The Houston Astros are no strangers to heckling from other MLB fanbases amid the cheating scandal surrounding their 2017 World Series title. But even the Astros must be a bit surprised about the harsh reception from Seattle fans at MLB All-Star week.
Even children are booing Astros mascot Orbit.
It started with Seattle fans booing the Astros so loudly during the MLB Draft that commissioner Rob Manfred could hardly speak, and it has carried over into a kid friendly pink carpet show ahead of Tuesday’s game. But at least this time, Orbit came prepared to answer the loud chorus of boos.
Kids in Seattle boo #Astros mascot Orbit as he walks the pink carpet with a box of tissues pic.twitter.com/AHWe2Cg0mV
— Shlomo Sprung (@SprungOnSports) July 11, 2023
As Orbit walked the pink carpet to boos from the youth baseball players, he displayed a box of tissues as a way to mock the booing children. He wanted them to wipe away their tears.
After all, the Astros emerged from the cheating scandal relatively unscathed and went on to win the 2022 World Series. You can’t blame fans for being salty about it, but the Mariners didn’t exactly put up a competitive effort against the Astros in the ALDS. Those AL West rivalries must run deep.
Still, fans loved how Orbit played into the heckling. The mascot might as well embrace the villain role.