California Little League teams ban use of Astros nickname

For an indication of just how angry the larger baseball world is with the Houston Astros, you need only look to a few youth baseball leagues in Southern California.

Traditionally, youth baseball teams claim the nickname of an MLB team for league play. That won’t be happening this year in Long Beach, California, where the Astros nickname has not been used this season on the orders of the league’s executive board. A permanent ban could even be added to the league bylaws before 2021.

“Parents are disgusted,” Long Beach Little League president Steve Klaus said, via Keith Sharon of the Orange County Register. “They are disgusted with the Astros and their lack of ownership and accountability. We know there’s more to this scandal. What’s coming tomorrow? With the Astros, you’ve got premeditated cheating.”

The same thing happened in East Fullerton, with parents expressing concern about their kids wearing the Astros name.

“Our league received negative feedback from parents who felt Astros name was equated with impropriety,” said Greg Taylor, president of East Fullerton Little League.

This is certainly not every league, and there are examples of the Astros name remaining in rotation elsewhere. It’s also important to note that, this being Southern California, many of the parents and youth players are likely fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have added reason to despise the Astros over the 2017 World Series loss. We already know how strong the feeling is based on some other reactions in that part of the state, but the anger toward the Astros is palpable.