Since winning the 2017 World Series, Houston Astros pitcher Joe Musgrove has been making appearances left and right.

However, one of his most important offseason stops came Thursday, when he visited patients at Houston’s Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in honor of Veterans Day.

“These guys are the true heroes,” Musgrove told MLB.com. “They set the tone for everything we do and have given us the opportunity to be in this situation. It’s really special.”

 

 

Musgrove went from room to room at the hospital with members of the Astros Foundation and Astros Shooting Stars to hand out gifts, pose for photos and deliver handwritten cards from elementary school students. But, most importantly, Musgrove took the time to talk with the men and women at the facility who stayed up late to watch him and his teammates bring one home to a city that, nine weeks after Hurricane Harvey, needed a major win.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment,” former U.S. Marine Rickie Bagby said. “We were honored just to be able to see what games we could see here, and none of the veterans missed it. We were up, even though we had to pay for it the next morning with them coming around and doing vitals so early. It’s awesome. It’s the best thing that’s happened to this town.”

Honoring those who served our country, whether overseas or stateside, is important to Musgrove. His father, Mark, was a police officer in San Diego.

Musgrove is no stranger to using his platform for good. On one of the team’s infrequent days off in early September, he and teammate Chris Devenski got a 6:00 a.m. start to load Hurricane Harvey relief supplies onto pallets at BBVA Compass Stadium. Later that day, they paid a visit to families who had lost their homes at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

So, while Musgrove is known as a World Series winner, he’s also known as someone who will step up big for his community. And that is what defines a true champion.