a real homer
Astros star shocks Houston waitress with massive tip in new YouTube video
Alex Bregman is nervous. His hands are sweaty.
The usually steely-eyed slugger isn’t staring down a pitcher in a pivotal matchup. Rather, the Astros star is sitting at The Moonshiners Southern Table & Bar, the popular downtown restaurant he frequents with his buddies.
As cameras document his every move for his blossoming YouTube channel, he’s about to make a crucial play: surprising a young waitress with a huge tip that will help her in her hour of need. “Alex called me and told me he and some buddies were coming in,” says Sam Aceituno-Zaldaña, general manager of Moonshiners. “Then he asked me if any of my waitstaff were single moms or struggling. He’s trying to randomly do good deeds for people and wants to help.”
Turns out that Moonshiners waitress Jordan Thompson fit the bill. The college student had just reported that her car was broken into; worse, her rent money was stolen from the vehicle. “She felt terrible and was even more embarrassed to lose that money,” recalls Aceituno-Zaldaña.
In the video that’s generating major buzz (well over 150,000 views in just 48 hours) and love for Bregman, he and his friends politely and casually chat with Thompson, make a sudden exit, and insist for the bill for their iced teas (she offers to comp them).
Bregman then leaves $500 cash and quickly exits. In tears, Thompson follows him out and hugs him as Bregman admits that he was “nervous” about the big reveal, grinning to the camera. “It’s good — it’s a success,” he reports.
The World Series champ has a history of championing Moonshiners. Aceituno-Zaldaña reports that Bregman “comes in two or three times a week” and will even dine there before and after games. He’s tweeted that the restaurant’s brisket grilled cheese is “the best post game meal in Houston” and even the “best meal in HTown.”
Aceituno-Zaldaña expects more random acts of kindness from Bregman at his restaurant and other spots around town. “He’s humble and generous and just looking to make a difference in people’s lives,” says Aceituno-Zaldaña. “The money isn’t life-changing, the moment is. Nothing was going right for Jordan, then this happened. That’s what it’s all about.”
