We root for Houston because everyone will go nuts. If they can beat the Yanks and Dodgers without trash cans it’s a classic American redemption story. Including the playoff failure Dusty.
Right, so if the 1920 White Sox has been allowed to finish the season and win out (and maybe played a shortened affair with no fans because flu), all penalty-free for the players, that would’ve been a classic American redemption story?
A key issue with the Astros is definitely having the talent to conceivably win in 2017 — of course needing to go through the usual challenges of getting it done the first time — but apparently choosing instead to cheat in a fundamental way.
Letting that title stand after the commissioner specified major and consequential penalties for anything further after the Apple Watch matter (and they evidently doubled down) was bad enough. Having essentially the same core get the piece of metal even in this ridiculous exercise after they got off the hook for Black Sox-level antics has more potential to be sport-killing stuff than anything resembling a classic American redemption story (unless I guess if Enron had come back).