By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

The Houston Astros won a terrific World Series beating the favorite Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games. The first ever World Series title for Houston in their 56th year of existence, by beating the Dodgers in Los Angeles 5-1 in game seven. Astros center-fielder George Springer won the MVP. He hit five home runs in this series tying Reggie Jackson (1977) and Chase Utley (2009) for the most home runs in World Series history. It is only fitting that the player with the most home runs this World Series wins the Most Valuable Player. After all this 2017 regular season a new home run record was established with 6,105.

Jim Crane owner of the Astros received the trophy from Commissioner Manfred and said “This is for the city of Houston”. A great story and exactly what that city needed after hurricane Harvey and all the suffering people endured in one of America’s largest cities.

The Astros were the #1 team in runs scored this year in baseball, also they were the team that struck out the least among all 30 clubs. They put the ball in play during this series, and got to the stronger bullpen (among the two teams),the Dodgers bullpen. The Dodger hitters suffered from a lack of contact specially with runners in scoring position, and that was he biggest difference. Baseball is a game of opportunity, the Astros delivered the Dodgers did not.

From 2011 to 2013 the Astros lost 100 or more games each year. In 2014 the Sports Illustrated cover predicted that the Astros were going to win the

World Series in 2017 and they totally hit the jackpot with that prediction. It was even sweeter for the Astros since in 2005, their first ever appearance in a World Series they never won a game, Ozzie Guillen’s Chicago White Sox swept them.

In the year of the home run, a record 104 were hit during this Astros vs Dodgers World Series.

The Astros had to beat the Dodgers with the best record in MLB this season 104-58. For the Dodgers it was their first World Series appearance since 1988, when they scored a huge upset over the Oakland Athletics who ironically also won 104 games during that 1988 season. Both the Astros and Dodgers this season won over 100 games. The first time two teams went over the century mark in wins advancing to a World Series in the past 86 years.

There is little doubt in my mind that these two teams will be favorites to win at least their divisions again next season. The Astros, have one of the youngest and most talented group of players in baseball with the most likely to win the AL MVP second baseman Jose Altuve, lead off and center fielder George Springer, shortstop Carlos Correa, third baseman Alex Bregman and first baseman Yuliesky Gurriel. A very good pitching staff that was headed the second half of the season and into the World Series by Justin Verlander, plus Dallas Keuchel, and some great seasons for guys like Charlie Morton who pitched 4 1/3 innings in relief winning game #7 in front of a sellout crowd at Dodger Stadium.

There is no doubt that one the main reasons the Astros won was because they go to the Dodgers bullpen (superior than the Astros) and Astros hitters exhibited the great patience at the plate,and great individual at bats, something very unusual for a very young group of players.

Brian McCann veteran catcher, on his first year with the young Astros was solid behind the plate during all seven games and deserves a lot of credit for the way he called the games and his leadership overall. Working games in the American League with the A’s and the Angels I have seen this Astros team and I am not surprised at all why they were victorious at the end. They were the best team I saw during the regular season and now they are the Champions.

This is very good for the City of Houston. They needed something positive, something to celebrate after a very rough 2017.

Let the parade in downtown Houston begin!

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio talent for the A’s, the Spanish radio talent for the Angels, and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com