Astros Do TV’s Breakfast of Champions

November 5, 2017

Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, and George Springer
**********
On Saturday Night Live with Leslie Jones
**********
November 4, 2017

One of the goodies that springs from a World Series win is the immediate short and showy appearance of players on the early morning and late night network TV shows that demand them for a few Andy Warhol moments in a broader-than-baseball spotlight. This time it appears that NBC picked off the earliest, biggest, and most often-seen attention spots. On Thursday night, 11/02/17, Jose Altuve somehow managed to get to New York for a guest spot on the Jimmy Fallon Tonight Show and still get back to Houston for the big parade the next afternoon. That same morning, Carlos Correa and his fiancee made a “Skype” appearance on the NBC morning Today Show and last night, three of our local Astros heroes managed to slip back to NYC for an appearance on Saturday Night Live (SNL).

Comedienne Leslie Jones and comic Colin Jost of the Weekend Update crew at SNL hosted Jose Altuve, George Springer, and Alex Bregman in the premise that the three Astros had come to present “Yankee Fan” Jones with an Astros cap and jersey, plus a game ball, as a gift in honor of their brand new world championship – and in celebration of Jones’ willingness to jump on the club’s bandwagon in spite of the fact that she didn’t really seem to be a regular follower of the game.

Jones’ script was loaded with spurned too-long-lonely female comebacks that have been around, at least, since the 19th century, so you can imagine the range of things she may have said about the “gift of a ball” and be right, if you simply fill in the blank with whatever comes to mind. I never said this TV appearance came with any modicum presence of genius comedy. After all, it is the 2017 version of SNL.

Jones expressed her great joy in being sought out by the men, implicitly, since it doesn’t happen all the time, but she feigned frustration that a little guy like Altuve had done all that home run damage to her New York Yankees. Springer’s tame scripted line was to explain to Jones that it’s “not Jose’s fault he’s short”.

At that point, Jones uses a “come on over here, honey” approach and quickly has a shy, smiling, and bashful Altuve sitting on her lap. “This is something I never say, Honey, but I got to say it. Sometimes good things do come in small packages.”

And that was the line that brought the skit and our first featured picture up top to its grinning conclusion.

Jose Altuve and Jimmy Fallon
**********
The NBC Tonight Show
**********
November 2, 2017

One Lesson Down: Nobody ever said that everything about being in the spotlight as the reigning Baseball World Series Champion was always going going to be easy, especially, for the club’s stars.

George Springer Sidelines Interview
Colts @ Texans NFL Game
November 5, 2017
The Message to Texans?
“Here’s Ours! ~ Where’s Yours?”

One Lesson Up: When it’s New as a Pup, Winning Barks Its Whazzupp!

Carlos Correa on Jimmy Kimmel Live
November 6, 2017

One Lesson Ongoing Forever: Never propose marriage on television right after the end of Game 7 in the World Series unless you want to talk about it forever over the same media.

 

********************

Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

 

Tags:
Posted in Baseball | Leave a Comment »

The Exhaustion of Euphoria is Suspended Forever

November 4, 2017

2017 Houston Astros
World Series Champions
Now and Forever

 

The Exhaustion of Euphoria is Suspended …. until what happens, maybe, just the passage of time, who knows?

If you are a real Astros fan, don’t hold your breath, just waiting for the euphoria to flatten out.

For two empty nights running, since Wednesday Night’s Game 7, we’ve approached 7 PM in the evening, both Thursday and Friday, in anticipation of another game.

It didn’t happen. Apparently, the Astros and Dodgers now have other things to do with their lives beyond the pinging pale of a bell that already has been rung.

The Houston Astros are now the irreversible, permanent Champions of the 2017 World Series – from here to eternity. Forever. Or til the end of time. As we know it to be.

…. Nevertheless, the Euphoria of this 55-years-in-the-making Championship lives on. It is not suspended, nor is it diminished emotionally or spiritually by our simple acceptance of the knowledge that 2017 finally raised its head as the “to be” answer to our perpetually extant question as to when the Houston Astros would finally become Champions of the Baseball World.

