Boston Red Sox

Musicians, Music Offer Sweet Relief After a Terrible Week

Life can get pretty dreary at points, and last week was, without a doubt, the dreariest week in a long time. From the massive fertilizer-plant explosion that devastated West, Texas to the Boston Marathon bombing and everything in between, our nation faced some pretty horrific tragedies in which many ... More >>

Boston Bombing: Former New England Patriot Joe Andruzzi Was Rescuing People Yesterday

As is tradition on the third Monday every April, thousands of Bostonians and Boston visitors took the day off to celebrate Patriot's Day. On paper, Patriot's Day serves as a tribute to the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first two battles of the Revolutionary War, but above and beyond that t ... More >>

10 Totally Played Out Wedding Songs That Will Still Pack the Dance Floor at Your Reception

Years ago, a wedding planner told me the basis of a successful wedding is remembering that primarily the ceremony is for the bride, the food is for the groom, the photos are for the family and the music is for the friends. While not 100 percent accurate, it does form the basis of a pretty successful ... More >>

Yankee Fan Mule-Kicks Drunk Red Sox Fan (w/ VIDEO)

The Red Sox-Yankee rivalry is one of the fiercest in all of team sports, a true "throw out the won-loss record" hatred, if not between the teams then certainly between the respective fan bases. That acrimony was on full display this weekend. Strangely enough, the backdrop for what you're about to s ... More >>

In Which John Royal Predicts the Winner of the 2012 World Series

The major league baseball season officially started last week when the Oakland A's and Seattle Mariners played two games in Tokyo. Most of the other teams open on Thursday, and the Astros get started on Friday when they host the Colorado Rockies. Thus, here are my predictions for this season. NATI ... More >>

Former Astro Luke Scott Hates Boston and Is Not Afraid to Tell You

Sometimes, it takes years to evaluate a trade and determine which side got the better of the deal. In 2007, when the Astros traded five players to Baltimore for shortstop Miguel Tejada, it was widely thought that the barometer for whether or not the Astros got the better of the deal would be the per ... More >>

The Year In Astros Baseball: Thank God That's Over

​So let's continue our look back at the sporting year that was 2011 by taking a look at the Top 25 events to happen to the Houston Astros. 1. They finished with the worst record in team history, which was quite the accomplishment seeing as how the Astros were pretty damn bad for most of the ... More >>

The Astros Are Heading To The Promised Land -- The American League!

Say hello to Yankee Fan​As a major league sport, baseball has always done a fairly good job of keeping itself relevant throughout the calendar year. (Football is the king of year-round relevancy. Basketball is the court jester. Baseball lies somewhere in between.) November is normally a fun b ... More >>

Wednesday Was the Best Night of Baseball Ever, and We Have Dan Shaughnessy to Thank (w/ VIDEO)

Well, they say that if you're playing in a game that matters on the final game of the season, that's all you can hope for. The Astros were playing in a game that mattered last night; unfortunately, it mattered only for the opposition. For the Astros, last night's two-hit shutout was the final kick ... More >>

Red Sox Fan Gets to Second Base (The Good Kind -- w/ VIDEO!)

Fun at the old ballpark.​Last weekend, the Boston Red Sox came into Minute Maid Park and pretty much did everything to the Astros they possibly could short of making sweet love to all of their wives and girlfriends. If you're an Astros fan, it was just another lost weekend in a litany of lost ... More >>

Comment of the Day: On Astros' Management Catering to Red Sox Fans

​We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involv ... More >>

Since When Is It Okay For Minute Maid Park To Be Fenway Park South?

Back in the day, even celebrities like Janine Turner couldn't be shown at Astros games if they were pulling for the opposing team​I started working with the Astrodome DiamondVision crew on opening day of the 1988 season. And I worked on that video crew, either at the Dome or at Enron Field, t ... More >>

Just Stop with the Astros to AL Talk Already

Just say no to douchebag Red Sox fans.​My twitter feed over the weekend was full up of tweets from people talking about how electric Minute Maid Park was, and about how packed it was with people just dying to see the Boston Red Sox play the Astros. And most of these people were using their tw ... More >>

Game Time: Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman -- Five Thoughts

Photo by groovehouseActually enjoying a game at Minute Maid?​I know it's only three games. I know they were playing the Brewers. I know my judgment may be clouded by the fact that they actually won all three games, getting great pitching in the process. But I actually enjoyed going to an Ast ... More >>

Game Time: Cinco De Mayo...Frenchies, Bye Bye-Oh!!

