MLB playoffs: Astros players have completely ‘banished’ Justin Verlander

The Houston Astros have reached their third World Series in the last 5 seasons and they seek total and absolute redemption after the asterisk that has been placed on the championship they achieved in 2017, which they achieved through cheating and because of it, they became the public enemy No. 1 of all MLB, and with a new management and a new manager, they have tried to completely banish that culture that had in the clubhouse, although perhaps that also meant doing it with one of its most emblematic players.

According to information from ESPN Houston, Justin Verlander was scheduled to pitch the ceremonial pitch in Game 1 of the Division Series against the Chicago White Sox at Minute Maid Park at the invitation of management; however, according to John Granato of 97.5 FM’s The Bench, there is information that the Astros clubhouse strongly opposed the decision and managed to veto Verlander from making such an appearance.

The reason, according to Granato, is that Verlander has not shown up with the team or in the clubhouse at any point during the season, who was scheduled to miss all of 2021 due to a Tommy John. Leaders such as José Altuve, Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman have considered that it is a lack of respect, since they believe that Verlander could have accompanied his colleagues in the campaign and contributed from experience helping young people, but he was simply never interested in doing so. .

For the clubhouse and even for Dusty Baker, it would fall badly on the chemistry of the team if Verlander had taken the palms in a ceremonial pitching in the playoffs when he has not contributed in any way, making 66 million dollars in these last two years shooting only 6 tickets, which certainly set the precedent for Verlander not to return to the Astros, as his contract expires at the end of the World Series.

Gabriel Delgado

I started as a rookie on Al Bat in early 2018 and am going for my third season covering Major League Baseball as a web reporter. I am a fan of the San Francisco Giants, a number one defender of Barry Bonds and a critic of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto and Ronald Acuña are the future of baseball, Mike Trout is overrated, and the Astros deserved to be taken away from the World Series for cheating. Besides baseball, I also enjoy soccer, football, basketball, and just about any other game that includes a ball or a ball. I am also an amateur musician, penniless gamer and very nerdy. Graduated in journalism from the University of Guadalajara, I graduated in 2017. Born in the shrimp capital of the world, Escuinapa, Sinaloa. I lived in Australia for a while; i survived giant spiders, tasmanian devils, and fought a kangaroo and didn’t die trying.

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