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Summary

Astros Jeremy Peña Does This Gesture After Home Runs & The Reason Will Melt Your Heart

The 2022 ALCS MVP is clearly a Momma's boy. 🫶

Jeremy Peña holding up a heart sign with his hands. Right: Peña wearing an orange Houston Astros shirt while holding a bat.

Jeremy Peña holding up a heart sign with his hands. Right: Peña wearing an orange Houston Astros shirt while holding a bat.

Texas Staff Writer

Athletes display all types of spirited celebrations when they find success in their sport. For Houston Astros rookie Jeremy Peña, a simple heart gesture he makes with his hands following a scoring run is his way of showing triumph, and the meaning behind it is so wholesome.

You can often see the shortstop hold up the dubbed "heart hands" after he rounds third base following a home run or when he makes it to base for a scoring RBI.

Many saw this as a seemingly appreciative signal that was assumed to be directed at the fans. However, Peña recently revealed to TBS reporter Lauren Shehadi in a postgame interview that he does it for one person: his mom Cecilia.

Peña is the son of former MLB star Geronimo Pena, who came from the Dominican Republic to play in the U.S. league in the 1990s. Today, the Houston Astros dad and his wife live in the New England area but find time to attend their son's games.

Whether Peña’s parents are attending a game in person or watching it on television, the obvious momma's boy loves to honor his family members when he makes a big play.

Now, the commemorative motion is being recognized by all types of baseball fans beyond the Space City.

The athlete's sign has also become a beloved home run celebration among Astros lovers. Alex Bregman's famed dugout staredowns at the broadcast cameras or Tony Kemp's festive "hugs for homers" are other popular gestures.

Throughout the Texas team's successful postseason, this celebration has become a true icon. You can find it being put on t-shirts and being used in official social media posts.

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    • Staff Writer

      Brittany Cristiano (she/her) was Narcity USA's first full-time Texas Staff Writer. She's a lifelong Houstonian but enjoys every corner of the Lone Star State. Brittany is passionate about highlighting the beauty and rarities in the places we live in or visit–whether it’s showing North American readers something they never knew existed in the South, or helping Texans appreciate the beauty that’s been there the whole time. Oh, and she also loves to spill the tea on the latest trending figures in Texas and beyond. She previously served as an Editorial Intern for Houstonia magazine and as Editor-in-Chief of the University of St. Thomas’ student newspaper.