Subject:

Larry Dierker

  • Blogs

    May 25, 2012

    Rest In Peace, Astrodome, You Deserved So Much Better

    From April 1988 through January 2000, I spent a lot of time at the Astrodome. About 100-150 nights a year, each year, more or less. My first job was operating the out-of-town games scoreboard for the Astros. I carried camera cables on the turf during Oiler games, dodged Monster Trucks and cattle. I ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 18, 2012

    10 Suggestions For Improving the Poorly Ranked Astros Radio Broadcasts

    Baseball blog and stats-geek delight Fangraphs did a little post over the weekend ranking the radio broadcasts of the 30 major league teams (h/t to Crawfish Boxes). There's nothing really shocking in the rankings, unless you count the Astros radio broadcast team only finishing at number 23 -- they'r ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 26, 2012

    The All-Time Ultimate Astros Roster

    The Astros are celebrating their 50th season in major league baseball this year. The team's going to be rolling out the throwback uniforms on Friday nights, and they'll probably find other ways to celebrate their history before making a new start of it in the American League next season. I thought ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 16, 2012

    Forgive Ed Wade? Why?

    As the regular season start of Season One of the Jim Crane Era approaches, one can't help but finally get some sense of optimism when it comes to the Astros. A sense arising primarily from the feeling that the adults are back in control of the franchise, something that couldn't be said since the day ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 15, 2012

    Astros Broadcaster Milo Hamilton To Retire, Finally

    So long, Milo​Milo Hamilton's announcing his retirement today. It's a day I never thought would come, and the only thing I'm upset about is that he'll still do the games this season. I've never understand his appeal to listeners. Then again, I grew up with Gene Elston as the voice of the As ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 3, 2012

    20 Modest Fan Suggestions for Jim Crane

    The word from on-high came earlier this week when the Houston Astros announced that Jim Crane had heard the voice of the fans and thus would not be changing the team's name. It's nice that Crane paid some attention to the people who buy tickets (though it does seem strange to see how many people co ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 27, 2011

    The Astros Curse: They Are The Damned

    The Astros have been damned​The following is based on true facts, but names have been redacted to protect the innocent, and not so innocent... The Houston Astros are a bad baseball team this season. They're beyond bad. They're beyond awful. They're closing in on worst team in MLB history b ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 15, 2011

    20 Things the Astros Can Do Now to Save the Season

    And today's scapegoat is...​When you're the worst team in the major leagues, and when attendance is falling off, and when the only thing people want to talk about is you switching leagues so they can see the Yankees and Red Sox more often, then you're a team that has problems. Serious problem ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 30, 2011

    11 Modest Suggestions For Jim Crane

    ​After the Astros lose to the Chicago Cubs this afternoon, the 2011 MLB season will be one-thirds complete. And while it was expected the Astros would be bad, being the worst team in the National League was not expected -- an injury-depleted Minnesota Twins are the only thing keeping the Astr ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 2, 2011

    Trattoria Il Mulino, the New Kid on the Block, Takes the Meatball Invitational by Surprise

    Photos by GroovehouseThe winning meatball in all its glory. See more in our slideshow.​Although Trattoria Il Mulino might not have impressed in its initial opening days, the new restaurant more than made up for it at yesterday afternoon's Meatball Invitational at Damian's Cucina Italiana. The ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 13, 2010

    A Long Night Of The Harmonicas At Minute Maid Park

    Photos by Groovehouse​ For more photos from Friday's Harmonica Night, see our slideshow here. Rocks Off spent a lot of time last week wondering what Minute Maid Park was going to sound like this past Friday. In cooperation with the Astros, the people behind last year's harmonica documentary ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 6, 2010

    Saturday Night: Butch Hancock & Jimmie Dale Gilmore At The Mucky Duck

    Photos by Jason Wolter​Butch Hancock & Jimmie Dale Gilmore McGonigel's Mucky Duck August 4, 2010 Even with a cover charge, spending an evening with Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore, who have known each other for so long and written so many songs enshrined in the Texas-music pantheon, fee ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 4, 2010

    Was Roy O The Best Pitcher In Astros History? No

    Wasn't this guy, either​The talk of greatest Astros pitcher ever was part of the discussion when Roy Oswalt was traded last week. And it seemed that most of the Houston media were in agreement that Oswalt was, indeed, the greatest pitcher in Astros history. But as much of a Roy Oswalt fan as I am, ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 25, 2010

