# When Did / Will the Astros Outlive the Cheatstros Label for You **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** baseball-mlb\ **Created:** [October 1, 2026, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519 "2026-10-01T16:51:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519/21 "2026-10-02T04:01:53Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > There are clearly still some who hate the Astros organization for the scandal. I don’t really understand why those people aren’t equally vocal about the Red Sox, who were implicated a year later for extremely similar behavior during a World Series run. > > I suspect a lot of it will die off even more once Jose Altuve retires. He definitely seems like the face of the scandal, and was also the heart of that team during their dominant stretch. I used to love Altuve - who couldn’t love a scrappy little elf who hit for a high average, much more pop than a child-sized human should have, and was amazing in the field? Then he ruined that for nearly everyone. Well, Alex Bregman still has a few years left in him. There are even some Cub fans who planned to boo him at home games because of his involvement in the scandal (per Reddit). I don’t know how many followed through. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519/22 "2026-10-02T04:07:32Z")
> [@Thumper668](#): > > To the point that I never really thought that the sign stealing scandal was all that egregious. I’m not a baseball fan, but I remember thinking at the time that getting all hot and bothered about sign stealing was pretty weak tea. “No fair, you peeked! I’m telling mom!” ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519/23 "2026-10-02T05:31:19Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I’m not a baseball fan, but I remember thinking at the time that getting all hot and bothered about sign stealing was pretty weak tea. If you thought it was about stealing signs, you don’t understand what happened. Sign stealing is a normal part of baseball. It’s how you do it and how you convey it that’s cheating. ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519/24 "2026-10-02T12:48:48Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > It’s how you do it and how you convey it that’s cheating. Yes, and now they have PitchCom, which violates the very rule that made what the Astros did cheating. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519/25 "2026-10-02T12:55:35Z")
Meh. Given the various forms of “cheating” that have been endemic in MLB for as long as I can remember, and noting that much of the continued yammering comes from fans of clubs that just weren’t good enough to beat the Astros at their best, that labeling belongs in the dustbin of baseball history. Altuve may well join Carlos Beltran as a deserving member of the Hall of Fame. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519/26 "2026-10-02T13:03:36Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Sign stealing is a normal part of baseball. It’s how you do it and how you convey it that’s cheating. Yawn. ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519/27 "2026-10-02T13:18:46Z")
Eh I still feel that way on Altuve. We love players who make it on sheer grit and competiveness and then get outraged that they are a little too competitive. Who would suspect the guys who did everything in their power to win their entire lives would do everything in their power to win. Astros did go a bit too far, but sign stealing has always been a place where teams pushed the envelope and the Stros were certainly not unique in their pursuit of advantages. Isn’t really much evidence that Altuve took advantage of the drums anyway. Altuve is probably done as a good player, so I don’t suspect he will last more than a year or two more but I do hope he eventually makes the hall. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519/28 "2026-10-02T13:29:53Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Yawn. 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519/29 "2026-10-02T15:46:28Z")
Why just Altuve? What about Carlos Correa? The Astros cheating was institutional. They used cameras, ffs. Teams knew that if there was a runner on second he might try to steal signs, so they switched things up. That’s baseball. This wasn’t. ETA: I’d like to know if they switched from banging trashcans to wearing buzzers, as rumored. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519/30 "2026-10-02T16:08:42Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Why just Altuve? What about Carlos Correa? Well, because I forgot about him, that’s why. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519/31 "2026-10-02T16:13:40Z")
Also, Correa isn’t the face of the franchise, or of that championship team. He’s played for the Twins, and hasn’t put together a Hall of Fame resume like Altuve. Same reason George Springer doesn’t get as much hate either. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519/32 "2026-10-02T16:18:13Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > - When, if ever, does the Astros organization and its current or future members outlive the stain of the past for you? For most / nearly all fans? > > - What, if anything, could be done to speed that process for you? For others? Never Dissolve the team. Tear down the stadium. Sow salt where it stood. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519/33 "2026-10-02T16:18:57Z")
The type of cheating they did is no longer possible (thanks largely to them being caught at it) and The team won a weak division this year with a 0.500 record and then got their hat handed to them by the White Sox in the post season so they’ve outlived the Cheater stigma for me. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519/34 "2026-10-02T16:31:54Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > The team won a weak division this year with a 0.500 record and then got their hat handed to them by the White Sox in the post season Real hoodie for sale for Astros fans. One example of many. [![](https://mugteeco.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Houston-Astros-Nike-Navy-2026-MLB-Postseason-Unisex-Hoodie-Shirt.jpg) ](https://mugteeco.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Houston-Astros-Nike-Navy-2026-MLB-Postseason-Unisex-Hoodie-Shirt.jpg) Problem is that they were eliminated in September… ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519/35 "2026-10-02T17:10:22Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Why just Altuve? What about Carlos Correa? Correa is no longer on the Astros roster. Neither is George Springer, or anybody else on the 2017 championship team. Except Jose Altuve. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519/36 "2026-10-02T17:22:40Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > Correa is no longer on the Astros roster. He played 32 games for the Astros this year before landing on the 60 day IL in May. He was targeting a postseason return, but doctors called that off mid-September. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519/37 "2026-10-02T17:24:53Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > He played 32 games for the Astros this year before landing on the 60 day IL in May. Good catch. I was looking at their current roster. Correa is 32 years old, so he will more than likely be on the team again next season. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519/38 "2026-10-02T17:34:10Z")
Anyway, I don’t much care about the whole Cheatstros thing any more. I think the players involved should have received _some_ sort of penalty, but whatever. What I’d really like is to beat Houston in the postseason. And I’m sure @silenus and other Dodgers fans would like to see L.A. stomp the Astros in a World Series. As a Yankees fan, I think they cheated in the 2019 playoffs too, but it’s also true that my team couldn’t hit for shit in that stadium. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519/39 "2026-10-02T17:40:15Z")
> [@Thumper668](#): > > > [@Atamasama](#): > > > > It’s how you do it and how you convey it that’s cheating. > > Yes, and now they have PitchCom, which violates the very rule that made what the Astros did cheating. They are sending signals to the opposing team? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519/40 "2026-10-02T17:46:15Z")
I think of it like this, and it’s not a perfect analogy but it’s the closest I can think of. When playing Poker, sometimes you can see another person’s cards; that’s called “tipping your hand” and is a phrase that has entered contemporary English as a common saying. If you are careless enough to tip your hand, then that’s fair game. If you set up mirrors strategically placed around a room to be able to see other players’ hands, that’s cheating. Even if seeing another player’s hand at the table when they are clumsy with cards is part of the game, going out of your way to do it in a manner that’s expressly forbidden by the rules is a big deal. You can’t just say “seeing other players’ cards is a routine thing so who cares” if you understand the game. Sign stealing is part of baseball. Getting bent out of shape about it is being a sore loser. But using cameras to get an unfair view of a pitcher (which is explicitly forbidden) and relaying that info through coded messages like banging on trash cans (which is also explicitly forbidden) is not fine, and gives a team an unfair advantage. The Astros’ wins that year will always have an asterisk. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-will-the-astros-outlive-the-cheatstros-label-for-you/1033519.md?page=3)