The Houston Astros and their fans were certainly in a celebratory mood ahead of the 2023 regular season opener at Minute Maid Park.
Prior to first pitch against the Chicago White Sox, the Astros held a ceremony celebrating their 2022 World Series title. That included the hanging of a championship banner.
In an ultimate troll job directed at the New York Yankees and their fans, Astros supporters could be heard chanting, “we want Houston.”
For those of you who don’t know, this chant dates back to the 2022 MLB Playoffs. After the Yankees disposed of the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Divisional Round, their fans could be heard chanting, “we want Houston.”
It was a major rallying cry leading up to an American League Championship Series outing against the Houston Astros.
About that?
Houston would go on to hand the Yankees a four-game sweep in the ALCS before defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. It represented the third consecutive time that the Astros have swept the Pinstripes in the postseason.
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Don’t think for one second that these chants were lost on the Astros and their fans after sweeping New York. Heck, the Astros’ official social media accounts were trolling their American League counterparts with “we want Houston” merchandise months later.
There’s a decent chance that the Houston Astros and New York Yankees will once again do battle in the playoffs this coming fall. If so, the rivalry will just be taken to a whole new level. Thursday’s troll job added another layer to this.