Looking Back on the “Real” Reasons for the Astros’ Championship Success

As the year comes to a close, it offers us a chance to look back and relive the good parts. For many of us, one of the highlights will be that glorious Friday night in November when the Astros clinched their most recent World Series championship. The afterglow from that moment still radiates strongly from Astros fandom. Likely that will not diminish, at least until the first slump of the 2023 season. However, we have plenty of time between now and then.

In particular, it is a good time to reflect on the actions that truly lead to the Astros winning their second World Championship in 6 years. In particular, now is as good a time as any to reflect back on not just the successes but on the keys to victory. Those actions that made all the difference in the world. What tipped the balance of baseball power Houston’s way? Why the fans, of course!

Oh sure, there are those out there that will say that it was all about dominant regular and post-season pitching. Some will point to timely hitting; others may point to such notions as the Astros playing the best defense of any pro sports organization in Houston at this time. Eh, I guess they all have their places and merits, but deep down, we all know that those are mere coincidences and not the true causation factors.

No, it is those actions/rituals/superstitions that we as fans undertook during the dramatic soap opera that was the 2023 regular and post-season that made all the difference. That is verifiable, internet-certified fact. No “Fake News” designation here.

So, what sort of actions might we be talking about? It could be the fact that during game time, you wore that lucky shirt or article of clothing? Maybe the day of the game, you had to eat that certain meal or consume that special beverage. To follow the game, you had to be in that special spot. You may have had to watch a certain video clip or listen to a special audio file pre and/or post-game.

There is no shortage of actions that we, as Astros fans, undertook to enable victory. For example, this author’s actions involved listening to Honegger’s 3rd Symphony, as well as some of the soundtrack from Lord of the Rings Return of the King (Minas Morgul and Pelennor Fields). When done before the post-season game started, the Astros went 11-1. When not, they went 0-1 (Game 1 WS). Strange, that combination? Maybe. However, can you argue with the irrefutable logic of that action? No, no, you cannot.

So, in the spirit of festivity, what was your contribution as Astros fans to help deliver the 2nd title flag to Houston? This is a chance to share, compare notes, and maybe even offer some new suggestions for next season as a way to improve your fan ritual game. Feel free to offer your input in the comments below (unless your specific ritual must remain a classified secret, lest you jinx the impact).