So why aren't players punished in the Astros/Redsocks cheating scandal?

As we wait for MLB's well-oiled shoe to drop on Redsock manager Alex Cora, one question bubbles up amid all the juicy cheating scandal details: 

Why not the players? 

After all, somebody had to decode those whistles. Somebody had to dig in and swing the bat. It's not enough to simply steal the blueprints. Somebody must enter the bank and drive the getaway car. A heist doesn't just happen in a cubicle. You need cheaters on the field.

As a result, for all its sound and fury, yesterday's round of punishments from MLB still seem to lack a decent bite. I get it that management should know better about electronic surveillance. It knew the rules and flat-out broke them. But as they stood in the batter's box, awaiting pitches they knew were coming, did no Astro or Redsock players ask whether it was ethical to steal signs? Did anybody say, "Hey, coach, is this illegal?" Apparently no. They simply dug in and swung away. And it worked!

This isn't about Bill Belichick taping a practice of the Buffalo Bills. This is two world series outcomes, back to back, engineered by hackers. Forget the fans - (I mean, why start thinking of them now?) - and we're still talking about hundreds of millions of dollars at stake. We're talking about cities. We're talking about stars. We're talking about careers.

In 2017, Jose Altuve hit .346 with 24 HRs, an MVP season for sure. But how many of those hits came when he knew what was coming? Ten? Twenty. If you delete - say - 20 hits from his season, Altuve bats .312, finishes fourth in the MVP ballot, and he's no longer doing commercials for 24-hour energy pills. Nothing against Altuve - star of "Big Deams: The Jose Altuve Story," put out in 2015 by MLB - but how much of his success came from the CF camera? 

How about Mookie Betts, the following year's MVP. Remove 20 hits that year, and his .346 average tumbles to .308. Should Mookie's MVP trophy have an asterisk? 

And, of course, there is Carlos Beltran, the new Mets manager. For years, we heard about what a great "clubhouse presence" Beltran was, how he took young players under his wing, and what a fine manager he'd make. Before the Yankees hired Aaron Boone, we here at IIHIIFIIc campaigned for Beltran. And I'm sure he's a prince among players, great handshake, always flushes, remembers your mom's name... but, now, what? 

Listen: Something smells here. MLB just caught two championship organizations in boldface lies, and so it's throwing the book at... two suits. Two off-field hamburgers. It's rolling up a newspaper, slapping Houston's snout, and yelling, "BAD DOG," while the actual culprits - the stars - go free. You almost think the Commissioner simply wants this thing to be forgotten. (After all, it was only because a news investigation - hey, three cheers for the Gammonites! - broke the story and forced MLB to take a look.) Now, Houston will lose four draft picks over two years, and Boston - well, we'll wait to watch them skate. 

Two consecutive world champions have been tainted. Everything comes with question marks. 

What did the players know, and when did they know it? 

A.J. Hinch didn't hit any home runs. 

Houston lied then, so should we believe them now? Boston's great 2018 now carries a taint. Apparently, the shit's about to fall on Alex Cora. But then, will it simply go away? Both cities have world championship flags flying in their stadiums. Nobody is going to take them down.