Altuve’s story amply demonstrates that you can be a big leaguer without being big.
In sports, it’s easy to write off a small player. But that attitude sells players short (no pun intended).
A great example is Houston Astros’ second baseman, Jose Altuve. Altuve grew up an avid baseball fan in Maracay, Venezuela. There he became good friends with future MLB player, Salvador Perez, and the two competed with each other on the field.
When Altuve turned 16 years of age, he tried out for the Astros at their tryout camp in Maracay.
Because of his size, the team’s scouts immediately assumed he had lied about his age. They told him he couldn’t participate.
Altuve was understandably upset. He went home and told his father, who recommended that Jose get his birth certificate and return to the tryout.
The next day Altuve did just that and was allowed to try out. The scouts were impressed and Altuve was offered a contract.
Altuve started out in the Venezuela Summer League and hit .343 in 2007. The U.S. was the next stop, the Greeneville Astros in the rookie-level Appalachian League, to be specific. Altuve hit .248 in 40 games. The next year (2009) Altuve had 21 stolen bases and batted around .350 in 45 games with that same Astros farm team. That performance earned him a spot on the league’s all-star team. He was also named the league’s MVP.
It took two more years before Altuve was called up to the big leagues. And it didn’t take him long to become a star. He has won the AL batting championship multiple times; was named Baseball America Major League Player of The Year; earned GIBBY/This Year In Baseball Award for Breakout Everyday Player of The Year; and has won the Hank Aaron Award, the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, and the Luis Aparicio Award, among others.
Courtesy: MLB.com
Altuve is a force for the Houston Astros, a big reason why Houston won the AL pennant and is one game away from winning the 2017 World Series.
His story amply demonstrates that you can be a big leaguer without being big.
