J.R. Towles

Free Brett Wallace

Let Brett play.​The Astros enter the All Star break with a MLB-worst record of 30-62. No team, not even the Chicago Cubs, is close to matching the team's ineptitude at this point. And if the Astros keep up this pace, they'll finish the season with a record of 53-109. (Feel free to insert you ... More >>

Sorry, But These Are Your Astros

The Astros are so bad...​Richard Justice is shocked, shocked, that the Astros are the worst team in the majors. Shocked because there's just no way anybody could have foreseen the Astros being this bad. Bad, yes, but not on track to lose 100 games for the first time in team history. Bad, bu ... More >>

The Astros Suck. Is It Their Music?

Marco TorresHunter Pence, Buzz listener?​Wandy Rodriguez is Rocks Off's new favorite Astro. ​Not because the Domincan southpaw has actually posted decent numbers for Houston's hometown cellar-dwellers this year (3-3 W-L, 3.41 ERA, 53 strikeouts), but because Rodriguez has one of the few ... More >>

Astros Collapse Against Braves Sends Stat Geeks Scrambling

Uh-oh.​If you happen to be on the wrong end of a tough loss in baseball, the last words you want to hear are "Elias Sports Bureau." The mere mention of that group should elicit the same queasiness with a losing baseball team that the Internal Revenue Service does with tax cheats, the Federal ... More >>

Dear Astros: Try The Old Rainbow Unis, Then You'd At Least Be Interesting To Look At

Dear Astros, if you're going to be bad, could you at least wear the rainbows?​Hey Astros fans, here's some news for you. The Astros have the same record as the Boston Red Sox. And the Red Sox are supposed to be playing in the World Series at the end of the season, if you believe the experts ... More >>

Play Ball, Baby

A new season for the Astros, and hopefully a new team.

Astros 2011: It Ain't Going to Be Pretty

Bad news: The Astros are actually playing baseball this season.​The Astros are probably opening up the season tomorrow -- they're scheduled to play, but the weather in Philadelphia might not cooperate. And if the stories that have been kicking around are true, this might be the last opening d ... More >>

Astros Spring Training: Is the Season Over Yet?

Is the season over yet?​We're approaching the end of the first week of spring training and the news for the Astros has been rather mixed. The team's not really hitting. The pitching is half-assed. And frankly, there's just not much going on to be optimistic about. So I thought I would take ... 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 >>

Sean Berry Is Failing The Astros

The blame has to fall someplace​With J.R. Towles gone, the Astros needed a new scapegoat to blame for their rotten season. It kind of appeared that Hunter Pence was turning into the one that Brad Mills was looking at for that role, as it was Pence that Mills has been continuously benching because ... More >>

J.R. Towles -- The Astros Have Found Their Scapegoat

It's all YOUR fault, dude​So it's all the fault of J.R. Towles. That seems to be the only conclusion that can be arrived at by the Astros demoting him to Corpus Christi after the Astros 1-0 loss to Arizona on Tuesday night.The Astros didn't say it was his fault, of course. There was talk about h ... 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 >>

The Official 2010 Astros Preview, And It Ain't Pretty

​So it's Opening Day today, a day generally reserved for baseball optimism. Unless you live in Pittsburgh or Kansas City, or...Houston. I know that Lance Berkman thinks  that this team can compete, but seeing as how the Big Puma is starting the season on the disabled list with a balky knee, ... More >>

Astros Are Looking Like A Hospital Ward....That's Not A Good Sign

​Can you feel it yet? That tingling that comes from Opening Day? It's just around the corner, so to speak, as the Houston Astros open the season and immediately fall out of contention, next Monday night when Roy Oswalt supposedly faces off against Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum of the San Francis ... More >>

11 Things To Ponder As The Astros Open Spring Training

​Pitchers and catchers are reporting to Houston Astros camp today. The first workout is tomorrow. It's going to be a spring training full of questions for the Astros as management, the media, the players, and the fans try to figure out just what exactly this year's team is going to be like. As ... More >>

Houston Astros 2009 Season Preview Part 2: Happy Opening Day!

Photo by Michael (mx5tx) Are you psyched? I'm psyched, so I hope you're psyched. Of course, I'm psyched because I love baseball, not because I think the Astros are any good. And after I take a look at the team, I don't think you'll be psyched about this team, either. But first...here is the winn ... More >>

Houston Astros 2009 Season Preview Part 2: Happy Opening Day!

