Ideas on moving forward
Astros’ apology
Regarding “We’re sorry for what we did,” (A1, Feb. 14): On the first day of spring training, the Astros held a news conference and apologized for their cheating scandal.
Are they sorry they did it, or just sorry they got caught? Tom Moore, Katy
With the approach of the 2020 season, I am writing to suggest that the Astros launch a ticket stub exchange program to insure and strengthen the loyalty of their fans.
Many fans save their ticket stubs as souvenirs. In exchange for a ticket stub for any home game from 2017-2019, the fan would receive a ticket for a 2020 game. Such a gesture by the Astros club would signal its recognition that the fan was indeed defrauded and that the club is holding itself responsible. It is a more civilized act of contrition than, for example, a class-action lawsuit.
We will never know now if the 2017 Astros are world champions, and this is the tragedy. A ticket stub exchange would go a long way to allowing the fan to root for an unblemished title in 2020. Mark Pasek, Houston
I don’t live in Houston, so perhaps I should mind my business. But I love baseball and I hate cheaters, so here’s an idea. I encourage Houston baseball fans to pick one game this season to boycott the Astros. I suggest their home game on May 29. As a bonus, they’ll be playing the Boston Red Sox, the other cheaters. Empty seats will make a rather loud statement about our intolerance for cheating. Dan Gagan, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
My mom and dad were Houston Astros fans from the day the Colt .45s first took the field in the ’60s. They loyally and doggedly watched years of mediocre Colts and Astros teams struggle through many an embarrassing season — but they never lost faith in their team and never gave up.
By 2017, Dad had died and Mom was living in an assisted living home. At the age of 94, Astros baseball was her passion. Her excitement grew as it became apparent that the Astros could win it all that year. For her sake, I desperately hoped that her dream would come true.
Just before the end of the season, Mom learned how to text. She used her new skill to relay glowing comments on the latest exploits of “my boys.” The World Series brought more intensity and urgency to our game-by-game text commentaries. I still have those texts. They show, above all, her pride in “her boys.” They were not just great players; they were fine young men in her eyes. The ultimate World Series victory gave her more happiness than I had seen in years.
I miss her, but I am so glad she didn’t live to see the fact that “her boys” cheated. She would have been crushed.
Mom always taught her real sons never to cheat or lie — and most important, any time you fell short of that standard, to acknowledge your mistake and to sincerely apologize. I see none of that. It turns out these guys are “not my mother’s Astros” after all. Lee Avery, Spring
Uptown bus line
Regarding “Start of Uptown bus line stalls,” (A3, Jan. 18): I have been so disappointed in Houston for adding a bus lane down such a beautiful boulevard as Post Oak. I live in the area and always thought it reminded me of driving up Park Avenue in New York. Then they’re tearing it up to create a bus lane, which I can’t imagine many people will use.
Now I hear the lane created is too small to handle the buses. I’m hoping that this means they’ll abandon this terrible idea and put it back the way it was. Terri Romano, Houston