The time is now. 2017. And there is no sign of us cooling down from the euphoric lift we feel continuously from the simple thought of those four digits – and what they now represent to each of us and our Astro fan bond to the Houston Astros – in the last moment each night – right before we fall pleasantly into sleep – or in the first sweet moment we awaken each morning.

It is the same realization:

“2017 ~ Astros ~ Baseball ~ Champions ~ Forever.”

Embrace it with the same Humility that thrives within our great Jose Altuve, Astros fans, but never let go of the Euphoria that only comes from forever things and conditions that can never be taken away:

“2017 ~ The Houston Astros are the 2017 Baseball World Series Champions ~ Forever!

 

********************

Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

 

 

 

 

Tags:
Posted in Baseball | 2 Comments »

Hey Astros! ~ We Literally Love You!

November 3, 2017

 

Thanks, Baseball….

Thanks for “once upon a time” giving me a dad who played, loved, and passed on the game of baseball to his kids!

Thanks to the Pecan Park Eagles of Houston, a little sandlot club of East End Houston kids, to play baseball every summer week day as though it were Game 5 of the 2017 World Series.

Thanks to Solly Hemus, Jerry Witte, Larry Miggins, and Frank Mancuso of the Houston Buffs for teaching so many of us post-World War II Houston kids to both love the game of baseball as we also learned to value the character of the men who played to win championships for our growing minor league town.

Thanks to Houston Buffs President Allen Russell for even setting the Buff Stadium infield on fire with gasoline to keep a wet field from causing a rain out.

Thanks to William Bendix in the 1948 film, “The Babe Ruth Story,” for introducing so many of us to an image of Babe Ruth that never grew smaller as we came to learn more about baseball’s greatest early hero.

Thanks to Buffs broadcaster Loel Passe for lighting up the Houston airways with a volume of homer-driven “now-you-goin’-gang” cheerleader lines. “Hot ziggity dog and good old sassafras tea,” we loved him.

Thanks to George Kirksey, Mickey Herskowitz, Craig Cullinan, Jr., R.E. “Bob” Smith, and the one and only Judge Roy Hofheinz for all they did to get Houston into the National League as an expansion franchise, starting in 1962.

Thanks to Tal Smith and all that have come before and after him to build one of the strongest front offices in baseball.

Thanks, especially, to Bill Virdon, Hal Lanier, Larry Dierker, and Phil Garner for managing Houston to the lip of full greatness in the World Series. Somebody had to provide the push that came before this year’s big shove – and you guys – and a few others – are the ones who provided that intelligence and energy.

Thanks to every franchise player, great or small, for their contributions to the club’s commitment to winning.

Thanks to owner Jim Crane, General Manager Jeff Luhnow, and Club President Reid Ryan,  for providing us with the patience and the plan that led successfully to 2017.

Thanks to Mike Acosta for caring how the Astros actively protected and preserved the artifacts from special moments in the club’s history.

Thanks to the ticket-buying fans for their commitments to the club’s ongoing successful journey!

Thanks to Manager A.J. Hinch and the 2017 Houston Astros for making our club the newest annual champion of the World Series!

And a loud “Thank You, Astros” to our wonderful Ball Club for giving us something now that can never be taken away. In the words of our immortally revered Mr. Jose Altuve, it is our turn as fans to state the obvious:

“Hey there, 2017 Astros, never forget! ~ We Houston Fans Literally Love You!”

Affectionately and Loyally,

Your fans

 

********************

Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

Tags:
Posted in Baseball | 1 Comment »

Game Six Malaise Paralyzes Astros

November 1, 2017

2017 is the 38th time that the World Series will be decided in 7 games. The first one happened in 1909, when Pittsburg of the NL defeated Detroit of the AL.

 

The Overview

It happened as we feared it might.

Justin Verlander pitched a game that was more than good enough for the win, but the Astros offense came out flat and stayed that way. As a result, the Dodgers were able to combine some pretty fair pitching of their own, early patience with the 1-0 deficit, good defense, the support of the home town crowd, their 2-inning stopper on Houston’s serious attempts to pad the lead, and the NL rule that forces pitchers to “bat” until it all complexly parlayed into another 6th inning flow of LA scoring momentum that would gain them just enough lead and confidence to take the game and the day – and also leave them looking forward to Game 7 with a few braggadocio shouts of a guaranteed World Series victory for LA in Game 7.

