Astros sweep Rockies; sublime, the ‘little’ Altuve

Mexico City. A classic hero is one who overcomes difficulties. Venezuelan José Altuve rebelled against the disadvantage of his height in the Major Leagues and produced a phenomenon in baseball. Yesterday, on a peaceful Sunday at Magdalena Mixiuhca, the little slugger was heroic in more ways than one in the Houston Astros’ 8-2 sweep of the Colorado Rockies in a two-game series in Mexico City.

The 1.67 tall player – in a sport where the average is 1.87 – not only had two hits in four at-bats, an almost artistic touch and a home run, but he also drove in a run and left out three rivals.

There are athletes who claim that there is a before and after of the phenomenon that this Venezuelan represented. I don’t believe itAltuve, the shortest player in the Major Leagues today, responded to the press; I believe that everyone has their own thing and it’s just about playing the ball well..

Since his debut in 2011, he led the Major Leagues with a .308 batting average, more than 2,000 hits, 216 home runs and 297 stolen bases. A true phenomenon.

Someone joked about an implicit metaphor in baseball. This game, they said, is like The odyssey from Homer, because it is about a man who sets out on a journey and tries to return home despite adversity. If we follow that analogy, the role of Ulysses yesterday belonged to Altuve.

The Venezuelan is a spectacle of fulfilled expectations. like a real showman He began his Sunday odyssey with a touch of the ball, one of those seen more frequently in the past. That was just the opening: he took advantage of his teammate’s next shift to reach second. Then he stole third, the third baseman fielded poorly, but Altuve was distracted and did not hear the indication that he could slide to the homewhile the public tore their hair at the carelessness of their star.

Then, a out sacrifice allowed him to step and run to arrive sliding on the clay as a dramatic outcome. Altuve arrived at home like Ulysses who returns to his Ithaca transformed into another individual. A complete story in a single entry and it was only the first. Infected by the epic performance of the Venezuelan, Kyle Tucker took the ball out of the park to contribute another run. The Rockies weren’t about to fall as painfully as they did the day before, so they tied the score in the second. inning.

Sunday at the ball park, however, was an unbeatable setting for the work of Altuve, who in his second at-bat in the third inning responded with a home run that brought the audience at the Harp Helú stadium to its feet. With each stride of the Venezuelan to round the bases he seemed to grow a little until he reached the home turned into a giant.

People wanted more from this player who revolutionized height prejudices in a league where there are more and more huge players over 2 meters tall. He could barely hear his name over the speakers and started screaming. Altuve headed towards the batter’s box with his short steps and the public stood up as if he were before a sacred monster.

The Mexican fans recognized the second baseman’s performance. In the image on the right, Altuve celebrating his home run with Gary Pettis. Photo María Luisa Severiano

Some time ago, Altuve said that when they first looked at him to sign him in Venezuela, they rejected him because of his height. Get to the Big Tent It required proving more than the others, making it clear that he is a gifted baseball player. In each appearance yesterday, it seemed that he still weighed that commitment and sought to demonstrate to everyone and to himself that, as he declared yesterday while heading to the diamond: It’s just about playing good baseball.

The public reminds him that he is an idol. Everyone wants a signature while practicing before the match; Altuve stops and stands on tiptoe to reach the caps or balls that are extended to him on the fence that surrounds the field.

He is a complete player. If anyone thinks that Altuve’s magic is concentrated only in his at-bats, they are wrong. He is a solvent second baseman who in the first four innings had already managed to knock out three rivals with majestic interventions.

The Rockies looked fragile again. By the eighth inning they could not get closer to the Astros, who had a 4-2 lead. Colorado reliever Jake Bird used that malicious resource of pitchers who want to intimidate batters: throwing very close to the body. And those projectiles that average 90 miles per hour hit Víctor Caratini in the knee and Sunday hero José Altuve in the elbow.

The result was an RBI single by Alex Bregman that brought in another run. But nothing was as exciting as the sixth race of those from Space City that Altuve scored – his third in this game – thanks to a out of sacrifice. This was the inning fateful for the Rockies: Yainer Díaz still hit a double that produced a couple more runs for Houston’s account.

Rockies were left prone again for the second consecutive game in Mexico City.

The Astros were confirmed as the most beloved team. Altuve showed that he is a classic hero, one who overcame prejudices and looks enormous in front of the people. This has been one of the best games. Especially when the team was coming off a bad streak and in this situation every run we can score is very important; with about two victories they help us move forwardAltuve commented after the game.

Coming to Mexico with this fan base makes you feel at home. Baseball is growing a lot in this country and it shows in the people at the games.he added.

I remember many things from this weekend, especially because of the two victories we achieved, but I especially loved having a day off on Friday and walking this city. It really is enjoyed. If there was the possibility of returning next year, I would do it without thinking twice.he added.

When asked about his communion with the Mexican public and if, after speaking with the vice president of the Red Devils, Santiago Harp, he would agree to play in the future with a team like the Scarlets, he responded without hesitation: I still have years left in my Major League career, but with an audience like this, I would love to.