Jose Altuve pens heartfelt letter to Astros' supporter J.J. Watt

Mark Townsend
·Yahoo Sports Contributor

There’s not a more respected person in the city of Houston than Texans defensive end J.J. Watt. The All-Pro NFL star has become a pillar in the community. Some might even say he’s achieved iconic status after stepping up and raising over $37 million to help with Houston’s relief efforts following Hurricane Harvey.

On the sports side of things, Watt is always the first one to step up and support Houston’s other sports franchises when they find success. That relentless support of all things Houston has led him to become a part of the entire city’s extended family, which is one of the reasons why Astros star Jose Altuve wrote a heartfelt letter to thank Watt after winning the World Series.

On Friday, Watt shared that letter on Twitter.

And yes, that’s a bottle of whiskey included in Altuve’s delivery.

The letter reads:

“From one H-Town brother to another, thanks for all you’ve done this year for the city we call home.”

“Your support for all things Houston – from hurricane relief, to being our number one fan – has been nothing short of incredible.”

“So I hope you’ll accept this fine whiskey gift I gave all my teammates following our championship win because to me, you’re absolutely part of the squad.”

J.J. Watt (L) and Jose Altuve hang out before an Astros exhibition game in 2013. (AP)
J.J. Watt (L) and Jose Altuve hang out before an Astros exhibition game in 2013. (AP)

Watt’s relationship with the Astros dates back pretty much to the beginning of his NFL career. The Wisconsin native has been invited to take batting practice with the Astros several times in the past, and has actually looked the part of a George Springer-like slugger. Watt’s power and athleticism is evident in everything he does.

Unfortunately, Watt is currently recovering from a broken leg that ended his season on the football field. But that didn’t stop him from throwing out the first pitch at World Series Game 3 in Houston. With the assistance of a crutch, Watt took the field and brought the house down.

It was a cool sight to see, and it obviously meant a lot to the Astros to have Watt there. Altuve’s classy gesture echoes that, while further cementing an already strong relationship between two of Houston’s biggest heroes.

BLS H/N: For The Win

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

– – – – – – –

Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!