The Astros and Diamondbacks will open a three-game Interleague series tonight in Arizona in a starting pitcher matchup of rookie vs. veteran. Houston rookie RHP Cristian Javier, who’s making his third career MLB appearance and just his second start will face LHP Madison Bumgarner, the veteran of 12 Major League seasons. Robert Ford and Steve Sparks preview Tuesday’s matchup and discuss keys to the game. Ford talks with skipper Dusty Baker and Sparky gets to know rookie RHP Brandon Bailey. Later ...
Aug 05, 2020•26 min•Ep. 925
The Astros wrap up a 3-game set with the Los Angeles Angels after splitting the first 2 games. RHP Josh James will get the start for the 'Stros and squares off against RHP Shohei Ohtani. Robert Ford and Steve Sparks will preview the matchup and will discuss keys to the game. It’s our weekly Sunday Radio Roundtable with General Manager James Click who provides and exclusive update on the team. Finally, Manager Dusty Baker George Springer and Zack Greinke spoke to Houston media following Saturday’...
Aug 02, 2020•29 min•Ep. 924
It’s Game 2 of a 3-game set in Anaheim as the RHP Zack Greinke faces RHP Griffin Canning. Robert Ford and Steve Sparks bring you LIVE play by play but first preview Saturday’s matchup. 3B/OF Coach Gary Pettis and Sparky connect on Zoom prior to the game and Myles Straw, Josh James, and Skipper Dusty Baker answer questions from the media before 1st pitch.. The Houston Astros Official Podcast is presented by Karbach Brewing, Crafted for Serious Fun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon...
Aug 01, 2020•32 min•Ep. 923
The Astros travel to the West coast to begin a 9-game road trip which begins Friday night in Anaheim. Robert Ford and Steve Sparks will cover the action LIVE on Astros Radio and preview Friday’s matchup of RHP Lance McCullers, Jr. and RHP Matt Andriese. Ford recaps the Dodger’s series with Manager Dusty Baker and Sparky talks welcomes rookie LHP Blake Taylor. The Houston Astros Official Podcast is presented by Karbach Brewing, Crafted for Serious Fun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega...
Aug 01, 2020•10 min•Ep. 922
Big and Bright Wednesday night as the Astros complete a 2-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Robert Ford and Steve Sparks preview the rookie matchup between RHP Christian Javier and RHP Dustin May. Ford recaps Tuesday’s game with Manager Dusty Baker and Sparky talks to Geoff Blum about the Stros season up to this point. Finally, Lance McCullers Jr., and Andre Scrubb host questions from the Houston media prior to first pitch. The Houston Astros Official Podcast is presented by Karbach Brew...
Jul 29, 2020•24 min•Ep. 921
The Dodgers are in H-Town and the Astros host a 2-game series beginning Tuesday at Minute Maid Park. LHP Framber Valdez squares off against LA’s RHP Walker Buehler and Astros Radio previews the matchup. Manager Dusty Baker sits down with Robert Ford and Rookie Brandon Bielak talks over his Major League debut with Steve Sparks. Finally, GM James Click talks the media prior to first pitch. The Houston Astros Official Podcast is presented by Karbach Brewing, Crafted for Serious Fun. Learn more abou...
Jul 29, 2020•25 min•Ep. 920
It’s Monday night baseball as the Astros will wrap up their four-game set with the Seattle Mariners. RHP Josh James faces RHP Kendall Gravemen as Robert Ford and Steve Sparks preview the final game of the series. Manager Dusty Baker sits down with Ford and later Cy Sneed talks to Sparky via zoom. Finally, George Springer and Kyle Tucker take questions from the media before Monday’s first pitch. The Houston Astros Official Podcast is presented by Karbach Brewing, Crafted for Serious Fun. Learn mo...
Jul 27, 2020•24 min•Ep. 919
From the radio booth, Robert Ford and Steve Sparks preview Sunday’s matchup between RHP Zach Greinke and Seattle’s LHP Yusei Kikuchi. It’s a Sunday Radio Roundtable as Astros GM James Click joins Ford and Sparks before 1st pitch from Minute Maid Park. Finally, IF Aledmys Diaz was placed on the IL and talks to the Houston media following Saturday’s 7-2 victory. The Houston Astros Official Podcast is presented by Karbach Brewing, Crafted for Serious Fun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...
Jul 26, 2020•18 min•Ep. 918
Robert Ford and Steve Sparks preview Saturday’s day game at Minute Maid Park. RHP Lance McCullers, Jr. takes the mound for the Astros for the first time since having Tommy John surgery in 2018. Ford and Sparks preview the matchup against the Mariners with Pitching Coach Brent Strom. Rookie southpaw Blake Taylor made his Major League debut in Friday’s season opener and he talks about his debut outing. Manager Dusty Baker recaps Friday’s victory and talks about what he expects from McCullers on Sa...
