Edison High School (Fresno, CA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMatt Halfhill: \u00a0[laughs] Well, it’s funny you ask that. It ties back to Fresno where you played on your way to Houston. Ironically, the stadium, Chukchansi Park, is only a mile or two from my alma mater.<\/strong><\/p>\nI was sitting on the steps of my ninth grade English class at Edison High School when someone complimented me on my shoes and said that very phrase – “Snkrs Day.” \u00a0It always stuck with me.<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0Amazing.<\/p>\n
Matt Halfhill: \u00a0Yep, pretty funny. \u00a0Lots of great things come through Fresno.<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0Hopefully that includes me!<\/p>\n
Matt Halfhill: \u00a0[laughs] Of course. You didn’t play there very long, but what do you remember most about playing for the Fresno Grizzlies?<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0First of all, Fresno is hot. \u00a0HOT. \u00a0I thought I played in hot places, but Fresno is a different kind of hot.<\/p>\n
Matt Halfhill: \u00a0But you got called up in June! \u00a0You missed the best part of the 110 degree summers. July and August can be brutal there.<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0[laughs] I enjoyed my time in Fresno, even though it was short. \u00a0It was a weird feeling being there though because I knew once I got to Fresno, I was only one phone call away from the ultimate dream of coming up to play for the Houston Astros in Major League Baseball. \u00a0From the days of being a kid in Puerto Rico, I had a dream of playing at the highest level. \u00a0When I got to Fresno, I knew I was getting so close.<\/p>\n
Matt Halfhill: \u00a0I completely understand that. And honestly, I was looking forward to when you came to town, but I knew you wouldn’t be there forever. \u00a0What was the best part of playing for the Fresno Grizzlies?<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0The fans. The Fresno Grizzlies fans are so passionate about their team. \u00a0Every game they showed up despite it being so hot. \u00a0I lived downtown not far from the stadium and you would see the fans show up early and hang around afterward too.<\/p>\nCarlos Correa signing autographs for Fresno Grizzlies fans<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMatt Halfhill: I noticed the adidas NMDs on your feet. What’s your favorite part of these shoes?<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: So many things about these shoes I like. I’m a big fan of the design of the shoes and you can’t beat Boost cushioning. \u00a0The style of the NMD is simple, but also sophisticated.<\/p>\n
Matt Halfhill: \u00a0What are your favorite shoes at the moment?<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0[points at my feet and laughs] Well, the ones on your feet are definitely one of them. \u00a0I like the Yeezy Boost 350s a lot, as well as the UltraBoosts. And of course, the adidas NMDs too. \u00a0It’s funny you ask that question about my sneakers because much of what I like in shoes influences my game.<\/p>\nAdidas Yeezy Boost 350 “Moonrock”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMatt Halfhill: \u00a0How so?<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0To me, you gotta look good, feel good, play good.<\/p>\n
Matt Halfhill: \u00a0So sneakers are part of the whole process for your game?<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0Absolutely.<\/p>\nCarlos Correa photographed on August 15, 2016 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX by Kenneth Cappello for Adidas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMatt Halfhill: \u00a0How does your philosophy about looking good, feeling good, and playing good apply to your footwear on the diamond?<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0Same principles. \u00a0I do the same exact thing for my cleats – I want to stand out. \u00a0I feel like to play the best game I can play, I have to look the best and feel the best and adidas’ cleats do just that for me. \u00a0Obviously, with any professional sports leagues, there are certain restrictions as to what one can wear in-game, but I like to wear cleats that can be seen on the 3rd baseline from the third-level upper deck. Again, look good, feel good, play good.<\/p>\n
I play at a minimum of 162 games a season. The Boost technology in my cleats allows me to play night in and night out without pain, discomfort, or anything holding me back from being ready to go the next game. You need to stay comfortable.<\/p>\n
Being a sneakerhead is part of the preparation for every game. \u00a0Look good, feel good, play good. \u00a0The way you take the field is the way you want to walk off. \u00a0Look good, feel good, play good.<\/p>\nCarlos Correa’s opening day cleats<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMatt Halfhill: \u00a0And win?<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0Yes. \u00a0Walking off with a win is all part of that.<\/p>\n
Matt Halfhill: \u00a0I heard that you have quite an extensive collection of sneakers spread over thousands of miles.<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0Yes! It’s funny. \u00a0Every time I go home to Puerto Rico or every time my mom comes to visit me, I am having to pack boxes of shoes to move them to my place here in Houston.<\/p>\n
Matt Halfhill: \u00a0So the sneaker room is starting to get filled?<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0[laughs] Yes, it sure is. \u00a0Slowly but surely it is all coming together!<\/p>\n
Matt Halfhill: \u00a0Would you be down to show us your collection at your place?<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0[laughs] Not yet. \u00a0Not yet. \u00a0I have to get everything set up and ready for it first. \u00a0Not all of my shoes are with me in Houston, so not yet.<\/p>\n
Matt Halfhill: \u00a0Other than sneakers, what is part of your pregame routine gets you “in the zone?”<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0I like to listen to music before heading out the field. \u00a0Put on some hip-hop, especially Kanye and Drake, put on my headphones, and it helps me get focussed on my game and in the zone.<\/p>\nBun B at Minute Maid Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMatt Halfhill: \u00a0I’m glad you mentioned hip-hop because Houston has quite a list of great artists.<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0YES. \u00a0I like Bun-B a lot. \u00a0I heard he’s a big fan of the Astros too.<\/p>\n
Matt Halfhill: \u00a0That, he sure is. \u00a0What are some other things that you do before every game?<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0EAT! [laughs] Food is so important to me. \u00a0I eat every day at 5:30 no matter what. \u00a0I have to eat at exactly 5:30.<\/p>\n
