Mariners fans troll Astros for sign-stealing scandal with upper-deck Wordle

Just five years after the 2017 Astros sign-stealing scandal, baseball fans will not let it go anytime soon. This is especially true for Seattle Mariners fans.

Seattle’s 11-1 win over the Astros on Friday night was extra sweet for a pair of fans who went the extra mile to troll Houston.

The narrative painting the Astros as cheaters is not new. By now, we’ve heard it around baseball. The team is routinely booed for their role in a sign-stealing scandal which got the likes of AJ Hinch and Jeff Luhnow fired. Carlos Beltran and Alex Cora also left their jobs, albeit temporarily. But the players weren’t punished — with Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve as two main contributors who remain on the team.

As long as any 2017 Astros remain on this year’s squad, fans will use it as an excuse to troll their damn hardest — even if it means making a Wordle.

Don’t worry, it was meant to be obvious.

Will Astros ever outlive the sign-stealing scandal?

To put it simply, no — at least not in my lifetime.

The Astros’ franchise is tainted for the time being, as not only were they caught by MLB and severely punished, they were not forced to vacate the 2017 World Series crown. That, plus the players not be punished, is enough for fans around baseball to hold onto.

Hating the Astros is not just a regional theme — it’s nationwide, and rightly so. Houston may not have been the only team stealing signs in 2017, but their system was the most obvious, and perhaps the most effective.

But at least fans are finding more creative ways to troll by the day. If anything, Houston fans can respect the artistic ability.