Altuve’s extension sends ‘clear message’
Crane, Luhnow want to keep core together as long as possible What was a laughingstock is now Houston’s model franchise
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — They gathered at home plate of a sparkling new ballpark on a sun-splashed Monday morning for another seismic day in the history of a franchise that’s had 12 months of them.
Jose Altuve cradled his 1-year-old daughter, Melanie, who donned a No. 27 jersey with “Daddy” emblazoned on the back. General manager Jeff Luhnow flashed a wide smile, while agent Scott Boras mingled among the crowd, two architects of what Luhnow called a “seminal day” in the history of the Astros franchise.
At a news conference alongside Boras, Astros owner Jim Crane and manager A.J. Hinch, Luhnow officially announced the long-term plan to keep Altuve, the face of his franchise’s renaissance, with the largest deal in club history.
“My family and I are really happy that we get to stay here,” said Altuve, whose contract
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — As Jose Altuve spoke about his excitement in signing a contract extension that is proof he wants to be a Houston Astro, I couldn’t help but marvel at what the Astros have become.
This isn’t about Fitteam Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, though the first-class facility is indicative of the advancement the franchise has made from being one of the rest to one of the best.
It is one thing to be the best in the business on the field, which they proved to be last season in winning the franchise’s first World Series, but it seems the Astros are intent on being the
best at everything.
These aren’t your grandmother’s or your father’s or even your older brother’s Astros.
Making Altuve, whom general manager Jeff Luhnow described as the “heart” of the team, one of the highest-paid players in baseball is another sign that the Astros place winning above all else.
From top to bottom, Jim Crane has built a franchise that dares to be great, an organization that matches its best player’s drive.
Every year at spring training, Altuve, who has taken three of the last four batting titles and won the American League MVP last season, says he wants to improve. And he goes out and does it.
Despite having a stacked enough deck to win a World Series, the Astros traded for pitcher Gerrit Cole this offseason. Cole, according to his agent, Scott Boras, is so happy to be with a team that puts winning first, the day he became an Astro ranks behind only his wedding day on his “Greatest Day Ever” list.
Teammates on hand
Altuve choked up when he gave a nod to his teammates, who went out of their way on Monday to support their leader on his big day. It is a confident group that is built to win.
When Altuve first came to a major league camp — at sufficient but outdated Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee, Fla. — his teammates were a bunch of guys. Let’s leave that without any adjectives to protect the innocent.
The upgrade in Altuve’s associates matches the Astros’ improvement in accommodations. Not long ago, the franchise was a laughingstock. Now it has hope. (Or the Hope Diamond of baseball, as Boras described Altuve.)
Crane said people would see him in restaurants, come up and pat him on the back, and ask him if he knew what the hell he was doing.
Now people see him, give the same pat, and call him a genius.
Not long ago, critics said Luhnow was in over his head at the top, after he had spent eight years as an underling with the Cardinals.
Now, if he were to teach a master’s class on how to run an MLB front office, he could fill Minute Maid Park with students.
The hiring of A.J. Hinch, who had never managed before on any level, by Arizona in 2009 was described in a newspaper column as “daffy, unconventional and (an) impending disaster” when he was fired a little over a year later.
Who could have seen that his hiring would play such a significant role in the Astros’ ascension? Crane and Luhnow, that’s who. Not even Sports Illustrated’s World Series prediction article in 2014 saw that coming.
Extending Altuve ranks high among all the right moves, the smart decisions, Crane and Co. have made.
You hear so much talk of how far Altuve has come, but how about how far he has brought the Astros?
“He holds his teammates to a high standard,” Crane said.
As quiet as Altuve is in public, he is chatty with teammates. He expects them to deliver as he does, to work as he does.
Marwin Gonzalez says Altuve doesn’t just lead by example, though he certainly does that too.
“He tells guys what they need to do,” Gonzalez said. “He is our leader on the field and in the clubhouse.”
Maybe the Astros would have found a way to win a World Series without Altuve on the team. I doubt that.
Good thing they didn’t have to find out. Now they won’t have to worry about how they would do without him any time soon.
Altuve has a full no-trade clause, and he loves Houston. This contract is likely to be played out, through its 2024 end.
All the right moves
As Luhnow said, it is an important step to ensuring the Astros are in contention for years to come.
And this is isn’t just talk, because, well, you know … they already won a championship.
The Astros have had so many “can’t believe my eyes” moments in recent years that I expect them to do well, to do right.
The shock is going to be when they do something that doesn’t turn out well. This feels weird for Houston. UH missing some free throws and getting sent home from the NCAA Tournament by a dagger at the buzzer? That felt like Houston sports.
However the Rockets lose this May or June — yeah, I know, they have consistently been the best team in the NBA all season — will feel natural.
Surely you all have the upmost confidence in the Texans doing the wrong thing at the wrong time, because that’s what they do. No matter where you set the bar, they will limbo under it.
Poor Houston. What did we do to deserve such heartbreak and pain? Silly us — we thought that was our lot in life. Then came these Astros. A championship organization that keeps making championship moves.