Houston Astros pitcher Framber Valdez saw his All-Star debut, yet Los Angeles Dodgers fans didn’t want him to enjoy the spotlight — but he did anyway.
Even though the Houston Astros graciously took Oakland A’s pitcher Paul Blackburn aboard their jet as they all journeyed to the All-Star Game, Houston’s finest didn’t exactly receive a warm welcome from the fans at Dodger Stadium.
When Justin Verlander, Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez were introduced on the field, fans united in loud, unsportsmanlike boos. This was a collective response to the Astros’ 2017 World Series cheating scandal, during which they beat the — you guessed it — Los Angeles Dodgers.
There are still many baseball fans who won’t forgive the Astros for undermining the integrity of the sport, and those who feel that no punishment will ever be enough for what happened several years ago. So, they’ll keep booing Astros players ad infinitum.
But Framber Valdez, the 28-year-old Dominican pitcher who debuted with Houston back in 2018, wasn’t having anyone steal his night in the limelight. Valdez pitched a perfect third inning during the All-Star Game, shutting down the NL and anyone hating on Valdez and his teammates.
The AL came away with the All-Star Game win with 3-2, and Valdez made sure everyone knows he loses no sleep over crowd boos before team wins.
“I don’t lose sleep over that, really,” Valdez said. “It’s one of those things that happens in a game, so it just helps me kind of concentrate on my own game and just keep doing what I’m doing.”
Framber Valdez loses zero sleep over being booed by Dodgers fans
The enmity between the Dodgers and Astros isn’t limited to 2017 — it flares up every time these two teams meet, especially in the postseason.
Although the Dodgers won the World Series in 2020, the Dodgers lost out to the Atlanta Braves during their 2021 World Series run, ruining the opportunity for yet another Astros-Dodgers showdown.
Although losing a championship marred by cheating is something that some fans will never let go, it doesn’t need to shake the game of today’s Astros pitchers like Framber Valdez. And clearly, Valdez isn’t letting anyone faze his game.