A photo gallery of the Opening Day Street Festival that was held at Minute Maid Park on Monday, April 5th.
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Results tagged “mlb”
When the going gets tough, you get a new manager. That's not quite the way the saying goes, but it's the way things are playing out in the Astros clubhouse. Last night the ball club named the Boston Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills the manager for the 2010 season. This posting will be Mills first chance to run his own team in the bigs after a running the show at three clubs in the minors and apprenticing around the majors for 11 years.
Each team plays 162 games during the regular season. The Astros have 83 home games on their docket. And, of those, only five are day games during the week, i.e. "a businessman's special."
After staying mum for months because of pending litigation surrounding allegations that he used performance enhancing drugs during his Major League Baseball career, Roger Clemens got back to trying to set the record straight Tuesday with an appearance on ESPN Radio's Mike and Mike in the Morning. We told you about it. Clemens read it. And, he responded.
Roger Clemens broke his months-long silence this morning on ESPN Radio's Mike & Mike in the Morning national broadcast to reiterate his innocence as a new book about him hits the stores.
This afternoon Houstonist was parked on at a patio enjoying a tasty burger when we spied Craig Biggio rolling through the drive through. As he pulled forward, we noticed what looked to be a Texas Rangers "T" stuck on the back window of his SUV.
The Houston Astros have announced they have come to terms on a one-year, $1 million contract with incentives with Darin Erstard. Erstad, who can play outfield and first base, is a two-time All-Star (1998, 2000). Last year with the Chicago White Sox, Erstad batted .248 with four home runs runs and 32 RBI in 87 games.
The Houston Astros have acquired Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star closer Jose Valverde. In exchange for Valverde, the Astros have shipped Chad Qualls, Chris Burke and Juan Gutierrez to the Diamondbacks.
It appears that the Astros are set to sign Craig Biggio's heir apparent: Kaz Matusi. Matusi batted .288 for the NL Champion Colorado Rockies last year with 84 runs scored and 32 stolen bases. Along with Michael Bourn, the two speedsters should wreck havoc for opposing NL catchers. Though the Astros have yet to comment on this deal, the Daily Herald and the Houston Chronicle both report that sources close to the situation have...
Happy Monday from the Sports Doldrums! With the World Series over, the Texans being the Texans, and the Rockets not quite started, this has got to be the worst time of the sports year. But sports being what they are, people are still talking about them. Here's what the blog world has been saying about your hometown teams: - Sad, but unsurprising, end to the story of the life and death of Eddie Griffin....
Did you see the news Uncle Drayton? Joe Torre said no to the Yankees. Now it's your turn to make a move and pick up Andy Pettitte. That's right, Houstonist said it: "Bring back Andy Pettitte!" We know, we know. He left us at the altar and bolted back to New York for the bright lights and big city, but everyone deserves a second chance. We need him. Pettitte has a player option of...
Well, the Astros article hiatus sure didn't last long, but this was too good to pass up. As you're no doubt familiar, Major League Baseball has a player development in Europe, grooming the European baseball stars of tomorrow, today. (No, real grooming, not metaphorical. Like position-specific haircuts and the finer points of growing a playoff beard.) Anyway, the Astros signed a Dutch shortstop yesterday from the MLB European Academy. His name is Jan Baldee,...
Baseball's most self-pitying franchise is at it again. The Chicago Cubs are pissed at the Astros for the players that the Astros sent out to play against the Brewers this week. The Cubs and Brewers are locked in a struggle for the NL Central title, with the Brewers currently on top; baseball courtesy dictates that the Astros field their best team against the Brewers, so as not to hand them "cheap" wins. It's a supposed...
In the wake of last week's firing of Tim Purpura, the Astros have a hole to fill in the General Manager's office. Team President Tal Smith (pictured, on left) is running the show for the time being, but a long-term replacement is required. Yesterday, owner Drayton McLane, Smith, and former vp Bob McClaren interviewed three candidates, and more interviews will take place before the end of the week. Let's take a look at the candidates...
The Astros defeated the Dodgers in LA last night, but the big story was in how the game ended. The Dodgers were rallying in the 9th against the Astros bullpen (imagine that), and Dodger pinch hitter Mark Sweeney had just driven in a run to bring the score to 7-4, Astros. Brad Lidge is summoned from the bullpen and strikes out Rafael Furcal, and that's when things got weird. MLB.com doesn't allow us to imbed...
Although Carlos Lee was selected as the Astros' lone representative for the 78th annual MLB All-Star game, Houstonians can change that. Roy Oswalt was selected as one of five National League players vying for the final spot. For the season, Oswalt is 7-5 with a 3.42 ERA. His season has had its ups and downs with the Astros defense and bullpen blowing more than its share of games. On Tuesday, Roy pitched seven solid...
Houston Astros left fielder Carlos Lee was selected to the 78th annual MLB All-Star game which will take place on Tuesday, July 10 at San Francisco's AT&T Park. Lee, who is now a three-time all-star, currently leads the National League with 68 RBI and has been everything the Astros have dreamed of so far. Along with Lee's NL-leading RBI total, El Caballo is currently sporting a .293 average with 15 home runs and 22...
