Hinch and wide manager Jeff Luhnow. 

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"We were each saddened by it happening. There was grounds of it, and it got to the constituent wherever determination was ever a question erstwhile they went 7 games with the Astros if it was happening then," Garvey told Fox News Digital successful an exclusive interview. "And the fans haven't forgotten. So, erstwhile they spot Houston, it brings retired the loudest successful them." 

Los Angeles Dodgers Steve Garvey, Steve Howe and Steve Yeager observe winning the World Series against the New York Yankees astatine the extremity of Game 6 astatine Yankee Stadium. (Jayne Kamin/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

As a World Series champion, 10-time All-Star and one-time MVP, Garvey knows however hard it is to hit. He believes the Astros' usage of physics devices to decipher signs and relay them to players from the dugout successful real-time was an undeniable vantage that played into the Astros' hitting dominance that year. 

"If you tin springiness maine what the transportation is, I'm astir apt going to summation my mean by 40-50 points astatine least. If you cognize what is coming, a interaction hitter similar me, and you cognize it's coming. A interaction hitter similar me, it's a important advantage," Garvey said. 

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Asked if helium thought the Astros would person been capable to decision the Yankees and Dodgers successful the playoffs that twelvemonth without cheating, the erstwhile All-Star archetypal baseman equated the vantage to taking steroids. 

"I'm rather sure," Garvey responded erstwhile asked if helium thought the Astros could person won without cheating. "It's like, I equate it to, like, taking steroids. The radical who took steroids and the precise important players that were accused of it and truthful distant were beauteous bully earlier that.

"And it's hard to measurement what percent that they were better. But it's going to person immoderate worth with the apical players who are capable to not lone physically, but mentally capable deliberation the crippled and find erstwhile fixed a flimsy vantage whether to crook it into a important advantage." 

The statement whether the Astros would person prevailed successful the playoffs that twelvemonth has resurfaced aft Yankees wide manager Brian Cashman dismissed the conception that his squad had to hold 15 years successful betwixt its past World Series quality and this one. 

The Houston Astros' Jose Altuve reacts aft flying retired against the Boston Red Sox during the seventh inning successful Game 2 of baseball's American League Championship Series Oct. 16, 2021, successful Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Cashman cited the information that the Yankees faced the Astros astatine the tallness of their cheating scandal. New York mislaid to the Astros successful the ALCS successful 2017 and past for a 2nd clip successful 3 years successful 2019, conscionable months earlier the ungraded was revealed.

"I hatred the 15-year happening due to the fact that it wholly forgets and discounts that immoderate different enactment cheated america erstwhile we were each the mode successful the end. If you knew what was going on, past I don't deliberation they would beryllium advancing during that time," Cashman said during an quality connected Chris Russo's "High Heat" connected MLB Network Tuesday. 

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"I deliberation we would person been advancing," Cashman said. "So, I hatred that 15-year happening due to the fact that I don't deliberation it accurately reflects history. But, regardless, we're arrogant to beryllium wherever we are now."

The eventual whistleblower for the scandal, erstwhile pitcher Mike Fiers, exposed the team's intricate sign-stealing cognition successful a November 2019 interrogation with The Athletic. It was past discovered done a league probe that Houston players and staffers utilized the video replay country to decode opposing team's signs, past banged connected trash cans to present the decoded signs to hitters astatine the plate, alerting them what transportation was coming.

The Houston Astros' Jose Altuve, left, pats Carlos Correa (1) arsenic they observe Correa's location tally during the 2nd inning against the Oakland Athletics April 8, 2021, successful Houston.  (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Once the cognition was made public, the sanctions, suspensions and firings each commenced. Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who spent 2017 connected the Astros staff, was revealed to beryllium the mastermind down the operation, and helium was adjacent suspended and fired by Boston earlier being rehired successful 2021. 

Under Corra's leadership, the Red Sox besides bushed the Yankees and Dodgers successful the playoffs to triumph the World Series successful 2018.

The Astros players, particularly prima infielder Jose Altuve, were branded cheaters by shot fans crossed the country, particularly Yankees and Dodger fans. The squad has been relentlessly booed for the ungraded ever since. However, Houston showed it could bushed the Yankees and triumph a title aft the scandal, sweeping the Yankees successful the 2022 ALCS earlier beating the Phillies successful the World Series that year. 

Still, for galore of the prima Houston players connected that 2017 team, including Altuve and shortstop Carlos Correa, they person ne'er travel adjacent to matching their statistical performances portion cheating. 

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The Astros took a important measurement backmost successful 2024, getting swept successful the wild-card circular by the Detroit Tigers and failing to scope the ALCS for the archetypal clip since 2016. 

So, the Yankees and Dodgers are yet successful presumption to renew their historical rivalry successful the World Series. 

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