MLB WORLD SERIES: ASTROS VS BRAVES

October 25, 2021

Carlos Correa

Minute Maid Park

Houston Astros

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Carlos, what is the biggest benefit of playing with an infield that's been together for as long as you guys have?

CARLOS CORREA: I think the biggest benefit is that we know each other so well that you know how much ground you can cover. Breggy being at third base knows how much ground I can cover. So he knows that if the play's not going to be easy for him, he can just let it go and let me have the play. With Jose, the double plays, he knows where I want to throw. I know where he wants to throw.

So all those things are things that we don't talk about anymore but we still do because we've been playing together for so long that it's just automatic by now. Same with Yuli, when he's making me throw to second base, he knows where to throw it, and I'll be there every time. That experience has helped us a lot improve on the defensive side.

Q. On a long list of unique abilities that Jose Altuve has, to maybe not be at his best at the plate and yet come up with these impactful swings, home runs in this series. Obviously, I'm referencing Fenway in the eighth inning. What do you appreciate about how he can do that, and what goes into that for him?

CARLOS CORREA: I appreciate about him that it doesn't matter if he's 0-for-4, he knows in the playoffs that you're just one at-bat away from giving your team a win.

I tell the guys all the time in the locker room, don't look at your batting average. Don't look at your OPS on the scoreboard. Just look at ways to help the team win. You can be hitting 050, and if you hit a walkoff homer and we win the game, it's way more important than if you were hitting .400 and you just got singles with nobody on base and we never score runs off of it.

I just tell them: One at-bat at a time. One at-bat it going to be really important to decide the game, make sure you lock in and do your best.

Q. Carlos, in Houston, you've played behind a lot of pitchers who have great curveballs. Wonder what stands out about Framber's?

CARLOS CORREA: His curveball is very sharp, and he blends it in real well with the sinker. I faced him last year in the summer camp, and the sinker is obviously his best pitch, the one he uses the most. When he starts throwing that curveball back foot, it breaks really late. So it's really hard for hitters to tell the difference between the curveball and the sinker. That's what makes him very special.

Q. Carlos, I know you've talked about this a lot already, but with your future uncertain, what does it mean for you to have this chance at the World Series and a chance to win another title with these guys you've been with for so long?

CARLOS CORREA: It's really special to be here once again with this group of guys. Like I said before, I don't take any single second of this year for granted. It's just special to share the locker room with that group of guys that we have in there. They show up every single day ready to work. They show up every day, and they work like champions. We're here four wins away to become world champions once again.

We want to go out there, make it special, and hopefully win it all.

Q. How much has the history of 2017 a motivating factor for this team going into the series?

CARLOS CORREA: I don't think we're playing here in the World Series because we're motivated to go out there and prove people that we're a really good team. We're just here because we worked really hard from the moment we showed up to Spring Training because the loss last year, one win away from the World Series is bittersweet, and we just want to really show the world that we're the best team out there.

In order for us to do that, we've got to get four more wins. I don't think the outside noise motivates us at all. The guys inside there, we motivate ourselves to just be better every single day, and you see the results on the field.

Q. Last series, Framber talked about how much pride he takes to perform for his home country. Over the last couple of years, we've seen a huge influx of talented Latin ballplayers, young coaches, everybody kind of taking an important leadership role. How much pride do you take on the fact that you guys are getting on this stage and social media is able to help you guys create a whole new audience and create excitement for this game?

CARLOS CORREA: Obviously, we play for a lot of people out there that are watching, especially now that we're going to be in the World Series. In my personal case, I want to inspire the next generation. I want to inspire a lot of kids that are playing baseball in the little leagues and they have their favorite players. I just want to make sure that we do things right. We play baseball the right way, and we have fun doing it.

I'm getting a lot of videos of a lot of kids doing my celebration and all that, and it just makes me really happy that a lot of kids are going out there and watching the games and getting inspired by the things we do on the field. That really fills my heart with a lot of joy.