Simone Biles reacts to Houston Astros' win over Texas Rangers in MLB playoffs
Simone Biles recently celebrated the victory of her favorite baseball team, Houston Astros, in the MLB playoffs on Friday, October 20. The two-time World Series title winners competed against rivals Texas Rangers and secured a 4 - 5 win.
Legendary gymnast Simone Biles has been a die-hard fan of baseball and the Houston Astros. In fact, the gymnast threw her first pitch for them in 2016 at Game 2 of the World Series. She stunned fans by performing a back flip and twist on the mound before throwing her first pitch.
Recently, after the Houston Astros beat Texas, the gymnast had a special gesture reserved for her favorite team. Although she could not be at the Globe Life Field stadium to support the Astros, she shared a congratulatory post for the team. Posting a picture of Astros’s star player for the night, Jose Altuve, she wrote on her Instagram story:
“LFG,” with an orange heart emoji.
On the game night, it was Altuve’s brilliant three-run homer in the ninth innings that led the Astros to victory. It was the team’s third consecutive victory in the League Championship Series and they now hold a 3-2 lead in the seven-game series.
Simone Biles was extremely nervous before her first pitch throw
Each of the three times Biles has publicly pitched a baseball, she has tweaked it by including her gymnastics flips in the typical 'Biles style'. However, the 26-year-old admitted that she was nervous at all three attempts, especially in the first one in July 2016 in her hometown of Houston.
In June 2018, she appeared in an interview with Uniwatch to share her experience throwing pitches. Biles said she was extremely nervous before throwing at the baseball game, more than performing at gymnastics championships. She added that she practiced the throw several times before the main day as she had never played softball or baseball.
Simone Biles also said that her father made her practice the pitch in the driveway so that she didn't become an internet sensation for the wrong reasons. The duo played catch every day in the lead-up to the event to make sure the gymnast was at her best in front of a full house.
She expressed her move and about her preparation journey (h/t People)
"The flips were second nature, but throwing a ball afterward - I practiced that one or two times, just to make sure."
The gymnast also added:
"My dad made me stand in the driveway with him and throw a ball back and forth, just to make sure I knew how. He was like, 'You're not gonna end up in one of those "fail" videos"