BRIAN T. SMITH
Astros, city cement their bond with a parade for the ages
Unsung heroes like Charlie Morton are among the many reasons for Friday’s parade of dreams.
I t was George Springer lifting up a shining World Series trophy for an orange-and-blue city to see. Carlos Correa, Dallas Keuchel and Jim Crane standing with Mayor Sylvester Turner in the same confetti-covered firetruck.
Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell proudly sitting together like kids, then Biggio standing in downtown Houston with his arms raised toward the sky.
Screams and cheers. Endless photos. And so many people, with some standing in trees and others turning parking garages into perfect viewing stations.
“This team will always be remembered as the 2017 World Series champions. They can’t take that away from any of us,” Springer said Friday, as the Astros celebrated their first world title in franchise history.
It was bigger than I imagined and so packed that trying to cross certain city streets was literally impossible.
But two days after Game 7 in Los Angeles was also about Chris Devenski reaching a stage and seeing a scene that once seemed unobtainable.
Devenski was part of first-time world champs that spent early October through the first day of November taking down the Red Sox, Yankees and Dodgers. A key member of a team forever in Houston’s hearts — and a champion that now had a parade worthy of the feat.
“It’s tough to believe,” the Astros reliever said. “I always imagined something like this happening. But sometimes I felt like imagination can only take you so far. … For it to really happen is unbelievable.”
Then there was Charlie Morton, balancing his 4-year-old son Cam on his
lap, before the city opened up its streets and arms to the Astros.
“It still hasn’t sunk in yet that we won the whole thing. Obviously, I know we did. But the ramifications and that reality hasn’t really set in yet,” said Morton, whose son was soon bouncing around and dancing on a podium inside Minute Maid Park, while drawing smiles from Alex Bregman.
Houston’s baseball team doesn’t make it to the World Series without Aug. 31 and Justin Verlander.
But once the Astros arrived on baseball’s grandest stage, it took a final Game 7 push from a 33-year-old righthander to finally put the club over the top.
“This guy’s the biggest steal of the (last) offseason,” said Bregman, pointing toward a Game 7 winner who allowed just five hits and two earned runs in 101⁄3 World Series innings.
In hindsight, a big day
I remember the day the Astros signed Morton: Nov. 16, 2016. Baseball barely noticed; a two-year, $14 million deal was questioned by some and met with indifference by others. Two weeks away from a full year with the Astros, Morton was awaiting a parade that was 10 pro seasons — and, really, a lifetime — in the making.
He holds a 60-78 career record with a 4.41 ERA and had only won 10 games once before he reached 14 this season with his new team. Wednesday night in Los Angeles, Morton was A.J. Hinch’s perfect finishing piece. Friday in downtown Houston, his baseball life was peaking again.
“This is the best that we could have done,” Morton said.
Hinch initially took the trophy home with him and slept next to it, then brought it to breakfast as he joined Phil Garner.
Lance McCullers Jr. returned home from Los Angeles to find his street decorated with balloons, orange-and-blue streamers and No. 43 pumpkins.
“It means a lot to us as players,” he said. “But the city has waited so long and it had to endure so much heartbreak along the way. … To be able to bring the first championship to Houston is going to be forever special.”
Team rallies around its base
General manager Jeff Luhnow reflected on a lasting image: Astros fans watching the World Series inside a bare, gutted house that had been flooded during Hurricane Harvey.
“Every year we ask the city and the fan base to rally around the team,” Hinch said. “And it’s OK for a fan base to ask a team to rally around them. And I think I saw our players step up … and obviously gather some sort of energy, some extra motivation.
“We wore a patch — nothing better than Springer patting his chest when he hit the home run, after we’d come back from the hurricane. Somehow, some way that connects communities.”
Friday in downtown Houston was a parade 56 years in the making.
It was World Series stars lifting up a trophy for everyone to see.
Morton and Devenski reaching a stage that once seemed out of reach.
Bregman jokingly apologizing for being late to a news conference because he was taking selfies with fans — in traffic.
“The response from the city, the fans has been overwhelming,” McCullers said.
Then the people filled up their city, just to see their world champions.