Houston celebrates Astros’ success
The Houston Astros are American League champions and will play their third World Series in five years. And their fans know and recognize that they have the most consistent team in baseball in recent years.
Since the 27th out of the Championship Series, in which they eliminated the Boston Red Sox in six games, hundreds, perhaps thousands of people have been coming in and out of the Astros’ official merchandise store at Minute Maid Park.
The team is even holding a big event called the “24 Hour World Series Team Store Bash,” where in addition to selling souvenirs of the league title or the ticket to the Fall Classic, which will begin on Tuesday, there are autograph signings with former players, raffles for store cards, music, balloons and much more.
The lines to enter the store on Saturday morning went around the corner and people waited patiently, because they are also aware that the store cannot be at maximum capacity due to the social distancing caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.
“I arrived very early with the family and here we are waiting for them to let us in,” said Francisco Ruiz, a Mexican resident of Houston, who was formed accompanied by his wife and two children. “After everything this team has been through and the pressure they’ve been under, this will be the World Series we’re all going to enjoy the most in this city.”
This will be the fourth trip in franchise history, including the 2019 and 2017 World Series, in which they were crowned Major League champions. They were also there in 2005, but as representatives of the National League. On that occasion they were swept by the Chicago White Sox.
Now, the Astros await the winner of the National League Championship Series, which as of Saturday before Game 6, leads the Atlanta Braves 3-2 over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
If the Braves are crowned, the Astros will host the first two games of the World Series; if it’s the Dodgers, then the Major League title contest will begin in Los Angeles. In both cases, it will be Tuesday night.
“It doesn’t matter the winner,” Houston first baseman Yuli Gurriel said. “We know we can compete and we have a chance to win against whoever. That’s the way it’s been all season. Nobody expected us to get this far and few believe we’re going to be champions. We’ll see…”
Since 2017, the Astros have played more postseason games than any other team in the Majors (66) and have also posted more wins (39-27, .591) than any other organization, tied with the Dodgers.
“We are proud of our Astros,” commented Mabel Rivera. “In these times they have brought us happiness that our city needs so much.”
