In the midst of changing leaves and cooler weather, another “Fall Classic” is characterizing the season. After a total of 162 games over the course of several months, Major League Baseball (MLB) began their World Series faceoff on Nov. 1 with a game between the Houston Astros and Philidelphia Phillies.  

This is not the first time the Houston Astros have found themselves under the World Series spotlight, as many remember the team for causing one of the MLB’s biggest cheating scandals. The Astros were caught stealing signs, which are cues to signify what pitch to throw, from their opposing teams throughout the 2017 regular and postseason. Despite winning the 2017 World Series using these strategies, the Astros were not stripped of the title and instead left the season with just a stain on their name.  

“I have always hated the Astros as a team, and once they cheated a while back and then won the World Series this year, [it] makes me feel a little questionable. It honestly makes me question if they are still cheating and we do not know. Obviously, some players on the team deserve that World Series win, but once again, they did cheat as a team and still could without our notice,” Maile Mabry, freshman, said.  

The Astros were given the chance to redeem themselves at two other World Series games in 2019 and 2021. Following their loss to the Atlanta Braves in 2021, the Astros’ manager, Dusty Baker, promised the team they would be back again as winners. Baker had begun his relationship with the players after they fired their old manager in 2020 following the cheating scandal. Facing criticism because he had never managed a team to World Series victory, Baker was determined to redefine people’s view of the Astros and himself.  

“I kept seeing those signs, ‘Do it for Dusty,’ and the players were saying ‘Hey, we are gonna do this for you(….)’ I was like ‘Hey man, that is cool and everything, but let us do it for us, let us do it for the city of Houston and do it for hopefully all the stuff that we have been going through the last three years. Hopefully it is over,’” Baker said in a Fox News interview. 

After finding their way into the 2022 World Series, the Astros were presented with another opportunity to prove themselves against the Philidelphia Phillies. Game six ended with a 4-1 win for the Astros, scoring them their first championship since the 2017 scandal. Not only will this win help create a new and improved legacy for the baseball team, but Baker finally achieved his dream of managing his first World Series victory after three decades. 

“The Astros made it to the finals and lost in the 21’ season, same with Etowah. The Astros won in season 22’, exactly what the Etowah baseball team is hoping to achieve this year,” Jack Turner, sophomore, said. 

With the end of the 2022 MLB season, Etowah is seeing their own baseball team beginning to play. To read more on how the Astros worked their way to a win, click here, and keep high hopes for an equally successful season for the Eagles.