Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. wasn’t born in Houston, but he sure loves it now.
Hailing from Tampa, Florida, McCullers might be the most vocal an Astro has ever been about his love for the Space City.
Tattooed on his left triceps is an astronaut with the Commissioner’s Trophy on his chest. The bottom of the astronaut morphs into a dripping, upside-down depiction of Houston’s downtown skyline, a nod to what the city went through when it flooded after Hurricane Harvey. McCullers was drafted by the Astros in the first round of the 2012 draft and made his MLB debut three years later. He’s pitched seven seasons in Houston, sitting out in 2019 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
“My adult life, since I was 21, Houston’s really most of what I’ve known,” he said. “So, I think I just really felt a connection to the city and to the people. I’ve loved my time here, and this is my home and will hopefully be my home for as long as I play.” McCullers does have a nasty curveball, but that night he threw it not because it was a particularly good pitch but out of necessity. He’d landed awkwardly on a pitch earlier in the game and his leg felt weird when he threw his fastball.