Astros Win-Astros Win- Cold War Over
Let me explain the headline. I have a Houston Colt 45 s pennant in my office, which I bought at Colt Stadium in 1963. The Colts-Astros have been ne’er do-wells throughout my life. After the debacle in 1980, when the Astros lost to the Phillies in the National League championship playoff, I wondered which would come first– the end of the Cold War or an Astros pennant. I believed the West would win the Cold War, sometime in the 21st century. The Cold War ended in 1989. The Astros won a pennant in 2005. (Hmmm. Cold War: 1945-1989, forty-four years; first Astros pennant 1962-2005, forty-four seasons…)
A fanstastic finish? Yes. But the Astros –as the world knows by now– were 15 and 30 at the end of May. They were dead. The baseball cliche, “Never say die,” proves to be a baseball truth. There is no clock, only outs and innings. No doubt this Astros team benefited from the playoff scheme and the “wild card” berth, but the 1998 Astros team won 102 games and lost to teams with weaker season records. That’s modern baseball — division organizations and playoffs.
Roy Oswalt is the championship series MVP. He should be. Oswalt — if he were playing in New York of LA — would be the “new Clemens” in terms of media kudos and adulation. Actually, he is the new Clemens– ask Roger Clemens and Andy Pettite.
Go ‘Stros.
Now, I just have to convince my wife to let me spend $600-1500 for a single World Series ticket. Then I have to get Wednesday and Thursday off to drive to Houston (from Austin). And then, if Houston looks like they can win it in at home, I’ll have to stay in Houston a few extra days… I’m too excited to sleep right now…
Comment by Robbie — 10/19/2005 @ 11:28 pm
Remembering those hot, humid and mosquito infested nights at old Colt; stadium its finally over. I can’t believe its taken this long. The one major problem the Astro’s face is they do very poorly against pitchers they have never seen. How many times has some rookie pitched effectively against them. They are playing the best all around ball this season and hopefully it will continue. This is going to be one heck of a series.
Comment by Go Stros — 10/20/2005 @ 7:15 am
Tt’s great the astros won - but I think the white soxs deserve the world series. the redsoxs will be be back!
Comment by boston — 10/20/2005 @ 7:25 am
“as the world knows by now” might be just a “little” bit of an exageration!
Comment by Rob Read — 10/20/2005 @ 7:33 am
[…] uo; Myths About Gun Control The Astros won the pennant Austin Bay: “I wondered which would come first– the end of the Cold War or an Astros pen […]
Pingback by Project Nothing! » Blog Archive » The Astros won the pennant — 10/20/2005 @ 7:48 am
The first baseball game I ever saw was at Colt Stadium as well. Austin, I thought you were younger than that!
Comment by Buck Smith — 10/20/2005 @ 8:30 am
You have to like this series; no matter which team wins, some fans will have something to be seriously happy about.
Comment by Anonyfan — 10/20/2005 @ 8:31 am
Congratulations to the Astros. They’re the NL pennant winners, and going toe-to-toe with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. That said, I think the Brewers will get their second World Series appearance before the Astros do. What do you think?
Comment by HaroldHutchison — 10/20/2005 @ 9:21 am
The white sox deserve to win? How can you say that? Both teams, at least, deserve to win. The astros earned just as much as anyone. A cinderella season if there was any.
Comment by Rob — 10/20/2005 @ 11:20 am
“Best all-around basebal”??? You were speaking of the White Sox, right? Sox in Six! Better luck next year, ‘Stros!
Comment by 35th & Shields — 10/20/2005 @ 11:50 am
Austin: I have a Colt .45s cap I bought at the third game ever played at Colt Stadium on Thursday, April 12, 1962. The hat no longer fits my hog head, but I have a new replica cap I bought in Cooperstown. Forty-three years later, we’re going to the Series. Someone needs to break it to Mr. Hutchison that the Angels got beat by the White Sox.
Comment by Mark_Belt — 10/20/2005 @ 12:08 pm
Mr. Bay: I was rooting for the Astros to make it to the world series. They can’t hit. Looks like the Sox will have at least four more complete games in this series.
Comment by jerryofva — 10/20/2005 @ 1:24 pm
The hit that did the trick this year? Chris Burke’s 18th inning homer against Atlanta, propelling the Stros into the NLCS. That is almost certainly the greatest playoff game in history. The defensive play that did it this year? The double play that ended game 4 and put the Stros up 3-1. It was a slow grounder that had Everett the 2nd baseman moving hard to his left and the runner had a jump. He had to cock his body to make that throw, and STILL they turned it and got the man at 1st. I would have said it was impossible. An amazing 2nd half, an amazing playoff path… I’ll go ahead and type the word “destiny”… (doh! shouldn’t have done that)
Comment by dave — 10/20/2005 @ 3:11 pm
Communist-Baseball links abound! Interestingly enough, the White Sox haven’t been to the World Series since 1959, the same year Castro began ruining Cuba. Not only that, but the White Sox have 2 Cuban defectors in their starting rotation. Hopefully now that the ChiSox have made it, Castro will soon die along with his oppressive government.
Comment by Chi-Man — 10/20/2005 @ 3:26 pm
OK - yet another whose first game was at Colt Stadium. Yet another who was witness to the 16 inning marathon that broke our hearts in 1986 (it is the one I think was the greatest game ever - more swings than the 18-inning game this year). And yes, the 98 team with Randy Johnson is probably the best all-around team they ever had. But this is the one that made it to the top. I don’t think either team is clearly superior - so the team that plays to its capabilities most will win. Let’s just root for our teams.
Comment by Ron from Tyler — 10/20/2005 @ 3:53 pm
“… the Astros lost to the Phillies in the National League championship playoff,…” Best. Series. Ever.
Comment by N. O'Brain — 10/20/2005 @ 6:24 pm
Uh, Harold….what’s this about? “Congratulations to the Astros. They’re the NL pennant winners, and going toe-to-toe with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.” Think you counted your halos before they glowed or somethin’. Sox in six, though it was fine seeing the ‘Stros put down the putrid Cards. J.R. Richard must be smiling.
Comment by Chicago Tom — 10/21/2005 @ 11:22 am
Col. Bay: I wish I could go to Houston to see a game, but I’ll be in New York seeing Cream in their only USA show. At least I get to see of the things I have always wanted to see. Go ‘Stros!!!
Comment by Don Miguel — 10/21/2005 @ 12:13 pm
Re: #17 My mistake.
Comment by HaroldHutchison — 10/22/2005 @ 2:47 pm
My dad took me to my first ballgame at Colt Stadium for my sixth birthday in 1963. My two memories from that night: the mosquitos, and the view of the skeletal Astrodome rising from the parking lot next door, outlined against the sky at dusk.
Comment by Jeff — 10/22/2005 @ 4:31 pm
Another whose first game was with the .45s. I’ve caught lots of crap for bring my ‘Stros hat with me on TDYs and Deployments. I have a picture somewhere of me wearing a Colt .45 hat in Honduras in the early ’90s. The long wait is finally over! I wrote about this very thing on my blog. Too bad they didn’t take the first game last night, but…GO STROS!
Comment by Outlaw13 — 10/23/2005 @ 8:15 am