The sun shined off an enormous banner that was attached to a light tower high above Minute Maid Park's diamond.
It said "World Series Champions", along with "17" and the Astros logo. It was solid gold.
That tribute is untarnished. Houston is not the same.
The Astros don't want to be remembered for the sign-stealing scandal that cost them the 2017 championship. They will be forever branded the worst cheaters in baseball by the rest of the world. Instead, they are focusing on another shiny flag for the tower.
"I don't worry about narratives. Bregman stated that he is not concerned about any of this.
They are back in the World Series, for the third consecutive year in five years. Game 1 against Atlanta Braves will be their chance.
The Astros are a favorite in Las Vegas, and they can be cheered at home.
The Astros are aware that they cannot change the minds of any fan, and have been cursed, hounded, and taunted at ballparks in the majors throughout the season. They are not immune to the hate they receive on social media.
The whispers are not true. There was a lot of speculation and innuendo about misdeeds during the AL playoffs.
This is important: Monday's workouts were telecast by Fox. According to the official Major League Baseball report, penalties were imposed in January 2020 for Astros using a center-field camera that was used by the team to illegally steal signals from opposing catchers.
"We want to show the world that our team is the best. We need four more wins to achieve that. Correa stated that he doesn't believe outside noise motivates him.
It is difficult to keep out.
Yordan Alvarez, AL Championship Series MVP, recently stated that "I wasn’t there with the team in 2017 but I’ve been booed just like anybody else."
While playing for Cleveland, Michael Brantley was an outfielder. He wears an Astros jersey now, even though many Astros fans believe it should read "Villains" across its front.
He knows that cheating is part of the team's history as well as the Astros logo. It continues to be a part of their lives.
"Sure does. Brantley stated, "We get it everywhere we travel."
The four remaining infielders from the 2017 squad, including Altuve Correa, Bregman, Yuli Gurriel, and Bregman, are the ones most likely to be razed.
Bregman is the most passionate about the subject. Altuve is often a slut while Correa is quick and direct to the truth.
Charlie Morton was the opening pitcher for the Braves against Framber Valldez and was the winner of Game 7 for Houston, the Astros' lone championship.
"I never doubted how great those guys were and how amazing they are. He said that this is what he was focusing on.
It's all in the past, according to Houston manager Dusty Baker. Hired after manager A.J. The team fired Jeff Luhnow, general manager, and A.J. Hinch. MLB suspended the pair. However, the skipper of 72 years said that his players don't feel harmed by the hate.
He said, "That's what I believe people are trying to do, as their main source for motivation. But that doesn't motivate me nearly as much as driving to win or driving for excellence." "It is impossible to be driven by 'I'll teach you' or by negative motivations so far.
"I think this team has a lot more to offer than that, because they know they can win. He said, "So this is what you have a tendency to dwell on, me against the world?" "After a while, I mean, how long can that mantra last? That's why I think it's gone for a while."
Altuve is the All-Star second baseman, and the driving force behind the Astros. He has been with them since 2011, when they went from 100-loss seasons down to 100-win seasons. Altuve helped Houston defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers seven-game 2017 World Series. He also lost a seven game matchup to Washington in 2019.
This postseason run could change the perception of the past.
Altuve stated, "I haven’t thought about that." Altuve said, "But I think that we share the same mindset as always. We just go out there and win."
He said, "There is not one guy who thinks about anything other than winning."