Jul 25, 2020•40 min•Ep. 917
Baseball is Back! Broadcasters Robert Ford and Steve Sparks break down Friday’s Season Opener as veteran RHP Justin Verlander squares off against Seattle Mariners LHP Marco Gonzales. Manager Dusty Baker, Alex Bregman, and Lance McCullers, Jr. discuss what Opening Day means to them in 2020 as MLB begins its 60-game schedule. The Houston Astros Official Podcast is presented by Karbach Brewing, Crafted for Serious Fun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 25, 2020•19 min•Ep. 916
This week General Manager James Click, Manager Dusty Baker, Jose Altuve, Josh James, and Opening Day starter Justin Verlander took questions from sports reporters at Minute Maid Park. Listen back to excerpts from the Summer Camp press conference as the Astros prepare for Opening Day 2020. The Houston Astros Official Podcast is presented by Karbach Brewing, Crafted for Serious Fun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 23, 2020•52 min•Ep. 915
This week Alex Bregman, Justin Verlander, pitching coach Brent Strom, manager Dusty Baker, Yuli Gurriel and Bryan Abreu took questions from sports reporters at Minute Maid Park. Listen back to excerpts from the Summer Camp press conference as the Astros prepare for Opening Day 2020. But first, it’s Happy Hour with Astros broadcasters Julia Morales-Clarke, Todd Kalas, Geoff Blum, Robert Ford and Steve Sparks. Listen to a preview of the Official Broadcasters Happy Hour presented by Budweiser, then...
Jul 16, 2020•41 min•Ep. 914
On Sunday, Manager Dusty Baker, Bench Coach Joe Espada, and IF Aledmys Diaz took questions from sports reporters at Minute Maid Park. Listen back to excerpts from the Summer Camp press conference as the Astros prepare for the July 24th opener against the Seattle Mariners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 13, 2020•29 min•Ep. 913
Robert Ford and Steve Sparks invite asst. GM Pete Putila to Episode 34 of AstroPod. Putila talks about the landscape of the 2020 roster as players continue to work out at Minute Maid Park during Summer Camp. Putila has been involved with baseball operations with a focus on player development and sports medicine and player performance. “He’s a future general manager in waiting (and) he’s done a great job with the Astros farm system,” mentions Sparks. Putila enters his 10th season with the Astros ...
Jul 09, 2020•43 min•Ep. 912
Broadcasters Bill Brown and Steve Sparks analyze the upcoming 2020 60-game season. Which teams are best built for the shortened season? How will gameday strategies affect managerial decisions? How will Dusty Baker and Brent Strom formulate their starting rotation and relief core? Brown and Sparks break down some of the Summer Camp's burning questions. BONUS TRACK: Joe Niekro played 11 seasons in an Astros uniform and is the all-time franchise leader with 144 victories. From 1977-’83, “Knucksie” ...
Jul 06, 2020•44 min•Ep. 911
Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Jose Altuve. It’s 4th of July and Summer Camp is in full swing. Six time All Star, Gold Glover and AL MVP Jose Altuve spoke to Houston Media following workouts on Saturday. Manager Dusty Baker answered questions for a second straight day and All Star Chris “Devo” Devenski talked about ramping up to the 2020 season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 04, 2020•27 min•Ep. 910
Baseball is back and Summer Camp has begun at Minute Maid Park for the Astros. On Friday, general manager James Click and manager Dusty Baker took questions from reporters about preparing their players and rosters for the upcoming 2020 season. Lance McCullers Jr. missed the entire 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery and talks about his physical and mental state and getting back to baseball. Finally, Kyle Tucker shares his thoughts on preparing, playing and navigating through a challenging 60-g...
Jul 03, 2020•40 min•Ep. 909
Geoff Blum was a switch-hitting utility player for the Houston Astros in 2002-’03 and from 2008 through 2010. Originally selected in the 7th round of the 1994 amateur draft by the Montreal Expos, Blum spent 14 seasons in the Major League and played for 7 big league clubs. Now, as a popular television broadcaster, Blummer often enjoys reflecting on his time in an Astros uniform and the Killer B’s. Today, with a little help from the former radio team of Dave Raymond and Brett Dolan, Blum looks bac...
Jul 02, 2020•47 min•Ep. 908
Jose Cruz played 18 seasons in the Major Leagues for the St. Louis Cardinals, Astros and the New York Yankees. Nicknamed “Cheo”, the two-time All Star held Astros franchise records in games played, at-bats, hits, total bases and triples at the time of his retirement in 1988. Currently, his 80 career triples remains a franchise record. Cruz and longtime Astros broadcaster Bill Brown sit down to discuss and highlight Cheo’s remarkable career. Cruz is ultimately grateful for the Astros fans, “I had...
Jun 29, 2020•41 min•Ep. 907
Major League Baseball officially announced a plan to return to play in 2020 which will lead up to a 60-game regular season schedule. Broadcasters Todd Kalas and Steve Sparks analyze the recent announcement and discuss what this means for the Houston Astros and the world of baseball. General Manager James Click joins Sparky and TK for an in-depth conversation about what happens now? What are the protocols and how do teams navigate a season with so many uncertanities? Manager Dusty Baker and Astro...