The road to 3,000 hits the Bayou City starting today with a four-game set against the Colorado Rockies. And Craig Biggio is salivating at the opportunity to make history at home. Against the Rockies, Biggio owns a .347 average, the best of any opponent. On Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers, Biggio recorded career hit 2,997 against Claudio Vargas in the third inning; a single to left field. Biggio Fact of the Day: In 1987,...
The road to 3,000 continued Tuesday night in Los Angeles as Craig Biggio recorded two hits to move closer to baseball history. While facing Bartolo Colon in the top of the fourth inning, Biggio punched a single over the glove of Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick for career hit 2,991. In the top of the sixth inning while facing an 0-2 count from Colon, Biggio smacked an infield single to shortstop Orlando Cabrera for hit...
With 10 hits to go for the historic mark, Houstonist will be counting down as Craig Biggio marches towards his 3,000th hit. Last night vs. the Angels, Craig Biggio recorded hit 2,990 in the fifth inning off Angels pitcher and native Texan John Lackey. Biggio Fact of the Day: Biggio is the only player in MLB history to be elected to the All-Star game as a catcher (1991) and second baseman ('92, '94-'98). 3,000...
Rice swept Texas A&M in two games over the weekend to win themselves a trip to Omaha's College World Series: their sixth trip in history and fourth in the last six years. (Last year, the Owls were eliminated at the very end by Oregon State). In the first game of the Super-Regional, a sellout crowd watched freshman All-American Ryan Berry pitch into the eight inning, striking out ten, and went home happy as the Owls...
During the seventh inning stretch at Yankee Stadium today, Roger Clemens announced his return to New York. Clemens made the announcement from the owner's box at Yankee Stadium.
After Friday night's 4-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, the Houston Astros have decided to purchase the contract of Triple A Round Rock star, Hunter Pence. Pence, who exploded onto the scene in Spring Training with a .571 batting average in 19 games, has continued his dominance at Round Rock and is currently batting .341 with three home runs with 19 RBI through 22 games. Pence will make his MLB debut Saturday night as...
The Houston Astros won for the ninth time in 11 games as Craig Biggio crushed the hearts of Milwaukee Brewers fans with a grand slam in the ninth inning, which gave the Astros their third consecutive come from behind win. The stage was set as Chris Burke led off the ninth with a bunt that was seemingly caught for the first out, but pitcher Matt Wise couldn't hold on. Adam Everett then walked and...
It's days like these that make Carlos Lee worth every cent of his $100 million contract. Lee proved his worth as he hammered a career high three home runs, including a grand slam, to go along with six RBI. With the Astros down early 3-0, Lee was faced with a 0-2 count from Phillies starter Brett Myers before he jackhammered his next offering from Myers over the right field wall for a solo shot...
The 10th annual Silver Glove series is set and ready to go. This year's three game series starts tonight at 7 p.m. at UH's Cougar Field as Houston (18-14, 5-1 C-USA) sends Aaron Brown (4-2, 4.62 ERA) to face the fifth-ranked Rice Owls (27-10, 8-1 C-USA) and Ryan Berry (5-1, 2.58 ERA). Both teams will be looking to capitalize on each teams errors as they shoot for C-USA positioning. Rice and UH both currently...
The Houston Astros are cranking up their public relations machine as part of Major League Baseball's annual Caravan program. Members of the Astros organization, i.e. players (Ausmus, Bagwell & Roy O.), coaches and staff (Milo Hamilton), will be visiting Houston's surrounding areas and parts of Central Texas over the next two weeks. They even squeezed in a casino trip to Lake Charles and a jaunt down south to Monterrey Mexico. So, now's your chance to...
From this weekend's bizarre news file comes the story of Jeremy Barfield, the Klein High School baseball star who was drafted by the New York Mets — and was arrested Sunday morning after allegedly pushing his dad down a flight of stairs. It apparently started with an argument between Jeremy and his dad, Jesse Barfield, a former MLB All-Star and Astros coach: "(Jeremy) and his father had some kind of argument that apparently took place...
Houston's own Rice Owls will host one of four NCAA super-regionals this weekend. The best-of-three series will write the winner's ticket to the College World Series in Omaha, which begins June 16th. Rice (boasting a 53-10 record) will play Oklahoma (44-20) at 6:05 pm on Saturday, with a second game on Sunday at noon. A third game, if needed, will follow on Monday, also at noon. Tickets are fifteen dollars and avaliable here. While you're...
Barry Bonds will get his first chance to tie Babe Ruth for 2nd on the all-time home run list tonight in the familiar confines of AT&T Park. Bonds sat out Monday’s contest against the Astros (Giants won 7-5), but will be back in the lineup tonight and swinging for home run No. 714. Houstonist isn’t thrilled with the idea of Bonds moving up any records list, but we’ll be watching, or assuredly swapping back and...