Southern California Little Leagues Ban Use of 'Astros' as Team Name Amid Sign-Stealing Scandal

The Houston Astros should be ashamed of themselves. Nonetheless, they actually seem quite cocky in Spring Training.

Despite their apology tour, which recently featured a Spring Training press conference, baseball fans and players alike aren't falling for what's turned into an early-season circus act. While Houston continues to read off scripted apologies, and claim they wish they had done more, Southern Calif. little leagues are taking their own steps to clean themselves of the Astros stain on the game.

Several little leagues in SoCal have banned their teams from calling themselves the Astros, as to set an example for their young athletes.

“Parents are disgusted,” Long Beach Little League president Steve Klaus said, via 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.”

Klaus is right in that allowing teams to sport the Astros logo sends the wrong message, one that taking the easy way out or cheating is acceptable. If there's one positive to take away from this scandal, it's that it provides a real-world example to today's youth (especially in sports) that such behavior won't be tolerated.