A new season brings a new professional wrestling-inspired tradition to the Astros' clubhouse, courtesy of mat aficionado Josh Reddick and Justin Verlander.
A new season brings a new professional wrestling-inspired tradition to the Astros' clubhouse, courtesy of mat aficionado Josh Reddick and Justin Verlander.
A new season brings a new professional wrestling-inspired tradition to the Astros' clubhouse, courtesy of mat aficionado Josh Reddick and Justin Verlander.
The two ordered matching robes, somewhat in the style adopted by Harley "The King" Race during his World Wrestling Entertainment days and considerably less ornate than those donned by Ric Flair or Randy Savage, to be presented to the pitcher and player of the game.
Gerrit Cole and George Springer were Friday's inaugural honorees to receive the robes and will have the duty of passing them on to the next recipient after the next Astros victory.
The Astros last year honored their two players after each win by presenting a World Boxing Organization-style championship belt ordered by Carlos Beltran. Reddick started the tradition by bringing his customized WWE belt to the ballpark.
Beltran, however, took the WBO belts with him when he retired after the 2017 season. Reddick said he and Verlander were riding to the ballpark in Arlington during the season's opening series when they hit on the idea for the robes.
"It's sick to have the robes," Springer said. "I'm looking forward to passing them out again."
