Yahoo Finance Several Southern California youth leagues ban ‘Astros’ team name amid cheating scandal
Many in the baseball world are upset with the Houston Astros amid their sign-stealing scandal that has dominated the offseason, and rightfully so.
Several youth baseball leagues in Southern California, however, have taken it to the next level.
According to the Orange County Register, multiple youth leagues have already banned teams from naming themselves the “Astros” for the upcoming season.
“Parents are disgusted,” Long Beach Little League president Steve Klaus said, via the Orange County Register. “They are disgusted with the Astros and their lack of ownership and accountability. We know there’s more to this scandal. What’s coming tomorrow? With the Astros, you’ve got premeditated cheating.”
It’s easy to understand why those in Southern California are particularly upset by the cheating scandal. The Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series in 2017, after all, and many fans feel cheated out of the title. Once news of the scandal broke, the Los Angeles City Council even pondered legislation asking Major League Baseball to intervene and award the championship to the Dodgers instead.
Even when the team apologized publicly this week, one Los Angeles television station labeled Jose Altuve simply as “Astros cheater.”
Though banning a team name from youth baseball leagues may sound a bit excessive — given that none of the children who play in the league or the adults who run it were even remotely involved in the scandal — players seem to be behind the move, too.
“I don’t think it’s right to represent a team that’s been cheating,” said 11-year-old Mick Peterson, who plays in the Long Beach league, via the Orange County Register. “The Dodgers got robbed. It’s not fair.”
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