Florida Marlins

MLB: 4 Season Win Total Bets You Can Still Get Down on Before Friday Morning

Happy Major League Baseball Opening Day! Oh, what's that? You say I missed Opening Day? It was actually last night when the St. Louis Cardinals helped christen the Miami Marlins' new ball park (and new name and new uniforms and new manager and...) with a 4-1 win? Oh, I'm sorry, that was the domesti ... More >>

Some Modest Suggestions for Bud Selig, MLB Commissioner For Life

Yep, we're still stuck with this bozo​In case you missed the news last week, Bud Selig's contract to be the commissioner of Major League Baseball has been extended another two years -- this coming after Selig had announced several years ago that he was retiring at the end of his current contra ... More >>

The Astros Lead the "Crazy Sounding Job Title" Standings; Six More to Consider

Most of you have probably been paying attention to the Houston Texans, what with them actually making the playoffs for the first time in team history. But there are other professional sports teams in this city, and one of those teams made some front-office moves last week, moves that will hopefully ... 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 >>

6 Videos to Mentally Prepare You for Game 7 of the World Series

"Little roller up along first..."​You can debate all you want about which sport is the best or most fun to watch, but one thing most sports fans can agree on -- regardless of the sport, there is nothing quite like a Game 7. Sometimes it's not about the amount of true action, nor about person ... More >>

Happiness Through Hustle

Cordial but guarded promoter H-Kane has become one of the local hip-hop scene's most important movers and shakers.

Mary Sarah to Open the Astros Season

​Friday night begins yet another season of Astros baseball as our boys take on the Marlins. The great news for Houston music fans is that the season will kick off with a rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner" by our own 15-year-old ingénue country star Mary Sarah. Sarah has shot into the s ... More >>

One Guy's 20 Suggestions for Improving Astros Attendance

Drayton, sex sells​The Astros have completed the new HD video screen/scoreboard, and if you thought the seasons past have been filled with earsplitting nonsense, just wait until they start playing with this new thing. Now the powers-that-be with the Astros have stated that the primary reaso ... More >>

Drayton McLane: Time To Open The Books

Do those cries of poverty add up?​Several things happened last week on the edges of the sports world that, while interesting on their own, are even more interesting when connections are made.For instance, early last week, the sports blog Deadspin published the financial documents  for several ... More >>

Geoff Blum Joins Baseball's Stupid-Injury List: Here Are 11 Others

If only someone warned this rookie about dress shirts​Astros utility player Geoff Blum popped his elbow putting on his shirt last week.Yes, that's right, putting on his shirt. Not his jersey. Not during the game. But his shirt. After the game. He's currently on the disabled list, and he might end ... More >>

Houston Is Under Attack

Bedbugs threaten our slumber.

Hey Astros, Here's a Thought: Bench Carlos Lee

​The Astros Twitter feed was rather shocked that Carlos Lee couldn't bend over and make a play on a ground ball in left field last night. It's as if the Astros writers thought there was either a legitimate outfielder in left field, or that Carlos Lee actually gave a damn about anything that ha ... More >>

The Astros Win a Series! The Astros Win a Series!

​While sitting through the rain delay at Cougar Field on Sunday, I was following the Astros game on MLB.com and on Twitter. One thing I couldn't miss, besides the Astros losing again, were the number of tweets coming from the Astros beat writers about what was happening with Lance Berkman on h ... More >>

Astros: Second Prize Is A Set Of Steak Knives

​I swear, the sense of desperation with the Astros and their desire for a Mariano Rivera-type reliever has me believing that Drayton thinks that Alec Baldwin speech in Glengarry Glen Ross is "always buy closers," not "always be closing."It's like he and his staff are afraid that Mitch and Murray a ... More >>

Make The Astros Better: Forget Free Agents

Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher​A friend sent me this Richard Justice blog post over the weekend, then he asked, given the premise that Drayton McLane was going to allow unlimited spending for next season's team, just what it was that I would do.  First, unlike one of Justice's suggestions, I woul ... More >>

Five Songs to Send Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez Back to Arlington

Aaron Sprecher​Future Hall Of Fame catcher Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez, signed to a quick one-year contract by the dis-Astros at the end of spring training in April, was dealt to the Texas Rangers yesterday for two mid-level minor leaguers. The Rangers are deep into a playoff race (remember those?) and ... More >>

Five Songs to Send Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez Back to Arlington

Aaron Sprecher​Future Hall Of Fame catcher Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez, signed to a quick one-year contract by the dis-Astros at the end of spring training in April, was dealt to the Texas Rangers yesterday for two mid-level minor leaguers. The Rangers are deep into a playoff race (remember those?) an ... More >>

Astros Are Red-Hot...For Now

 Is it actually possible? Is it actually possible that the Houston Astros could climb into first place of the NL Central this weekend? Can it really be that we'll wake up on Monday morning and discover that the Astros will be in a position to actually start pulling away with the division le ... More >>

Astros Second-Half Preview: Now Comes The Hard Part

So the second half of the season gets underway for the Astros tonight, and the team has 74 games left to secure a playoff spot. Of course, the Astros are a surprising 44-44, and they're only three-and-a-half games behind the NL Central leading St. Louis Cardinals, and they're only five games behind ... More >>

Out of the Park

The Houston Press discusses our national pastime with Lance Berkman.

This Season's MLB Predictions: The National League

With baseball season due to start next week, I thought I should put myself on the line and make some predictions. I made my American League predictions yesterday. Today I'm going to take a look at the National League, and on Monday, I'll take an in-depth look at the Astros as they prepare to open ... More >>

This Season's MLB Predictions: The National League

With baseball season due to start next week, I thought I should put myself on the line and make some predictions. I made my American League predictions yesterday. Today I'm going to take a look at the National League, and on Monday, I'll take an in-depth look at the Astros as they prepare to open ... More >>

Ten Other Instances of "Sloppy Seconds"

Sean Avery of the NHL's Dallas Stars was suspended for an indefinite period by the NHL on Tuesday for comments he made in Calgary on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters, he made a comment about several players dating his "sloppy seconds." And I know most of you in Houston would rather talk high school fo ... More >>

Notes on the Baseball Playoffs

Astros-Marlins: Tough Loss for Houston

Astros-Marlins: John Whitmire Falls for Drayton McLane's Bull

Will Hurricane Ike End Up Being a Houston Astros Killer?

Astros-Giants: Milo Hamilton Must Be Stopped!!!

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

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

MLB All-Star Game: Shucks, No Home Field Advantage in the Word Series for the Astros This Year

Astros-Cardinals: St. Louis Smacks Houston Again

Rocket, the Movie

Astros-Phillies: With Pitching Like This, It Might As Well Be Lima Time

Astros-Marlins: How Did Roy Oswalt Become Woody Williams?

John Royal Is Sick and Tired (No, Seriously)

Play Ball: John Royal’s MLB Predictions

Astros Giveaways: Biggio Bobbleheads, Dollar Beer, Miguel Tejada Syringes and Mini Tractors

Tornado Burgers, New Year's Play, Anthony Bourdain

Pro Athlete Musicians

Athletes step off the field and into the studio

Paging Jason Lane

Only 11 Games of Pain Left for Astros Fans. Until Next Season, Of Course.

Caught Between Ashley Judd and Nicole Kidman. And the Astros, Although They're Not Really in the Same League.

Big Baseball Weekend. Real Big.

Call It a Pitchers' Battle (to Surrender Runs)

Is Purpura Going to Make a Trade? We Hope Not. Not.

An Accountability Moment

John Royal's MLB Predictions

The Boys Are Back

Night & Day

March 26-April 1, 1998