Astros 2017: It ain’t over until C.C. Sabathia sings!

It never has seemed fair to always talk about “It ain’t over until the fat lady sings.” Sure there are some hefty lady opera singers, but did you ever see the late Luciano Pavarotti? He could have played a backup catcher in a bad “B” baseball movie.

So, for fairness and in honor of the rather hefty lefty of the Yanks we are stating It Ain’t Over Until C.C. Sabathia Sings. And we want that fat guy singing the blues…..

Speaking of “over” brings us to one of the greatest dumb inspiration speeches from the late great John Belushi as future Senator Blutarsky in Animal House. If he were in the Astros’ clubhouse Friday he would start his speech thusly….

“What? Over? Did you say ‘over’? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!”

Leading up to this rousing conclusion….slightly paraphrased for family consumption….

“What the heck happened to the Astros I used to know? Where’s the spirit? Where’s the guts, huh? This could be the greatest night of our lives, but you’re gonna let it be the worst. ‘Ooh, we’re afraid to go with you Bluto, we might get in trouble.’ Well just kiss my Astros’ jersey from now on! Not me! I’m not gonna take this.  Aaron Judge, he’s a dead man! Greg Bird, dead! Todd Frazier… dead…..”

Followed by the whole team yelling and following Belushi/Bluto onto the field.

So what do we have to hang our hats on with this team?

• Twenty-one times during this season the Astros have won 2 or more games in a row.
• Only five times this season the Astros lost three games in a row. Four of those five times they won the next game.
• During the regular season they twice won two in a row in the two series they played against the Yanks.
• In this playoff series they have already beaten the Yanks two in a row.
• During the regular season, the Yankees have lost two or more in a row fourteen times, including twice to the Astros.
• In the playoffs they have already lost two in a row twice.
• The Astros have as good a pitcher as you could pick to turn this train wreck around on Friday – Justin Verlander, who has won every appearance he has made for the Astros, including three times in this postseason.
• The Astros will be at a home, away from the rude, beer throwing fans and the Russian style electronic surveillance by the KGB..er… Yankees. They have won 13 of their last 16 at home including all four home playoff games so far.
• The team has won in more impossible situations than any Astros team in history, the prime example being their 11 run rally to wipe out an 8th inning 8-2 deficit to the Twins earlier this season. When they get down, they keep coming back at you.
• This team is due to start hitting again and that is what drives all the other cylinders on this team.
• We might actually get to swing at the same strike zone the Yankees swing at in our home stadium. Just hopin’.
• We are just nicer, more deserving fans than the Yanks have. Good karma is coming.

In the end, after losing three “nice to haves” – the Astros have to win two “have to wins” to get to the World Series. It says here, they will do just that.