	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: ASTROS VS RED SOX

October 12, 2018

Jose Altuve

Boston, Massachusetts - Workout Day

Q. You played with J.D. throughout the minor leagues. You guys came up within just a couple days of each other. You both signed big contracts around the same time. What's your relationship been with him and leading up to this playoff series now?
JOSE ALTUVE: Well, I think it's been great since we've played all the way from minor leagues to the Big Leagues and really happy with all the things that have been happening to him because he's a great kid. He's a hard worker and he really deserves to -- everything that has happened to him, like I said, and I hope he have a lot of success through all his career, but not this week.

Q. Jose, continuing on J.D. Do you remember when he told you that he was cut by Houston and what was the conversation like?
JOSE ALTUVE: It was hard to remember what he said. Obviously we talked. But for some reason I always believed he's going to be the player he is right now, because, like I said, his success with hitting since I met him. And he did really good through the minor leagues.

He got a couple of tough years with us in the Big Leagues. But I think the best thing that happened to him was going to the Tigers and becoming the player that he is.

Q. How did you feel about your season? Obviously you dealt with injuries. I know you set the bar very high, you're very demanding of yourself, how did you feel about the season and the ability to have the playoffs clean the slate a little bit?
JOSE ALTUVE: Team-wise, I think we are where we want to be. And I'm really happy with that. We've been working many years to become a playoff team. We did it last year. We had a lot of success.

And this year we have a great opportunity to make history. Obviously we're facing one of the best teams in the Big Leagues. And I have a lot of respect for the Red Sox, we have a great team. Individually, no, I think I could do better. A lot of ups and downs for me this year, but we're here in the playoffs and it's an opportunity to redeem our season.

Q. Talk a little bit about what Bregman means to the clubhouse. A.J. mentioned he can connect with the pitchers, the Hispanic players, everybody, seems to have a knack to have people gravitate towards him.
JOSE ALTUVE: It's amazing what he means for the team. At such a young age he becomes a superstar. He has a great relationship with every single guy in the clubhouse. He's a leader, and, like I said, he can connect with pitchers, position players, coaches, everybody. And like I said many times, he's the biggest reason why we are playing the Red Sox right now.

Q. Alex Cora spoke about Mookie Betts in the first round and how he told him you don't have to carry the team and not to put too much pressure on yourself, and he mentioned how he's had conversations with you in the past in the postseason about this. Do you remember any conversations with Alex about kind of his encouragement and letting you know that you've got a lot of guys around you?
JOSE ALTUVE: Yeah, for me Alex, he knows a lot about baseball because obviously he played a lot of years.

And he says things to you that they're really meaningful and they help you a lot. I don't want to give him too much credit because he's on the other side now but he knows what he's doing.

Q. Are you worried that he has some inside info on you guys?
JOSE ALTUVE: Not really. Like I said, this is a new year. We have really good players. I think both sides are really good and have really good teams pitching here. It's going to be a pretty good series.

Q. In Game 2 you'll be facing a guy who has never won a start in the postseason. And for an opposing team, do you think that matters at all when the game starts?
JOSE ALTUVE: That's probably a pretty hard question. I think one thing about baseball is every day it's a new opportunity and he can come the second game and pitch really good. Or we can take advantage of that and score a lot of runs. It can go either way.

Always going to go with my team and try and win the game. But at this point I don't think -- it doesn't matter because, like I said, that's a new opportunity for him, but it's a new opportunity for us as well as a team.

Q. Last year you guys had one of the greatest offenses of all time. This year you've had one of the greatest pitching staffs of all time. Are you impressed with the depth in the organization, as impressed as we are as writers?
JOSE ALTUVE: Yeah. Last year we have probably -- I thought we have the best team we could ever have. And then we show up this year. And on paper the teams looks way better.

And I think we've been improving during the season. Justin, Gerrit, Charlie, Lance and Dallas, they're unbelievable what they accomplished this year.

If I have to say one thing about why we're sitting here, maybe pitching stats and Alex Bregman, but to answer your question, I'm as surprised as you guys at how good our pitching staff is right now.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297