He stands five-foot, six-inches tall. But last night in Houston, he was the largest giant of all.

Jose Altuve crushed the game-winning two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to send the Astros to their second World Series in three years.

The comparisons with the Rangers tiny second baseman are inevitable. They are roughly the same height (even though the Rangers list Odor at five-eleven—if you measure his mammoth ego, then yes, maybe). They both play second. They both play for Texas teams.

But that’s where the comparison ends. Jose Altuve is greatness. An MVP. A top-ten MVP vote-getter two other years. A six-time All-Star. Five Silver Slugger awards. And a Gold Glove. He’s led the league in hits four times. Led in batting average three times. Twice led in stolen bases.

And when it counted most, the littlest player in major league baseball put the team and the city on his shoulders and took care of business.

It was as good of a baseball game as anyone could want. A tight nail biter with great pitching putting out fires when they cropped up. The Yankees hung around long enough to tie it in the top of the ninth. The Astros won it in the bottom of the ninth.

A classic baseball game.

Even though the crowd was deafening in Minute Maid Park, if you listened closely you could hear the sound of millions of Yankees fans hearts breaking all over the world. 

That’s a joyous sound.