After the city of Houston revels in the Astros’ first-ever World Series victory, the heroes of the club’s championship team will be “Going to Disney World’’ for a magical celebration Saturday, November 4 at the place where dreams come true, Walt Disney World Resort. World Series MVP George Springer and star players Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa will be honored with a historic victory parade down Main Street, U.S.A., at Magic Kingdom Park, providing yet another example of the power of magic at Disney Parks.
Thanks in part to the heroics of Springer, Altuve and Correa, the Astros took the best-of-seven-game series by winning the deciding Game 7 Wednesday night in Los Angeles. The 5-1 victory delivered the team its first World Series title in its 56-year history.
Springer came up big for the Astros throughout the World Series. He hit .379 with seven RBIs and five home runs, including a two-run blast to help the Astros win Game 2 in the 11th inning. He was also the driving force in the series-clinching Game 7, starting the game with a double and then adding a two-run home run that helped power Houston to a commanding 5-0 lead. His five home runs tied a World Series record and eight extra-base hits are the most in series history.
Altuve, who led the American League in hitting during the regular season and hit .310 in the postseason, delivered in the clutch for the Astros throughout the World Series, hitting two home runs and driving in six runs. His biggest contribution came in Game 5 when he belted a three-run homer and drove in another run that helped propel his team to an improbable 13-12 win in 10 innings.
Correa was one of the team’s most consistent hitters, blasting two home runs and driving in five runs in the World Series. And he stole the hearts of nearly everyone in Game 7, getting a hit in the 6th inning before getting engaged to his girlfriend minutes after the team captured the World Series championship.
In all, the Astros’ championship run was a storybook accomplishment with plenty of heart. For a few unforgettable weeks of postseason baseball capped by the World Series, the Astros gave the city of Houston something to cheer about and rally around. With the city and surrounding communities ravaged by the impact of Hurricane Harvey, the Astros proved that “Houston Strong’’ was more than just a patch on their uniforms.
Many Astros players personally pitched in with on-the-ground, roll-up-their-sleeves help for hurricane victims. And the team donated $4 million to hurricane relief efforts, joining others such as Disney, which raised nearly $16 million toward the cause and sent its beloved characters Mickey and Minnie Mouse to Houston to visit displaced residents in shelters.
The Astros’ celebratory parade Saturday at 12:45 p.m. at Walt Disney World Resort will continue a tradition at Disney Parks of honoring extraordinary sports champions. Star players from Major League Baseball’s last world championship team, the Chicago Cubs, were honored with a Walt Disney World Resort parade in 2016.
