Houston looking ahead after winning 1st ever World Series
HOUSTON — The celebration is over for the Houston Astros after winning their first World Series last season.
They don’t want to think or talk about 2017. And they certainly aren’t dwelling on their big win.
The Astros believe the only way to build on their success is by winning again in 2018.
“These guys are not satisfied with what happened and they want to ... take a great team and make it legendary,” general manager Jeff Luhnow said. “We’re a great team, with great accomplishments. We’re not legendary yet. And I think they all desire to be legendary.”
That sentiment was on display on Wednesday when the team’s marketing department unveiled the theme for the season of: “Never Settle,” words that will adorn their website, Twitter account and ballpark.
“The plan that Jim Crane had in 2011 when he hired me and bought this team was to get the Astros relevant as soon as possible and then win multiple championships,” Luhnow said of the Astros’ owner. “So we’re on our way to our goal. We certainly by no stretch have achieved it.”
Houston returns almost everyone from the team that beat the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the title and is confident the Astros will contend again this year. Luhnow said he isn’t really concerned about any area and that injuries are the only thing that he feels like can derail another deep run.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Tennis fans anxiously awaiting Serena Williams’ return to competitive tennis will have to wait one more day.
Williams won’t be playing in either of Saturday’s Fed Cup singles matches as she makes her comeback five months after becoming a mother. Williams teams up with Lauren Davis to face Lesley Kerkhove and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands in Sunday’s doubles match.
“It’s definitely the start of a long process,” Williams said. “Physically, I feel good. Every day, I get better and I get stronger. That’s just something I always keep telling myself every day, I have to get better.”
Williams, 36, hasn’t played an official match since winning the 2017 Australian Open. Williams later revealed she was pregnant during that tournament.
Although Williams isn’t scheduled to play any singles matches this weekend, that could change. U.S. captain Kathy Rinaldi has the right to change her Sunday lineup after Saturday’s play.
“We’ll wait and see how tomorrow goes and then we’ll make our adjustments, if any,” Rinaldi said Friday.
The U.S. will have Venus Williams take on Arantxa Rus and CoCo Vandeweghe will face Richel Hogerkamp on Saturday as it opens its Fed Cup title defense. Sunday’s scheduled singles matches have Venus Williams facing Hogerkamp and Vandeweghe taking on Rus.
But this weekend’s headline is the return of Serena Williams, who participated in a Dec. 30 exhibition match but otherwise hasn’t played since that 2017 Australian Open. Serena Williams