Pro-Houston fans booed after the player canceled two early free agent contracts and blew a gasket in the fall

Carlos Correa, 29, of the Minnesota Twins, who had his free-agent contract rescinded twice last winter, is shaking off the winter blues in fall ball. He’s even been booed by his hometown Houston Astros fans.

Correa started at shortstop and went 4-for-4 with two doubles, a triple, three RBIs and a walk to lead Minnesota to a 6-2 victory in Game 2 of the American League Division Series (ALDS) of the 2023 Major League Baseball postseason at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, on Monday (Sept. 9). After avenging a Game 1 loss, Minnesota evened its record with Houston at 1-1.

Correa opened the scoring in the first inning with a two-run double off Houston starter Framber Valdez over the left-center field fence. In the top of the fifth, he exploded for a two-run single up the middle. He scooped up Valdez’s three-pitch low sinker. In the seventh, 카지노사이트킴 he led off the Minnesota offense with a two-run double to left.

In four games this postseason, including the wild-card series, he’s exploded to go 5-for-15 with four RBIs and a 1.322 OPS. He now has 63 RBIs in the postseason, passing Derek Jeter and David Ortiz (61+) for third all-time in that category. He’s been a “fall guy” in the postseason since his days in Houston, and he’s showing it in his first fall ball in Minnesota.

Case in point: Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against the Toronto Blue Jays on May 5, when pitcher Sonny Gray threw out Toronto second baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with runners on second and third in the fifth inning, a play that was a collaborative effort with Correa, the shortstop who quickly covered the base. After the game, Gray said, “In the first inning, Correa said, ‘The crowd is loud, so the runner at second won’t hear the third base coach. A double play would be an option,'” Gray said. Correa’s big-game experience paid off.

Minnesota ace Pablo Lopez, who pitched seven scoreless innings to earn the win, said, “He sees things that other people don’t see. “He plays unbelievable defense, and offensively, he makes things happen when it counts. She can excite a team. He can get everyone involved in the game. He’s a leader, he’s a player, he’s a teammate.”

Correa had his free agency deal canceled twice last winter. He initially agreed to a 13-year, $350 million contract with the San Francisco Giants, the most ever for a shortstop, but a physical revealed a problem with his right ankle. While the contract was on hold before his introductory press conference in San Francisco, his agent, Scott Boras, negotiated with the New York Mets and secured a 12-year, $315 million deal.

The Mets also discovered a right ankle problem during his physical. The problem was a fractured right calf and ligament reconstruction surgery he underwent in 2014 while in the Houston minors. After making his big league debut in 2015, Correa played well without an ankle injury, but it became an issue twice before he hit free agency. The Mets offered Correa an amendment to his contract that called for him to take a pay cut if he missed more than 60 days with the ankle injury, and to be terminated if he missed more than 120 days in two years.

Correa’s original offer of six years and $157 million was cut in half, and he had no contract with the Mets. Correa eventually returned to his original team, Minnesota. He signed a six-year, $200 million guaranteed contract with incentives worth up to 10 years and $270 million. The two unprecedented contract rescissions took a toll on Correa.

As a result, he had a career-low season this year, batting just 23-for-514 (118 RBI) with 18 homers, 65 RBI, and a .711 OPS in 135 games. But now that Minnesota has won the AL Central and fall baseball has begun, a different Correa is showing up.

In his postgame interview, Correa said, “I’d be lying if I said it didn’t mean something to play against my former team, Houston. But our goal is to win the series, and we’re focused on bringing a championship to Minnesota. Everyone in the clubhouse is working on that,” he said, adding that the Houston fans booed him, “They’re cheering for their team. I’m not on this team anymore. Everything I did for Houston is in the past. I’ve moved on, and so have the fans. Houston fans want their team to win, and they want me to strike out every time. That’s completely normal. I understand that,” he said.

Breaking Jeter and Ortiz’s postseason RBI records also meant something to Correa. “Growing up in my hometown in Puerto Rico, I idolized both of them, jumping like Jeter and hitting home runs like Ortiz. It means a lot to me to surpass them at the plate. They are two of the greatest players in the history of baseball, and it’s a great accomplishment for me and my family.”