#Shortstops: Astros, Verlander inspire a city

On Aug 25, 2017, the city of Houston and all of Harris County had never felt so powerless. Destroyed homes, submerged cars and displaced families and friends were left in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

But the National Pastime – as it often has throughout America’s history – brought Houston and its citizens a ray of hope.

The Houston Astros had never won a World Series in the franchise’s 55 seasons. Before the 2017 season, the team had seen only one World Series berth, which resulted in a sweep at the hands of the Chicago White Sox in 2005.

Just four years prior to 2017, the thought of even playing in World Series Championship for the Houston Astros was unimaginable and, frankly, even comical. In 2013, the Astros were statistically the worst team in Major League baseball, with only 51 wins and losses more than twice that at 111. In 2014, the Astros still had a losing record of 70-92, the fifth-worst mark in MLB.

But the Astros began their journey to the top in 2015 with a record of 86-76 and a berth in the Postseason. And two years later, they would find themselves at the very top as 2017 World Series champions.

A big contributor to the Houston Astros 2017 success was also a big contributor to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. Justin Verlander joined the Astros on the last day before the deadline for a player to be eligible for the Postseason roster, and just a week after Hurricane Harvey hit.

Even though his ties to Houston were just beginning, Verlander’s impact on the community matched his impact on the team. He created a fund, “Hurricane Harvey Patriot Grant Program,” for military families harmed by Harvey and donated $100,000 of his own money, which the Astros matched.

His contributions on the field were equally impactful. In the 2017 American League Championship Series, Verlander started Game 6 – arguably one of the most important games of the Astros postseason. Down 3-2 in the series against the New York Yankees, there was only one option for Verlander and the Astros: to win.

The first four innings remained tied with no runs, making each pitch more crucial as the game went on. In the fifth inning, Verlander added two strikeouts, bringing his total to five after facing 17 batters. This allowed the Astros to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth with three runs. Verlander left the game after holding the Yankees scoreless for seven innings, fanning eight batters and allowing only five hits. Two innings and five runs later, the Houston Astros won 7-1 and forced Game 7 of the ALCS.

And 24 hours later, the Houston Astros were headed to their second World Series.

Making it to the World Series might have been enough of a distraction for the city of Houston, but on Nov. 1, 2017, after a seven-game series against the Dodgers, the Astros gave their fans their first World Series title. Verlander later donated his jersey from Game 6 of the World Series to the Hall of Fame.