RIP Joe Morgan
Posted: October 12, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, 21st Century | Tags: All-Star Game, Baseball, Cincinnati Reds, Gold Glove Award, Houston Astros, Joe Morgan, Major League Baseball, Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award, MLB, National Baseball Hall of Fame, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Silver Slugger, sports, World Series 2 CommentsLegendary second baseman Joe Morgan played Major League Baseball for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. Over the course of his career, Morgan won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named the National League MVP in each of those years. Morgan was also a ten-time All-Star, a five-time Gold Glove winner, and won the Silver Slugger award in 1982. Morgan was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990, and he has also been inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame and the Astros Hall of Fame.
Joe Morgan died on October 11, 2020 in Danville, California at the age of 77.
Rest in peace.

Joe Morgan, 1973 (Baseball Hall of Fame)
This day in baseball: Nolan Ryan is king of walks
Posted: June 5, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Early Wynn, history, Houston Astros, Major League Baseball, MLB, New York Mets, sports, Steve Carlton 2 CommentsOn June 5, 1981, Astros pitcher Nolan Ryan surpassed Early Wynn as the all-time walk leader with 1,777 when he walked two in his 3-0 victory over the Mets. Of course, Ryan also struck out ten and only gave up five hits in that game.
Ryan would end his 27-year career with 2,795 bases on balls, nearly a thousand more than Steve Carlton, who is currently second on the career list for issuing free passes.

Nolan Ryan (Houston Chronicle)
This day in baseball: Nolan Ryan joins the Rangers
Posted: December 7, 2019 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, California Angels, Houston Astros, Houston Colt .45s, Major League Baseball, MLB, New York Mets, Nolan Ryan, sports, Texas Rangers, Washington Senators Leave a commentFree agent Nolan Ryan signed with the Texas Rangers on December 7, 1988, making him the first major leaguer to play for all four original expansion teams. (The Rangers organization had played their first 11 seasons as the Senators in Washington, D.C.) Ryan first broke into the big leagues with the Mets in 1966, then went to the Angels in a trade in 1972 before signing with the Astros, who were originally known as the Colt .45s.

Brittanica.com
Stealing signs
Posted: November 26, 2019 Filed under: Experiences and reflections | Tags: Baseball, Houston Astros, Major League Baseball, MLB, Softball, sports 2 CommentsWith the Houston Astros’ sign stealing scheme making the news these last couple weeks, I find myself reminded of one of my own experiences with stealing signs. While my own venture into sign stealing didn’t make any headlines, I can certainly identify with the advantage that it provides.
One summer, when I was playing in a girls’ softball league, the coach of one of the other teams invited me to join his team for a tournament (an experience I also mention in this post). This tournament was external to the league in which we played against one another, and it’s no small compliment when another coach thinks enough of your ability to invite you to join his own team, so I naturally jumped at the opportunity.
While I don’t remember all the details of that particular tournament, there are a couple things that continue to stick out to this day. The first was the birth of my ballplayer nickname, Duke. The second revolved around learning the signs for this team I played with for the duration of the tournament.
Naturally, in order to be an effective part of the team, I needed to know all the signs that might get flashed at me from third base whenever we went on offense: bunt sign, steal sign, take a pitch, etc. I learned the signs, and I played pretty well throughout the tournament. One would also naturally assume that once we all returned to regular league play and I was back on the opposing side, this coach would change his own team’s signs.
The next time my league team faced off against this other coach’s team, I found myself playing third base. Out of curiosity, I found myself watching the team’s coach, who would also serve as the third base coach, out of the corner of my eye. I wouldn’t turn and stare, of course, but I used my periphery vision to the best of my ability to watch what signs he flashed to hitters and runners.
The first time he flashed what I recognized as the bunt sign, I was still wary. If the other team did change their signs, in anticipation of playing against me, I certainly didn’t want to creep up too close to the plate, lest I find myself on the receiving end of a hard line drive to the face. So I took half a step forward, but also made sure to stay on my toes in anticipation of a bunt.
Much to my surprise and delight, the hitter squared around and lay down a bunt that happened to roll up the third baseline. Anticipating the possibility, I was able to get on top of it quickly and threw her out. I couldn’t believe my luck.
The rest of the game, I didn’t hesitate to move up any time I saw that bunt sign flashed. I couldn’t believe that this coach didn’t stop to think about the fact that the opposing third baseman knew their signs because he had given them to me himself. On a couple of occasions, I found myself tempted to yell, “Watch the bunt!” to my teammates, but I knew that would be a dead giveaway, so I kept my mouth shut. I just continued to watch the coach, and they didn’t have a successful bunt attempt all game.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly not condoning what the Astros are accused of doing. Even by Major League Baseball standards, what I did was perfectly legal, since I used no technology to steal signs and take advantage. If anything, it was the other team’s blunder in not changing their signs once we returned to regular league play. And I definitely wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity my situation presented.
Congrats to Washington
Posted: October 31, 2019 Filed under: 21st Century | Tags: Baseball, Houston Astros, Major League Baseball, MLB, sports, Washington Nationals, World Series Leave a commentCongratulations to the Washington Nationals on winning their first World Series championship in franchise history! That certainly made for a thrilling Game 7.

