The Houston Astros won yet another World Series, the second in program history. Yordan Alvarez took Phillies Jose Alvarado deep with a homerun, 450-foot launch in the bottom of the sixth inning. It was all Houston needed in Game 6. Elevated by that hit and another impressive pitching display, the Astros captured their second World Series title in 5 years with a 4-1 win. They are the first team to win the World Series at home since the 2013 Red Sox. The Astros journey to the ship included an impressive 106 wins with just 56 losses in the regular season, as well as defeating the Mariners and Yankees in the playoffs.
Justin Verlander, looking to achieve his third Cy Young Award, pitched one of the most outstanding seasons of his career with a 6.07 ERA in World Series games, close to triple his career average. This World Series win was the second of his career, and most likely not the last. Before his Game 1 start in the AL Championship vs The Yankees, Verlander talked about his love for the game in an interview with Sports Illustrated. “I just want to play until they rip the jersey off me…. You see the greats of the past, and those guys pitched into their 40s. It was never a question in my mind that if you want to be great, that’s what you have to do.”
Gold Glove Award winning second baseman, Jose Altuve has been a crucial part of the Astros lineup for quite some time, once again proving himself in Game 2 of the World Series. Phillies Zach Wheeler’s starting pitch of the game spurred a double at 103.4 mph from Altuve, laying the groundwork for his grand performance of the night. He had an additional two more hits, a single up the middle off a curveball, as well as a single off another fastball going 96 mph. Philadelphia stood no chance against Altuve’s batting.
At 73, the Astro’s manager Dusty Baker is now the oldest manager to win a championship in any sport. His own baseball career was nothing short of legendary, spending 19 seasons in the league, a majority of which spent as an outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning a World Series championship with them in 1981. From San Francisco to Chicago to Cincinnati to Washington to Houston, Bakers chased a World Series win as a manager for decades now, coming close in 2002, but having no luck until 2022. He is nothing short of grateful for his career and journey, surviving prostate cancer and a stroke, Baker encourages everyone to take control of their life. He explained his philosophy with The New York Times “Try to do the right thing.’ And sometimes that’s tough, because sometimes you want to do the selfish thing. But the right thing, whatever that is in your mind, that’s what I try to do.” His optimism and attitude is set to return in 2023 as The Astros manager.
The 2022 World Series win for The Houston Astros is one that will be remembered. The team silenced the criticism and negativity that surrounded them after their scandal in the 2017 season, and proved themselves as more than qualified to be at the top of the league. This year marked their record setting sixth consecutive trip to the American League Championship and there is no doubt they will be back next year, chasing a third World Series win.
