On their way to winning the World Series, the 2017 Houston Astros hit 238 home runs. They also struck out 1,087 times.

Lesson learned: Sometimes you'll swing and miss, but you don't win unless you step up to the plate and let it rip.

There's also a lesson in there for those of you who are not pleased with the effectiveness of the latest flu vaccine.

Did you know that for folks with heart conditions, getting the flu vaccine means, in any given year, that they have a 50 percent decrease in risk of death during flu season? That's a big win for a lot of people.

But you don't get the benefit unless you step up to the plate (or the pharmacist) and get the inoculation.

Speaking of vaccines, do you know which one just hit it out of the park? The herpes zoster subunit vaccine, or shingles vaccine.

According to researchers in Australia, the new shingles vaccine, Shingrix, is more than 90 percent effective.

The vaccine is delivered in two doses, two months apart. The investigators said that it offers protection for up to four years, but they believe it could last much longer.

They also said that there are no other vaccines that perform nearly so well for people in their 70s and 80s.

This is a grand slam because without the vaccine, 50 percent of you will develop shingles by age 85. Check with your doc, and put it on your vaccination schedule.