Jose Altuve makes impression on UH baseball in surprise visit

As Houston baseball continues its preseason preparations, one of the sport’s biggest stars made a surprise visit to a place just miles from Daikin Park.

Last week, Houston Astros superstar second baseman Jose Altuve stopped by UH’s Schroeder Park, spending roughly a half-hour with the Cougars and offering insight into his preparation and daily routine.

Coach Todd Whitting said the visit resonated with his players, who peppered the nine-time All-Star with questions while he was on campus.

“Jose came out last week, and he was incredible,” Whitting said. “Just super appreciative that he took the time to spend about 20 or 30 minutes with our guys; they asked him a bunch of great questions.”

Visits from professional players—both Houston alumni and outside of the program—are common at UH as spring training approaches, though not all carry the same weight as a former American League MVP and two-time World Series champion.

“We’ve got a couple in the ballpark today, it’s not all the caliber of Altuve, but we’ve had some really great ones out here in the past. Our former players and some guys with the Astros,” Whitting said.

For junior catcher Riley Jackson, learning from Altuve and watching him take batting practice was especially valuable. 

“It was awesome. Just seeing him hit, asking questions, seeing what he does on the day-to-day,” Jackson said. “It was great.” 

Altuve’s selfless demeanor and willingness to engage with the team, leaving a lasting impression on the players, is all part of what makes him a revered figure in Houston.

“If you’ve never met him, he is what he appears to be. He’s a great ambassador for Houston, he’s a great ambassador for the game of baseball,” Whitting said. “Overall, he’s just a great human being, so I really appreciate him coming out. It was really cool that our guys got to experience that.”