VIDEO: Interview With Long-Suffering Astros Reliever Joe Smith Proves Why He's a Fan Favorite
By Jerry Trotta
At the core of the Houston Astros' imposing bullpen performance in October has been veteran journeyman Joe Smith, who, back when the season started, wasn't at all confident that he would make it to this stage. The 35-year-old right-hander ruptured his Achilles last December and wasn't sure that if he'd be able to return to being the sheer weapon he was out of the pen in 2018. Well, Smith has been nothing short of sensational since his return, and his interview with The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal after the Astros victory in Game 5 on Sunday night proves that he should be a fan favorite, not only in Houston, but across the MLB.
Joe Smith went 782 appearances without appearing in a World Series, the longest streak of any active pitcher. Now he's 1 win away from getting a ring with the @astros!
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 28, 2019
He talked to @Ken_Rosenthal last night about what that means to him: pic.twitter.com/h09GWYy2WO
Folks, those 782 cameos have spanned across 14 years and stops with six different clubs. He's been waiting a while for this.
Smith appeared in 28 games for the Astros since returning from Achilles surgery, and he was utterly lights out, logging a 1.80 ERA and 0.96 WHIP.
Somehow, however, he's taken that dominance a step further once the calendar turned to October. In nine games (8.1 innings), Smith has conceded just four hits while striking out seven and allowing just one run to cross the plate, which equates to an elite 1.08 ERA.
Consider this your reminder that Joe Smith has (1) pitched 13 years as a reliever and (2) NEVER BEEN BAD pic.twitter.com/DZVj96ABdK
— Foolish Baseball (@FoolishBB) October 28, 2019
His story and comeback have been inspiring, to say the least, and nobody deserves this moment more than him.