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The Houston Astros need the win more than the Kansas City Royals in tonight’s Game 5 of the American League Division Series. That may sound like a weird statement because the Royals went all the way to the World Series in 2014 but lost to the San Fransisco Giants, so they have something to prove. But Royal Nation is back to supporting the team, even if they get knocked out of the first round, the fans will come back. The Astros fans, however, are just now getting interested in baseball again after a decade of disappointment a rebuilding.
The Astros are no longer the feel-good story this season as the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers have both had a similar resurgence. What is the common thread between those three teams? All three had some of the best minor league prospects who are making big time impact on their teams in the playoffs. However, the Astros have the greatest chance of their fans saying, “here we go again!”
I heard something at work today, people besides the usual group of people I talk to, talking about the Game 4 Astros loss. As Charlie Pallilo of Sports Radio 790 says, many people couldn’t give a flip about the Astros, but winning could change that. When the Astros beat the New York Yankees in the Wild Card Game, people started to realize what is happening with the Astros. This team was supposed to be good in 2017, but they are ahead of schedule and playing with house money.
If the Astros lose today’s games, there will be the few fans who will see the bright side of life and be super psyched for next year with the core group of talent locked up for a while. However, there could be some that will lose interest in the Astros despite all the progress made this year. There is a buzz in the city of Houston about baseball, where the 1-4 Texans are on the back-burner for the moment.
As I said earlier, the Astros have improved their reputation by leaps and bounds from the team that Ryan Vogelsong decided not to sign with in the offseason. The Astros with their young group of talent has now made them a desirable home for some of the top free-agents out there. However, if the Astros make it to the ALCS, free-agents will be coming to them with their recent success and financial room. Houston can return to a baseball town for the first time since the Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio era. The Texans will always rule, but to keep up with the Astros is progress for Houston fans. We want the interest to continue increasing, or we will be near the bottom of attendance again next year.
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The final point is to get some respect from the national media. Pete Rose the other day made a comment prior to one of the games, saying that the Astros were not a real major league team. While others haven’t been that critical of the team, it’s no secret that they don’t get much love outside of Houston. The Royals have the love from media, fans, and the desired destination whether they win or lose tonight. For the Astros, we have to win that game to continue the momentum to carry into next year.
Go Astros. Pitch your heart out Collin McHugh.
Next: Houston Astros drop Game 4 to Kansas City Royals in heartbreaking fashion