Joe Kelly absolutely tears into the Astros players in fiery rant on teammate's podcast

It was no secret how unhappy MLB players, owners, analysts, and fans were after the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal popped off towards the beginning of the year, and it didn’t seem like anyone was afraid to speak out on it. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic putting the season on hiatus, the ‘Stros were preparing themselves for what was going to be a long season of booing, jeering, and general hate from the stands.

They no longer have to deal with that, at least not yet, but what they do need to deal with is their opposition. It’s hard to feel safe in the batter’s box knowing just about everyone wearing the other uniform wants to hurt you.

It didn’t take long for it all to come pouring out, and it was the right hand of Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly that delivered the first shot. Kelly tossed an errant throw behind Alex Bregman – usually a sure sign that the hurler was trying to bean the batter – and later on Kelly took another shot, this time at Carlos Correa.

It wasn’t the actual pitches that set everything off, it was the pouty face Kelly made on the way back to his dugout. Next this you know, the benches are cleared and Kelly is slapped with an 8-game suspension (since reduced to 5).

Kelly had a lot to say about the incident, and the lack of character shown by the Astros, when he joined teammate Ross Stripling’s podcast The Big Swing.

Via ESPN:

"The people who took the fall for what happened is nonsense," Kelly said. "Yes, everyone is involved. But the way that [sign-stealing system] was run over there was not from coaching staff. ... They're not the head boss in charge of that thing. It's the players. So now the players get the immunity, and all they do is go snitch like a little b----, and they don't have to get fined, they don't have to lose games."

"When you take someone's livelihood ... to save your own ass, that's what I don't like," Kelly said. "Cheating? They cheated. Everyone knows they're cheaters. They know they're cheaters. It's over. That's been there, done that. But now they mess it up by ruining other people's lives, so they f---ed it up twice. ... When you taint someone's name to save your own name, this is one of the worst things that you could probably do. ... That really friggin' bugs me. I think I'll be irritated forever."

The podcast was taped earlier in the month, but we’re thinking it’s pretty darn likely Kelly would stand by what he stated.