As the World Series plays on without them, many Houstonians are feeling October withdrawals. George Springer’s heroics for Toronto reminded everyone just how special this time of year can be, and how nostalgia rules the moment.
Astros fans can never forget their first trip. It was twenty years ago this very week when Houston defied the odds, rallying from a 15-30 start to capture the National League pennant. The run finally erased the heartbreaks of 1980 and 1986, as well as more recent postseason disappointments against the Braves and Cardinals.
Their appearance in the 2005 World Series ended in a sweep by Chicago’s South Siders, yet it remains one of the most cherished chapters in franchise history. Manager Phil Garner, who guided that club, reflected with Sporting News on the magic of that run.
“It was a wonderful time,” Garner said. “People still approach me and say it was the best time they ever had. Families would get together and watch the games and had the best times of their lives. It looked bad at the start of the season, but most baseball players are optimistic. You never count yourself out. You can recover, but if we had been that percentage on the negative side after the All-Star break, it would’ve been virtually impossible to come back.”
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Asked about finally breaking through to the franchise’s first World Series, Garner pointed to leadership and belief as the key.
“We had a couple of hurdles,” he said. “We had those series where we couldn’t get past the Braves, and then we had St. Louis the year before. I have to admit, you need great players, but you also need guys who have bought all the way into the program. If they don’t buy into what you’re selling, it’s not going to work. We had so much leadership on that team. There was Bagwell, Biggio, Clemens, Pettitte, Oswalt, and Lidge. We had all the core ingredients and great role players who carried us down the stretch.”
Two decades later, Garner is watching another October classic unfold — and he marvels at the modern era’s transcendent stars.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Garner said of Shohei Ohtani. “Look at the guys in the game right now who are 23 to 30 years old, this is the golden age of baseball. He plays both ways and plays at a Hall-of-Fame clip. It’s just crazy how good he is.”
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