Astros name barred by Little Leagues near Williamsport

Just 60 miles east of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, one Little League director is sending a clear message to his 4,000 players about the Houston Astros and their sign-stealing scam.

José Altuve? Alex Bregman? Carlos Correa? They're all out.

“Right now, in our leagues, the Astros are suspended,” said Bob Bertoni, head of District 16/31 Little League.

Bertoni is recommending that no teams in the 23 leagues he oversees utilize the Astros name this season after it was discovered Houston took a live camera feed to steal signs en route to a 2017 World Series title. He said a few teams used the name last year.

“I think about our Little League pledge, that’s the first thing that comes to my mind: part of the pledge is, ‘I will play fair and strive to win,’” Bertoni said.

“Our kids emulate and idolize major league players,” he added. “I don’t think we as an organization should be idolizing teams that have decided not to play by the rules.”

The Orange County Register reported last week that two Little League communities in Southern California banned the Astros team name for the upcoming season — a matter of ethics, but also a reflection of frustration after Houston beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2017 World Series.

Bertoni said his district, which covers all of Luzerne County in northwest Pennsylvania, was already considering outlawing the Astros name when he saw those headlines.

He doesn’t think he’ll be the last district administrator to take such action, either. Little League heads from around the country are set to meet in Hartford in two weeks, and Bertoni anticipates the Astros will be a top talking point.

“I think you’ll see it on a larger scale,” he said.

Little League International, the Williamsport-based governing body for...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Astros-name-barred-by-Little-Leagues-near-15068716.php