Houston Astros: Three reasons why you’ll see the toughest October ever
The Decagon of Survivors
How grueling will it be? Let’s have Michael Buffer get us fired up.
And now, let’s look at the undercard bouts at the Wild Card.
Lightweight Wild Card Fight #1
Leading off, weighing in at a small 14 game-winning-streak that made the West the best division in baseball along with a former Astro. The Home NL Wild Card Contender Arizona Diamondbacks.
Their opponent, weighing in at a young team on the rise in talent and altitude where home runs and a Charlie will travel farther than your long distance call to your lover. The Visiting NL Wild Card Contender Colorado Rockies.
Lightweight Wild Card Fight #2
In the other fight, weighing in at surprising team that somehow held firm to their division before the real winner took it away. The Visiting AL Wild Card Contender Minnesota Twins.
And last, but certainly not least. Owning the tenth and final corner, weighing in at the team that needs no introduction other than to rise for the Judge in pinstripes and mystique. The Home AL Wild Card Contender New York Yankees.
Now, we introduce to you the fights already in store.
Middleweight Division Fight #1
In one corner, weighing in at 108 years of misery and heartbreak over and looking to avoid a similar fate. The NL Central and defending World Series Champion Chicago Cubs.
Making their way in the other corner, weighing in at NL MVP candidate who was lost for two months before coming back while his team proved worthiness and hoping to give the nation’s capital a good image. The NL East Champion Washington Nationals.
Middleweight Division Fight #2
Fighting in the second fight, weighing in at 60-29 by All-Star break plus Verlander and Kate as well as kicking Harvey in the pants to beat the other Texas team. Your friends and mine. The AL West Champion Houston Astros.
Their opponent, weighing in at nearly blowing the lead to the evil empire and looking to start a new era without their Papi. The AL East Champion Boston Red Sox.
And now, let’s meet the heavyweights.
#1 Heavyweight Seeds
Fighting from the one slot in the American League, weighing in at blowing a 3-1 lead to winning 22 straight for top AL seed. The AL Central and defending American League Champion Cleveland Indians.
Coming in the one slot in the National League, weighing in at .750 ball throughout the summer despite finishing with a losing streak of ten in September. The NL West Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Round 1 – Ding Ding!
In this ultimate test of survival, I feel it’s going to be a grueling event. Sweeps will most likely not happen like we all think every year. Unlike basketball or football, baseball is a sport much like hockey where breaks come and go and luck plays a big factor.
So technically speaking, the tenth-ranked Minnesota Twins could upset the top-ranked Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games. The chances of a Washington Nationals sweep over the Boston Red Sox is less likely than to happen than the Houston Astros beating the Chicago Cubs in a seven-game World Series.
Remember folks! These are hypothetical scenarios being thrown out there not to say they won’t happen. But rather to inform you just how close these teams really are outside of paper.
It’s a sports god’s lottery. The Houston Astros never were the winners of that lottery. If the Houston Astros were to win it all this year, then the lottery would be worth millions if not billions to the sports gods because whoever picks us to win would be the richest person out there.
Once Again, That’s a Hypothetical Scenario.
It would be easy for people to pick the Dodgers, Indians, Yankees, or Red Sox because they either have had tremendous success or are well known. But as we all know, no guarantees and anything can happen.