Last night I watched as the Houston Astros #EarnedHistory by winning their first World Series in franchise history. My heart was pounding during the bottom of the ninth as I waited on those last three outs.
Then I cheered, I cried and I danced around my living room in celebration.
I’ve been an Astros fan my whole life. I remember going to games from a young age and watching legends like the Killer Bs — Biggio, Bagwell and Berkman — play, watching Roger Clemens pitch with Brad Ausmus behind the plate. I learned baseball watching the Astros; I love baseball because I grew up in an Astros-loving family.
This win was well deserved after the years of 100+ loss seasons we endured to get here, to develop the team that would take us to, and win, the big dance. But the win is so much more than just the first World Series title the team brings home.
This win is for Houston, which has gone through so much and still has a long recovery ahead. This win is because of how resilient the team is — they’ve fought back through the adversity over the past few years, they fought through the slump around the middle of this season, they fought through a hurricane destroying their city. Not to mention they fought through the Red Sox, the Yankees and the Dodgers: All three powerhouse baseball programs.
Watching these games has brought Houston together and given them hope, something to take their minds off of the horrific damage caused by Hurricane Harvey. I saw pictures on social media last night of Houston residents watching the game from partially rebuilt homes.
The win was for Puerto Rico as well, home country of shortstop Carlos Correa who stood tall with a Puerto Rican flag draped over his shoulders as the commissioner presented the team with the trophy.
After Harvey, The Battalion ran an article about how sports brings people together after events like this. And it’s true. The Astros have worn the H-Strong patch on their jerseys since the hurricane hit and as Alex Bregman said in a postgame interview, the team played for Houston. This win is for the team, but also for the whole city of Houston.
I’ve been an Astros fan forever, so this win is something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. While I don’t remember the particular games from the 2005 World Series trip, I still wear the hat my dad bought the night they punched their ticket to the series. Now, I’ll get to wear a championship shirt.
Winning the World Series has been a long time coming for the ‘Stros and no team deserves it more than they do.
Gracie Mock is a Communication senior and Managing Editor for The Battalion.