It began quietly, just a few pointed comments during a summer matchup between the Astros and Dodgers in July. Then again, earlier this month, during a clash with the Red Sox, familiar shadows resurfaced. And now, in their recent game against the Marlins, the echoes grew louder. Once again, the infamous 2017 sign‑stealing scandal was thrust into the spotlight—but this time, not from fans or social media, but via what seems to be an off‑hand remark by the opposition’s broadcaster.

Notably, during Boston’s recent win over Houston, NESN commentator Will Middlebrooks stirred renewed attention by saying, “Imagine the Astros being mad about stealing signs… that’s part of the game,”—a comment that followed a benches‑clearing moment and added fuel to the smoldering embers of the scandal in TV punditry this season.

So, the Astros may be grinding through another competitive season, but their past continues to tag along. Surprisingly, the renewed coverage of sign‑stealing discourse hasn’t come from internet outrage, but from broadcasters themselves—underscoring how the 2017 scandal remains a specter, even nine seasons later.

“Tried to sneak that fastball by Altuve, but you know what they say… You can’t sneak cheese past a rat.” Marlins broadcaster threw a fireball just after Jose Altuve took a single off Lake Bachar in the 9th inning.

So, when the Marlins broadcaster remarked in the ninth inning, it was more than just a clever line. This might be the case where, in baseball slang, the broadcaster was highlighting Altuve’s incredible ability to recognize and react to pitches, particularly fastballs, which pitchers often try to sneak past hitters for quick outs.

Or, when it’s the Astros, any probable hints relate them to the 2017 incident. For instance, while Altuve remains one of the most respected and skilled hitters in the game, his name is inevitably linked to the 2017 Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal. And there are several events where we saw how he was booed and scrutinized heavily in the years that followed. The Astros’ impact, you can say!

So when a broadcaster says, you can’t sneak cheese past a rat, and the hitter in question is Altuve, it carries a double edge. On one hand, it’s a tip of the cap to his natural talent and quick bat. On the other hand, some fans, especially those still bitter over 2017, might read it as a backhanded nod to the scandal. It implies that Altuve has always had a way of knowing what’s coming, one way or another.

However, considering the broadcaster Rex Hudler’s way of dramatizing hits, we think it’s just his way of complementing Altuve. Well, even fans are on the same page. For instance, in 1971, former big league pitcher Curt Simmons said about Hank Aaron. “Throwing a fastball by Henry Aaron is like trying to sneak a sunrise past a rooster.” That was a pure compliment!

Hence, in this case, even if the commentator did not intend to give any hints, chances are high that fans take it in another way. And if you check the post on Reddit, you see a good 5k upvotes there and still garnering traffic. This denotes how the fans are more intrigued by the words used by the broadcaster than by what he hinted.

Calling the Astros rats goes back years

If you think the Astros or their players are called rats for the first time, then go through what’s coming up next.

The first such calls came from the former Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly back in 2020.

Even though Kelly wasn’t on the Dodgers team that lost to the Astros in the 2017 World Series, he’s still got a serious grudge against those players. Reportedly, back in 2020, he didn’t hold back when talking about how the Astros handled the fallout from the cheating scandal. He was especially fired up about how the players deflected blame. And instead of taking responsibility, they pointed fingers at the coaches and front office.

“Yes, everyone is involved. But the way that was run over there was not from the coaching staff… It’s the players. So now the players get the immunity, and all they do is go snitch like a little b—-.“

That was enough for Kelly to call the Astros players out for turning into snitches to save themselves. He criticized them for throwing guys like Alex Cora under the bus. Notably, Cora ended up getting fired after MLB named him as one of the key figures behind the whole cheating operation. For the unversed, Cora was the Astros’ bench coach during that 2017 season. And he later managed Kelly for two years in Boston.

And yes, not only Cora, but Astros GM Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch were also shown the door. But the players? They walked away with immunity because they cooperated with MLB’s investigation. And that’s exactly what rubbed Kelly the wrong way. He felt like the players dodged real accountability while letting everyone else take the fall.

So, the Astros are no new to these taunts, but this year, it’s raining blows on them.