George Springer has been an integral player for the Astros' rebuild. Courtesy photo
One of the most controversial Sports Illustrated covers of the last several years is from 2014 with Astros’ centerfielder, George Springer, gracing the cover. What makes this issue unique is the title predicting that the Houston Astros would win the World Series in 2017. This doesn’t seem like an unusual prediction today, but in 2014, it seemed pretty ridiculous. Ben Reiter, the author of the SI article, joined Unfiltered on ESPN 97.5 this week and said that “…people hated the cover… and we got a lot of hate mail, but that turned around when they got off to a good start.”
The Astros had Dallas Keuchel and Jose Altuve on the 2013 team, but Carlos Correa hadn’t made his major league debut and the Astros lost 111 games that year. So predicting the Astros would eventually become a World Series Champion in 2017 after a season like that, seemed pretty unlikely. The Astros did improve in 2014 and for the first time since 2010, the team didn’t finish in last place. Flash forward to 2017 and sure enough, the Astros are in the World Series and George Springer is a big reason why.
Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander are two more reasons why the Astros had so much success this season. In fact, Keuchel made a huge impact without even picking up a baseball. Reiter said on ESPN 97.5 this week that “Keuchel going on the record trying to light a fire under the front office” was a monumental move that led to the Astros acquiring stud pitcher, Justin Verlander. The Astros even went against their typical analytics driven approach, according to Reiter, and bet it all on a 34-year-old pitcher to help lead their playoff push.
Now that the Astros were set with two dominant starters, they went to work on winning the AL pennant led by manager, A.J. Hinch. Reiter is a big proponent of Hinch and believes that “He's kind of the heart of the organization in a lot of ways, and I think they picked the perfect guy.” Hinch did a fantastic job of managing the pitching staff in Game 7 of the ALCS against the Yankees. In a day in age where you could see seven different pitchers from each team in an elimination game, Hinch opted to go with only two pitchers, Charlie Morton and Lance McCullers. Hinch’s ability to balance analytics with the eye test made “Game 7 of the ALCS about as stress-free as I could imagine,” said Reiter.
Ben isn’t a sorcerer, but he’s clearly insightful and Astros fans will love that he’s sticking with his original 2017 World Series prediction. Let’s just hope that SI's, Ben Reiter, had it right all along.
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Oct 27, 2024, 1:48 pm
The Houston Texans aren’t concerned about C.J. Stroud after the quarterback had the worst statistical game of his young career in a loss at Green Bay last week.
They have no doubt he’ll bounce back Sunday when the AFC South-leading Texans (5-2) host second-place Indianapolis (4-3), where they’ll try to sweep the season series for just the second time in franchise history.
“C.J. handles adversity really well because he’s really grounded ... and it doesn’t dictate who he is or change his personality and what he’s about,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “So, I’m excited to see how, not only C.J., but how everyone responds after losing a game.”
Stroud, in his second year, had a career-low 86 yards passing and didn’t throw a touchdown pass for the first time this season as the Packers beat Houston 24-22 to snap a three-game winning streak.
Instead of dwelling on his bad game, Stroud is using it as a learning experience.
“Not everything goes your way and it is all about how you respond,” he said. “For me, I just watch the film, be critical on myself and just get better from there.”
Indianapolis quarterback Anthony Richardson also had a tough game last week against Miami in his return after missing almost three full games with an injured right hip, He completed just 41.7% of his passes for 129 yards.
But the good news for the Colts is that they won despite his struggles after the second-year pro led them to two fourth quarter field goals in the 16-10 victory.
Coach Shane Steichen said it’s important to remember that Richardson still doesn’t have much NFL experience because of all the games he has missed with injuries.
“We’re just trying to look for growth week in and week out,” he said. “I think he’s played nine games in the NFL now and going into another one with an opponent that he’s went against, so it’s good. He’s seeing some familiar faces. So, excited for Sunday for him.”
Mixon's work
Houston running back Joe Mixon has had at least 100 yards rushing in each of the three full games he has played this season. But his best game this season came in a win over the Colts in the season opener.
Mixon was named AFC offensive player of the week after carrying the ball a career-high 30 times for 159 yards and a touchdown in the 29-27 victory. Of his 159 yards, 101 came after contact.
Now he’ll face the Colts again after they gave up 188 yards rushing last week to the Dolphins. Indianapolis ranks second to last in the NFL by allowing 159.9 yards rushing a game.
Indianapolis defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said the addition of Mixon, a former Bengal, has boosted Houston’s offense.
“What’s made them even more complete is their run game. Now they can run the ball,” he said. “Joe Mixon is a great back and someone you’ve got to be aware of in the run game."
Taylor made
All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor missed Indy’s last three games with a sprained ankle, but barring a setback later this week it appears he’ll play Sunday.
The first indication came Wednesday when Taylor was a full participant in Indy’s practice after missing every workout for the past three weeks. What will it mean for the Colts to have one of their top playmakers back on the field?
“It will be huge,” Steichen said. “Obviously, we know what JT brings to the table and Goodie (Tyler Goodson) and Trey (Sermon) did a hell of a job, but getting JT back in the fold will be big.”
Pro Bowl pickup
Linebacker Devin White, who made the Pro Bowl in 2021, joined the Texans this week and Ryans said he could help against the Colts.
White signed a one-year contract with the Eagles this offseason, but didn’t play before being released earlier this month. He was inactive for the first four games and then ruled out of the fifth game because of personal reasons before his release.
White was the fifth overall pick in the 2019 draft and spent five seasons with the Buccaneers before signing with the Eagles. Ryans isn’t worried about why things didn’t work out for him in Philadelphia and is looking forward to seeing him bounce back in Houston.
“He went top 10 in the draft, he was an exceptional talent,” Ryans said. “So, what happened and why he’s here, no one knows. Life happens to us all. You just have to keep punching, keep attacking each day with the right mindset and the opportunity for Devin is to come in here and compete.”
Close calls
The Colts lost their last two meetings with Houston by two and four points, both in Indianapolis. But one thing Steichen’s team has excelled at in his first 24 games as coach is winning close contests.
Indy is 11-6 in one-score games during Steichen’s tenure with every game this season decided by six or fewer points. The secret to Indy’s success is simple — they limit both penalties and turnovers.
“You want to play smart football, I think that’s part of it,” Steichen said. “You’ve got to preach that, but you’ve got to go do it. You’ve got to be disciplined, and it happens on the practice field. You’ve got to correct it on the practice field. And I think finding ways to finish and really having that relentless pursuit at the end of games to finish those games.”