Now the Astros face the daunting task of taking on a giant Dodger Blue ball of momentum that shall be rolling down upon them tonight behind the rediscovered full cadre of pitches that Yu Darvish has to offer the plight of winning, as Clayton Kershaw stands behind him, hoping with all the power of compulsivity to get in there and experience one strong shot at redemption from his Houston meltdown in Game 5.

The Scoring in Game 6

Top of 3rd, HOU:

Hill pitching for Los Angeles
Reddick popped out to center fielder Taylor.
Verlander struck out.
Springer homered to right on a 1-0 count.
Bregman grounded out, shortstop Seager to first baseman Bellinger.
1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors

Bottom of 6th, LA: 

Verlander pitching for Houston
Barnes singled to left.
Utley was hit by a pitch, Barnes to second.
Taylor doubled to right, Barnes scored, Utley to third.
Seager hit a sacrifice fly to right fielder Reddick, Utley scored, Taylor to third.
Turner fouled out to first baseman Gurriel.
Bellinger struck out.
2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors

Bottom of 7th, LA:

Musgrove pitching for Houston
Musgrove pitching.
Puig popped out to shortstop Correa.
Pederson homered to left on a 1-2 count.
Ethier pinch-hitting for Maeda.
Ethier popped out to left fielder Ma.González.
Barnes struck out.
1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors

Final Score: Los Angeles Dodgers 3 – Houston Astros 1.

The Game Five Hangover Malaise

In the ebb and flow of mass crowd human emotion, the biggest fear sometimes is the malaise that entraps the celebrants on the heels of victory. That descending (calming down) malaise is what causes the lack of fire in a team’s performance within 48 hours. Well, guess what, folks. It happened to the Houston Astros last night. Hope someone over there on the Houston side recognizes the fact and takes the time to remind the ‘Stros who they really are.

Now we have to hope that we see early signs tonight from our offense that we’ve let go of the lull and are now ready to finish the job that didn’t get done last night.

Go Astros in Game 7! ~You can do it! ~ Get off the deck and knock LA into the next block for good! ~ You still have that punch within you,  just waiting for delivery!

********************

Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

Tags:
Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments »

Game 6: A Halloween Astros Ghostbusters’ Dream

October 31, 2017

“We are the Ghosts of Games 2 and 5! Would you Astros fans care to dodge us, one more time?”
**********
“You bet we do and will!”

 

The Dream That Makes Speculation A Waste

It’s the one we Astros fans already hold:

  1. The Astros bats come out hot and heavy in the first couple of innings and string a 5-run 1st and a 4-run 2nd into a 9-0 lead, going into the 3rd inning.
  2. Astros starter Justin Verlander strikes out 5 of the 6 first Dodgers he faces and heads into the 3rd with a no-hitter.
  3. The ‘Stros add 2 runs each to their score in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th innings. The inflating score is now 15-0, Astros
  4. Verlander continues with a perfect game through the 5th – and now has a total of 10 punch-outs to boot.
  5. A little past half way, the Astros pen is quiet; the Dodgers pen is flowing like a weary Congo Dance line.
  6. Astros fans get to watch in a building state of anticipatory joy. There is none of the gripping apprehension and gulping disappointment that put us all through the ringer constantly in Game Five. We are now, every dad gum one of us, simply, but glowingly, all sailing into the beckoning texture of a rainbow-lighted finish line at the Pearly Gates of our 2017 club’s voyage into the Great Hall of World Series Baseball Champions – and we are entering to stake out a can’t-miss-it first space of honor for the Houston Astros.
  7. Verlander finally gives up a 7th inning “whoops hit” in the form of a swinging bunt lead-off single down the 3rd base line by the scruffy looking Dodger with the unruly red beard and hair, but the Astros ace quickly makes up for it by striking out the next three men he faces.
  8. Verlander pitches the 8th and 9th, stronger than ever. He finishes the day with a yield of 0 runs, 1 hit, 22 strike outs, and 0 walks, a World Series pitching win, a World Series trophy for his team, and a World Series ring for himself and each of his teammates. The final score is a record shattering 24-0, Astros over Dodgers.
  9. The Astros also set another World Series single game record of 9 home runs when each member of the starting lineup (Springer, Bregman, Altuve, Correa, Gurriel, Gattis, Gonzalez, Reddick, and McCann all hit for the circuit in Game Five. *
  • Amendment: Reader Paul English brought my attention to the fact that I had been wishing here for a “DH” homer in my original expression. Now we need to make this singular change to the identity of the hitter of that 9th Astros homer in Game 6 tonight. It cannot be DH Evan Gattis because there is no DH in the NL game and Brian McCann is the catcher. Now the 9th HR is struck by, who else, our great starting pitcher ace, – without whom, there wouldn’t even be a big Game Six coming up tonight – the one and only Justin Verlander!

