So who are the Astros biggest rivals Pre AL, Post AL.

NL: Co-ardinals
AL: Jankees (we live in their heads)

 

NL was always the Braves to me. Cards are a fair pick though.

 

It wasn’t that long ago when the Astros lost nearly every single game they played in Arlington for the season.

I take no pity that the Astros have owned them since that era and the Rangers seemingly don’t know what direction to take on this rebuild (keep spending more money and be average or continue to try and develop the prospects…. Or make a huge splash trade for Soto).

 

Biggest Rivals
1 Selig
2 Yankees
3 Manfred
4 Umpires
5 Dodgers

 

Yankees and Dodgers. Not close after that

 

Rivalries are built by two good teams beating the crap out of each other for several years, like the Rockets and the Jazz and Spurs (and a lesser extent Suns) during the 90's. Rangers beating us during rebuilding then us doing the same back to them isn't much of a rivalry.

 

I hate the Rangers, even when they’re bad. That passes the smell test.

While all those other rivalries (including the Rockets examples) will come and go when the teams are good or in the playoffs…. They need that to survive.

The truest of rivalries will exist, with animosity towards the other team and wishing them no success at any time… in all situations, not just playoffs or when both teams are good. There also has to be a semblance of history… as well as familiarity.

While the Astros had several rivals over the years, none of those teams thought the Astros were their biggest rival.

 

i feel like this is the right answer

 

New schedule will allow many quasi rivalries and eliminate games from old rivalries.

 

NL - It's Cubs and Cardinals
AL - Yankees

Astros with a lot of success in the AL, and rivalries hit different and form more organically when it develops from playoff matchups versus just playing each other a lot in the regular season.

If somebody told me in the 90s that one day the Astros would be rivals with the Yankees, I would've called you a liar brother.

I can't think of an organization and fanbase that hates us any more than the NYY right now. They live, breathe, and eat hating the Astros right now, even more than Boston, how crazy is that??

 

I missed this thread when it first came out but good thread.

As a kid in the 80’s I think it was the Dodgers. We played them a fair amount and there were some very memorable games. I remember in 1989 there was a 22 inning game at the dome with a Rookie Craig Biggio who got struck out by Dodgers utility player because they ran out of pitchers.

In the 90’s and early 2000 it felt like the Braves were our rivals. Since they kept on beating us in the playoffs only for us to come back and beat them in some epic series.

Living in Minnesota I would get flack in the mid 2000’s from Cubs and Cardinals fans about being a Stros fan. And we had two epic playoff series against the Cardinals that.

The A’s hate us for a variety of reasons but it is a very one sided rivalry.

I think the Yankees now consider us their rival and hate us more than even the Red Sox. I saw on another site an article accusing the Stros along with teams in the Yankees division of colluding to undermine the Yankees.

 

The Yankees, Dodgers and A’s fan base believe we robbed them of success. The Yankees are convinced we cheat every time we beat them and if not for the Stros they would have at least two more World Series. The Dodgers believe that they should’ve won 2017 if not for cheating.

 

Lulz

 

Rivalries are built on games and seasons that really count.

St Louis, Dodgers, and Braves in the NL

Yankees in the AL. Rangers are really not a rival. There have been only 2 seasons where it was even soemwhat competitive even though we are in the same division and state. With Yankees, it's almost every season at the biggest stage

 

AL - Any rookie pitcher with an ERA over 10.

 

Cubs

Rangers definitely count, just because of the Texas connection.

Also remember, the Mariners were our MLB-sanctioned Rivals before we moved to the AL and were now told to hate the Rockies and Dbacks every year.

 

Lol this made my day

 

That was the article I saw.

Personally I enjoy watching Yankee fans feeling that everyone is out ot get them.

 

Acting like big dogs but always playing the victim. Friggin comical.

 

I think a rivalry requires two things:

1. A competitive balance, not one sided
2. Playing for playoff stakes at least 3 times

NL: Braves. AL: None