World Series, baseball book and Oran connection

There is something poetic about baseball. Teams with the highest payrolls, most home run hitters or hardest-throwing pitchers don't always come out the victor. A photo of New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge (6 feet, 7 inches tall and 282 pounds) standing next to Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (5 feet, 6 inches tall and 162 pounds) is a good illustration. Both players are all-stars, whereas with many sports it would not be the case. Baseball is equal parts science and art -- which is part of its appeal.

This leads me to the 2019 World Series. The American League Astros were favored to win a second title in three years. The betting odds had Houston as 2-1 favorites.

The Nationals proceeded to win the first two games of the series at Houston before dropping all three games at home. But games 6 and 7 went to the Nats, making the 2019 Fall Classic the first seven-game postseason series in history -- out of professional baseball, basketball and hockey -- where the road team won every game. So much for home field advantage.

Congratulations to the Nationals. A team that found itself 19-31 on May 24 had a storybook ending, similar to how the St. Louis Blues overcame their early season woes to win the 2019 Stanley Cup. Everyone loves an underdog.

Like many of you, I'm a Cardinals fan. But I'm also a baseball fan in general. Whenever the Cardinals are eliminated from contention, my rooting interests shift not necessarily to a specific team but for the maximum amount of baseball -- a seven-game World Series if at all possible.

After the boys of summer call if quits in late October, my baseball interests shift from watching games to reading baseball books. This week I finished the memoir by Barry Zito, a former Major League Baseball pitcher noted for his golden left arm. Zito came up through the Oakland A's systems and was once part of the dynamic rotation that also included Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder.

Following his time with the Athletics, the left-hander was signed by the San Francisco Giants to what was then the largest contract -- $126 million over seven seasons -- for a Major League Baseball pitcher.

Fame and fortune, however, didn't make him happy. And his performance for the Giants was never at the same level as his Oakland days.

Zito shared about his struggles, personal and professional, and how he was ultimately led to become a Christian. A surprise to me was his connection to Missouri. During his tenure with the Giants he met a woman named Amber Seyer, who is from Oran, Missouri. We have written about Seyer in the Southeast Missourian. She was the 2007 Miss Missouri and went on to become a model and actress in California. She and Zito were married in 2011.

Through the mentorship of a baseball chaplain and a California pastor, the couple ultimately committed/recommitted their lives to Christ. The book chronicles the journey through life, baseball and faith. Even non-baseball fans will find their story compelling.

I often joke watching baseball is my vice of choice. And it's true, I enjoy the game. But there's more to life than sports, and the Zito book certainly makes a strong case for putting sports -- anything, really -- in it's proper perspective.

Lucas Presson is assistant publisher of the Southeast Missourian.