Inside the Astros

Houston Astros Slugger Shares Weird All-Star Game Experience

Houston Astro slugger Yordan Alvarez felt uncomfortable during the MLB All-Star Game.

Tyler Maher

Jul 14, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros All-Stars Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez.
Jul 14, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros All-Stars Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez. / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
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The All-Star Game is a weird experience for MLB players. They get ready in different clubhouses, share dugouts with different players, wear different uniforms and face players they rarely see. It's a major departure from the routines and grind of a 162-game schedule, which gives them a much-needed break in the middle of summer.

Perhaps the weirdest thing about All-Star Games is how it forces rivals like the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers to become teammates.

It breaks down some of the barriers that exist when they're competing against each other.

For example, Astros All-Star Yordan Alvarez observed how strange it was to use the Rangers' home clubhouse at Globe Life Field during the 2024 MLB All-Star Game. Since the American League was the host team, AL players used the home team's clubhouse.

For AL West teams like Houston that play Texas often and spend a lot of time in the visitors' clubhouse, it must have felt odd.

According to Alvarez, "It felt a little weird" to be in the Rangers' clubhouse, which would normally be off-limits to Astros players. After playing 27 regular season and playoff games combined at Globe Life Field, this was Alvarez's first time venturing into the home clubhouse.

If that part of the event felt off for the Cuban slugger, the game itself probably felt a bit more normal.

Alvarez was heavily booed during the pregame introductions, which he's surely used to by now, especially after Houston and Texas sparred in last year's ALCS.

The three-time All-Star took it in stride, smiling and waving to the crowd while teammates Kyle Tucker and Jose Altuve laughed.

Fortunately for Alvarez & Co., they have some time before they have to return to Globe Life Field.

They'll open the second half on the West Coast against the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics with their next series at Texas not until early August.

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Tyler Maher

TYLER MAHER

Tyler grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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