The Options to Disaster and Meltdown

If the unthinkable happens tonight, the Astros still can save their championship hopes with a Wednesday win in Game 7 at LA. – But where does pitching come from?

If Verlander were to bomb or injure early?

Bring in Morton. Then go back to Musgrove, if need be.

If Verlander were to tire or need 2-inning save help late?

Relent in a pinch. Bring in McCullars for short help at closing.

If there is a need for Game 7?

Start Morton and hope he goes 5.  Leave him in for as long as he seems up to shutting them down.  Then bring in the fresh or little used McCullars – or use Keuchal.

Don’t give the ball to Giles, Harris, Devenski, Gregerson, or Liriano, if more help is needed. If it is, go to a more rested Peacock or Musgrove.

Just Easy Guesses.

As per usual, Astros Manager A.J Hinch gets to do the expensive decision-making here. And deservedly so.

C’mon, Astros! ~ Bring home our first World Series victory this Halloween Night!

And try not to make the ride anymore scary than it has to be!

 

********************

Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

Tags:
Posted in Baseball | 2 Comments »

The Most Off-and-Over the Wall Game Ever

October 31, 2017

How Game Four of the 2017 World Series Played Out in the Mind’s Eye.

 

How Game Five of the 2017 World Series Played Out in the Mind’s Eye.

 

After seventy years of attentive focus upon how the professional game of baseball is played, I had never seen anything like Game Five of the 2017  World Series in my life. Ever.

Oh yeah, as Post-WW2 kids, we did this sort of the thing on the Houston sandlots on a daily basis, but, jeez, these were the heavyweights of professional baseball in 2017, playing on the highest, brightest, most respected, tradition-rich stage that baseball has to offer. It isn’t supposed to work out that this way. Good pitching is supposed to stop good hitting, and this game featured two former Cy Young starters, one of whom (Kershaw) is still regarded as the greatest starter in the game today.

Neither Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers or Dallas Keuchel of the Astros got through the first 5 innings; both were bombed; and both suffered from poor defense. It was an ebb and flood evening of hitting monsters, ones who had come to the park this night to do bad things to good people on the other side who entered this battle with the small case “p” printed at the end of their last names in the box score. It was a night that could have shifted easily to the Halloween date. These monsters had shown up early to capitalize on the endless stream of uncapitalized “p” bodies that zombied their over-worked arms through the pit of misery that the MMP pitching mound had become for their kind this haunting night in baseball history.

Pressure and over-use sucked energy from pitchers like the bite of the vampire sucks blood from the living. The big-boppers-of-baseball-bashing then monstered their ways over pitchers whose low energy and high anxiety served up home run pitches like grab-and-go doughnuts from the Shipley’s drive-by window.  Less favored, but last resort pitchers began to parade into the game from the pens like so many mummy-paced zombies and – as for any real closers – they were only present as invisible men among the house of many wolfman-maned batters. And the scruffiest of those was both scraggly redheaded and all decked out in Dodger blue. What a cast – and it only missed Halloween by a couple of earlier time days.

The malevolent baseball gods were equivalently undermining to the large and small “p” men this night. Orange. Blue. It didn’t seem to matter. If a “p” man could throw a baseball, he could hit a bat in motion that would turn that baby around and send it soaring into the farthest home run regions of Minute Maid Park.

Three times in Game Five, twice for the Astros and once for the Dodgers, teams drew back into ties on the heels of 3-run homers.

