5 other MLB conspiracy theories that Trevor Bauer definitely believes

5 other MLB conspiracy theories that Trevor Bauer probably believes

CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 7: Starting pitcher Trevor Bauer #47 of the Cleveland Indians pauses on the mound during the fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field on April 7, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Trevor Bauer /

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UNITED STATES – JULY 05: Montreal Expos’ newly-acquired pitcher Bartolo Colon (left) shares a laugh with Expos’ general manager and vice president Omar Minaya during practice at Veterans Stadium before game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Expos defeated the Phillies, 8-3. (Photo by Harry Hamburg/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images) /

1. The MLB Deep State killed the Expos

Believe it or not, there is a not insignificant portion of the population (Bauer is probably one of them) that believes a shadowy network of financiers and intelligence are actually in charge of governing the country and the free world. They call it the Deep State. It does not exist.

“Deep State” conspiracies have always had a place within professional sports. There’s the theory that the NBA rigged its draft to send Patrick Ewing to the New York Knicks. Some people believe the NFL pulled the plug on the electricity during Super Bowl XLVII in 2013 because the Baltimore Ravens were about to turn the game into a blowout.

MLB’s version of the Deep State involves the owners conspiring to manufacture the 1994 strike in an effort to prevent the Montreal Expos from winning the World Series. The Toronto Blue Jays had just won back-to-back titles and American teams were not doing so well in the attendance department. Things were much better in Canada, and the line of thinking goes that the owners were upset that another team from the North was about to stick it to them. Simply put, it’s AMERICA’s pastime and the rest of the world is just borrowing it.

The strike all but torpedoed baseball in Montreal. All of the team’s best players eventually left as free agents or via trade. MLB eventually took over the franchise and moved it to Washington, D.C. The Expos never seriously contended for the title again but for one year, which turned into a disaster when the league’s personal GM traded away such elite prospects as Brandon Phillips, Cliff Lee and Grady Sizemore. At least they got Bartolo Colon in his prime for a few weeks.

If the demise of the Expos was the ultimate goal of the strike, MLB’s owners sure were happy with a lot of pain in their own wallets along the way to their destination. The strike sent attendance plummeting all over the league and it took a steroid-fueled home-run rally to bring most fans back. Obviously, none of this theory makes sense, but then again, neither does the Deep State.

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