Remembering Jorge Soler's World Series Dinger, a True Masterpiece

The Astros are in town this weekend, and while part of me still thinks of them as an old, exquisitely-striped division rival, I'm sure for me and most of Braves Country now, they're the sign-stealing, tech-bro-run heels dispatched so satisfyingly by the Bravos in the 2021 World Series. And when I say satisfying, I mean this specifically.

Ah, clean, efficient Soler power - isn't it just a balm for the soul? It's my most satisfying baseball memory, even edging past Francisco Cabrera's iconic game-winning single in the 1992 NLCS, just because it happened in the World Series and that I was old enough to fully appreciate it. And while a raucous home crowd atmosphere is always a huge attraction in sports - as certainly it was in the case of Cabrera's walk-off or Hank Aaron's iconic record-breaking tater or even multiple examples from the very same 2021 World Series - there's an underappreciated energy to dropping a bomb like that in a road game and watching the other team's crowd just shrivel up.

Being able to watch the entire at bat is best, because Soler worked the count full and the crowd's energy was increasing with each pitch from a clearly cooked Luis Garcia, but for those pressed for time, just watch that raw footage above. All those orange towels in the background as the ball is delivered, and then the immediate ripple through the stands after the crack of the bat. That's just (chef's kiss). Another great example was this ninth-inning granny from Dan Uggla at Philadelphia in 2014, augmented by that magnificent video linked above. But that was a regular-season game. Even stuffing it in the face of loudmouth Philly fans can't compete with the World Series.

Roster Turnover

Funny how things change in a relatively short amount of time, but only ten of the players who were available for Atlanta for that World Series Game 6 are still on the active roster now. They are Max Fried, Dylan Lee, A.J. Minter, Kyle Wright, Ozzie Albies, Orlando Arcia, Austin Riley, Eddie Rosario, Ehire Adrianza, and Jesse Chavez (and Adrianza and Uncle Jesse both left the Braves and returned in the interim).

Obviously there are more guys who are still in the organization that were either on the IL then or are on the IL now (Ronald Acuña, Travis d'Arnaud, Marcell Ozuna, Charlie Morton, Ian Anderson, Tyler Matzek). And Spencer Strider briefly pitched for the club in late 2021, but didn't make the World Series roster. (A quick count shows 11 Astros are still active for them that were on the 2021 World Series roster, including massive-tater-allower Luis Garcia.)

When seeing all these moves happen individually over time, it doesn't seem like much, but then you look at it all together and it surprises you how much has changed. No Freddie Freeman or Dansby Swanson, and the bulk of the Night Shift is gone or injured for the Braves. No Carlos Correa or Zack Greinke, and big names like Jose Altuve and Michael Brantley injured for the 'Stros. But still, it's the two most recent world champs, and two clubs who figure to be in the mix to get back to the Series again this season. Let's hope another Brave mashes a ball into low-Earth orbit, just for old times' sake.

(Ed: Since he missed the World Series due to injury, I hope it's Ronald Acuña Jr.)