Astros legend and Hall of Famer may have just thrown shade at Houston fans

Now that Houston Astros legend Billy Wagner is finally being inducted into Cooperstown, the Astros are pulling out all the stops. Wagner's number is being retired in August and Hall of Fame weekend is going to feature plenty of Wagner-centric promotions. After what was too long of a Hall of Fame wait, Wagner deserves all the festivities he is getting.

However, Wagner certainly made some interesting comments about Astros fans compared to Phillies fans during a recent interview. In that interview with a Philadelphia Inquirer podcast, Wagner was reflecting on the trade that sent him from the Astros to the Phillies and the circumstances around it. However, he also said that, "It was something that I'd never experienced in my life was the passion in Philadelphia. I mean, Houston was not known for that type of passion."

That may seem like a slight against Astros fans, and maybe it is a little, but one wonders if there was a bit of coded language there as well.

Billy Wagner's comments on Astros fans "passion" may not be exactly what they seem

There may be at least some truth to what Wagner said about Astros fans when he was playing. Fans weren't nearly as enthusiastic back then as they are these days because multiple World Series runs has a way of jazzing up a fan base. Sports fans are also notoriously into their teams in the northeast, so Wagner probably did experience a pretty big difference.

However, Wagner did not always get along with Philly fans or Philly media and one wonders if "passion" is code for something less flattering. Philadelphia sports fans are absolutely brutal to play in front of whether you are the home team or not (but especially if not). Win or lose, good or bad...you are going to hear a lot of colorful language thrown your way if you are on the field for even a second in Philly.

Wagner was very open in that interview in saying that he didn't handle that attention as well as he should have. He has also been very active with the Astros after his retirement, so it isn't like he doesn't have an attachment to fans in Houston. While his comments may seem like a slight against Astros fans, a closer look shows that probably isn't the case.

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