The Houston Astros currently are Public Enemy No. 1 for Major League Baseball teams and fans after they were found guilty this offseason of electronic sign-stealing during their 2017 World Series run.
While the cheating led to the Astros winning a championship, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred decided not to vacate their trophy, or even suspend any of the players as they were granted immunity for complying with the league’s investigation.
The only punishments that were given out were suspensions for general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch, who were then fired by Astros owner Jim Crane, a $5 million fine and the loss of first- and second-round draft picks in 2020 and 2021.
Many players throughout the league were understandably upset with the lack of punishment as well as the lack of accountability and remorse from the Astros players in their apologies. That has led MLB to worry the game will police itself by hitting Astros players on purpose this season, which Manfred has since discouraged.
Whether they will listen remains to be seen, but organizations have begun thinking of other clever ways to shame the Astros. That was the case on Wednesday morning when the Atlanta Braves played the song “The Sign” by Ace of Base, which includes the lyrics “I saw the sign,” before their game against Houston, via @AsteriskTour:
It’s happening…………
(Via @KoleJohnston10) pic.twitter.com/oEOaJEuDmT
— 2020 Astros Shame Tour (@AsteriskTour) March 11, 2020
Fans throughout the league have been showering the Astros with boos all spring, and that is expected to continue into the regular season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers were the team affected the most by this cheating scandal as they lost to the Astros in that aforementioned 2017 World Series. While the Dodgers don’t play the Astros in 2020, a group of fans is expected to attend a L.A. Angels home game against the Astros during the first week of the season to let them hear it.
Additionally, the 2020 MLB All-Star Game is at Dodger Stadium this year so whoever is representing Houston at the Midsummer Classic presumably will get booed as well.
The fact of the matter is that Astros players have no one to blame but themselves for the situation they are in, so they will have no choice but to take it on the chin for the entire 2020 season, and perhaps even beyond that.
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