    Astro Memories, Part Three: The Longest Night

    ​Apparently I didn't get the memo telling me that it's nostalgia week here at the Houston Press. So even though I'm a bit late, here's my favorite Astros memory.First, a few things. Lots of you think I hate the Astros. I don't hate the Astros. I hate what Drayton McLane has allowed them to be ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 17, 2010

    A (Somewhat Limited) List Of Reasons To Watch The Astros This Season

    Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher​So I had a friend the other day asking me why he should bother with watching the Houston Astros this season. I went with the because-you-love-baseball answer, and he went the-Astros-aren't-baseball answer. And I've got to confess, looking at Brian McTaggart's proposed ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 25, 2009

    25 High And Low Points Of The Decade In Astro-Land

    ​Yesterday we looked at the decade's highlights and low points for the Texans. Here's a look at the Houston Astros.1. October 2005: The Astros drive past the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals in two memorable NL playoff series to make the first World Series in the history of the franchise.2. ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 2, 2009

    Aftermath: Jackson Browne Doesn't Do "Rehab Versions," Does Do "Free Bird" at Verizon

    Photos by Jay Lee​ Aftermath is a child of the 70's, graduating from high school during our country's bicentennial year. The last half of that decade, our patron saint of teen angst was Jackson Browne - even in our punk-rock heyday, Jackson was our go-to guy when we really wanted to brood. His fir ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 16, 2009

    With Drayton, Astros' Manager Search Is Sure To Suck

    ​For some reason, Astros fans appear to be more concerned about the transfer of Jose Cruz from one useless job to another useless job than they care about whether the team actually gets a decent manager. Believe it or not, the manager of a team is far more important to the team's success than Jose ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 15, 2009

    The (Alleged) Tragedy Of How The Astros Are Treating Jose Cruz

    ​So Jose Cruz is no longer the first-base coach of the Houston Astros. Now can someone please tell me why everybody is so upset? Seriously, what's the big deal?The guy was the first-base coach. His job consisted of patting Lance Berkman on the ass and showing the pitchers where second base was loc ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 8, 2009

    Hey Astros: Call Frank Robinson, For Crying Out Loud

    ​Richard Justice is back on the Fire Cecil Cooper bandwagon, but this time, instead of Jeff Bagwell, he's back to urging Drayton McLane to hire third base coach Dave Clark. Clark has no major league managing experience, and he sucks as a third base coach. Yet this is the guy that Justice wants to ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 26, 2009

    Which Houston Team Has The Dumbest Front Office?

    ​Richard Justice actually had a decent blog post the other day. In it, he attempted to evaluate which of Houston's big three sports franchises was the smartest -- sorry Dynamo fans, he didn't include them because he says the team hasn't been here long enough, and I won't include them because I con ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 17, 2009

    Oh, The Changes I'd Make To The Astros

    Photo by Aaron M. SprecherIf Ed Wade were gone...​The Astros Fan Blogger at Chron.com had an interesting post  late last week.The gist of the post was that Drayton McLane had just fired Ed Wade and that he'd made the reader the general manager, then he wanted to know the first five things one ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 11, 2009

    Listen Up, People: The Top Ten Coaches In Houston History

    ​The Chron's Jerome Solomon has another of those endless lists we writers like to do, this one asking for input on the top 10 coaches in Houston college and pro sports history. And he helpfully provides us with some candidates for the list. So I thought I would help out and provide what I consider ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 22, 2009

    Racism and Cecil Cooper

    Photo by Aaron M. SprecherCecil CooperApparently I'm a racist. I didn't know I was racist, but it seems that because I think Cecil Cooper is an idiot I'm a racist. At least that what's Jose de Jesus Ortiz blogs over at Chron.com. But here's the catch, Ortiz is responding to people accusing him of ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 16, 2009

    A Chat With Hannah Storm Of ESPN (And Houston)

    Photo courtesy ESPNESPN has been charged for years with having an East Coast bias. ESPN's morning SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm somewhat agrees with that charge, though she says the charge doesn't apply to her show and says that to her, "it is a non-issue." And if she does have any bias, it's pro ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 4, 2009

