Houston...We Have A Winner.

     The World Series is over. The parade was yesterday. Justin Verlander did go to Italy to marry Kate Upton as a winner. For the Houston Astros have finally won a World Series in their 56th year.

     The team which came into existence in 1962 along with the New York Mets, in the first wave of National League expansion, put together a roster which is young, talented and resilient. Suffering through a bevy of painful losing seasons, which allowed the Astros the chance to build a team with high draft choices. By losing so much in those previous years, it created the Astros an opportunity to become winners. The team, which was first known as the Colt .45's and played in hot, humid conditions prior to moving into owner Judge Roy Hofheintz's Eight Wonder of The World, the Astrodome, baseball's first indoor stadium, now can be recognized for greatness.

     They are led by probable American League M.V.P., Jose Altuve, the diminutive second baseman who can flat out hit as evidenced by his batting title and his homers which repeatedly deflated their opponents during this post-season. Shortstop Carlos Correa, the young, extraordinarily talented shortstop, is the co-leader of this team--an All Star who proposed to his girlfriend, Miss Texas USA 2016, on the field after the victory in Game 7. Signed as a free agent, George Springer showed us he hits with power and in the clutch; that he can run down fly balls in spectacular fashion; and that he is another superstar whose power hitting rightfully earned him the World Series M.V.P. designation. Then there is the tough, gritty third baseman Alex Bregman, an integral part of the youth movement which propelled the Astros to great heights. Add Cuban defector Yuli Guriel  to the homegrown talent. Then factor in catcher Brian Mc Cann, Marwin Gonzalez, veteran Carlos Beltran and outfielder Josh Reddick, all who were acquired by trade or through free agency The lineup is replete with power, speed and when in the field, stellar defense. It is no coincidence that the Astros were first in the A.L. in runs scored, hits, doubles, batting average, slugging percentage and OPS, while finishing second in homers with 238.

     Let us not forget the starting pitchers. Premier lefty Dallas Keuchel had an up and down year due to injuries, yet he still managed to record a 14-5 mark with a 2.90 E.R.A. Lance Mc Cullers, Jr. recovered from his injuries to regain his All Star form in time for the World Series. Brad Peacock shined with his 13-2 record. Charlie Morton, signed as a free agent and who once was a tough starter with Pittsburgh, ran up a 14-7 year. Plus Colin Mc Hugh filled in for the injured starters with a 5-2 record.

     Still, the starting pitching was not enough in the minds of the Houston brass. In a virtual last second deal in July, the Detroit Tigers shipped Verlander, who did not oppose the trade, to the Astros. He merely went 5-0 down the stretch, with a 1.06 E.R.A. and 43 strikeouts in 36 innings.

     The bullpen was anchored by closer Ken Giles and his 36 saves. Another free agent acquisition, Luke Gregerson, along with Chris Devenski added to the strong arms capable of shutting down the opposition via strikeouts or hitting to the sharp fielders of the Astros.

     It is no wonder that the Astros rung up 101 wins this season, second to the Cleveland Indians. This team was solidly built, ready to make a deep run into the playoffs.

     The Astros drew the Boston Red Sox, the winners of the A.L. East. Houston slugged 8 homers in defeating Boston 3-1. Identical 8-2 romps, a 10-3 loss in Boston, then a 5-4 come-from-behind victory utilizing Verlander's clutch relief appearance and a key Bregman home run in Game 4, sealed the victory for the Astros. During the A.L.D.S., Houston twice defeated Boston ace Chris Sale while batting .333 overall.

     The upstart Wild Card-winning New York Yankees, victors over Cleveland, the team with the A.l.'s best overall record, were up next in the A.L.C.S. Impressive pitching by Keuchel and Verlander shut down the Yankees' power hitters, limiting the Bombers to 1 late homer by Greg Byrd and 5 hits in each in Games 1 and 2. When the series shifted to New York, the Yankees and powerful rookie Aaron Judge awoke, using good pitching and hitting to take a 3-2 lead when the A.L.C.S. returned to Houston.

     Combining more dominant pitching by Verlander, Morton and starter-turned-long reliever Mc Cullers, Jr., who together held New York to 1 run while recording 21 strikeouts, the Astros were headed to the World Series.

