Larry Dierker

One Man's Baseball Bucket List

The thought of baseball season is depressing for some people, primarily because the Astros are going to be so damn bad. But that doesn't bother me. I'm a baseball addict, and while the Astros will be bad, it's not really going to matter because I'll be watching baseball -- and thanks to Comcast Spor ... More >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

Houston's Babies Play Vintage Baseball

There's no gloves or batting helmets when Larry Joe Miggins and the rest of the Houston Babies regularly travel back in time to play the game by its 1860 rules.

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 >>

Terry Collins: Former Astros Manager Might Be Back From The Dead

Terry Collins: Not really missed here in Houston​It's been more than 10 years since former Astros manager Terry Collins has headed up a team, but rumors are building that he may be getting a new gig, on a big stage. ESPN reports that Collins is a favorite to fill the New York Mets' coaching v ... More >>

Lance Berkman & Roy O: Don't Retire Their Numbers, Drayton

JR Richard: Here's one number that should be retired​With the trades of Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman last week, the talk has started about whether the Astros should consider retiring their numbers once they retire. Now as much as I like to the honor the history of baseball and some of the great te ... More >>

Remembering Jose Lima, Entertainer And Recording Artist

Jose Lima gave Astros fans another reason to be sad this year when the colorful, erratic, but always entertaining righthander died Sunday of an apparent heart attack in Southern California. Despite Lima's winning 21 games and making the NL All-Star team as an Astro in 1999, owner Drayton McLane see ... More >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

Rickey, Jose, the Hall of Fame, and Me

The string is unbroken. In the history of the Baseball Hall of Fame, no player has ever been elected unanimously. Not Babe Ruth. Not Nolan Ryan. Not Cal Ripken. Not Tony Gwynn. Not Rickey Henderson. The closest to achieving this elusive milestone was Tom Seaver who got 98.84 percent of the v ... More >>

Rickey, Jose, the Hall of Fame, and Me

The string is unbroken. In the history of the Baseball Hall of Fame, no player has ever been elected unanimously. Not Babe Ruth. Not Nolan Ryan. Not Cal Ripken. Not Tony Gwynn. Not Rickey Henderson. The closest to achieving this elusive milestone was Tom Seaver who got 98.84 percent of the v ... More >>

Astros-Brewers: Corey Hart Still Looking Good

Is Tal Smith Incompetent or Is This Some Kind of Parallel Universe?

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

Biggio Was Really Good, in Terms of Useless Stats

Behind the Music: Craig Biggio

You Know, Because Almost Dying for the Team Would Generally Be Considered a Good Thing

Encore or Bust?

Stressing about the 'Stros begins anew

J.R. Richard: The Human Condition

Peace -- For Now

A caravan to Cuba isn't hassled. Yet.

Year of the Yao Woo

The crazy times in 2002 — Kmart raids, Olympian losses, stadium mania and more —- now make sense. Houston was just mining Ming.

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.

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?

Stellar Cellar

Look out, Astros fans. Worst can be wonderful.

Sports Afield

The Harris County-Houston Sports Authority is a parody of a public body. But who's got time for the niceties of democracy when you're trying to keep Drayton McLane happy?

Press Picks