The World Series this year isn’t any old World Series. The Houston Astros are back after four years but not without the backlash. 

   Back in 2017, the Astros won the World Series, but not the honest way.  Through different methods, the most widely known being when they were banging a trash can a certain number of times, the players were able to listen to and anticipate the opposing team’s pitch.

    Opinions on the scandal and its aftermath differ amongst baseball players at GBHS.

    “They should’ve lost their World Series title,” said TJ Ryerson, a former GBHS student who now lives in Florida.

    While Ryerson usually roots for the underdogs, this year he will not cheer for the Houston Astros. The team is constantly left negative comments all over social media.

   Will Dunnigan, a sophomore baseball player at GBHS, doesn’t have the same outlook as Ryerson. 

   “They are already getting bullied on the internet and some players on the Astros need the money from the Astros to pay the bills.”

   He has a softer look upon the Astros and doesn’t believe they should be getting more punishments. 

    Meanwhile their opposition, the Atlanta Braves, have received overwhelming support, a sight that has almost never been seen.

   GBHS students share that same support for Atlanta Braves, describing the atmosphere of the World Series as competitive and full of camaraderie.

  Noah Taylor is a junior baseball player for GBHS. For Taylor, the World Series are an opportunity for him and his family to celebrate the sport that is an essential and large part of his life. 

   “I traditionally watch it with my parents and sisters,” Taylor said.

   It is also more than just a program on the TV for Taylor. With all the practice and dedicated time to the game of baseball, watching the World Series inspires him as that is every baseball player’s dream to someday play in it.

   For Dunnigan, who is dedicated to baseball, the World Series and baseball are also more than just a game on a screen. 

    “I usually surround myself with people who like baseball during the World Series because it brings out the best in baseball,” Dunnigan added. 

   Dunnigan, hoping one day to play on a higher level than high school, likes to watch the series with people who have something in common with him.

   Also under the spotlight are fan favorites, Freddie Freeman and Ozzie Albies both players for the Atlanta Braves. 

  Unlike the support voiced for these players, support for the Astros by baseball players is rare. 

  Still Taylor has a more forgiving outlook on the whole Astros scandal, realizing everybody makes mistakes.

   “I think the Astros had a slip up and I think their fans and family as well as the league understands that we are all human and we also learn from our mistakes,” Taylor said. 

   Everybody celebrates differently and has their own traditions, but this year, a common goal for baseball fans has come to light. The Atlanta Braves had nearly everyone on their side when they beat the “villains,” the Houston Astros.