Gerald Hanks
Many of baseball’s historic franchises can count on generation after generation of fans.
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Fathers pass the love of the game, and their team, to their sons, who pass it down to their sons, and so on.
The same holds true for the Astros, who, over the past 55 years, worked to build the same legacy of family fandom.
Of course, in the case of one Houston family, the love of baseball (and their Astros) is a feminine affair:
Cheryl Clark said she got her love of the Astros from her mother Florence, who would purchase upper deck seats to the Astrodome, and take her daughter to see the orange-striped ‘Stros of the 1980s.
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Cheryl gave birth to her own daughter, Kayla, in 2003 – the millennial of the family born into the responsibility of #EarningIt.
The three generations of women, including then-2-year-old Kayla, cheered on the Astros to their first World Series appearance in 2005, only to see them swept by the Chicago White Sox.
When Florence passed away in 2009, Cheryl and Kayla kept her memory alive by attending Astros games at Minute Maid Park; the mother and daughter said they suffered through three straight horrendous 100-loss seasons in 2011-13, followed by a 92-loss season in 2014.
The season after the Astros made the playoffs in 2015, Cheryl said she debated on whether to purchase season tickets for herself and Kayla.
But they never lost faith:
As Cheryl reportedly checked out the seats along the first base line and struggled with the decision, she said a butterfly soared past her, reminding her of her late mother and the times they shared at the ball park.
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Cheryl decided then and there to get the entire season ticket package, which she renewed for this season.
As the World Series continues in Houston after the Astros win during Game 2 at Minute Maid, Cheryl and Kayla said they will be in their seats, cheering for the Astros tonight for Game 3 – remembering the woman who passed down her love of the game.
Houston’s baseball guardian angel – RIP Florence.
Game 3 of the World Series is set to begin at 7:20 p.m. in Houston. The Astros lead the series against the Dodgers 2-1.
