One of the greatest cover predictions ever almost didn't happen.

Sports Illustrated columnist Ben Reiter wrote an article for the magazine's June 30, 2014 issue that predicted the Houston Astros would win the World Series in 2017, but golfer Michelle Wie was also in the running to grace the cover.

"It wasn’t supposed to be the cover story whatsoever. I think what had happened was that maybe the NBA Finals had run short that year," Reiter told "The Dan Patrick Show" on Tuesday. "There was another contender, which was the Michelle Wie feature by Alan Shipnuck, who was actually furious that we put the worst team anyone had ever seen on the cover. He's like, 'I wrote this great feature on this great champion Michelle Wie, and you guys are putting literally the most horrible team in sports on the cover instead of it.'"

The Astros went 70-92 that season, finishing fourth in the American League West. Wie, meanwhile, claimed her first major in the U.S. Women's Open at historic Pinehurst No. 2 a week prior to the magazine's publication.