"We affected careers, we affected the game in some way" - When Carlos Correa admitted remorse over impact of Astros' cheating scandal on baseball

The Houston Astros have become one of the most polarizing franchises in MLB history because of their now-infamous 2017 sign-stealing scandal. In arguably the biggest MLB news story since the Steroid Era, Houston's cheating scandal not only rocked the baseball world but also tarnished the reputation of the scrappy team and its superstars.

"Watching Jose Altuve and the Astros dominate again is just a reminder of how much we all loved this team before the scandal. Altuve was the fun-natured, undersized, underdog story. Correa and Springer: electric, highlight stars. It hurt bc we liked them." - @DannyVietti

Although the original incident happened in 2017, news of the cheating scandal did not emerge until 2019, which is why some fans remain hostile toward the Houston Astros. In the wake of the scandal reaching major news outlets, Houston owner Jim Crane fired both manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow, who were the only participants who received a suspension from the MLB.

The following years have been difficult for a number of people involved in or impacted by the scandal. Former Houston shortstop Carlos Correa spoke publicly about the incident saying, "We affected careers, we affected the game in some way, and looking back at it, it was just bad.”

The fact that Correa said that the sign-stealing scandal affected careers was important because baseball history was changed forever due to the sign-stealing scheme. The pitchers who were taken advantage of and the teams that fell to the Houston Astros during the scheme will not be able to re-live those moments and get that time back.

Some believed that the Houston Astros scandal was behind them after winning the 2022 World Series

Carlos Correa himself said that the best way for Houston and the MLB to move on from the sign-stealing scandal was to win another title. This is exactly what they did in 2022, much to the chagrin of some fans. Houston defeated Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies to win their first World Series title since the scandal was revealed by former Houston pitcher Mike Fiers.

"#Astros Correa: the best way to erase the cheating scandal is to win another title" - @GregBailey13

For some fans, the 2022 World Series not only proved that Houston could win the title without the banging of trash cans but it also exercised some of the demons that lingered over the franchise. In 2022, some of the architects of the scandal were no longer with the team, and the roster saw a number of changes which indicated a new era of the organization.