We can’t keep this story under our hat any longer.
The Houston Astros have officially joined baseball’s home run celebration club, and hats off to the man who made it happen—catcher Christian Vázquez, who went online, pulled out his own credit card, and bought the team an oversized blue cowboy hat with an Astros logo and an orange brim.
It might seem old hat to fans of other clubs—the Mariners have their trident, the Rockies their purple fur coat, the Pirates their swashbuckler sword—but Wednesday night at Daikin Park, when Yordan Alvarez launched his seventh home run of the season into the right field stands, the Astros threw their hat into the ring.
Alvarez, for his part, had told Vázquez before the game that he wanted no part of it. At the drop of a hat, he changed his tune, donning the orange and blue Stetson, strutting down the dugout handing out high fives, and pausing to pose for a photo with Space City Home Network’s Julia Morales.
When asked if the cowboy hat was here to stay, Alvarez’s answer was measured but came with a grin.
“I guess,” he said.
Manager Joe Espada was considerably more enthusiastic. “If there’s 40 times they put that hat on Yordan’s head,” he said, “I’m all for it.”
At the pace Alvarez is going, that’s no idle boast. Hats off, Yordan. Hats off.
Heading to Daikin Park soon? Check the Astros promotions schedule before your next game.