Dusty Baker: Astros return to Yankee Stadium 'is going to be wild'

Dusty Baker expects a hostile environment for the Houston Astros when they return to Yankee Stadium on Tuesday for the first time since Major League Baseball investigated their illegal sign-stealing scandal from 2017.

"It is going to be wild," Baker told USA Today's Bob Nightengale, per ESPN.

The Astros defeated the New York Yankees in seven games during the 2017 ALCS before beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

Houston was fined $5 million and lost two draft picks for using a center field camera, video monitor, and trash can to relay signs to their hitters. Astros manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow received one-year suspensions from the league and were subsequently fired by the Astros for having the scandal happen under their watch.

The Yankees and their fans have been highly critical of the Astros since their cheating was discovered.

"I just don't think it holds any value with me. You cheated and you didn't earn it," Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge said of the Astros in February 2020.

"It wasn't earned the way of playing the game right and fighting to the end. The biggest thing about competition is laying it all out on the line, and whoever's the better player, better person, comes out on top. And to know that another team had an advantage - nothing that you can really guard against - I just don't feel like that's earned."

The Astros avoided animosity from fans throughout most of 2020 with the league playing in front of empty stadiums, but have been scorned on several occasions this season. An inflatable trash can was thrown onto the field during an April 5 game against the Los Angeles Angels.

"I don't think there's any question about how fans are gonna react to them coming into the stadium," Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka said on Sunday, according to Dan Martin of the New York Post. "Whether they deserve it, I think the fans will let them know."