In the end, it was the sound of Alex Bregman’s bat in the bottom of the 10th with two outs. A single to left center was in motion and pinch runner Derek Fisher was well into the final 180 feet run that would end the blood spilling, at least, for this game. Around third came Fisher, sliding easily into home long before the ball arrived for a no-chance play.

Game over. Astros, win 13-12, in a five plus hours game. Astros now lead the 2017 World Series pursuit, 3 games to 2, over the LA Dodgers.

We take nothing for granted, but we raise our cups in a toast of hope!

Dilly! Dilly!

 

************

Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

Tags:
Posted in Baseball | 4 Comments »

My First World Series Game

October 29, 2017

Los Angeles Dodgers @ Houston Astros
October 28, 2017, Game Four

Jose Altuve at the Plate, 1st Inning, Game Four
He grounded out, 4-3. (Photo by Sam Quintero)

 

My First World Series Game ….

….. took almost eighty years to happen.

…. came about as Game Four of the Dodgers vs. Astros match in Houston on October 28, 2017.

…. only happened because of a special invitation from my good friend, Dr. Sam Quintero.

…. sadly for us Astros fans, was lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers. 6-2.

In spite of the Astros loss, I shall never forget the emotional high that came with “just being there”, nor will I ever fail to reflect on the sweet generosity of my “dear friend and buddy Sam” – anytime I now think or write about the Baseball World Series, the Fall Classic, or the greatest competitive championship challenge in all American team sports. They all are one and the same in our hearts and minds. They are – the World Series!

Bill McCurdy and Sam Quintero
World Series Game Four
Minute Maid Park, Houston
October 28, 2017

********************

Dodgers taking batting practice prior to Game Four

Disappointments …

The Giveaway Aspect. Game Four was not a “winnable game lost”. It was a “winnable game given away” by the use of “closer” Ken Giles in the top of the 9th and the score tied 1-1. The resulting loss knocked the Astros out of their big chance for a 3-1 Series lead and the possibility of closure on the whole world championship goal tonight – here at home in Houston.

Even as we saw the change unfolding during his warm up pitches, many of our minds were muttering already in early apprehension. Even though earlier times for Giles were recalled as non-World Series situations, we all recalled what he had failed to do in the past under pressure – and we already knew all of his post-game apologies to the team by heart. We did not want to hear them again, but that’s exactly what we feared lay ahead as he prepared to appear in Game Four.

And I’ll be damned if that isn’t pretty much exactly what happened.

Happy and Civil Dodger fans abounded. at Game Four, especially as it ended in a 6-2 LA win.

The World Series is Not a Rehab Hospital for Closer Self Esteem. We all are human. And sometimes we humans need to go away somewhere and rebuild our self-esteem. But, if you are a big league closer with self-esteem issues, the World Series is not the place you go to work them out. The World Series, every pitch of the World Series, is the critical moment that all worthy clubs play the long seasons and playoff runs to reach. Screw up there – and there are no do-overs. Any way you slice it, the World Series is NOT the place to overcome old personal demons at the risk of robbing others of their club accomplishment dreams.

 

********************

Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

 

 

Tags:
Posted in Baseball | 6 Comments »

Game 3: Two Half Game Starters Works Again!

October 28, 2017

A.J. HINCH
Manager
HOUSTON ASTROS

 

A.J. Hinch did it again!

By design, quiet sub-conscious self-utterance, or simply by effect, the Astros have brought home a win this playoff season by manager A.J. Hinch’s use of two starters in two half-game-each outings. The first time came in the ALCS Boston Series in which Hinch used Morton for 5.0 innings and McCullers for 4.0 innings to knock off the Red Sox. This time the came over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Three of the World Series as McCullers this time worked 5.1 innings and Peacock followed brilliantly for 3.2 stanzas – in almost the same outs-split. – In each game, the first pitcher up got the win and the second man took credit for a long and dutiful “save”  for his mound partner and team.

One could argue in favor of coincidence here and write the whole thing off to an appearance of two long saves by a second long-relief pitcher who won critical games for his Astros club.

Maybe. Maybe not.

As we’ve written previously, and quite recently, we think that this sort of game could be an evolutionary next development in the historical use of starters.

