Boomer Esiason: Astros are the Yankees' 'antichrist'
For the third time in six seasons, the Houston Astros and New York Yankees will square off in the ALCS, which begins on Wednesday night. While much of the rest of MLB still holds a strong hatred for the Astros due to their sign-stealing scandal from the 2017 and 2018 campaigns, Yankees fans and everybody involved with the Bronx Bombers may despise the Astros the most.
WFAN's Boomer Esiason described just how badly those in the "Big Apple" will want to take down Houston with yet another trip to the World Series on the line, calling the Astros the Yankees' "antichrist."
"For this Yankee team, for who they’re playing in this championship series, this is their antichrist," the former New York Jets Pro Bowl quarterback said. "They can’t beat them."
Houston defeated New York in seven games during the 2017 ALCS and took them down in six games in the 2019 ALCS. Jose Altuve blasted a two-run walk-off home run off of Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman in Game 6 and has he crossed home plate, his teammates infamously attempted to strip off his jersey, with the second baseman holding onto his uniform (which prompted countless conspiracy theories related to the scandal).
"Antichrist just came to me," Esiason said. "The Yankees are the pinstripes, it’s the purity, it’s Yankee Stadium, and the Astros had the cheating scandal and everything. ... Don’t you remember the core four and the Jeter-esqueness of Aaron Judge? I don’t know, something about the pinstripes and the green grass... and here come the Astros. The Darth Vader of baseball."
Ironically, the Yankees have been commonly referred to as the "Evil Empire" -- particularly by Boston Red Sox fans -- after their dominance during the late 1990s that resulted in three straight World Series titles from 1998 to 2000.
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