This minor-league team took heat by predicting the Astros would win the World Series

Fresno Grizzlies management is probably feeling pretty satisfied right about now. As the Triple A-affiliate of the Houston Astros, they came up with a promotion two years ago that predicted the Astros would win the 2017 World Series.

Fast forward to today (updated): The Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 Wednesday to win its first World Series.

Back in 2015 as part of a “Back to the Future” promotional theme, the Grizzlies were going to give away a replica of a 2017 World Series Championship ring. It sounded like a great idea until the home office in Houston decided to pull the plug on it.

The failed gimmick got national attention, including from Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports and Fox Sports.

The Grizzlies declined to comment as the Astros prepared for their first game against Los Angeles.

But just after the Astros won Game 7, the Grizzlies tweeted: “History Earned. History Grown. It’s amazing being part of the #Astros family”

But in 2015, Grizzlies General Manager Derek Franks said this about the promotion: “We do not want a Fresno Grizzlies giveaway to be perceived as a jinx for our major league affiliate.”

So much for a jinx. And in the end, the Astros weren’t too sore about almost getting hit with bad baseball juju.

“We appreciate that our affiliate is as optimistic as our fans are about the future of the Astros,” Astros President Reid Ryan told Fox Sports back then.

Ryan went on to predict that Fresno fans would see some of the Astros’ top talent at Chukchansi Park – an extremely accurate forecast. Nine of the Astros’ 25-man World Series roster have a Fresno connection. Shortstop Carlos Correa, third baseman Alex Bregman and first baseman Yuli Gurriel all made brief stops here on the way to Houston. Pitchers Chris Devenski, Lance McCullers Jr., Joe Musgrove and Brad Peacock, catcher Juan Centeno and outfielder Derek Fisher also had Fresno appearances.

This story was originally published October 24, 2017 at 12:49 PM with the headline "This minor-league team took heat by predicting the Astros would win the World Series."