Houston Astros fans appalled by overbearing ad logo on team’s uniforms: "That oxy patch on the jerseys is offensively big" "Absolutely hideous"

Advertising patches on baseball uniforms have become a thing, and the Houston Astros are cashing in just like a number of other MLB teams.

While most other teams have a mostly-ignorable sleeve ad on their jerseys, the Astros have allowed a logo the size of a dessert plate to be sewn onto their sleeves.

Houston has partnered with the Occidental Petroleum Corporation -- or "OXY" as it is commonly known -- on a sponsorship for the past decade. However, OXY's sponsorship of the team's jerseys only began this season.

The egregiously large and blocky patch made its debut on Opening Day in the Houston Astros' 3-1 loss to the visiting Chicago White Sox at Minute Maid Park on March 30. It was quickly denounced by the overwhelming majority of the team's fanbase.

Nearly a week into the season, the opinion of Houston Astros fans has not changed. In fact, the uproar only continues to grow. Giant OXY circular logos not only continue to weigh down the arms of Astros players, but Houston fans can barely look in any direction of their home ballpark without seeing a massive OXY logo.

A gigantic logo is perched over the left field wall, and two more are painted onto the turf on either side of home plate. But it is the sleeve patches that continue to draw the most ire.

The term "OXY" has also led to a great share of confusion among baseball fans, as no one seems to know who OXY is, or what they do. Many fans -- facetiously or not -- are asking if the Astros are promoting the opioid oxycodone.

For the record, OXY is an American company that is engaged in hydrocarbon exploration in the United States and the Middle East. They are also in the business of petrochemical manufacturing in the U.S., Canada, and Chile. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Houston, as many traditional American energy companies are. And no, they are not involved in opioid production.

Are the OXY patches affecting the Houston Astros' play?

Framber Valdez #59 of the Houston Astros poses for a portrait

The Houston Astros have not opened their World Series title defense all that well. The team dropped to 2-4 on the season after losing to the woebegone Detroit Tigers at home, 6-3, on Tuesday night. Could the gigantic OXY patches actually be affecting the team's performance on the field? It's unlikely, but if their poor run continues, frustration at the patch will only grow among the fanbase.