     Poised to face Houston were the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team with the best record in the majors leagues. As tough a test as the Yankees offered, Houston would be facing certain Hall of Fame pitcher Clayton Kershaw, the probable N.L. Cy Young Award winner for the fourth time, plus a vaunted Dodger lineup and bullpen.

     What transpired was a 7 game series that topped the A.L.C.S. and rivaled last year's riveting 7 game match between the Chicago Cubs and the Indians. For good reason. Houston had its 101 wins and the Dodgers amassed 104 victories, and despite a horrible losing stretch in August, they sported the best home record in baseball. Los Angeles handily defeated a very talented Arizona Diamondbacks team, then put away the defending champion Chicago Cubs to make it to the World Series.

     Hence we had two teams that hadn't won it all in a while--Houston had never won the World Series and the Dodgers' last Series victory was in 1988 when Tommy Lasorda managed Los Angeles. Probably the two best teams--no offense Cleveland or New York--ready to get it on.

     Which they did. In a gripping, dramatic 7 game series, Houston prevailed. There were 5 games where the run differential was 2 or less; 2 extra inning games (both won by Houston). A World Series record number of home runs was hit--totaling 25 (15 by the Astros and 10 by the Dodgers). Verlander's dominance was broken by the Dodgers and Kershaw reverted back to prior years of inconsistent form in the playoffs during Game 5--although he was superb in Game 1 and he pitched outstanding in relief in Game 7 of the mediocre Yu Darvish, the highly sought after Texas Rangers' hurler Los Angeles picked up in mid-season expressly for the playoffs and the World Series. Houston won 2 games in Dodger Stadium, with the Dodgers winning once at Minute Maid Park.

     Game 2 was the harbinger of how good this World Series was. Verlander and the Dodgers' Rich Hill battled it out early in this contest. Verlander did allow two homers. Hill only lasted 4 innings but the Dodgers cobbled together some fine pitching to lead 3-1 into the 8th inning. Houston managed a run in the top of the 8th inning. Then in the top of the 9th inning, Gonzalez homered off usually reliable Dodgers' closer Kenley Jansen to tie the game. Altuve and Correa then homered in the 10th inning off of Josh Fields. Los Angeles tied the game with the help of Charlie Culberson's homer. Culberson had spent much of the year in Triple A. Naturally, Astros hero Springer launched a 2 run homer in the 11th inning to provide the winning margin.

     As good as Game 2 was, it was nothing compared to Game 5 in Houston. This game featured 25 hits. Both Keuchel and Kershaw did not last very long, and each absorbed a pounding by the opponents' bats. There were 7 homers hit--5 by the Astros and 2 from the Dodgers. Heading into the 9th inning, Houston held a 12-9 lead. A 2 run shot by the enigmatic and mercurial Cuban outfielder for Los Angeles, Yasiel Puig, helped the Dodgers tie the score. Bregman's single off the Dodgers' closer, Jansen, scored pinch runner Derek Fisher and ended the 5 hour and 17 minute marathon.

     Houston flew to Los Angeles with a chance to finish the World Series in Game 6. Puig had guaranteed that the Dodgers would win--and they did. Despite pitching very well, Verlander took the loss while 5 Dodgers' pitchers held Houston to 1 run.

     Which set up a winner-take-all Game 7. The game was over in the top of the first inning when Houston struck for 2 runs in the 1st inning followed by 3 more in the 2nd inning, all off of Darvish. Springer was the catalyst for the Astros, hitting a double and a home run. When starter Mc Cullers, Jr. faced trouble in the 3rd inning, Houston manager A.J. Hinch inserted starter Peacock and later used Morton for 4 relief innings to quell the Dodgers' bats. That unorthodox maneuver by Hinch, employed also in the A.L.C.S., worked again and proved to be enough to give the Astros the crown.

     The Series was a reward to the flood-ravaged Houstonians, as dedicated by the team to its fans. There was drama and stupidity--i.e. Guriel's racially insensitive gesture after homering off of Japanese native Darvish in Game 2. Plenty of action from both teams and plenty to watch.

     It was a really good World Series, capping off a really good regular season and some tight playoff series leading up to the Astros-Dodgers 7 game classic. This was a fitting way to end the long campaign which was replete with surprises throughout the season. With a newly-minted champ there is reason to expect great things to come in Major League Baseball in 2018 and beyond.

     So now it's time for football, hockey and basketball to take the stage without the distraction from baseball. Good luck in capturing the magic that the 2017 MLB playoffs produced.