Astros create Keuchel's Korner

It was a nondescript Thursday evening in Houston, Texas when I walked into Minute Maid Park. The Astros faced the New York Yankees and Dallas Keuchel on the mound. I walked to section 106, and was greeted by smiling faces and folding tables. On those tables were bright orange shirts and beards in plastic.

I presented my ticket, received one of each item, and walked down the concourse into a sea of orange. The Astros had taken a page from the Mariners and created a cheering section of their top flight pitcher -- Keuchel's Korner. Shortly after that two giants cutouts of Dallas Keuchel's head and more importantly his beard showed up.

Among the section clad in orange, fans fiddled with their beards and cheered on Keuchel. It was a raucous party in the name of the bearded one. I admit I didn't need my prosthetic beard but it was fun all the same:

#Astros #gobeardorgohome #houston #siblings #beards pic.twitter.com/t7f3xHdiSx

— Ryan Dunsmore (@d_more55) June 26, 2015

Keuchel in turn seem to feed of his new cheering section, pitching a complete game shutout of the Yankees on Thursday. Keuchel was only the ninth pitcher since 1914 to pitch a complete game shutout of the Yankees and record 12 strikeouts.

This appears to be just the begin of Keuchel's Korner, the Astros have already announced the next date - June 30 against the Royals.