The shadow of 2017 just won’t leave the Houston Astros alone. No matter how many games they win or lose, the echoes of their infamous sign-stealing scandal always seem to follow. Back in July, Dodgers broadcasters gleefully took their shots at Houston during an 18-1 drubbing, reviving the ghosts of that tainted championship season. And now, in a twist soaked in irony, the Astros themselves are crying foul.

Yes, you heard that right. Facing the Boston Red Sox, the Astros accused their opponents of stealing signs, an accusation that lit a fire in the booth and on the field. The Red Sox broadcasters couldn’t resist taking their digs. The benches cleared, fists pumped, and tempers flared, all in a game the Astros ultimately dropped 7-3. And once again, the scandal they can’t escape became the headline, even when the script flipped.

“Imagine the Astros being mad about stealing signs. But guess what, that’s part of the game, when you can see the grip in a glove.” Red Sox announcer Will Middlebrooks during the game.

Well, the story began at the bottom of the seventh inning. Reportedly, with two outs, the Astros pitcher Hector Neris started worrying that Trevor Story, who was on second, might be picking up his pitches and signaling the hitter. Now, from second base, a runner can legally try to spot a pitcher’s grip and relay it, so Neris decided to do something unusual.

He intentionally balked, moving Story to third to take away the risk of pitch-tipping. But after he got the final out of the inning, Neris turned and started yelling at Red Sox third base coach Kyle Hudson, which caused both benches to spill onto the field. Thankfully, nothing got physical, but Middlebrooks still managed to throw a jab at the Astros afterward.

“Nothing, it’s part of the game,” Neris said after the game. But is it really? So, what set Neris off was really one of the oldest, most harmless forms of sign stealing. With a runner on second, Story could see how Neris was gripping the ball and then pass that info along to the hitter. Now, it’s more of an unwritten-rules violation than an actual rule break. Still, Neris took it personally. However, the question is whether the Red Sox could be in a dilemma, hinting at the Astros’ controversial past.

Red Sox’s strange connection to the 2017 Astros scandal

It sounds surprising, right? But it’s true. Even Astros fans could argue there’s some hypocrisy here. After all, Boston’s manager, Alex Cora, was part of the Astros’ coaching staff during the 2017 scandal. He later left the Red Sox before the 2020 season after managing them for two years, only to be brought back in 2021. Plus, Alex Bregman, who was a key figure for the Astros in 2017, is now donning a Red Sox uniform.

There’s more. Mookie Betts has previously admitted that some Red Sox players used illegal sign-stealing tactics during their 2018 title run. So yeah, it’s a bit of a pot calling the kettle black situation. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t really change anything.

In baseball, there’s a long-standing understanding. If you’re on second base and can pick up the pitcher’s signs, go for it. Runners are allowed to relay that info to the hitter as long as they’re doing it the old-fashioned way, with their eyes, not electronics. Where teams get in trouble is when they bring tech into the mix, like the Astros did back in 2017.

This time, though, things were completely above board. Trevor Story was just doing what runners have done for over a century. He was trying to spot Neris’ grip and let the hitter know what was coming. It might have gotten under Neris’ skin, but in the rulebook, the Red Sox weren’t breaking any rules. It was all part of the game.

Nevertheless, we just witnessed another bench-clearing incident. And once again, the Astros got taunted for their past.