Mexico joins the not-so-exclusive "We kicked French ass" club​Go to any Cinco de Mayo celebration today and ask ten of the patrons what exactly they are celebrating and you're likely to get a range of answers that looks like this: -- Six drunks slurring that it's Mexico's Independence day -- Two ... More >>

One Man's 2010 Baseball Predictions (Cover Your Eyes, Astro Fans)

​The major league baseball season officially starts this weekend with two so-called major league teams playing on Sunday night (New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox). I was going to try and do a little Astros preview for today, but they're still trying to figure out who exactly is healthy and who ... More >>

Game Time: Nomar Retires And Heads To The Place Ballplayers Go to Die.....ESPN

​I've worked several places in my lifetime, most of them in the corporate world. Easily, my favorite place I've worked is with my current employer, 1560 The Game. After watching Nomar Garciaparra's feel-good press conference this week where he announced his retirement on the heels of a one-day c ... More >>

Our Condolences To New Astro Manager Brad Mills

​Let me be the first to offer my condolences to Brad Mills. Now I'm sure Mills doesn't think he needs my condolences. After all, he just achieved his dream, which is becoming the manager of a major league baseball team.But that team is the Houston Astros.Mills, who accepted the job today, was ac ... More >>

The Astros Have Problems Beyond Their Four Uninspiring Coaching Finalists

​Manny Acta. Brad Mills. Phil Garner. Dave Clark.  These four, uninspiring names are supposedly the Four. The Four out of which the Astros will choose a new manager. And I've got to admit. I'm pretty damn uninspired.Here's a brief rundown of why these guys probably won't be any good. Garner h ... More >>

The Rockets Go Communist In Their Search For Ticket Sales

You've lost your best player to injury, you've lost the guy who thinks he's the best player to Advanced Wussiness Syndrome, you haven't got a decent big name to take the court for you next year: What are you gonna do if you're the Rockets?Pitch yourselves as "Red Nation," apparently.That's the new a ... More >>

Game 6

Winning is easy; losing is complicated"

Astros' Solution To A Lousy Rotation: Add More Lousy Pitchers

Photo by Aaron M. SprecherOver the past two Astros games, Jim Deshaies has been talking about the Astros going to a six-man pitching rotation. And Deshaies has given a lot of reasons for doing this, but as much as I like JD, I'm a little disappointed in that, with all of his discussion about g ... More >>

MLB Playoffs: Dodgers, Phillies, Rays and Red Sox

MLB Playoffs: Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox Move Up

MLB Playoffs: Cubs Lose, Cubs Lose. Brewers Too.

Notes on the Baseball Playoffs

Astros-Giants: Don’t Get Your Hopes Up, People

John Royal’s Mid-Season MLB Progress Report and Predictions

Astros-Red Sox: 33 Runs = Two Out of Three for Houston

Astros-Rangers: Arlington Gets the Silver Boot. Now We Just Need a Texas Team to Actually Win the World Series.

The Five Best Trades in the History of Houston Sports

Astros-Cardinals: Good Pitching Wins Again

Rocket, the Movie

Play Ball: John Royal’s MLB Predictions

Have a Seat: Great Deals at Minute Maid Park?

Mitchell Report on Steroids in Baseball To Be Released Tomorrow

John Royal’s World Series Prediction. But First, a Few Words on Joe Torre and Paul Byrd.

John Royal’s Championship Series Predictions: Jobu and the Flying Spaghetti Monster Shall Emerge Victorious!!!

Dane Cook Shouldn't Be Selling Baseball. Or Anything Else.

MLB Playoffs: Finding Even More Religion on the Baseball Diamond

John Royal's MLB Playoff Predictions: Satan Is Our First Base Coach, Go D-Backs!

Jason Friedman's MLB Playoff Predictions: Trust the Sabermetricians, Go with the BoSox

We Would Call This an MLB Playoff Preview, But We Really Don't Know What's Gonna Happen

An Accountability Moment

Re: Putting His Foot in His Mouth After Wearing a Bloody Sock

Miss Cleo Answers the Bell

Re: Lights Out for Lidge?

Ready to Rumble

The Astros are on baseball's biggest stage, needing a comeback

For Love of the Game

The Farrelly brothers swing straight and hit the sweet spot

Letters