World Series 2022: Houston Astros v Philadelphia Phillies - five talking points from Fall Classic

The Phillies ended the regular-season with an interleague series in Houston in early October - losing two of the three games but clinching their National League wild card place

A season whose very existence was under threat at the start of 2022 reaches its conclusion when Major League Baseball's World Series begins on Friday evening.

A rancorous labour dispute between MLB and the Players' Association delayed the season but was settled in March, with double-headers added to the schedule to allow a full 162-game regular season.

However, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who had MLB's best record with 111 wins, stumbled at the first playoff hurdle, leaving the unfancied Philadelphia Phillies, the lowest-ranked National League (NL) team in the postseason, as the surprise NL champions.

By contrast, the top-ranked American League (AL) side, the Houston Astros swept through the play-offs like a juggernaut, swatting aside the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees without losing a game to make their fourth World Series in six seasons.

Here are some of the stories and talking points from the 'Fall Classic'.

A ring for Dusty, at last?

Baker has previously managed the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals

Astros manager Dusty Baker is one of the more familiar figures in baseball, after the best part of 30 years as a major league skipper.

Baker, 73, is nearing the end of a career in which he became the first manager to win division titles with five different teams, and has taken teams to the Fall Classic as AL and NL champions. However, he does hold the record for the most managerial wins (2,093) without a World Series success.

It was the genial, toothpick-chewing Baker to whom Houston turned in 2020 to restore pride after the club was tainted by an electronic sign-stealing scandal, for which they remain MLB's pantomime villains in some quarters.

Now the oldest manager to make a World Series, Baker's team are riding the crest of a wave with a perfect record in the 2022 postseason.

In English football legendary manager Brian Clough famously never won the FA Cup but is this the year Dusty Baker finally earns what his own coaching CV is missing - a championship ring?

"One hundred per cent, we want to win for him," said infielder Alex Bregman.

Harper and the rise of the 'universal DH'

Among the changes brokered by MLB and the players' union was to impose a "universal DH", with the NL adopting the designated-hitter rule, used by the AL since 1973.

Now, all teams feature a DH who bats but does not field, while pitchers no longer bat. It removes one aspect of home-field advantage from the World Series, where previously games were played under NL rules in NL ballparks, and AL rules in AL venues.

One major beneficiary has been Phillies slugger Bryce Harper, who has moved from right field to DH and stayed in the line-up despite a torn elbow ligament.

Harper broke into the majors as a teenager with the Washington Nationals, eventually moving to Philadelphia for a then-record $330m 13-year contract in 2019.

He has played a starring role as the Phillies saw off the St Louis Cardinals 2-0 in their wild card series and overcame last year's World Series winner, the Atlanta Braves in the NL Divisional Series. He was then named most valuable player as they crushed the San Diego Padres 4-1 in the NL Championship Series.

Pitching for success

The Astros had five players on this year's All-Star AL team, including pitchers Justin Verlander (35) and Framber Valdez (59) who are likely to start the first two games in Houston

Since winning their maiden World Series title in 2017, Houston have lost star pitchers Dallas Keuchel, Charlie Morton, Gerrit Cole and Zack Greinke to free agency, yet in 2022 their pitching staff looks stronger than ever.

After nearly two years out injured, Justin Verlander, 39, has defied age to post a league-leading earned run average (ERA) of 1.75 while throwing up to 98mph, and left-hander Framber Valdez set an MLB record of 25 consecutive "quality starts" - when a pitcher throws at least six innings and allows three or fewer earned runs.

They are backed up by Cristian Javier and Lance McCullers Jr, who has shaken off a Champagne bottle-related injury, in the rotation.

Even Jose Urquidy, with three World Series game wins on his CV, will only appear as part of a bullpen with a superb postseason ERA of 0.82 - although sadly for UK fans, left-handed reliever and Great Britain international Blake Taylor has not pitched in the majors since June because of injury.

Canada's 'Olympian' finally hits the big time

Thomson stood in as New York Yankees manager for three games in 2008, stepping up from bench coach when Joe Girardi fell ill

Philadelphia's Rob Thomson, 59, is the first Canadian full-time MLB manager since 1934, after a long climb through the ranks.

While at the University of Kansas, he represented Canada at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, where baseball was a demonstration sport with no medals on offer.

Drafted by the Detroit Tigers, he never played above minor league baseball's third tier, but showed potential as a coach.

Working his way up through the Yankees organisation, where he won a World Series as third base coach in 2009, Thomson moved to Philadelphia and spent four years as bench coach before Joe Girardi's sacking earned him the title of interim manager in June this year.

Popular with players and fans, and known for his hard work and attention to detail, "Philly Rob" finally had his "interim" tag removed on 10 October. His story is perfect for the location as Philadelphia loves an underdog who beats the odds. Just ask Rocky Balboa.

Expect the unexpected

Both teams have green mascots - the Phillie Phanatic has often been voted as the best mascot in sport, and loves whizzing around the outfield on a quad bike - whereas Orbit is a space alien, in homage to Houston's connections with Nasa

Philadelphians are proud of their history, and not just the Liberty Bell. The Phillies, founded in 1883, are the oldest same-named, same-city team in US professional sport - although that longevity comes with a price, as in August they became the first franchise to lose 10,000 games.

Indeed, opponents of MLB's expanded postseason may gnash their teeth at a team which barely won more than half of its regular season games contending for the ultimate prize, while 100-plus-win teams bow out.

Broadcasters and advertisers sigh when "big-market" teams from New York, Los Angeles, Chicago or Boston fail to make it.

But a seven-game Houston-Philadelphia series has room for unexpected stories to develop.

And if all else fails, they could always play the national anthem on a saw...