Houston Astros

Major League melting pot: Closer look at Houston Astros' diverse team roster

Thursday, October 20, 2022

Closer look at Houston Astros' diverse team roster

With the Astros ready to take on the Yankees, we thought we'd take a closer look at the hometown team.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- At 73 years old, Dusty Baker has experienced a lot throughout the course of his life.

"I've lived in various cultures," the Astros manager said. "I was in a predominately Black and Mexican situation as a kid. I was the only Black dude in high school with my brother, then I went to the South during the tumultuous '60s, and then I played in Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and Mexico."

Those experiences made Baker say one of the easiest parts of his job is managing the different cultures on the roster.

There are 26 men on the Astros ALCS roster, and 11 of them were born in the United States. The team's two catchers, Martin Maldonado and Christian Vazquez, are from Puerto Rico.

There are six Dominican players, including pitcher Framber Valdez, and three Cuban players, such as slugger Yordan Alvarez. Pitcher Jose Urquidy is from Mexico, and utility player Mauricio Dubon is only the second player in Major League Baseball history to hail from Honduras.

Baker's key to making these players come together as a team is quite simple.

"Taking people at face value, and accepting them for who they are," Baker said.