The major story in baseball before the coronavirus curtailed the 2020 season was the Houston Astros using a series of methods to gain an advantage on their opponents, which helped them win the World Series in 2017 and make it to the postseason the next two years. A hue and cry went up from the indignant opponents and their fans who felt they had been cheated by the cheaters.

"Veteran sports journalist Andy Martino does a deep dive into the whole sordid affair.... There’s no question that a lot of research went into this project."

Whenever there’s a scandal about cheating, you hear that this has been going on ever since someone decided to put bat to ball. Sign-stealing --- the “art” of being able to detect what a pitcher will throw and conveying that information to the batter --- falls into a strange category. Do it with the naked eye and you’re a real heads-up player. Use any other tactic and that opens up a can of worms for debate.

CHEATED is not the first book dedicated to a specific incident. Joshua Prager published THE ECHOING GREEN: The Untold Story of Bobby Thomson, Ralph Branca and the Shot Heard Round the World in 2006. Since that was one of the most iconic home runs in Major League history, it garnered a great deal of attention. Not surprisingly, a lot of fans don’t want to believe that there’s anything amiss with their favorite sport. But over the years, with the increasing use of technology, it has become much easier.

Veteran sports journalist Andy Martino does a deep dive into the whole sordid affair. Perhaps too much so.

There’s no question that a lot of research went into this project. Martino spends the first 11 chapters discussing issues that are only slightly germane to the bigger matter. Do we really need to know the “origin” story of the main participants, including Carlos Beltran, A.J. Hinch, Jeff Luhnow and Alex Cora?

The actual tale of the transgression doesn’t require a book-length retelling unless you’re really into such sports skullduggery. If that’s the case, then CHEATED will serve you well.