Clubhouse gains a touch of WWE

Josh Reddick is bringing to the Astros a tradition that started last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

An orange leather Astros wrestling championship belt that Reddick ordered arrived at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday afternoon. Reddick, a WWE fanatic who has a referee’s shirt hanging in his locker, plans to present the belt after each Astros win to the team’s player of the game.

“I think it’s a team vote, but I will always be the presenter because I am the one with the referee shirt,” the 30-year-old outfielder said Wednesday. “And with my knowledge of wrestling stats and whatever else you want to call it, who else would be a better candidate?”

Reddick said that after he was traded from Oakland to Los Angeles last July, the Dodgers Stadium clubhouse manager had a blue Dodgers championship belt. Upon discovering it, Reddick began the tradition of presenting it to the player of the game.

The adjustable Astros belt has a large Astros “H” logo and two smaller logos on either side in addition to an American League logo and another with Reddick’s name and No. 22. Not surprisingly, he designed the belt himself. He also ordered belts of the other three teams he has played on — the Red Sox, A’s and Dodgers — for his personal memorabilia collection.

When he emerged from the dugout for pregame stretch Wednesday, Reddick was wearing the belt.

“I was not aware, but it’s not surprising,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “I hope he wins it a lot.”

Carlos Correa, who homered as part of a 4-for5 night, became the first recipient of the belt.