Randy Harrison: With Bregman's baggage, his return would be like Manny 2009

Jul. 11—Alex Bregman's possible return to Albuquerque this week is a story that feels both good and a bit greasy.

That part is hard to write, but harder to ignore.

The hometown guy turned Houston Astros baseball star suggested as recently as Saturday that he soon could begin a rehab assignment (he injured his quad in June) in the next few days. Earlier in the week, he suggested he could "sell out Albuquerque" with the Sugar Land Skeeters, the Astros' Triple-A affiliate that just happens to be playing in Isotopes Park for six games beginning Thursday.

Nothing as of this writing is set in stone, but let's presume it happens.

In one sense, terrific. The consummate overachiever with a World Series ring, an All-Star Game MVP trophy and a chip on his shoulder to match his cockiness and inexhaustible drive. A guy with a big heart, a philanthropist, who obviously adores his parents. Coming back to a stadium "in which he literally grew up," says Isotopes general manager John Traub. Alex's father Sam occupied a suite at Isotopes games for years and, as noted below, remains an advertiser in the ballpark.

"One of us," New Mexicans can say of Alex.

What's not to like? That now-substantial part of our Academy grad's legacy related to his participation in the sign-stealing scandal during the 2017 season, when the Astros won the World Series over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Two years later it was revealed that the Astros trained cameras on the opposing team's catcher, picked up the catcher's signs and, when a hitter was at the plate, banged on a trash can, located not in the dugout but close enough to hear, to signal what pitch was coming.

Google "Alex Bregman" and "scandal" — 20,000 hits. "Alex Bregman" and "cheating" — 13,500. His Wikipedia entry, found just under the question "How tall is Alex Bregman really?" includes a summary of the cheating.

Before cameras and microphones, Bregman did perform a mea culpa of sorts in February 2020, his prepared statement so brief, he could have held his hand over a fire for its duration. He then said he was "really sorry about the choices that were made by my team, by the organization and by me."

But as other opportunities to expound on just how sorry he was, his words came up as lame as a guy with a bad quad. The Journal's editorial board correctly noted as much in an early 2020 editorial. An excerpt: Bregman "took a called third strike right down the pipe with the bases loaded, struck out looking and didn't even take a cut at the truth."

In spring training 2020, there were a few unpleasant ABs for young AB; he and his complicit cohorts had to face at least a little chin music from the community of offended opposition heat-throwing pitchers.

Then came COVID, and with it a threat of canceling the entire 2020 season. At that point, one group of multimillionaires swindling others out of a World Series trophy suddenly just wasn't a high priority anymore. When baseball did resume in the summer, it did so in large, empty stadiums without fans who could heckle.

Speaking of fans, this is beginning to take the feel of a dozen years ago when Manny Ramirez came to play at Isotopes Park, likewise a hero both conquering and scandalized.

His drop-in was to play minor league tune-up games at the end of his suspension for taking illegal performance enhancing substances. His arrival was a big national story, with numerous major media outlets flocking to Albuquerque. The crowds for Ramirez's scheduled appearances were huge, and the Isotopes — cynically, some felt — capitalized. They sold dreadlock wigs in imitation of Manny's soooo 2009 look.

The Isotopes did what they had to do, promoted what they had to promote, sold what they had to sell. Coming off a 2020 of no minor league baseball, thus no ticket and concession revenue, the franchise unquestionably will do it again this week if given a chance.

Should Bregman talk publicly this week, we hope he will receive and is responsive to tough questions. In any case, the guess here is that if he ever feels the need to rehab his reputation along with his leg, it will be at his own time and place.

In 2021, there hasn't been as much focus on the Astros scandal. An entirely new one — how pitchers have used illegal substances to get better grips, wicked spins and strike out just about every other batter — has come to the fore. Beyond that, baseball is just glad to be back, with fans, as we creep closer to normalcy.

But don't think baseball, and those who love it, have forgotten. For evidence, no Googling is required. All you had to do was turn on ESPN Saturday night.

Yankees-Astros highlights from earlier in the day: New York's Aaron Judge homered and, while rounding third, closed his jersey. It was seen as trolling the Astros' Jose Altuve's peculiar reaction when he hit his own homer, a walkoff in Game 6 of the 2019 American League Championship Series, and was bracing for a celebration at home plate. It led to accusations that the Astros were using buzzers under their shirts to relay catchers' signals. While no credible evidence was found, and Bregman has said such assertions were stupid, it doesn't sound like a New York team that lost twice in recent years to Houston in the postseason has let that go.

You also might have seen the ESPYs, where presenter and actor Zachary Levi seemingly ad-libbed that while he loves Houston, its Astros "straight up cheated" the Dodgers.

Don't you wonder why the All-Stars from Houston, again one of the top teams in baseball in 2021, keep dropping out of the All-Star Game? Altuve cited a need for time off to deal with unspecified left leg "issues." Carlos Correa said he wants to spend time with family. (He went on the injured list Friday due to health and safety protocols).

Lots of players are passing on MLB's most fun event. But few were in line to receive potentially awkward and intense media scrutiny like these guys.

Let's also see what happens on Aug. 3-4, when Houston plays Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium. For the first time since all this was revealed, fans get to flock to see the 2017 World Series rematch of the team that cheated vs. another team that got cheated.

I asked for the perspective from somebody who gets around town more than I do. He feels Bregman's likability quotient in Albuquerque was "about 95 percent" before the scandal and only slightly less now. My take is slightly less on both counts; readers' comments to last week's Journal story on Bregman's possible homecoming were dominantly negative. Social media reaction often runs hot, of course.

I do know Dodger fans in Albuquerque who feel their 2017 team was victimized.

In 2009, the Isotopes Park crowds of the fawning and star-struck cheered loudly for Ramirez. But then, the Isotopes were Triple-A Dodgers. Manny was booed when he came back in 2012, in another uniform, for another organization.

If you are a Dodgers fan or a baseball purist in general, I suppose you could show up this week and show Bregman how you feel. Bring a hammer and trash can if you like, but I doubt you'll get it through Isotopes Park security.

For those who drift to the "my guy, right or wrong" corner, we've got for you a dreadlocks wig, 2009 model.