Photo by Michael (mx5tx) Are you psyched? I'm psyched, so I hope you're psyched. Of course, I'm psyched because I love baseball, not because I think the Astros are any good. And after I take a look at the team, I don't think you'll be psyched about this team, either. But first...here is the winn ... More >>

Astros Sign Ivan Rodriguez

Photo by Bob Jeter After denying interest for most of this past year, the Houston Astros yesterday inked catcher Ivan Rodriguez to a one-year $1.5 million contract that also includes $1.5 million in incentives. Reportedly, the Astros had not been interested because he didn't mix well with pitchers, ... More >>

Astros Sign Ivan Rodriguez

Photo by Bob Jeter After denying interest for most of this past year, the Houston Astros yesterday inked catcher Ivan Rodriguez to a one-year $1.5 million contract that also includes $1.5 million in incentives. Reportedly, the Astros had not been interested because he didn't mix well with pitchers, ... More >>

Houston Astros Spring Training: Prognosis Not Good

Photo by William Holtkamp As the Astros guy around here, I feel obligated to say something about the team. But seriously, just what is there to say about a team that is 1-10-1 so far in spring training play? That the team is bad is actually something to be expected. And the fact that spring train ... More >>

Houston Astros Spring Training: Prognosis Not Good

Photo by William Holtkamp As the Astros guy around here, I feel obligated to say something about the team. But seriously, just what is there to say about a team that is 1-10-1 so far in spring training play? That the team is bad is actually something to be expected. And the fact that spring train ... More >>

Astros Spring Training Not Without Its Ups and Downs

You might not realize this if you've only been watching ESPN or paying attention to the national sports media, but the New York Yankees aren't the only team with players reporting to spring training, and Alex Rodriguez isn't the only player in baseball. So I thought I would help out and fill you i ... More >>

Astros Spring Training Not Without Its Ups and Downs

You might not realize this if you've only been watching ESPN or paying attention to the national sports media, but the New York Yankees aren't the only team with players reporting to spring training, and Alex Rodriguez isn't the only player in baseball. So I thought I would help out and fill you i ... More >>

Houston Astros 2009 Season Preview

The Chron tried to get everybody in the mood for baseball yesterday with their story on what the 2009 Houston Astros roster looks like. If you're not excited about the season, don't blame the Chron because they're not the ones who put the roster together. And folks, this isn't a good roster. Citing ... More >>

Houston Astros 2009 Season Preview

The Chron tried to get everybody in the mood for baseball yesterday with their story on what the 2009 Houston Astros roster looks like. If you're not excited about the season, don't blame the Chron because they're not the ones who put the roster together. And folks, this isn't a good roster. Citing ... More >>

Astros-Braves: No Wild Card, But at Least Brandon Backe Gets the Record

Astros-Reds: Roy O Continues to Massacre Cincinnati

Astros-Pirates: And to Think, We’re Just Barely Past the Halfway Mark

Astros-Cubs: Two Wins, One Loss, and a Few Roster Changes

A Houston Astros Mid-Season Progress Report

Astros-Dodgers: Extra Innings Not Enough

Astros-Brewers: Just What Will It Take for Cecil Cooper to Bench Miguel Tejada and Carlos Lee?

Astros-Pirates: Time to Bench Carlos Lee and Miguel Tejada?

Astros-Diamondbacks: Playing Around with Play by Play

Astros-Cardinals: STL Takes Two From HOU

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

Astros-Cardinals: Albert Pujols Goes Deep. Twice.

Astros-Cardinals: ‘Stros Lose Again, But It’s Not the Starting Pitching’s Fault

Astros-Cardinals: Miguel Tejada Delivers with a Walk-Off Homer and a Manager-Trashing

Who's On Deck for the Houston Astros in 2008?

The Astros' post-Biggio era begins with a lot of unanswered questions, but the biggest one of all is: Just how bad are things going to get?

Astros-Padres: It's Going to Be a Long Season

Play Ball: John Royal’s Predictions for the Houston Astros

Spring Training: Pain, Pain and Ball Girls

Astros Sign Kaz Matsui, Corner the Market on Mediocre Middle Infielders

Dreaming with the Astros

Jose de Jesus Ortiz. Really, What More Can We Say?

Ed Wade. Ed Wade. Ed Wade. There, We Said It.

New General Manager for the Astros to Be Hired Tonight? Time to Pray.

What's Craig Biggio Got to Do with Paula Marshall? Not Much, But Hear Us Out.