A World Series matchup six decades in the making, pairing former National League rivals who've played more than 700 times, including five postseason series, gets underway in Houston on Tuesday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Because of scheduling and COVID-19, the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves haven't seen each other since 2017.
There's a lot to look forward to - even a family face off. Atlanta manager Brian Snitker's son, Troy, is a Houston hitting coach.
"I don't know who is going to own it, but we're going to have one (a World Series trophy in the house). So that's a pretty cool thing," dad said Saturday night.
But there are many baseball fans who might not be thrilled to see either team here in late October.
Jose Altuve and Astros teammates Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman and Yuli Gurriel will forever wear the label of cheaters after being part of a team that devised an illegal, sign-stealing scheme on their way to the 2017 championship.
At home, they're cheered. At every other ballpark, they're heckled - and worse - as the game's worst villains.
"I wasn't here with the team in 2017, but I've gotten booed just as equal as anybody else. So I think we all have the same mentality that we really want to win a World Series to demonstrate that we are just a great team," AL Championship Series MVP Yordan Alvarez said.
Houston are in the Fall Classic for the third time in five years while Atlanta are making their first appearance since 1999.
Yet while the roster and stadium have changed, the sights and sounds in Atlanta still remain. Throughout the NLCS, fans at Truist Park emphatically chopped and chanted during big moments for the Braves.
In an era of social reckoning that saw the Cleveland Indians change their name to the Guardians and Washington's NFL team get rid of a name considered racist, the scene in Atlanta is sure to draw increased attention.
Snitker, the 66-year-old Atlanta manager, has spent four decades in the Braves' organisation as a player, coach and skipper.
He tuned in Friday night when the Astros and son Troy beat the Boston Red Sox in the clinching Game 6 of the ALCS.
"It's been a great experience for him and I'm happy for him. I said, I hope I can join you," Brian Snitker said hours before Atlanta finished off the LA Dodgers in Game 6 of the NLCS.
Hours later, he and the Braves were on their way.
Australian Associated Press
