Jeff Luhnow

Astros Out To Prove Einstein Was Right About Insanity

Albert Einstein once defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. The Houston Astros didn't yet exist when he offered up this wisdom, yet it's hard to believe that he didn't have the Astros in mind when he spoke this. The Astros are giving Erik Beda ... More >>

One Man's (Idiotic?) 2013 Baseball Predictions

The major league baseball season opened up on Sunday night with the Rangers traveling to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington South to face the Astros. Most of the teams started up yesterday, and the rest of the league will get underway today. With the season getting underway, it's time once again to make ... More >>

The Astros Start Play On Sunday: Does Anyone Really Care?

The 2013 season begins for the Astros on Sunday night when the Astros host the Texas Rangers on ESPN. And frankly, I'm at the point with Jim Crane and flunkies that I really don't give a damn. Is anyone really excited about this Astros season? The team is going to be bad. The owner and his minions ... More >>

The Astros: Out of Their League?

The Houston Astros take on a new season in a tough division with things all-new — uniforms, owner, manager, team and rules — not to mention a new/old mascot. And road trips to Dallas.

The Adventures of Jim Crane, and Other Astros Spring Training Things to Know

It's all over tomorrow. The Astros off-season is finally ending. It might only be a spring training game, but after a winter of trades and new coaches and just a general reshuffling of the team, the Astros are finally going to get to play a game against another team. And they'll finally get to wear ... More >>

The Astros Will Suck, But They Do Have A Good Plan

The Houston Astros are a subject of much derision. They're a bad team with very few, if any, names on the roster recognizable to the average fan. They'll probably struggle to win 60 games. And there are national writers who think that the Astros are an embarrassment to baseball. I'm often critical ... More >>

Hey Astros, You Might Want To Hire Some Radio Broadcasters

The Houston Astros report for spring training next week. The first spring training game is on Saturday, February 23rd. And yet the Astros still do not have a radio broadcast team. Brett Dolan and Dave Raymond were dismissed the day after the 2012 season ended. In early October. And the topic as to ... More >>

Jonathan Singleton, Top Astros Prospect, Suspended 50 Games for Smoking Weed

Yesterday, the Baseball Writers Association of America left two former Astros off the Hall of Fame ballot, at least one in Jeff Bagwell because of suspicions he may have used steroids thanks to the era in which he played and former teammates like Ken Caminiti and Luis Gonzalez. For one current Astro ... More >>

Crystal Ball Part Deux: Looking Ahead to 2013 Houston Sports, Astros/Dynamo/UH/Rice Edition

Yesterday, we took a look at the futures of the Texans and Rockets. Predictions were made. Accusations were tossed about. But no one is Carnac the Magnificent. All we can really do is guess...except when it comes to the Astros.

Looking Forward To The Astros In 2013

With 2012 coming to an end, let's kiss this lost year of the Astros goodbye and take a look at what's coming in 2013. The key word is "new," as in new uniforms, new logos, new TV network, new broadcasters, new players, new manager and coaches, and on, and on, and on. 5. Welcome to the American Lea ... More >>

Hey Astros Fans, It's Free Agency Time

Tonight's the night Astros fans. Tonight's the night the Astros can start snapping up free agents from throughout baseball. Tonight's the night Jim Crane, with all of the money he's saved by dumping the team's high-priced veterans last season and with all of the money's he's going to make off the te ... More >>

20 Reasons To Buy 2013 Astros Season Tickets (No, Really)

You've probably forgotten about baseball by now. The Astros season ended a long time ago, and unless you live in St. Louis or New York, the odds are that nobody really gives a damn about the Cardinals and Yankees. It might be nice if the Detroit Tigers make the World Series if Kate Upton shows up to ... More >>

Teen Wanted To Shoot Up Katy School

Wow, Brett Dolan And Dave Raymond Fired By The Astros. Who's Next?

I feel that I owe an apology to Brett Dolan and Dave Raymond. It took me a few years before I accepted them as members of the Astros radio crew. Mostly that was due to my affection for Alan Ashby, who was unfairly forced out of the booth. Once I got in tune with them, I liked them. They knew their ... More >>

Astros Put Fans Out Of Their Misery And Fire Brad Mills

So the Astros bloodletting continued this weekend. Manager Brad Mills, hitting coach Mike Barnett, and first base coach Bobby Meacham were fired after Saturday night's embarrassing lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The firing of Mills was expected (as was the firing of most of the coaching staff) th ... More >>

If You Boycotted The Astros, Would Anybody Notice? Would It Make Any Difference?

Listening to sports talk radio yesterday afternoon, I heard a caller demanding that the fans boycott the Astros. First, it's pretty evident from the lack of attendance this season that many of you are already boycotting the ballclub, but secondly, just what it is that you want the Astros to do? Thi ... More >>

Ten Reasons to Keep Watching the Astros

The Astros, post-All-Star break, have been much like the Astros pre-All-Star break. They're still losing -- they were swept by the San Francisco Giants over the weekend. The offense is still awful. They're decimated by injuries. And management is still making tons of head-scratching decisions. So yo ... More >>

Jeff Luhnow Declares Independence From Carlos Lee

Jeff Luhnow traded Carlos Lee to the Los Angeles Dodgers last week. Lee dilly-dallied and whined about his taxes, so the Dodgers pulled out of the trade. It appeared that the Astros would thus be stuck with Lee for the rest of the season as the Dodgers were really, really, really desperate for anybo ... More >>

The Astros Traded Carlos Lee, They Just Couldn't Get Him to Leave

No matter what else might happen with the Houston Astros this season, the fans should realize one thing: General manager Jeff Luhnow is a genius. What other word can describe a man who not only was able to trade Carlos Lee to a contending team for a good, young pitching prospect, but was also willin ... More >>

The Astros And The Brett Wallace Dilemma

Matt Downs started at first base for the Houston Astros yesterday. Brett Wallace is on the team, and he's healthy, yet Matt Downs started at first base for the Houston Astros yesterday. Maybe it's just me, but Matt Downs should never be starting over Brett Wallace. But in the end, it's probably no ... More >>

Movies Houstonians Love: Moneyball

Is Minute Maid Park (Finally) Going To Lose Tal's Hill?

There were basically two people who love Tal's Hill, the gimmicky hill in Minute Maid Park's centerfield, and one of them was named Tal. The other was former owner Drayton McLane, who installed the hill, which has no other reason for existence, because his buddy Tal Smith remembered some old ballpa ... More >>

The Astros Battle #MillsLogic

It's hard not to get excited about the Houston Astros right now (well, not hard for those actually paying attention, and judging by the attendance, not many of you are). Sure the team has a losing record (11-14) and they're five games out of first place, but the team has won three straight and six o ... More >>

25 Random Thoughts on This Upcoming Astros Season

The Astros season starts today, and since I'm always in search of a cheap and easy post, I thought I would throw out some random thoughts about the Astros heading into the season. 25. The first Astros pitcher to collect a loss will be Brett Myers when he blows a save -- that save will probably be ... More >>

Astros Media Day Kicks Off 2012 Season -- 5 Early Storylines

In sandlot football growing up, we always had a saying after touchdowns that "losers walk," meaning the team that scored stays at that end of he field to kick off and the "losers" on defense have to march to the other end of the field to receive. So it's probably appropriate that, due to the NBA c ... More >>