Houston, We Have Liftoff

"I don't think I was appreciated there," says Johnson, relieved to be freed from trade purgatory, even if his desire to stay in the American League makes a 1999 return to Houston unlikely. "The fans appreciated me. But the team...I threw a one-hitter [in July] and [president] Chuck Armstrong walked past me and didn't say a word. I'm just glad it's over. It was like the Clinton-Lewinsky thing. You're sick of hearing about it."

Said Bagwell on Sunday afternoon, "I'm as surprised as anybody he's here. What a weekend. We took three games and picked up the Big Unit."

Elarton closed out Johnson's win with two perfect innings. The present and future aces combined for 14 strikeouts while regularly blowing 93-to 97-mph fastballs past the young Pirates. Talk about a lesson in Astrophysics.

As fitting as that seemed, Elarton's most symbolic contribution actually occurred before the game. At the moment Johnson walked into the Houston clubhouse for the first time—the most distinguishable figure in baseball extended his long arm and superfluously offered, "Hi, I'm Randy Johnson"—Elarton was sitting rapt in front of a computer baseball game. On screen the Astros were playing the Yankees in a virtual World Series. Never before had the possibility seemed so real.

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