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With World Series In Sight, Yankees Fans Hit Houston

HOUSTON (CBSNewYork) -- Excitement is building among Yankees fans who are hoping the Bronx Bombers will be making a trip to the world series.

Many fans traveled to Houston for Game 6 of the ALCS. So did CBS2's Meg Baker.

She spent the day exploring the downtown area with Yankees fans, seeing how the sights, the sounds and, most importantly, the food matches up to our New York flavor.

Armed with a map and coffee, Baker set out to find the Yankees die-hards who headed south to the Lone Star State.

Yankees fan
Yankees fan Brendan Sarpu in Houston (credit: CBS2)

"We were actually on a flight to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I have family," said Joseph Mahon, who is originally from Massapequa, Long Island. "We were on a layover in Houston, and I decided to push our flight till tomorrow to go to Game 6 tonight, so support our Yanks out here in Houston."

Brendan Sarpu had never been to the state of Texas. But this year he made it a goal to travel around the country to see his favorite team.

"My brother, though, he's from New York, from the Bronx, so we went to a lot of games," he said. "Truck it up there on the train and go to as many as possible."

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Baker ran into another Texan in blue. Her husband grew up in New York, so guess what team she's cheering on.

"Go Yankees!" said the fan, Nikki. "Marriage has done that for me. It's been really, really fun to watch this season, and it's easy to be a Yankees fan now."

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The first thing Baker noticed about Houston is how quiet it is, including at lunchtime downtown by the convention center.

"There's tunnels that you don't notice," explained said Olivier Thierry, of Houston. "They're underground, and there are tons of people."

"It's a whole other city," said Aisha Ghuman, of Houston. "It's wild."

So Baker hit the stairs. The tunnels allow people to escape the elements. Friday was hot and humid.

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Kara Johnson said she cooled off with a few beers. She's born and raised Texan, but she was wearing a Yankees T-shirt.

"I'm a little torn because I want them to win tonight, but then I want to see a game tomorrow night," she said.

New Yorkers in Houston have a very specific game plan: fill their stomachs with barbecue brisket so they have enough energy to cheer through every inning.

 

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