MLB WORLD SERIES: ASTROS VS BRAVES

November 2, 2021

Carlos Correa

Minute Maid Park

Houston Astros

Postgame 6 Press Conference

Atlanta - 7, Houston - 0

Q. Carlos, your at-bat in the ninth inning, can you kind of take us through your emotions there? Did it kind of enter your mind that this could be the last time you take an at-bat in this place?

CARLOS CORREA: It was the only thing going through my mind, to be honest. A lot of feelings, mixed emotions. I spent seven years with this club. Yeah, it was going through my mind for sure.

Q. What do you think just happened to you guys offensively in this series? Scoring four runs in your four losses and just kind of getting shut down?

CARLOS CORREA: I think it was great, their pitching. They were really good. Fried tonight was lights out. They shut us down. I don't think it's just a problem with our guys. It's just them executing pitches.

We always say when there's really good pitching, and they're executing, it's hard to hit. So they did a really good job.

Q. I know this might be tough right now just after the game, but can you reflect on everything you've done here in this organization and also your relationship with Jose and how tough it will be if you're not with him next year.

CARLOS CORREA: Yeah, my relationship with Jose is obviously really special. He's more than just a friend and a teammate. He's my brother for life. I'm forever grateful for everything I learned from him.

So, yeah, all I can say is I did everything in my power to make this team a better club, this organization, to keep training in the right way, and I'm proud of my time here.

Q. You touched on a little, you've become the face of this franchise, you're a superstar in this town. What is it like now facing the uncertainty and maybe you won't be here next year, you may be moving on?

CARLOS CORREA: It's tough. I talked to the guys in the clubhouse, and it's a different off-season for me, something obviously I'm not used to. So take it one day at a time. I'm going to be a little busy this off-season, thank God, with my son, so that will distract me a little bit from the fact that I'm a free agent. Yeah, there's that.

Q. Carlos, you discussed before that you want to come back here, and the team just hasn't stepped up. Do you believe, do you think that they will? Do you have any indication or feel like they're going to meet you halfway?

CARLOS CORREA: Well, I want to say thank you to Jim and James and the whole organization for respecting what I said at Spring Training. Once the season started, I wanted no part of talks or negotiation, and they respected that. Now that I'm a free agent, we'll have a conversation and see how that goes. I'm thankful that they respected what I told them in Spring Training.

Q. Carlos, if this was your last time here, what message do you want to send to the fans?

CARLOS CORREA: To the fans, I want to say thank you for your support. My time here was amazing, the seven greatest years of my life. I got here as a boy, turned into a man, grew in this city, and the fans embraced me.

So this has been my home. This is my home now. So I'm grateful for everybody.

Q. Carlos, I know this is a difficult question, but I'm wondering after 2017, the next two World Series have not gone your way. Did you or the group feel like you needed to win one of those to be viewed as legitimate winners after what people think of 2017?

CARLOS CORREA: We obviously wanted to win. It didn't play out. So there's that. We're not focused on the outside noise. We're focused on the things that we can control, and that's putting in the work, showing up, showing the world how good we really are.

Second place is not good enough for us. I know it's not good enough for you guys. But it speaks volumes of how good our organization, our talent in the clubhouse is. Five ALCS in a row, three World Series in five years, I mean, I don't know what else you want to ask from a great ball club.

Q. Carlos, if this is it for you here, how do you think this group will be remembered, and how should it be remembered, do you think?

CARLOS CORREA: This group is a special group. I told them in the clubhouse, never take for granted what we've built here. Not many teams are like this. Not many teams are a family. Not many teams go out to work every single day and are successful.

People expect greatness when you talk about the Houston Astros. They expect us to make the playoffs every year. They expect us to be in the World Series every year. That's because of the atmosphere and chemistry that we built in this clubhouse. You got to keep that up for years to come, and this organization is going to be one of the greatest.

Q. Carlos, this may also be Dusty's last game with the Astros. I'm wondering how you would describe the experience of playing for him?

CARLOS CORREA: I hope Dusty's back. He's a great manager, great person, great human being. Loved playing for him. I loved every single second. I learned so much from him. Spent a lot of time in his office. He's a great one.

Q. Kind of following up on that, Carlos, about Dusty, what is it about him that to a man you guys talk about what he's meant to this team, and why would you like to see him come back?

CARLOS CORREA: I think what's special about Dusty is like he's the manager, but you also see him as a friend. When you have that kind of relationship with your players and that communication, good things are going to happen in the clubhouse. He has our back. We have his back. Communication is key for me and the guys in there, and he did a great job with that.