DENVER -- Shortstop Trevor Story and right-handed pitcher Chad Bettis would rather it have been the Rockies, but a part of them felt good that the Astros won the World Series. Neither Texan grew up in Houston, but Story and Bettis were touched by the suffering they saw in their home state when Hurricane Harvey hit.
From Colorado, the pair of Rockies did their part after the storm hit Houston on Aug. 17. Through Story's agent, J.D. Smart of Excel Sports Management, the two set up a YouCaring website. With the #TexasStrong hashtag rallying fans and baseball people alike, the effort spearheaded by Story and Bettis exceeded its goal of $18,000.
Story is from Irving, while Bettis is from Lubbock. But both were able to live up to the #TexasStrong mantra. As America celebrates Thanksgiving, Story and Bettis can be proud that they participated in the giving.
"It was good," said Story, who noted that he was inspired by Houston Texans football star J.J. Watt's YouCaring site that has raised more than $37 million. "We had some people make big donations, and a whole lot of people gave what they were comfortable with donating. There were a lot of smaller donations that were appreciated, every single one of them. We ended up with close to $20,000.
"We sent the check over about a month ago. We sent it to the Houston mayor, because we trust him to get the money into the right hands. That was important for us, because it's got to get to the people in need."

Bettis made his season debut on Aug. 14, after recovering from testicular cancer. Already thankful for health and a chance to continue his career, the pitcher felt the pull to give back after seeing the natural disaster in his home state. And Story gave him the opportunity.
"Trevor approached me about it, and us being from Texas, we felt a little compelled to do something," Bettis said. "Even though neither of us is from Houston, we have some pretty good friends that live down there now. Fortunately, none of my friends were affected, and I don't believe any of his were, either, substantially. But it's always hard to put into words. You never truly expect having to overcome a natural disaster to that extent and have people you truly care about in harm's way."
Story went into it knowing a little something about relief efforts. His mother, Teddie Story, is CEO of Irving Cares, a non-profit that assists needy citizens in Irving. At his mother's urging, the shortstop did various jobs for Irving Cares.
"It kind of runs in the family," he said.
Story is a second-year player, which means he hasn't reached the fame and status of Watt. But even where he is on the baseball salary and noteworthiness scales, Story is in position to help others.
"We are very blessed to have the platform that we have as professional athletes," Story said. "I grew up in the mindset that you want to treat others the way you were treated. If I was in that situation, I would love some help from anybody."
Of course, the Astros gave their city some proud moments as the citizens began the recovery and rebuilding efforts. In fact, the returns of Bettis and Pirates pitcher Jameson Taillon (a native of suburban Houston) from testicular cancer and the Astros' World Series march were voted Best Moments in the MLB Esurance Awards.

While Bettis would have loved it if his 2017 story had ended in the World Series, he allowed himself to be happy for how the Fall Classic ended.
"For that city, it was really uplifting to be able to stand for some good while they were going through such a tragedy," Bettis said. "It was awesome."