The Astros have been supportive of the Uvalde, Texas, community since last year's shooting at Robb Elementary, which claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers. Members of the front office, including owner Jim Crane, visited Uvalde last summer, and the team welcomed families of the victims to Minute Maid Park later in the season. Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña kept the Uvalde outreach going by inviting three of the survivors, as well as two kids from the Astros Urban Youth Academy, to Minute Maid Park on Friday as part of his Peña's Pals promotion. Each Friday home game, Peña invites five students who have shown good character and earned good grades to the ballpark and has them decorate a pair of white cleats he will wear in the game that night. "The Astros' organization has been showing support since the first day with Uvalde, and it's special to bring them out to enjoy the baseball game," Peña said. "I know they came last year. I didn't get a chance to hang out with them and introduce myself, but I know [Jose] Altuve did and Lance [McCullers Jr.] did. It's special to do that." Peña said all of his Peña's Pals groups have been special, but being able to bring smiles to some kids who have suffered a tremendous tragedy in Uvalde is extremely gratifying for him. "I look forward to Fridays and meeting a new group of people, but this group is special," he said. "They're the definition of grit, resilience. I think they've had a bigger impact on me today than I have on them." How so? "These kids have gone through so much and all we can do is show a little support," he said. "We just want to do a little bit." |
The three students from Uvalde -- Miah Cerillo, Gilberto Mats and Kendall Olivarez -- joined with Astros Academy players Sho Futaka-Washington and Danielle Ward in designing the cleats and getting an up-close view of Astros batting practice, courtesy of Peña. "Danielle, she was confident," Peña joked. "She wanted a round of BP. She wanted to hit. She said she hits the ball harder than Yainer Diaz. We'll have to invite her back and let her prove herself." Of the 19 children who lost their lives during the events in Uvalde, more than half were confirmed to have been involved with the Uvalde Little League program. Six were registered to play during the 2022 season. The Astros sent a contingent of players from the Urban Youth Academy to play Uvalde Little Leaguers earlier this year, including Futaka-Washington and Ward. "These kids are about perseverance, being strong and staying strong, and it makes you keep things in perspective," Peña said. "We are playing a game at the end of the day. We enjoy playing this game, but some people have overcome real-life situations." Paula Harris, the Astros' senior vice president of community affairs and executive director of the Astros Foundation, said having the kids come to Minute Maid Park on National Gun Violence Awareness Day made the visit more impactful. "We wanted to see smiles on faces, give them a hug and make sure Uvalde knows this community is here for them," she said. |
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"I got traded to L.A. and her house was for sale in Baldwin Hills, so I went to look at her house. It had a little too much green and red velvet." -- Dusty Baker, on how he considered buying Tina Turner's house in Los Angeles in 1975 |
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The Astros will be well-represented at this year's All-Star Game in Seattle, considering Baker will guide the American League team with his entire coaching staff. Which players join Baker and his staff in Seattle remains to be seen. On the ballot for the Astros are first baseman José Abreu, second baseman Altuve, shortstop Peña, third baseman Alex Bregman, catcher Martín Maldonado, outfielders Kyle Tucker, Jake Meyers and Yordan Alvarez, and designated hitter Corey Julks. The 2023 Scotts MLB All-Star Ballot launched on Wednesday, opening Phase 1 of this year's All-Star voting. During Phase 1, fans around the world can choose their starters until 11 a.m. CT on June 22. You can vote as many as five times per every 24-hour period exclusively at MLB.com, on all 30 MLB club sites and on the MLB app. The top two vote-getters at each position (and the top six outfielders) in each league will be revealed on MLB Network at 5 p.m. CT on June 22. The leading vote-getter in each league will receive an automatic spot in their team's starting lineup while the other top vote-getters will advance to Phase 2 of voting. If an outfielder is a league's leading vote-getter, only the next four outfield finalists will move on to Phase 2 to determine who starts at the two remaining spots. Phase 2 will begin at 11 a.m. CT on June 26 and continue until 11 a.m. CT on June 29. During this 72-hour window, fans can vote only once per 24-hour period on MLB platforms for whom they want to see in the Midsummer Classic. Vote totals from Phase 1 don't carry over. The winners at each position (including three outfielders in each league) will be revealed on ESPN at 6 p.m. CT on June 29. The pitchers and reserves for both squads -- totaling 23 players for each side -- will be determined via "Player Ballot" choices and selections made by the Commissioner's Office. The complete All-Star rosters will be announced at 4:30 p.m. CT on ESPN on July 2. |
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| THIS WEEK IN ASTROS HISTORY |
June 3-4, 1989: The Astros and Dodgers played the longest night game in National League history, with Houston beating L.A., 5-4, in 22 innings at the Astrodome in a game that lasted seven hours, 14 minutes. Rafael Ramirez delivered the game-winning hit with a line-drive single to right that caromed off the glove of Dodgers left-hander Fernando Valenzuela, who was playing first base. Bill Doran scored from second, tripping over catcher Mike Scioscia, who couldn't handle the throw at 2:50 a.m. CT. |
Legendary Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully had worked NBC's Game of the Week, which went 10 innings, earlier that day in St. Louis prior to flying to Houston for the Dodgers-Astros game. He arrived during the national anthem. Scully announced 19 of the 22 innings because broadcast partner Don Drysdale had laryngitis. Fewer than 11 hours after the game ended, the two teams were back on the field for a Sunday matinee. The Astros beat the Dodgers, 7-6, in 13 innings in a game that took four hours, 17 minutes, giving Houston 10 wins in a row. |
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