Matt Halfhill: \u00a0Even on the road?<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0[laughs] Yes. I have to, unfortunately, eat a little less on the road because we have one hour less of prep time before taking the field, but 5:30 is my time to eat no matter where I am.<\/p>\n
Matt Halfhill: \u00a0Do you have a go-to dish?<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0I don’t have one dish that I always eat, but I am a big fan of seafood.<\/p>\nCarlos Correa photographed on August 15, 2016 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX by Kenneth Cappello for Adidas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMatt Halfhill: \u00a0How does playing on the road affect you? \u00a0Surely, there are advantages to playing at home in Houston.<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0Honestly, when I prepare and I am in the zone, being on the road doesn’t distract me. \u00a0I embrace it. \u00a0Of course, being at home in Houston, it is great when you walk up to the plate and hear the faithful Astros fans cheer for you. \u00a0Everyone prefers playing at home, but getting in the zone before the games is what helps me the most on the road.<\/p>\n
Matt Halfhill: \u00a0The season is a very long one when you go all the way back to spring training and include a potential post-season run. \u00a0How do you prepare for that?<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0Training early in the season is very different from the later part of the run. \u00a0162 games is a very long stretch. \u00a0You change things to be your best. \u00a0Early in the season, I am doing more weight training to prep my body to be stronger, but towards the end, I do more to keep my body together and get ready for the next game. \u00a0Early on I’m building to get stronger, but later in the season I’m doing what I can to stay healthy.<\/p>\nCarlos Correa holding Houston Astros jersey after being drafted<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMatt Halfhill: \u00a0Going back a few years to June 4, 2012 when you were 17. [Carlos smiles with his unmistakeable grin] \u00a0What was it like to be the first Puerto Rican high school player to be drafted straight from the island to the MLB?<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0It was an incredible feeling. For so many years so many people from Puerto Rico have been behind me and have had a major influence on who I am. \u00a0It was one of proudest moments of my life.<\/p>\n
Matt Halfhill: \u00a0Speaking of Puerto Rico, I saw that Monica Puig took home the first Gold Medal for the island just days ago in the Olympics.<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0Wasn’t that amazing?! \u00a0We were on the road in Toronto and I was watching the game with three other teammates at the bar cheering her on at the start of the match. \u00a0A little while later there were ten people cheering her on. \u00a0In her last set, literally, the entire place was cheering for her. \u00a0It was such an amazing feeling for me to see it happen and I am so happy for Monica. \u00a0She’s a great person and represented Puerto Rico so well. \u00a0I felt so proud in that moment and I was so glad I got to see Puerto Rico’s first Olympic Gold Medal.<\/p>\n
But that’s what is so great about the Olympics and the spirit of the Games. There I was in Canada thousands of miles away from Puerto Rico and even more from Rio, but I could feel the energy and excitement. \u00a0Truly beautiful.<\/p>\n
Matt Halfhill: \u00a0How do you feel about the Olympics not including baseball? \u00a0There is some talk of it coming back.<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: I really would like to see baseball return to the Olympics. \u00a0Not just because I love the game, but I would love to see so many people from Puerto Rico and other nations get the opportunity to play on the global stage and represent their country. \u00a0For me, I think getting to represent where you are from is one of the greatest things you can experience. \u00a0I really would like to see guys get the chance to do that.<\/p>\nCarlos Correa, native of Ponce, Puerto Rico<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMatt Halfhill: \u00a0Who are your favorite baseball players from Puerto Rico?<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0I would say that it would be Roberto Clemente, Derek Jeter, Roberto Alomar, and Ivan Rodriguez.<\/p>\n
Matt Halfhill: \u00a0Speaking of Pudge. \u00a0I saw that he was there for a special moment in your career.<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0That was an amazing moment. \u00a0I always looked up to Pudge so it was so great to get to be with him when I was drafted.<\/p>\n
Matt Halfhill: \u00a0Who do you think has had the most influence on who you are?<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0Let me think about that.<\/p>\n
Matt Halfhill: \u00a0I know, it’s not an easy question.<\/strong><\/p>\nCarlos Correa: \u00a0My father. [points across the room to where his father was meeting with members of the Astros organization.] He has had so much influence on me as a person and has made so many sacrifices to see me succeed. \u00a0I work every day to do what I can to make him proud. \u00a0I am who I am today because of my father.<\/p>\nCarlos Correa photographed on August 15, 2016 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX by Kenneth Cappello for Adidas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n
Going into this assignment, I was admittedly already a fan of Carlos, but\u00a0after spending time with him, seeing the joyful character — yet laser-focused competitor — I am an even bigger fan of the kid.<\/p>\n
After this experience, sharing similar interests in shoes, and even the Fresno and Astros connection, it will be even more enjoyable to watch him in his career.<\/p>\n
Carlos is among the best of the best of his craft. At the plate and at shortstop, he is ready, focused, and determined. His physical and mental preparation is second to none, and that is why\u00a0he is one of the very best in the game, as he looks to lead a new chapter on the field for both the Astros organization and the adidas brand.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
What gets Carlos Correa, the 21-year-old Houston Astro shortstop and reigning AL Rookie of the Year, in the zone? \u00a0What…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":149,"featured_media":507698,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[1225462,1227241],"cultivate_rss":[],"class_list":{"2":"type-post"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Look Good, Feel Good, Play Good: Carlos Correa Is In The Zone | Snkrs Day<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n