Houston Astros Slugger Shares Weird All-Star Game Experience

The All-Star Game is a weird experience for MLB players. They get ready in different clubhouses, share dugouts with different players, wear different uniforms and face players they rarely see. It's a major departure from the routines and grind of a 162-game schedule, which gives them a much-needed break in the middle of summer.

Perhaps the weirdest thing about All-Star Games is how it forces rivals like the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers to become teammates.

It breaks down some of the barriers that exist when they're competing against each other.

For example, Astros All-Star Yordan Alvarez observed how strange it was to use the Rangers' home clubhouse at Globe Life Field during the 2024 MLB All-Star Game. Since the American League was the host team, AL players used the home team's clubhouse.

For AL West teams like Houston that play Texas often and spend a lot of time in the visitors' clubhouse, it must have felt odd.

Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez found it strange to walk into the Rangers’ home clubhouse at Globe Life Field for the #AllStarGame .
“We’re in the same division, and we play here a lot, so it felt a little weird entering their clubhouse.”#Relentless pic.twitter.com/yACHry2HVu
— Our Esquina (@OurEsquina) July 16, 2024

According to Alvarez, "It felt a little weird" to be in the Rangers' clubhouse, which would normally be off-limits to Astros players. After playing 27 regular season and playoff games combined at Globe Life Field, this was Alvarez's first time venturing into the home clubhouse.

If that part of the event felt off for the Cuban slugger, the game itself probably felt a bit more normal.

Alvarez was heavily booed during the pregame introductions, which he's surely used to by now, especially after Houston and Texas sparred in last year's ALCS.

The three-time All-Star took it in stride, smiling and waving to the crowd while teammates Kyle Tucker and Jose Altuve laughed.

Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez received the loudest boos during pregame introductions at the #AllStarGame . #Relentless #Cuba pic.twitter.com/RGULe8Lktt
— Our Esquina (@OurEsquina) July 17, 2024

Fortunately for Alvarez & Co., they have some time before they have to return to Globe Life Field.

They'll open the second half on the West Coast against the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics with their next series at Texas not until early August.