Jeremy Peña, Houston's newest celebrity, says he still the same
Houston Astros bullpen catcher Javier Bracamonte signs a kid’s glove during the Astros FanFest at Minute Maid Park on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023 in Houston.“I feel the same,” Peña said. “I feel like my parents call me a little less now.
Nah, it’s a good time.” Peña, the first rookie shortstop to win a Gold Glove and the youngest position player to win a World Series MVP, became a Houston hero when he delivered multiple clutch playoff hits. He is a key component of an Astros roster that this season returns 21 of the 26 players who were active for the World Series-clinching Game 6 win, and is further buoyed by marquee offseason signee José Abreu.“I’m still thanking him for what he did, giving me another ring,” Astros second baseman Jose Altuve said.“Last year’s in the past,” he said. “The goal is to turn the page. There’s a lot of work to be done and I feel good physically, mentally. We have a great team and we all know what has to get done going to the spring.” Peña is so indifferent to his accolades that he’s lost track of the hardware from his numerous awards. His Gold Glove and MVP trophies are off somewhere getting custom engraved, he said. Where, exactly? He shrugged, though this particular gesture lacked the panache ofPeña’s humility did not dissuade Astros fans from flocking to Minute Maid Park to get a glimpse of him Saturday. Whereas most of Houston’s players and coaches signed autographs on the concourse in groups of eight or nine, inside the Diamond Club, Peña sat alone at a long table autographing 5x7 photos as a line at least 100 people deep snaked around the room. “Keep moving, please. No selfies,” an usher instructed eager autograph-seekers. Many fans held up their phones to snap photos from afar while still in line, though some disregarded the request altogether once they reached Peña.“Love you, too,” Peña shouted back.“He hasn't changed one bit since the day I met him,” third baseman Alex Bregman said. “He's a hard worker. He loves the game of baseball. He's a great dude. Everyone loves being around him and he's got a great personality that I think all the fans here love, and I'm excited to see him continue to grow and continue to get better.” Still, Altuve acknowledged that navigating whirlwind publicity tours in the aftermath of a championship season, while preparing for a new season, can take some getting used to. “I don't know, I wouldn't call myself a celebrity,” Altuve said. “We get to play the game we love and in front of our people here in Houston, but I think the difference is that basically when you're younger, you're still learning how to prepare for the season versus at my age, you know what works for you. So you stick with that and it's, I think, a little bit easier.”
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