A crude look at the history of starting pitcher psychology will suffice to suggest what may be coming next – and, thanks to Mr. Hinch, may already be here:

  1. Iron Man Starters: “Give them the ball and get the hell out of the way.” Old Hoss Radbourn, Iron Man McGinnity, Walter Johnson (19th century to somewhere in the 1920s.)
  2. Relief Pitchers Become Respectable: (Wilcy Moore) Jazz Age starters needed relief from the daily onslaught of night-time living, day-time working, and hangovers, etc.
  3. Relief Pitching Specialists (Bruce Sutter, etc.) Mid-20th century to 21st century saw the advent of relief pitcher specialists (early/late, long/short, set-up/closer, etc.)
  4. Analytic Determinations begin to induce Pitch-Counting, and Shorter Expectations for How Long a Starter Should Go per game; (21st Century Analytics begins to shape pitching.)
  5. Now we have pitchers whose psychological grasp of a complete game is closer to 5 than it is 9 innings.

…. So, here it comes …. Why not take two of these really good “5 innings-is-a-CG” conditioned-mind pitchers and start them serially together to cover the full 9 innings of the same game. Let them fend for themselves without throwing in other “relief” pitchers to further lower their expectations of themselves in matters of endurance. The goal is to find combos of two guys who can work together to win a 9 inning game as one man alone used to go about the same task.

And we’ll see. But that seems to be very much what Mr. Hinch is both trying to do – and on the road to getting it done – as the next evolution in pitcher usage. We don’t see the end of the one-man starter, but if the two-man approach works in some instances, why not use it? Frankly, I thought Peacock pitched like a man who didn’t want to let his predecessor McCullers down last night. We can’t know that to be true, but we can know this much: Something was pumping Peacock to new heights in Game Three – and whether that was just being in a World Series, we will never know for sure. At any rate, Peacock’s caring, control, or a sense of confidence in his own abilities riding to a new high doesn’t really matter so much today. What matters is – Brad Peacock was pitching in Game Three like King Kong in the early 1930s movie, when he punched out that elevated train he saw coming at him, deep in the heart of the big city.

And what a great place to carry out this kind of research Astros Manager Hinch has chosen – smack dab in the middle of this very exciting World Series!

 

********************

Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

 

Tags:
Posted in Baseball | 1 Comment »

Bill Gilbert: Astros Win Game Two with 4 HR

October 27, 2017

Bill Gilbert’s Special Report on Game Two of the 2017 World Series.

 

Astros Win Game Two with Four Home Runs

By Bill Gilbert

 

In a game that will likely be remembered as a classic, the Houston Astros evened the 2017 World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers at one game apiece with a 7-6 win at Dodger Stadium in eleven innings. There were eight home runs in the game, four for each team, including five in extra innings which had not been done before. It was the first win of a World Series game for the Astros in their 56-year history.

The game was almost identical to the first game through the first six innings with the Dodgers taking a 3-1 lead on a walk followed by a two-run homer, this time by Corey Seager. It was the first time Justin Verlander had given up three runs in a game in the 10 games he has pitched since arriving in Houston on August 31. It was the first game in which he did not pick up a win and he was in line for the loss even though he only gave up two hits, but both were home runs.

Rich Hill pitched four strong innings as the Dodger starter before being removed against his will, a move that Manager Dave Roberts may regret since he ended up using all eight of the pitchers in his bullpen including his top two relievers who were out of the game before the extra innings.

Astro bats were largely silent for the first game and the first seven innings of game two before breaking out in a barrage of four home runs in the next four innings by Marwin Gonzalez, Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and George Springer. The Dodgers seemed to be in control entering the 9th inning with a one-run lead and their ace closer, Kenley Jansen, on the mound. However, in an unlikely turn of events, Gonzalez hit an 0-2 pitch from Jansen into the stands to tie the game and send it into extra innings.

The Astros wasted no time taking the lead in the 10th inning when Altuve and Correa led off the inning with back-to-back home runs off former Astro, Josh Fields. However, Ken Giles was unable to hold the two-run lead, allowing a home run to Yasiel Puig and a game-tying single to another former Astro, Kike Hernandez.