Jun 25, 2020•51 min•Ep. 906
There's more to baseball than what fans see and hear on the field. Oftentimes, our eyes and ears of the ballpark come from our favorite broadcasters, photographers and reporters who cover this game each day and every day, with or without games being played. Brian McTaggart is a fan favorite who has been reporting, traveling and writing about the Houston Astros for 17 seasons and is the author of "100 Things Astros Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die." Broadcaster Steve Sparks catches up wi...
Jun 22, 2020•48 min•Ep. 905
Nobody in Astros history has played, pitched, hit, Managed, broadcast, or wore Hawaiian shirts like baseball legend Larry Dierker. Mr. Astro began his career on his 18th birthday pitching for the Colt 45’s in 1964. A x2 All Star, Dierker played 14 seasons in the Big Leagues and threw a no-hitter against the Montreal Expos in the Astrodome. From 1997 through 2001, Dierker Managed the Astros and was named the National League Manager of the Year in 1998. Episode 27 features one of the most beloved ...
Jun 18, 2020•49 min•Ep. 904
El Podcast en español mas reciente de Astros de Houston tiene como invitado al jugador utility de ascendencia Cubana, Aledmys Díaz. Francisco Romero y Alex Treviño, los anfitriones del Podcast. Díaz nos relata, en una platica muy amena, varios aspectos de su vida y su paso por el béisbol Mexicano. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 17, 2020•27 min
The Astros selected 2 pitchers, an outfielder and a shortstop in the 2020 MLB Draft. In Episode 26, broadcasters Todd Kalas, Steve Sparks and Brian Bogusevic analyze Houston’s picks and discuss how these players fit into the organization. Bogusevic was a 2-way player at Tulane University (pitcher/OF) and was selected in the first round of the 2005 MLB Draft by the Astros. Bogusevic, now a broadcaster for AT&T SportsNet, talks about his experiences and the pressures being a first rounder, “At...
Jun 15, 2020•48 min•Ep. 903
Cy Sneed was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in Round 3 of the 2014 MLB Draft. Traded to the Astros in 2015, Cy Sneed made his big league debut out of the bullpen in June of 2019. Sneed is a young prospect who is preparing for the 2020 season at his home in Kenai, Alaska. Broadcaster Todd Kalas spent some time talking to Sneed, who took questions from youngsters as part of the Astros Buddies and Future Astros Program. Sneed has been a substitute teacher the past 4 offseasons and offers some adv...
Jun 11, 2020•49 min•Ep. 902
3B/Outfield Coach Gary Pettis played 14 season in the Major Leagues. Pettis roamed the outfield from 1982-1992 for x4 MLB teams, stole 354 bases, lead the league in several defensive categories, and was a x5 Gold Glove Award winner. In Episode 24, Steve Sparks and Robert Ford discuss Pettis’ accomplished career, growing up in Oakland and playing with superstars Rickey Hendrson, Dave Stewart, Lloyd Moseby and raising four children with his wife Peggy. Pettis also shares his thoughts on the curren...
Jun 08, 2020•53 min•Ep. 901
Joe Biagini was traded to Houston in July of 2019 and pitches in relief for the Astros. Biagini is also known for pitching comedy relief to his teammates, fans, and to the media. In Episode 23, Todd Kalas and Steve Sparks share some laughs as they discuss what Biagini has been doing during the pandemic. From street yoga to Jimmy Fallon to Bob Ross to baseball, Biagini takes us down a convoluted-conversation path that is sure to entertain. Pitch your thoughts as we field your questions #AstrosRad...
Jun 04, 2020•46 min•Ep. 900
Broadcasters Geoff Blum and Steve Sparks talk about the recent headlines surrounding the 2020 season. In Episode 22, they also tell us why the 22nd Manager in Astros History is the perfect person for the job. Making his 2nd appearance on Astro Pod since MLB’s March 12th announcement to halt play, Baker says he’s checking in with his players often. “Just to check on them and to see how their state of mind is and on their mental outlook and spirit, because that’s what you worry about. You don’t wa...
Jun 01, 2020•55 min•Ep. 899
He's a Texas Longhorn with a trophy room as big as the Lone Star State. In a remarkable career spanning 24 seasons, Roger Clemens is the true definition of a power pitcher. Clemens is an 11-time Major League All-Star who won seven Cy Young Awards, lead the Majors in wins four times and lead the American League in strikeouts five times. The Rocket is a two-time World Series champion and has a treasure trove of big league stories to discuss with Geoff Blum and Steve Sparks in Episode 21 of Astro P...
May 28, 2020•45 min•Ep. 898
Episode 20: Roy Oswalt won 143 games for the Houston Astros between 2001-2010. He won back-to-back 20 games and helped his team make the postseason in 2004 and 2005. A 3-time All Star, Oswalt was selected series MVP of the 2005 NLCS when the Astros clinched the pennant that same year. Steve Sparks and Todd Kalas talk to Oswalt about his life in Mississippi, family, learning to pitch, winning the gold medal in the 2000 Olympics and about his days with the Astros. Oswalt was selected to the Housto...
May 25, 2020•45 min•Ep. 897
