Most controversial scandals in MLB history: #7. The Cleveland Indians go to extreme measures to help their man
When it comes to baseball, teams act more so as a family more so than anything else. When one player has a problem with someone on the opposing sidelines, they all do.
To prove how much camaraderie truly exists, look no further than the 1994 Cleveland Indians. To get one of their own out of a jam, they were willing to do anything, including taking a page straight out of a James Bond movie.
Something seemed a bit odd to the Chicago White Sox manager during a game between both clubs. He quietly voiced his suspicions that the bat of Indians player Albert Belle’s was corked. Not wanting to leave anything to chance, the umpires grabbed his bat and placed it in their office to inspect after the game. Every single Indian in the clubhouse knew the bat was corked. If caught, the penalties could be severe.
Clearly, pitcher Jason Grimsley spent way too much time watching action movies. With no one paying attention, Grimsley climbed through a somewhat hidden vent up above the dug house and eventually landed in the umpire’s office. He then took the corked bat and replaced it. There’s a good chance he would’ve gotten away with it if the bat wasn’t more of a novelty one, as it had an autograph signed by Paul Sorento.
Needless to say, the Indians were caught and Major League Baseball handed Belle a seven game suspension. The controversy made the Indians the talk of the town for months on end.