Why you don’t hug Wall after an Astros win
Rapping superfan shares game day rituals, superstitions
After the Astros took game seven of the American League Championship Series, a hyperelated Paul Wall declared that he’d have custom World Series grills — the jewel-encrusted dental wear, not the cooking device — made for any of the players who wanted one. “I don’t expect to hear from them ’til after the series,” the Houston rapper says. “They have more important things to do right now.”
Just having coined the phrase “World Series grills” would be enough.
Wall is among the city’s biggest cheerleaders. And while he digs all the local sports teams, the Astros are his favorite dating back to childhood games with his mother. So between making plans for a few dozen World Series grills and watching games, Wall also has been making music. He thinks his new album, “Hall of Fame Hustler,” should be out before year’s end. But he’d like to offer a free mixtape first because “after the hurricane hit, people still want to jam out but their money ain’t right.” So look for “Bounce Backs Over Setbacks” in the near future.
Wall took a few minutes to talk about his history rooting for the Astros.
Q: So take me back to the beginning of your fandom.
A: I grew up going to games and sitting in the dollar seats. A dollar or two is all my mom could afford. She was a big baseball fan. My grandfather was in the military, so they moved around. She saw Hank Aaron play in San Francisco. So she liked taking me to games, usually against the Giants. So I saw Bobby Bonds, which was a big deal. My son was born April 18, 2006, right before Barry Bonds and the Giants passed through. He was about to pass Babe Ruth for home runs. So I took him to the game. He wasn’t going to remember it, but years later he could brag to everybody that he was there when he was two weeks old.
Q: Do you remember the first game you saw?
A: No, I don’t, I just remember sitting in the nosebleeds. We’d work down as low as we could. Baseball’s always been part of my life. I love all sports, but baseball’s my favorite. I know a lot of people like to see the big action, the home runs and the hits. I personally prefer to watch the pitchers play well. That’s my favorite position to watch. Especially now that the Astros have some badass pitchers.
Q: Any superstition or game day ritual?
A: I do. I have a good friend who cooks delicious food. His name is Mexican Mike. He always cooks his lucky bacon-wrapped jalapeño peppers stuffed with sausage. They almost always win when he cooks these. … There’s a whole group that gets together for Astros crunch-and-munch. There’s White Mike, Black Mike, there’s Brown Mike, too. Mexican Mike, I already said. Fat Mike and Big Mike. There’s a few others. Also I have a personal ritual where if they win a game I don’t change my underwear until they lose.
Q: Do the rituals help? Or are you an anxious game day guy?
A: Man, good years and rough years there’s anxiety. Me and my wife got married in October 2005. Monday was our anniversary. So we got married and had a honeymoon scheduled for Jamaica. But we canceled that when the Astros got to the World Series. My nerves were so bad.
Q: There were some lean years after that.
A: Yeah, man. It was tough. But now it seems like a dream world to me. A series match up with the Dodgers and ’Stros? That’s great. I’m happy about it. Even their guys, Clayton Kershaw’s from Dallas, and he’s a good guy. But I love our group of guys. It doesn’t feel like they’re a fluke. Even the up and down with the Yankees, it felt like they had a shot at winning. Same thing now.
Q: It’s still a game designed to break your heart.
A: I know, but I love these guys. I feel like they’re big on teamwork and not their stats. They’re just living their dreams, which is what I’m doing. Sure there are bad times. Like Pujols and Lidge (referencing a home run St. Louis’ Albert Pujols hit off Astros’ Brad Lidge in the 2005 National League Championship Series). Man, I was sitting adjacent to the Crawford Boxes in the front row. I felt like that ball went right in front of my face. That home run, I felt like I watched it in slow motion. It’s tough to see a pitcher struggle. But I’m hopeful for this team. They seem to love what they do, but they’re also there to do a job.