Winning the title at home was a new wrinkle, too. Partying into the wee hours of a Saturday night, carousing around downtown Houston, was pure perfection. Strangers hugged, beer geysers erupted throughout bars and taverns, tears were shed. This is what joy looks like:
I'm happy for any Houstonian that's had to endure the wrath of the sports gods (and James Harden and Deshaun Watson) when it comes to our other sports, and I'm really happy for anyone who has tried to fend off idiots on social media with lame trash can jokes. The idiots will still be there, but now you can just tweet back "SCOREBOARD." However, above everyone else, I am happy for these ten Houston Astro figures:CHAOS IN THE STREET #LevelUp #Astros pic.twitter.com/NPcFeSZEqL
— Sean Pendergast (@SeanTPendergast) November 6, 2022
6. (tie) The remaining 2017 Astros — JOSE ALTUVE, ALEX BREGMAN, YULI GURRIEL, LANCE McCULLERS, JUSTIN VERLANDER
These are the remaining members of the 2017 Astros, the one that will be remembered for being singled out for electronic sign stealing that was going on in several other buildings throughout Major League Baseball at the time. At the very least, these five, and particularly Jose Altuve, who wrongly became the face of all the controversy, can say "We won a clean title, now go away!"
5. JIM CRANE
Crane had caught heat from a few folks heading into this postseason, because he had a manager and general manager who were operating in the final days of their contracts. To this day, I still don't get why people think that having a cushion year on your contract is some sort of birthright for coaches and GM's, but whatever. As it turned out, what some thought would be a distraction turned out to be a footnote, at best. Crane gives his people the resources to succeed, and he cuts the checks. He deserves a ton of credit.
4. TREY MANCINI
Yuli Gurriel's knee injury opened the door for Mancini to start Game 6 at first base, which opened the door to Mancini finally getting a hit in this postseason. It would wind up being his only hit, but Mancini will forever be remembered for the defensive play he made on a Kyle Schwarber line drive in the 8th inning of Game 5. Also, as a cancer survivor (and a survivor of a decade of being a Baltimore Oriole), how can you not love Mancini?
.@TreyMancini pic.twitter.com/mbejpADJGU
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) November 6, 2022
3. FRAMBER VALDEZ
In two World Series starts in 2021, Valdez pitched a combined 4 and 2/3 innings, and had an ERA of 19.29. He was a disaster, and a huge reason the Astros lost to the Braves in 2021. In this World Series against the Phillies, in two starts, Valdez pitched 12 and 1/3 innings, and had an ERA of 1.46, and was the biggest reason (non-Jeremy Pena) that the Astros are world champions.
2. MATTRESS MACK
Have you ever wondered what it looks like to realize you'e cashing $75 million in World Series bets? It looks like this:
Congrats to Mack, a Houston icon, and to all of his Gallery Furniture customers who are getting free furniture this week!@brbetting_ HISTORY. #mattressmack #phillies #astros #worldseries ♬ original sound - B/R Betting
1. DUSTY BAKER
Dusty Baker didn't need a World Series title to validate his greatness as a baseball manager, but he might have needed it to stamp his ticket to Cooperstown. If there's one person everyone seemed universally happy for, it's Baker. I think Jim Crane summed it up best:
Congratulations to Dusty, indeed.Jim Crane on Dusty Baker: “It’s a great story for Dusty. I’m so happy for him. He finally got one. He may never quit. Who knows? He’s invincible. The players love him…He came in at a tough time, did a great job and I’m very, very happy for him. Congratulations to Dusty.” pic.twitter.com/cqpeeaTO6n
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) November 6, 2022
Listen to Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays. Also, follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/SeanTPendergast and like him on Facebook at facebook.com/SeanTPendergast.
