World Series Preview: Philadelphia Has an Edge on Houston

The 118th World Series starts in Houston on Friday. The Phillies were in the city in early October. They clinched their first playoff berth since 2011. Houston has a rich history of professional sports. Harry Kalas came to the Phillies from the Astros in 1971. Several other Phillies standouts came from Houston. The good will trend goes beyond sports, as well. In basketball, the Sixers traded with the Rockets for Moses Malone. Nick Foles, a native of Texas, played in their only Super Bowl win. He was the quarterback. the Eagles were 6-0 against the Houston Oilers and are 5-1 against Texans.

The Phillies were the visitors for the first official games at both the Astrodome and Minute Maid Park. On April 12, 1965, they spoiled the opening of the indoor Astro Dome with a 2-0 victory. Randy Wolf won the game at the retractable-roof stadium on April 7, 2000. Doug Glanville and Scott Rolen hit the home runs for Philadelphia.

Héctor Neris has recorded 520th strikeout in his final game for the Phillies. He has since signed with Houston and has played 75 games for them, including five in the postseason.

Phillies' manager Rob Thomson is a Hall of Famer. He played for the Stratford Hillers in Canada's amateur Intercounty Baseball League and represented Canada at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Thomson will be the first full-time manager from Canada to manage in the World Series.

The World Series moves to a new schedule this year. There will be no World Championship game on a Sunday. The last time it was possible to schedule a World Championships game for a Saturday was in 2009. The first two games on Friday and Saturday are reserved for travel.

This will be the first World Series for Fox's play-by-play broadcaster Joe Davis. Joe Buck had called each of the last 22 World series and 24 overall. Davis was a boy in Michigan aspiring to have a job like this. John Smoltz will join Davis in the booth.

The N.L.C.S. featured the Nola brothers, Aaron, a Phillies starting pitcher, and Austin, the Padres catcher. The World Series teams also have brothers on either side, but neither is active. Nick Maton played 18 games for the Phillies and Phil Matons played 67 games in the Houston Astros' organization. Phil punched a locker stall after the final game of the regular season, breaking a bone in his pitching hand.

The Astros have three No. 1 overall draft picks, but they are all gone. The 2013 choice, Mark Appel, was signed by the Phillies this season. Mickey Moniak was traded to the Angels in August. Philadelphia has one No 1 draft choice during their rebuild, MickeyMoniak in 2016.

Reggie Jackson is the most successful player in the history of the American League. He played for three championship-winning teams with Oakland and two with the Yankees in 1970s. Jackson was born outside Philadelphia in Abington, Pa., grew up in Wyncote, and is only major leaguer from Cheltenham High School.