EXCLUSIVE: Atlanta sports radio host Chris Dimino on Houston Astros' 2017 title: "It burns me that that trophy is sitting in their building"

Atlanta Sports radio host Chris Dimino held nothing back in his assessment of the Houston Astros, specifically of how their 2017 cheating scandal that resulted in a World Series win was handled. The situation was fraught with controversy and led to several people being suspended by the MLB.

For many, this was not nearly enough of a punishment. Among them is Dimino of Atlanta radio station 680 The Fan. The Astros have been one of the most dominant teams in baseball over the last few years, and they capped off 2022 with another championship, one that they hope they can build off of once again.

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Dimino shared his thoughts on the 2017 scandal involving the Houston Astros and what should have been done in a Sportskeeda exclusive:

"I said in 2018, you know, Opening Day they should have made the owner of that team hand that trophy back to the commissioner at home plate, but not during January and February. I want you to have to bring it out. It burns me that that trophy is sitting in their building. Well, I think baseball should have taken it away from them publicly."

Dimino praised the recent hiring of former Atlanta Braves executive Dana Brown as general manager for the Astros.

"Dana Brown is the new general manager," Dimino said. "He came out of scouting. He's not a bean counter guy in a world where baseball has got a lot of bean counters of general managers. This guy came out of scouting for a long time. He waited a long time to get his shot as a general manager. So, I think they even got better on their front office."

Dimino added:

"It's crazy to think that you lose (shortstop) Carlos Correa (last season), and you didn't drop a stat, and they went and got Jose Abreu, too (this offseason). He’s been a heck of a player, but he's played for the White Sox and nobody really cared. I think he's a really good addition clubhouse-wise."

The Astros are in a great position to repeat as champions in 2023, and they won't let past controversies slow them down.

Are the Houston Astros still the best team in the American League?

The Houston Astros won the AL by seven games in 2022, but the competition has only gotten tougher. The New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners are all poised to make a run in 2023.

The Astros haven't lost a step either, signing potential star pitcher Cristian Javier to a long-term deal earlier this offseason.

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The Houston Astros’ run to the World Series was dominant in 2023, which this video posted to YouTube captures.