New York Times
2019 World Series schedule
Posted: October 20, 2019 Filed under: 21st Century | Tags: Baseball, Houston Astros, Major League Baseball, MLB, sports, Washington Nationals, World Series 3 CommentsCongratulations to the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals on winning their respective pennants and advancing to the World Series! Here is how this year’s World Series schedule looks to shakeout. All times are Eastern Time.
Tuesday, Oct. 22
Game 1: Nationals at Houston, 8:08 p.m. on FOX
Wednesday, Oct. 23
Game 2: Nationals at Houston, 8:07 p.m. on FOX
Friday, Oct. 25
Game 3: Astros at Washington, 8:07 p.m. on FOX
Saturday, Oct. 26
Game 4: Astros at Washington, 8:07 p.m. on FOX
Sunday, Oct. 27
Game 5: Astros at Washington, 8:07 p.m. on FOX
Tuesday, Oct. 29
Game 6: Nationals at Houston, 8:07 p.m. on FOX
Wednesday, Oct. 30
Game 7: Nationals at Houston, 8:08 p.m. on FOX
Infographic: Craig Biggio HoF
Posted: May 12, 2018 Filed under: 20th Century, 21st Century | Tags: Baseball, Craig Biggio, history, Houston Astros, infographics, Major League Baseball, MLB, National Baseball Hall of Fame, sports, World Series 2 CommentsI came across this graphic quite accidentally, but now that I’ve found it, I’m thinking it’d be fun and interesting to see if there are more like it for other Hall of Famers. Craig Biggio never won a World Series with the Astros (though they appeared in one in 2005), but he was still a player worth talking about. Biggio was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.
Congratulations Astros!
Posted: November 2, 2017 Filed under: 21st Century | Tags: Baseball, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, sports, World Series Leave a commentCongrats to the Houston Astros on their first-ever World Series title. To be honest, I had no stake in this Series and so felt mostly indifferent over who would win it. The fact that it went seven games and resulted in a team’s first franchise championship does make for a fun tale, however.

New York Times
2017 World Series schedule
Posted: October 24, 2017 Filed under: 20th Century, 21st Century | Tags: Baseball, Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Major League Baseball, Oakland Athletics, World Series Leave a commentCongratulations to the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros on winning their respective league pennants. For those looking to follow along, here’s how the 2017 World Series is scheduled to take place:
Game 1: Tuesday, October 24th @ 8:00 PM ET – Astros @ Dodgers
Game 2: Wednesday, October 25th @ 8:00 PM ET – Astros @ Dodgers
Game 3: Friday, October 27th @ 8:00 PM ET – Dodgers @ Astros
Game 4: Saturday, October 28th @ 8:00 PM ET – Dodgers @ Astros
*Game 5: Sunday, October 29th @ 8:00 PM ET – Dodgers @ Astros
*Game 6: Tuesday, October 31st @ 8:00 PM ET – Astros @ Dodgers
*Game 7: Wednesday, November 1st @ 8:00 PM ET – Astros @ Dodgers
*if necessary
If you’re keeping track, the Astros last appeared in the World Series in 2005 (as the NL team), losing to the Chicago White Sox in a four-game sweep. The Astros have never won the World Series. The Dodgers last appeared in the Series in 1988, when they defeated the Oakland Athletics in five games.