Puerto Rico in Correa’s thoughts
The photograph hangs on the same bulletin board where the daily names, positions and places always go.
George Springer led off and played center field Tuesday.
Jose Altuve hit third and owned second base at Minute Maid Park, as usual.
Carlos Correa: cleanup and shortstop for A.J. Hinch’s Astros.
Then there was a tacked-up image of a car covered in floodwater, a group of people pushing their way through kneedeep trouble on the other side of the interstate, and a distant 610 sign that was useless at the time. Harvey. Irma. Now, Maria. Three major hurricanes since late August. The newest in the front of Correa’s concerned mind.
“There’s a devastat-
ing hurricane heading toward Puerto Rico, and it’s going to crush the island. So obviously, my thoughts and prayers are already over there,” said Correa, a native with strong ties to his birth country. “I’ve got most of my family over there, so I’m really worried about that. My parents and siblings are the only ones over here, so I’ve got a lot of people there. … I talked to everybody already. But there’s not much that you can do.”
Hinch isn’t sure who tacked the Harvey flood photo to the Astros’ daily bulletin board. But the manager of the 2017 American League West champions clearly knows what the lasting image represents.
Disruption in schedule
On the way to capturing the franchise’s first division title in 16 years, the Astros were directly affected by Harvey’s impact, bouncing to Dallas on the way to St. Petersburg, Fla., as a scheduled home series against the Rangers became a “home” stay at Tampa Bay’s stadium.
Most of Hinch’s club helped out at a Harvey hurricane shelter at the George R. Brown Convention Center the day before the Astros won both games of a Sept. 2 doubleheader against the Mets, which marked the first major pro event in Houston after the storm.
More than two weeks later, a photo of Harvey’s destruction serves as a daily reminder that, for many, the Astros’ 2017 season now represents more than baseball.
“It won’t be forgotten by our team, and we won’t stop helping,” Hinch said. “Obviously, we were the first hurricane (area) to have to deal with it. But one after another after another — we have to make sure that people continue to help someone else.”
Correa has two flood photos attached to his locker. One captures the chaos after the storm. The other shows people carrying possessions through a flood.
“Every time I look at that picture, it reminds me of how God has blessed me with the talent to play this sport, but it doesn’t stop there,” said Correa, who obtained his pictures during a team chapel session. “I use everything He has given me in order to help other people as well. Right now, I’m helping people in Houston. Maybe tomorrow I’m going to be helping people in Puerto Rico.”
Several of his teammates have similar images taped to their lockers. For veteran reliever Tony Sipp, the flood photos are proof “the battle’s not over with.”
“A lot of things happen, and a lot of times people still suffering can be put on the back burner. … Even half a year after, it’s the toughest battle, trying to get life back together,” Sipp said.
Irma followed Harvey, veering north of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic before hitting the western side of Florida.
Projections Tuesday evening showed Maria as a Category 5 hurricane with 165 mph winds heading toward Correa’s native country. Astros designated hitter Carlos Beltran, catcher Juan Centeno, bench coach Alex Cora and interpreter Alex Cintron are also from Puerto Rico.
Maintaining focus
“I’ve just got to focus on what I have to do here. But I can’t help but think about my family over there in Puerto Rico and how bad it could get,” Correa said. “So obviously, I’m really worried. … As soon as I’m done with the game, I’m calling my grandma and my grandparents in order to know how they’re doing.”
A leftover opened champagne bottle and beer can were clubhouse souvenirs from Sunday’s raucous celebration. Minute Maid’s jumbotron still read “2017 AL West Division Champs” during the pregame buildup Tuesday.
Twelve regular-season games and major questions remain for these Astros.
Can they catch Cleveland, taking back the best record in the AL and home-field advantage until the World Series?
How much, if anything, will Lance McCullers be able to bring to the mound in October?
Which Astros team are we going to see in the playoffs: the pre-All-Star-break squad that dominated the sport or the post-break club that’s still trying to rediscover its fire?
All the baseball will soon sort itself out.
The tacked- and taped-up flood photos are reminders of real life.
Maria was heading for Puerto Rico. Houston is just beginning its post-Harvey recovery.
“Throughout our organization, there’s a lot of people being affected by these, and it seems relentless, one after another,” Hinch said. “There’s only so much that we can do, but our guys are still continuing to check. … So we’ll stick together and try to help as much as we can and pray that things go smoothly.”