HOUSTON — Carlos Correa leaned on the dugout railing and watched his legacy harden.
Another World Series win would not have changed the jeers the Astros have heard in every road city since the world learned that they cheated during their 2017 title season. It would not have changed the reluctance most of them feel to wear their rings. It would not have changed the way history remembers that ’17 Astros team. But it might have changed the way history remembers the other Astros teams.
The Astros could have been the Patriots, who got caught cheating but became a dynasty anyway.