AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: YANKEES VS ASTROS

October 23, 2022

Jose Altuve

Yankee Stadium

Houston Astros

Pregame 4 Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with questions for José.

Q. Throughout this season Dusty has shown remarkable faith and kept a long leash on guys when they're struggling. What does that do for the clubhouse when your manager instills that kind of faith in you even as struggles kind of keep persisting?

JOSÉ ALTUVE: I think it's key because he keep believing in players even throughout, like you said, they're not doing good and see where we are right now. We are in the playoff. That tells you a lot about him and about the whole team.

Q. For you and your teammates who have been part of this rivalry now for multiple years what would it mean to win this series at Yankee Stadium and celebrate here?

JOSÉ ALTUVE: I think we just want to win and go to the next series, regardless of where we are at. If it's here, it's here. Obviously we're going to try to make it happen tonight. That's what we play for every night.

But we just be excited to go to the next series, even though it's Yankee Stadium or somewhere else.

Q. George and Carlos were really talented players, and the guys who have replaced them are also really talented too. But how have you guys managed to replace all the other things that those guys brought to the table in terms of experience, leadership, and being able to win in the playoffs the way they were?

JOSÉ ALTUVE: Obviously, you said it, they're, both were great players during the season, in playoff, and I think we as a team learned a lot from them.

But at the same time we got Jeremy, we got Chas McCormick, we got Jake Meyers, Dubón who plays in the outfield too, and what they brought to the team has been helping us a lot. Chas has a lot of energy. Jeremy has a lot of good things. If I start talking about him we might spend here two hours. He's a great player and I love the way he's handling everything.

But I think we have to give some credit to the front office too. They have been doing a great job bringing players when we're missing some good ones.

Q. What makes your pitching so good?

JOSÉ ALTUVE: You know, I would like to tell you, but I don't know, they're just amazing. I think having Justin Verlander and the way he communicates with the young guys. Obviously Lance, when he's healthy he's really good. We got Luis Garcia, we got Cristian Javier, we got Framber, which is having probably his best season ever. And they have been, I think they have been getting better. They have been learning a lot. They have been getting more experience. I think that's why they're doing the job they're doing.

Q. The fans here obviously always get on you. Does that bother you or is that motivation for you?

JOSÉ ALTUVE: I think I just try to focus on playing the game. I do as best as I can to keep everything away and just focus on the game and just be ready to help my team. Like I said, it doesn't matter where I play, I just got to be hundred percent focused on the game.

Q. As a non-pitcher what have you learned from Verlander about baseball?

JOSÉ ALTUVE: A lot of things. The way he prepares, the way he shows up every day. He's always communicating with players, trying to help people to get better, even with me. He talks with me a lot. All I do is listen, because obviously he's having a great career. He's a Hall of Fame player. You sure want to do, to follow him and do what he's doing because it's been working for him.

Q. What are some of the things he's done that you've adopted for yourself?

JOSÉ ALTUVE: Like, turn the page. It doesn't matter how things are going, it's always a new game, start fresh, like preparation. When he gets here, he prepares himself good for the game. Even though when he's not pitching, he keeps working hard. He's always trying to learn. I think I'm getting that from him.

Q. As a guy who's been here through the entire Houston run, when you lose guys like Charlie Morton, and Verlander goes out, and Carlos Correa and George Springer, and yet you keep running great guys through the organization to replace them. What's that tell you about the organization and how does that make you feel?

JOSÉ ALTUVE: No, it makes me feel good. You said it, you have to be aligned with the organization, the job they're doing, the scouting team, the front office, the general manager, the ownership are putting a lot of effort to put all the pieces together to replace guys that, you know, they're hard to replace.

When you talk about Springer, Charlie Morton, Carlos Correa, you're talking about all superstars, and to get players to fill that spot it's not easy. The fact that we're still playing really good and being in these situations, like I said, we just have to give a lot of credit to the front office group.

Q. Despite what's happened, how much credit does the previous management have for stocking the minor leagues and keeping guys flowing through?

JOSÉ ALTUVE: Yeah, a lot. Obviously the last management kind of left some players in the minor leagues, and then now we're seeing in the big leagues that definitely are helping the team. So it's been a job that they're doing, they did together even when they weren't working together.

Q. What do you think makes Maldy and Vázquez so good at being able to catch guys stealing? And from your advantage point if you were Jeremy or the guys applying the tag, what is it like for you to be involved in plays like the one that happened last night with Bader?

JOSÉ ALTUVE: I was talking with Maldonado. He's probably the hardest worker guy I ever seen. He works hard every single day, every single pitch, to get the job done. He takes pride in what he's doing, so smart the way he catch and everything he does on the field. Christian, when we got him, he was really open to learn and to adapt to the team. And Maldy's been communicating with him. They got a good relationship, and they're always talking how both of them can help the team.

Maldy didn't play yesterday and Christian didn't play the day before but they're always together in the game, and I think that to have that is obviously good for us. They deserve a lot of credit.

Q. The abuse, the emotion that you bring out here at Yankee Stadium, is this the top of your list as far as what you hear among all the places you play?

JOSÉ ALTUVE: Obviously the Yankees' fans are really, you know, fans. And they get in the game a lot. They, you know, really love the game. How can I say it? They love the game.

It's a little different here than other places. Like I said before, I just trying to come here and play my game. If I did good or not, just try to help my team to win.