It seems like a lifetime ago, and maybe it was, when I used to listen to the Spanish radio broadcasts of the Colt 45s from Houston.
In those days there were players like Bob Aspromonte at third, Bob Lillis at short, Ernie Fazzio at second, the Cuban slugger Roman Mejias at center field and Al Spangler at left. Rusty Staub wasn't with them then, but he, too, was one of the original Colts.
I used to listen to them as my mom ironed the family's clothes and we became ardent fans of the Colts, the team which would later become the lowly Houston Astros in the National League. It got to the point where I thought that if I didn't listen to the game and they lost I'd blame myself for it.
It gets better. I used to have my mom buy votive candles that we would light as we listed to the game.
These thoughts were running to my mind as I watched the Astros, now the big dogs in the American League who romped through the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees on their way to face the Los Angeles Dodgers and beat them in seven games. My dad, who is also a baseball fan, said that it didn't matter to him who won the series in the end because after game 5, the 13-12 thriller, he had seen the best baseball ever.
Now names like Jose Altuve, George Springer and Carlos Correa have replaced the old Colts 454s in the fans' minds.
Houston needed a lift. And who would have thunk that it would be the Astros who would give the a post-Harvey battered community the uplift is so badly needed? Go 'Stros!
4 comments:
A lot of Astros fans passed or moved on without witnessing what we saw last night. For some fans it's a once in a lifetime experience.
FYI...Hector "La Malita" Torres was the first Mexican player signed by the Astros in 1968. He was the ace of the Monterrey little leaguers that won the series in 1958.
I remember going to Colt Stadium and seeing Rusty Staub, it was the high light of my summers. We would drive iver from Texas City while visiting relative. We would take our own popcorn soaked down with butter and as salty as we could stand....
Mosquitos everywhere even though they fogged the field several times a game.
Great times...
But last nite was a Great time.
Yo soy contento.....
I remember taking my kids to watch the Astros in the late 80's at the Astrodome and it was half empty. They were struggling and now they are top dogs. They deserve the win and it was an exciting 5th game to remember for a lifetime. It was just awesome to watch
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