Carlos Correa was a key cog in these golden years of Houston Astros baseball and left in free agency when the team that drafted him No. 1 overall at 17 years old didn’t make him a counter-offer.
Now, as a member of the Twins, who are even with the Astros after two games of the American League Division Series, Correa is getting booed by Houston fans at Minute Maid Park, the place he used to turn into his playground every October.
JEROME SOLOMON: Astros fans should know better than to poke Carlos Correa, especially in October
It’s all confusing to former teammate Josh Reddick, who won the franchise’s first World Series with Correa in 2017.
“So why are y’all booing Correa?,” Reddick posted on Twitter midway through the Twins’ 6-2 win Sunday.
When a fan responded sarcastically that they didn’t know they should be cheering for the opponent, Reddick countered.
“No, don’t cheer at all! ,” tweeted Reddick, who was at the game and called Play Ball before the first pitch. “If that’s your argument why doesn’t everyone boo the rest of the Twins lineup?”
It’s true that in the first two games of the ALDS, Correa has been booed heartily, although there also are some cheers mixed in, while most of the rest of the Twins lineup has been met with crowd apathy.
After Sunday’s win, Correa said he understands the fans’ reaction to him.
“They’re rooting for their team, right? I’m not on their team anymore,” Correa said. “After everything I did for the organization, that’s in the past. Now, I’ve moved forward. They’ve moved forward as well. And I understand it. They want their team to win, and they want me to strike out every time. It’s totally normal.”
No matter your feelings on Correa, it’s probably unwise to boo him because he feeds off such things, especially in October where he often came up clutch with the Astros. Even at just 29 years old, Correa already ranks fifth all-time in career doubles (19) in the postseason, seventh in home runs (18) and third in RBI (63). In both doubles and RBI categories, Correa has fewer playoff plate appearances than every person in front of him.
The former Gold Glove shortstop added to those totals Sunday by going 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI and a sterling play in the field to record the game’s final out. So far this postseaon — his first with the Twins — Correa is 8-for-15 (.533) with three doubles.
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