The Astros Take Home the World Series

Alyssa Gregory, Sophomore Staff Writer
December 5, 2022

The ball went soaring over the batter’s eye in center field and time stood still as fans anticipated whether it would be out of the park. Looking like it’s going into the stands…BANG! The crowd goes wild as the ball hits the stadium seats. Yordon Alvarez authored a booming three-run home run that gave the Astros a lead of 3-1. With it being the sixth inning there was no time for the Phillies to recover, making the Houston Astros the World Series champs. 

Why is this win for the Astros so significant? After the cheating scandal in 2017, nobody thought they would earn their title back. Austin Reuff, a student of Hubbard High School, sure didn’t think so. “Once a cheater always a cheater. The whole team should be ashamed of themselves!” Reuff expresses. Reuff, a baseball fanatic, has followed Houston’s journey from the start of the scandal to now. What exactly happened during the cheating scandal? According to the investigation report from MLB, “Houston employees set up a camera in center field in order to reveal the other teams signs. They then set up a monitor that displayed the center field camera feed directly outside their dugout. To relay the signs to batters, teammates would bang on a trashcan to signal which pitch was coming.” MLB’s  response was to find the Astros $5 million dollars. They also fired General Manager Jeff Lunhow along with Manager AJ Hinch. None of the active players who were part of the cheating scandal were punished. 

The wrongdoing of the Astros had the public outraged. Even years after, the Astros still felt the fury behind the booing and jeers from opposing fans. After asking Steven Gregory – a Student of Hubbard High School – his thoughts, the answer was quite simple. “It was in the past, and it is wrong for the public to keep dwelling on it” expresses Gregory. Dogged by criticism that they could not win without sign-stealing, Houston beat the Philadelphia Phillies in six games. Is the criticism what drove the Astros to success? The boos and jeers bothered the Houston players; at the same time it could have also motivated them. “I think that’s what drove this team…” said Dusty Baker, the manager of the Astros for the last three seasons. 

The Houston Astros took the title as the World Series Champs for the 2022 season. Views on this differ. On one side of the public, you have fans who cheer for Houston as they have forgiven them for the cheating scandal. Then, you still have those who believe Houston’s wrongdoing will be unforgivable. This was Houston’s comeback, but there are still so many uncertainties of the future for them. Will they cheat again? Will Houston ever be forgiven or will the whole scandal be forgotten in years to come? 

 

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