Nina Altuve in support of her husband Jose Altuve in 2019: "Always our pride, daddy" 

The Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal rocked the MLB in 2017. Astros star Jose Altuve was alleged to have played a role in the scandal but has denied all allegations against him. Altuve has always maintained that he did not use a buzzer to tip off his teammates to pitches.

“I have never worn an electronic device in my performance as a major league player,” Altuve previously said in a statement released by the New York Post.

Several Astros players have come out publicly to state that Altuve was not involved in the scandal. Andy Martino, the author of the book called “Cheated: The Inside Story of the Astros Scandal and a Colorful History of Sign Stealing,” confirmed that Altuve did not play a part.

Amongst all the support that poured in for Altuve, none was more heartfelt and unconditional than that from his wife, Giannina. She posted an image of Altuve and their daughter on Instagram captioned “Always our pride daddy.”

"Siempre nuestro orgullo papito" - Giannina Altuve, Instagram

Altuve and his wife were teenage sweethearts and have been together for more than a decade. They met while growing up in Venezuela.

They got married as teenagers. After being married for 10 years, the pair welcomed their first child in November 2016.

"My family spent a magical day at @WaltDisneyWorld. Don’t miss the opening of #ToyStoryLand on June 30th! #ad" - Jose Altuve, Instagram

Jose Altuve's baseball roots can be traced to Maracay, Venezuela

Jose Altuve is from the baseball-rich town of Maracay in Venezuela. At age 16, Altuve attended a Houston Astros tryout camp in Maracay. After being deemed too short, Jose soon went on to prove critics wrong with his swashbuckling flair on the field.

"José Carlos Altuve was born and spent his childhood in Maracay, Venezuela. Altuve became a World Series champion with the Astros in 2017. For the season, Altuve was named the AL Most Valuable Player, becoming the second Astro to win the award. #HispanicHeritageMonth #SomosSpring" - Spring ISD, Twitter

Maracay is very famous for breeding MLB stars. At least 31 Major League Baseball players, including the Detroit Tigers’ seven-time All-Star, Miguel Cabrera hail from there.

“The kids dream of playing in the major leagues, and their parents want to plant their children in this field, hoping that seed might become the next Miguel Cabrera,” the director of one baseball training school told the Associated Press in 2012.

Baseball is king across Venezuela and this is especially true in Maracay, where a network of youth leagues and baseball schools nurture children into stars from a young age.