Phillies fans troll the Astros with literal sign stealing

The Houston Astros just can’t live down their 2017 cheating scandal, and Philadelphia Phillies fans brought it up in the perfect way.

There’s no secret that the Houston Astros didn’t rightfully earn their 2017 World Series title, and fans aren’t ‘forgiving and forgetting.’ Philadelphia Phillies fans are, in fact, using that as leverage to support their team in the most creative of ways, such as a billboard referencing the Astros ‘stealing their signs.’

For reference, the Astros stole signs by illegally using a camera during home games in the 2017 World Series to figure out what the catchers’ signs meant and further communicate that to each other by banging a trash can. Their credibility has been questioned ever since, and they’re being watched very closely this time around.

Astros have been accused of sketchy activities again in 2022 World Series

In just two games of the 2022 World Series, the Astros have already been accused of tomfoolery on numerous occasions. In Game 1, Aledmys Diaz was called for leaning into the pitch for a hit-by-pitch call, but the umpire deemed it intentional and required him to finish his at-bat. This was shortly after the Astros blew a 5-0 lead, so they definitely needed the extra base runner.

In Game 2, they were accused of cheating again with a bit of a more extreme situation. Framber Valdez pitched stunningly for the Astros and often wiped sweat off of his forehead. Many calculated his performance down to the use of a sticky substance. Add in Martin Maldonado using an illegal bat provided by Albert Pujols, and you get the picture.

Fans this season have loved to blame good pitching on banned substances, as they did with Joe Musgrove of the San Diego Padres during the Wild Card Series against the New York Mets. It’s no surprise they did the same to Valdez.

The Astros dug themselves into a hole when it comes to trust, but luckily, they haven’t done anything too extreme yet in the 2022 World Series, aside from steal a billboard in Philadelphia.