Freddie Freeman who will take to the biggest stage in baseball for the first time, Jose Altuve and his gang who will be back once again. This year, the World Series will see Luis Garcia, Framber Valdez and the young Houston Astros gunners face off against Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley and all the hungry young hitters from the Atlanta Braves.
Braves-Astros, a World Series rich in stories – and even a family duel. Troy Snitker, son of Brian Snitker, manager of the Braves, is a batting instructor with the Astros.
“The Snitker family will have a World Series trophy,” said the father on Saturday night. I don’t know which of us will get it, but we will. It’s pretty cool, let’s face it. “
A series that has been awaited for six decades, which will pit two former rivals in the National League against each other more than 700 times, including five times in the playoffs. Just think of the “Hammer” or the “Toy Cannon” during the home run competition at the Astrodome, or even Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz against Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio on June evenings on the channel. TBS.
Due to the constraints of the schedule and COVID-19, the Astros and the Braves have not faced each other since 2017. They will meet for the first game of the World Series on Tuesday night in Houston.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Astros are the 3-on-2 favorites.
But first of all, one point of clarification: not all baseball fans are delighted with the presence of these two teams in the championship series.
Altuve and his Astros teammates Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman and Yuli Gurriel will forever wear the label of cheaters because of the signal theft scandal that erupted after they conquered the World Series in 2017.
At Minute Maid Park, they are praised. Everywhere else, they are booed – and more – because they are considered outcasts.
The Astros will compete in the World Series for the third time in five years, despite the absence of their ace Justin Verlander, who missed the campaign after undergoing Tommy John-type surgery.
For their part, the Braves ignored the serious injury suffered by star player Ronald Acuna Jr. in July and had a great end to the season, having posted an ordinary 52-55 record early in August. . Powered by National Championship Series MVP Eddie Rosario, the Braves will compete in the World Series for the first time since 1999.
Baker’s Eternal Quest
On the field – and on the bench – all eyes will be on Astros manager Dusty Baker.
He won the World Series while playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981, and led five playoff clubs in a managerial role, never winning.
Baker accepted his post in 2020 in the wake of the scandal that rocked the Astros – “I still have something to accomplish,” he said – and at 72, with a staggering track record, he gets another chance to savor a championship.
“Last year I felt like I was a substitute teacher. I was a foreigner, Baker said. But this year, they made me feel right at home, and I really felt that we developed a great relationship. This is the important thing. Everyone talks about teamwork, talks about the team, but it’s a relationship that is built between each of us. “
Baker’s career is closely linked to this rivalry. He played with legendary Hank Aaron for the Braves in 1968, and got his first Major League hit at the Astrodome in a loss to Jimmy Wynn and the Astros.