I started watching the World Series.
As a child of the one television decade, with no remote, and parents who controlled the viewing choices, I think I was just along for the ride. I was rooting for the L.A. Dodgers that year and their All Star pitcher Orel Hershiser.
When you don't have a local team in the hunt for a championship it is hard to be fully vested in the outcome. I vaguely remember the hype from the 1979 World Series, being that I was all of 5-years-old. The guys from that team - I felt like they were part of my family.
Teke Tekulve, Willie Stargell, Omar Moreno, Ed Ott. Yes, Ed Ott, I remember him because of my brother's baseball card collection. I used to help him organize his cards from teams all over Major League Baseball. I knew more about baseball in the early 80's than I do now.
It is a shame it has been 40 years since Pittsburgh had the best baseball team in the land. It is a shame that a sprinkling of postseason appearances, since then, is all Pirates fans have had to sustain themselves. But there have been many familiar faces making contributions, this 2019 postseason, with their new teams hoping to make it to the big show: Mark Melancon with the Atlanta Braves, Russell Martin with the L.A. Dodgers and Charlie Morton with the Tampa Bay Rays. Memories.... like the corner of my mind. Misty water-colored memories of the players we had.
But the greatest storyline of all is the journey of Geritt Cole. Our guy who was traded back in January of 2018 and now look at him. He pitched seven innings Sunday night - striking out nine and allowing just three hits to help lead his Houston Astros to a 7-1 victory against the Washington Nationals. His success is something a Pirates fan can get behind. But it also begs the question - why couldn't that be us?
This World Series, for me, was something I was drawn to because it was comprised of some relatively new faces. The two teams who played have four World Series appearances combined since 1903 versus the 40 for the New York Yankees or the 20 for the San Francisco Giants.
Even though the Houston Astros won the world championship just two years ago, this series marks only their 3rd appearance. And for the Washington Nationals , this is their first appearance as a rebranded team established in 2005 - the former Montreal Expos who were founded in 1969. (I noticed some fans in the stands wearing Expos jerseys which was a nice nostalgic touch.)
It is nice to root for teams who don't go to the dance every couple years. I like to root for the underdog - teams that could be on par with my home team if things were - let's just say - a little more focused on making a better team instead of making another dollar. But that is a discussion for people more qualified than myself.
I was rooting for the Astros for a couple of reasons. 1. Going back to those days of yore and my brother's baseball cards, I remember loving Nolan Ryan wearing the awesome Astros jersey with the Lone Star and orange stripes on the front. 2. I have been to Houston. I visited friends, for a total of 36 hours, a few years back and I liked what I saw and wished I could have stayed longer. Heck, I even had a beer with a cowboy at the airport. (But that's a story for another day.)
One of my Houston friends has been quite vocal about supporting his Astros and, since I was rooting for the same team, we enjoyed texting back and forth throughout the series. After the first two Astros losses, I provided encouragement saying "I'm not worried." By Sunday night he was texting me about plane tickets so I could attend the victory parade. I told him that was a bit premature, but he said he was only looking at the economics of waiting to buy a ticket.
Either team deserved the win in my opinion. They were that good. I love that I have learned the names of some new players - Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Anthony Rendon. These guys take a distant second to Dave Parker, Lee Lacy and John Candelaria, but I really liked watching them on the field. I admire their talent and their reactions when they make a great play. I like that Altuve reminded me of my youngest, the way he bounces around the bases.
Looks like I don't need a ticket to Houston now that my Astros have lost and I do have a friendly Dunkin Donut wager with my 8-year-old to honor. But it's been a fun ride and a great display of what baseball can be. As the winds of change swirl around our Buccos, may they usher in a rebirth that helps our boys of summer become a family that has reason to celebrate once again.
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