The Houston Astros' first-ever World Series victory in 2017 is not just a great baseball story, but also the remarkable tale of a major American city - Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city - that became a sentimental favorite due to its grace and good will in response to the largest natural disaster in American history, Hurricane Harvey. The Astros' miracle season is further the fascinating story of a thoroughly modern team, constructed by NASA-inspired analytics and a data-driven system that took the game to a more sophisticated level than the so-called Moneyball approach.

On November 1, 2017, the Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in an epic seven-game battle to become the 2017 World Series champions. This combination of a magnificently played series, a 101-victory season, and the devastation Hurricane Harvey brought to their city was so incredible it might give even the most seasoned Hollywood screenwriters pause. A city (and a state) that the rest of the nation doesn't always love or understand was smiling again, as the Astros' first World Series triumph provided much-needed solace in the wake of disaster.

The team's new owner, Jim Crane, bought into the data-driven system and was willing to endure humiliating seasons in the baseball wilderness with the hope, shared by few initially, that success would eventually come to those who wait. And he was right. But no amount of data-crunching could take credit for the likeable, refreshingly good-natured young men who wore "Houston Strong" patches on their jerseys and truly meant it - players like shortstop Carlos Correa, who kept a photo in his locker of a Houston woman trudging through fetid water up to her knees.

The Astros' foundation included powerful slugger and rangy outfielder George Springer, third-baseman Alex Bregman whose defensive play and clutch hitting were crucial in the series, and the stubby and tenacious second baseman Jose Altuve, the heart and soul of the team. Hurricane Season, written by Houston Chronicle columnist Joe Holley, is a moving account of this extraordinary team and the extraordinary circumstances of their championship.

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