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Sunday was a good day to be a Houston sports fan. First, the Texans crushed the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 to even their record at 2-2.
But that was just the warm-up.
Then the Astros defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-1, while the Texas Rangers lost 1-0 to Seattle, leaving the Astros and Rangers with identical 90-72 records. But the Astros held the tiebreaker and won the American League West Division. That means the Astros bypass the Wild Card round and have home-field advantage in the American League Division Series starting Saturday against the winner of the Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, best of three wild.
Founder and editor of Our Esquina's Jesus Ortiz joined Houston Matters on Monday to discuss the victorious weekend.
Ortiz tweeted that Astros Manager Dusty Baker "defiantly managed a team battered by injuries, back to the postseason" and then asked, "Is this his best managerial job ever?"
Dusty Baker inherited a juggernaut despised by the entire baseball world. He showered them with love and understanding while keeping the Astros atop the AL.
This year, he defiantly managed a team battered by injuries back to postseason.
Is this his best managerial job ever?— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) October 1, 2023
“My friend Mark Gonzalez, who covered Dusty in San Francisco, pointed out that the ’97 season was his best yet, but I think it was his best in Houston,” Ortiz said. “And I really do think that if you consider everything that went wrong this year for the Astros, this was a season worthy of Manager of the Year.”
Ortiz said he would like to see the Astros draw the Twins.
“I think they’ll beat either one, but I think I’d like to see Carlos Correa here,” he said. “I think it’s either who do you want? Do you want George Springer or do you want Carlos Correa here?
But I think it would be nice to have Carlos Carrera here because he’s such a big-time postseason player and a significant piece of the Astros.”
Sunday also marked the end of a few notable careers: longtime Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera, guardians manager Terry Francona, Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright. Former Major League knuckleballer Tim Wakefield had died. Ortiz said.
“Miguel Cabrera, the greatest pitcher in Venezuela. I mean, picture the greatest player in Venezuelan history. He should challenge Derek Jeter for most votes outside of Mariano Rivera for the Hall of Fame,” he said. “Tim Wakefield, it breaks my heart. I’m a little bitter that Kurt Schilling kind of made his last week on Earth, even a little worse by announcing to the world that he was battling brain cancer when his family had kept it secret.
“And Terry Francona, a special manager and I still remember covering that amazing game seven of the World Series between the Cubs and the and the then Indians,” Ortiz continued. “And he’s one of the best managers of his time.”
Jesus Ortiz will appear in tomorrow night’s Frontline, The Astros Edge on PBS.
