Two Astros Have Strong Connecticut Ties

Story By Correspondent Jack Kramer and Joe Lipovich, Patch Staff

HOUSTON, TX — Despondent New York Yankee fans upset that their team won’t be playing in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers can take a little solace in knowing that two key players for the Houston Astros have strong Connecticut connections. Both Connecticut players also made significant impacts on the game.

Charlie Morton, who was the winning pitcher in the game 7 showdown with the Yankees Saturday night in the American League Championship series, grew up in Trumbull and was a 2002 graduate of Joel Barlow High School in Redding.

The ex-Falcons pitcher threw five shutout innings recording five strikeouts in Houston's 4-0 victory over the Yankees.

"There was a lot of faith from the organization to bring me in here," Morton told MLB.com. "It wasn't just, 'Hey, we're signing a guy and hoping he does good.' No, it was, 'We're signing a guy for a lot of money that gets hurt a lot, has a lot of ups and downs.'"

Born in Flemington, NJ, Morton was drafted straight out of Joel Barlow to the Atlanta Braves. He also made stops with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Philadelphia Phillies before landing in Houston before the 2017 season.

In post-game discussions with the media, Morton acknowledged his up-and-down career in the majors. Injuries have provided adversity for the pitcher, who served as the No. 4 man in a star-studded pitching rotation.

Morton also bounced back from a poor performance in Game 3, where he gave up seven runs in 3.2 innings of work.

"I just treated it like a start, but the importance was obvious," Morton told Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal shortly after the game. "I just prepared going out there and giving it what I had."

Astros star center fielder George Springer has Connecticut ties written all over him. Springer grew up in New Britain, where he played for New Britain High School his freshman year before he transferred to Avon Old Farms School in Avon, where he played his sophomore through senior seasons.

He then went on to play college at the University of Connecticut, where he became an All-American before being drafted by the Astros in the first round of the 2011 draft.

Springer caught the game's final out, in addition to notching one hit in the decisive Game 7.

Image: Elsa Garrison/Associated Press/Pool