The home run barrage wasn’t over. In the eleventh inning, George Springer hit a two run homer off of the Dodgers eighth relief pitcher, Brandon McCarthy. It was then up to Chris Devenski to protect the lead in the bottom of the inning. The Dodgers led off with their two best hitters, Seager and Justin Turner. Devenski retired Seager on a long drive to center field and Turner on a line drive to third base. That left it up to utility infielder, Charlie Culberson, who had only two major league hits in the regular season and five in the post-season. He unexpectedly hit a home run and ran around the bases waving his arms as if he had just won or at least tied the game. However, the Astros still had a one-run lead with Puig at the plate. Puig worked a nine-pitch at-bat before striking out on a changeup from Devenski to end the game with an Astro win.

If Game 2 is an indicator, this should be a very interesting World Series as the Astros return to Houston for three games this weekend with J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch Friday night.

 

Bill Gilbert

10/27/17

 

********************

Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

Tags:
Posted in Baseball | Leave a Comment »

Pre-Game 3 Notes and Reflections

October 27, 2017

Altuve #1

Correa #2

Puig #3

Springer #4

Culberson #5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Break-Out Game for Five World Series Extra Inning Homers

World Series Game Two was something of a break-out game for extra inning homers. Reader/Contributor Fred Soland wrote us the next day to pass on this information:

“Bill, there was another rarity that occurred in last night’s (second) game (of the World series). Prior to last night, there had been a total of 17 home runs hit in extra innings, forever. However, last night alone, there were 5 home runs hit in extra innings, in fact, in a span of 42 minutes. Pretty crazy stuff last night.” ~ Fred Soland, Reader/Contributor, The Pecan Park Eagle.

We haven’t yet verified the report with Baseball Reference, but we trust the undocumented source in this instance. Fred, if you have validation source data, please pass it along to us and we will reference it here to your report.

We all probably know the five different batters who did the overtime muscle work in Game Two extra frames, especially the three Astro mashers. As a group, they were Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and George Springer of the Astros – and the irrepressible Yasiel Puig and Charlie Culberson of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

********************

We may be wrong, but we think the Blum World Series Homer in that 2005 win in Game 3 for the White Sox over the Astros has been immortalized in Chicago.

A Houston-Regrettable Extra Inning World Series Home Run

It happened on October 25, 2005 at Minute Maid Park in the 14th inning of World Series Game Three. White Sox batter Geoff Blum, the same cuddly fellow who now calls Houston home as the lovable “Blummer” member of our Astros TV broadcast team, came up to the plate and popped a solo home run over the right field wall. Blum’s homer gave the Chicago White Sox a one-run lead and the momentum to add another before they were retired. The Astros fell quickly in the bottom of the 14th, dropping to 0-3 in the Series and well on their way to a final sweep into defeat the next day.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/1259616//

*********************

 

Dr. Sam Quintero
**********
HOUSTON STRONG

Dr. Sam Quintero Represents SABR in the Pre-Game Flag Ceremony Prior to Game Three Tonight

For the second time in this 2017 Playoff Season, Dr. Sam Quintero of UH and the Larry Dierker Chapter of SABR will serve as one of the 100 volunteers who will present the giant American and Texas flags prior to Game Three and the start of live World Series action at Minute Maid Park tonight, Friday, October 27, 2017. Thank you for your service, Dr. Quintero! – Who you are – and what you stand for – is both supported and honored itself by all of us who value our American flag as the protector of freedoms that exist nowhere else on earth as they do here.

We may never be perfect, but we’ll never stop trying to get there. Liberty and Justice for All is the standard. Nothing less will do. And we-will-get-there – with people like Dr. Sam Quintero showing the way by his everyday service as a giving citizen and contributing member of our Houston community.

The man doesn’t just give by holding the flag. He gives by living it through his local contributions of being himself on a daily basis. When you think of “Houston Strong”, think of Dr. Sam Quintero. You will have a better handle on the meaning of the term.

Opening Day 2017
**********
Minute Maid Park
**********
The Pre-Game Flag

GO, ASTROS! ~ OUR TIME IS NOW! ~ ONE GAME AT A TIME!

Go get ’em in Game Three, Lance McCullers! And keep those bats hot and the hits raining heavy, Mr. Altuve and Company!

You guys can do it! ~ We, your fans, believe in you all the way!

 

********************

Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

Tags:
Posted in Baseball | 4 Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »