So a guy corks a bat? So a guy scuffs baseballs?

Let's change that to:
A team organizes a method of altering bats so that the majority of the team has a bat that is illegal and this behavior is not shared by other players or teams
A pitching staff finds ways to alter baseballs in a way that goes above and beyond minor "doctoring" and involves the use of technology (maybe a device that they wear inside their uniform)

This is what makes the Astros scandal so different and I just don't understand why some people defend this. They filmed signs, created software to decrypt pitching signals, sent immediate messages to the dugout, and then relayed messages to batters on the field through sound methods. The majority of the team participated. While we currently have information on the Red Sox that is developing, there is currently no proof that shows that any other teams were participating in similar behavior in 2017. So this wasn't a league-wide thing or a common practice. This was unique, coordinated, sophisticated cheating. Your other examples don't fall into this category.