For Bagwell, First Start Is Worth the Wait

"This is what I worked hard to get to," said Astros veteran Jeff Bagwell, who started at designated in his first World Series after 15 seasons with Houston. (By Jonathan Daniel -- Getty Images)

"This is a culmination," McLane said. "He's been the heartbeat of the Astros for the 13 years I've owned the team."

Presidential Support

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McLane said he has continued to receive support from the Bush family, including President Bush, who sent the Astros owner a congratulatory e-mail after the Astros' victory over St. Louis in Game 6 of the NLCS on Wednesday.

"Having lived in Houston and having gone to a lot of games, he's been a fan of the Astros," McLane said.

McLane's relationship with the president goes back several years. McLane lovingly calls former president George H. Bush "41" -- he was the 41st president -- and refers to President Bush as "43."

"He encouraged me to buy the Astros and to get involved," McLane said of President Bush.

McLane said he expects "41" to attend Series games in Houston -- Games 3 and 4, and Game 5, if necessary -- but said while "43" would like to attend, he likely won't be able to.

Reinsdorf's New Look

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As owner of the NBA's Chicago Bulls, Jerry Reinsdorf -- with a little help from a guy named Michael Jordan -- brought his city six memorable championships. But as owner of the Chicago White Sox, Reinsdorf has been known primarily as one of the "hawks" whose hard-line stance helped bring about the 1994 players' strike.

Now, with the White Sox earning their first World Series appearance in 46 years, Reinsdorf may have finally won over fans -- and media members -- who perpetually accused him of focusing on the Bulls at the White Sox' expense.

"Maybe it's changed [the perception in] the media. The people who were writing bad things about me are writing good things now," Reinsdorf said. "But as far as the fans, I've always had a good relationship with them."

For Guillen, Bunting Is a Hit

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Despite a growing body of evidence, eagerly supplied by baseball's sabermetrics crowd, that the sacrifice bunt in most instances is a low-percentage play, White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen remains one of its most fervent advocates. The White Sox led all American League teams with 53 sacrifice bunts this season, and successfully executed six sacrifices in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Guillen's explanation for his reliance on the bunt is simple: "The only reason why I played 16 years in baseball [was] because I could bunt."

Like many in baseball's old- school, pro-bunt crowd, Guillen deplores the bunting ability of today's major leaguers.

"In the '90s, when we started making a lot of money, we forgot how to play baseball the right way," Guillen said. "I don't know -- maybe it's the agents [who] told the kids [if] you don't get RBIs or home runs you're not going to make any money."