Written by Last week did not get off to a good start for my home team Houston Astros. Their tour of shame entered the Bronx on Tuesday for a three-game set, and the Yankees fans did not disappoint. The socially-distance crowd of ten thousand treated the Astros with the expected anti-social behavior. At the same time, the Yankees won the first two games and were cruising to victory on Thursday with former Astro ace Garret Cole on the mound.
Then things began to change.
Jose Altuve, mired in a slump, bashed a three-run homer into the left-field seats off Yankees reliever Chad Green reminiscent of the one he hit off Aroldis Chapman to win the 2019 ALCS. The Astros went on to win the game and avoid the sweep. It was Altuve’s birthday, and he had to enjoy the celebration after the constant berating he endured from the Yankees fans. More on that later.
Then, rap legend and Queens native Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson announced he was moving to Houston. He did it in dramatic style with this beautiful Instagram post wearing an Astros hat while standing in front of the Astrodome, resulting in the internet responding with some very entertaining memes.
To top it off, reports surfaced that “Mr. October” Reggie Jackson was about to join the Astros as an advisor. That became finalized this week.
The rivalry between New York and Houston is heating up, and Houston won the week.
Houston has always needed a nemesis. We have always tried to build rivalries with Dallas teams, but it never sticks. So many of the people here are from the Dallas area. People from Dallas look down on us but don’t hate us because so many of the people there are from Houston. San Antonio and Austin are smaller, and people here go there to escape on weekends or when they retire.
So, I guess New York City is now our rival. It certainly seems to be playing out that way. In many ways, Houston is becoming what New York City once was. Houston is a growing and diverse center of industry and has a vibrant restaurant scene. Music stars Beyonce, Lizzo, Travis Scott, and Megan Thee Stallion are from here. There are so many different types of rodents in New York that they cannot tell them apart. Here, we have tigers roaming neighborhoods while cattle and alligators block the freeways. Advantage, Houston.
I have always loved New York, dating back to my visit there as a teenager in the 80s. I always wanted to get the opportunity to live and work there but never got the chance. Instead, my path led me to Houston. I have visited New York many times and loved each visit. I have been to the old and the new Yankee Stadiums and was enamored with their history, Nathan’s hot dogs, and the passion of their fans. I was present when the crowd booed former New York City hero Rudy Guliani on his birthday. It always has seemed like a cool place. Now, I am starting to understand why Boston hates them so much. It’s a fine line between passionate and annoying.
I get it. The Astros cheated. They got caught and admitted what they had done. Of course, getting shamed by the opposing fans on road trips is to be expected. But, at some point, don’t we need to question how much is enough? Coming to the ballpark dressed as Altuve playing Oscar the Grouch in a trash can is funny. Is serenading him with expletives OK? I guess so, as nobody seemed to be complaining about it. Choosing to direct most of their rage on Altuve rather than Correa or Bregman was odd to me but very telling. We know Correa and Bregman cheated. If the fan’s rage were about cheating, they would have been the targets.
Altuve, on the other hand, reportedly refused to participate in the trash can scheme. Conspiracy theories about him wearing a buzzer are unproven and debunked by the league. The Yankees fans were being bullies, picking on the little guy who dared to beat their giant for the 2017 MVP award and then sending them home from the playoffs two years later. Altuve is their scapegoat for why they have failed to win a World Series since 2009.
On the contrary, the media responded favorably to the scene, calling it a “playoff-type atmosphere.” Players from both teams called it “intense.” Unfortunately, the league was silent as, luckily, there were no reported episodes of violence requiring a response.
Is that the bar? Ask Brandon Bielak’s family. Bielak is from New Jersey and was working his way through the minor leagues in 2017. He’s now pitching for the Astros and appeared in his first game at Yankee Stadium last Tuesday. His family had the nerve to come and see it wearing Astros jerseys. While standing in line at a concession stand, an irate Yankees fan harassed them with obscenities.
Again, I get it. Cheaters suck. But, at some point, we need to turn down the volume a little bit. Imagine what could have happened if the crowd was at 100% capacity. It could have been like “Disco Demolition Night” at Comiskey Park in 1979 or worse. Does someone have to get hurt before we call out inappropriate behavior?
Watching the team handle the fan outbursts on road trips with grace and maturity has rebuilt the fractured bond between them and the fans in Houston. They apologized long ago and have come a long way toward earning our trust back.
All in all, it was a good week.