    John Royal's Top 25 Random Baseball Facts

    There's this new list craze going around Facebook in which you list 25 random things about yourself. And the geniuses at the Big League Stew baseball blog got hold of this and made it into a list of 25 Random Things About Yourself As It Relates to Baseball. Thus... 1. I am happiest in a baseball ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 4, 2009

    John Royal's Top 25 Random Baseball Facts

    There's this new list craze going around Facebook in which you list 25 random things about yourself. And the geniuses at the Big League Stew baseball blog got hold of this and made it into a list of 25 Random Things About Yourself As It Relates to Baseball. Thus... 1. I am happiest in a baseball ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 23, 2009

    Astros Bring The Game To Acres Homes

    Major League Baseball's Darrell MillerMajor League Baseball, the Astros, and Mayor Bill White unveiled plans today for the Houston Astros MLB Urban Youth Academy, which will be built on the north side of town in the Acres Homes community on Sylvester Turner Park.The academy will include a show field ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 12, 2009

    The Best Houston Astros Home Grown and Acquired Rosters of All Time

    So I was fooling around on the interwebs yesterday, and between the launch of the MLB Network, the naming today of the new class for the Baseball Hall of Fame, and the coming of spring training, I was in a bit of a baseball mood. And I came across this blog detailing the All-Time Rosters for variou ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 15, 2008

    A Houston Astros Mid-Season Progress Report

    So I was fooling around on the interwebs yesterday, and between the launch of the MLB Network, the naming today of the new class for the Baseball Hall of Fame, and the coming of spring training, I was in a bit of a baseball mood. And I came across this blog detailing the All-Time Rosters for variou ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 2, 2008

    The Five Best Broadcasters in the History of Houston Sports

    So I was fooling around on the interwebs yesterday, and between the launch of the MLB Network, the naming today of the new class for the Baseball Hall of Fame, and the coming of spring training, I was in a bit of a baseball mood. And I came across this blog detailing the All-Time Rosters for variou ... More >>

  • News

    April 3, 2008

    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?

  • Blogs

    March 7, 2008

    Spring Training: What a Glorious Place to Be, Unless Your Name Is Carlos Lee

    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?

  • Blogs

    January 15, 2008

    Steroids and Miguel Tejada: Sucks To Be Ed Wade Right Now

    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?

  • Blogs

    December 5, 2007

    So Long, Art Briles. Stay Away, Jack Pardee.

    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?

  • Blogs

    September 13, 2007

    This One's for You, Milo Hamilton

    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?

  • Blogs

    August 27, 2007

    For a Sucky Team, the Astros Sure Have Retired a Lot of Numbers

    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?

  • Blogs

    July 24, 2007

    Craig Biggio to Announce His Retirement

    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?

  • Blogs

    July 5, 2007

    Behind the Music: Craig Biggio

    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?

  • Blogs

    April 2, 2007

    Really, Shouldn't All Inappropriate Touching Be Reported to the Authorities?

    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?

  • Blogs

    February 14, 2007

    Another Bush Slips in the Polls

    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?

  • Music

    June 22, 2006

    Fanboy Deluxe

    Our Nightfly surrogate brushes with greatness

  • Best of Houston

    September 23, 2004

    Best Color Commentator

    Our Nightfly surrogate brushes with greatness

  • Calendar

    July 10, 2003

    Astro Author

    Larry Dierker remembers the decades he spent with the home team

  • News

    January 3, 2002

    Lay of the Land

    Houston headed toward hard times: sports flops, floods and transit duds. If only city fathers could find a proven leader, an energy executive with a KEN-do attitude.

  • News

    November 1, 2001

    Doing All He Can

    Bomb Osama, a KRIV reporter sings

  • News

    June 14, 2001

    Blind Faith

    Luke and Rachel Watson have lost most of their sight. They eventually will lose all motor skills. Their parents are losing sleep -- do the adults tell their kids they're dying of Batten disease?

  • News

    August 17, 2000

    We'll Pay the Filing Fee...

    NASA & Houston v. McLane, Dieker, and "Baseball Team"

  • News

    May 4, 2000

    In For The Long Haul

    Grandma will make it to her top-level seat in the same four hours it takes the team to play a game

  • News

    June 24, 1999

    News Hostage

    Grandma will make it to her top-level seat in the same four hours it takes the team to play a game

  • More >>
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