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Astros’ Opening Week: 3-3, Rubies, Silver Bats ‘n’ Boots, Doc Rocket, And A Songwriter

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  • Updated: April 12, 2015

Yes, there was baseball this week, paced, of course, more quickly per Commissioner Rob Manfred’s mandate. The Houston Astros ended the first week 3 wins/3 losses, losing the opening series at home against the Cleveland Indians, but winning the weekend series in Arlington vs. Texas, 2-1, getting a leg up on the Rangers in the battle for the Silver Boot, the spoils for the season-long series of the two Texas Major League teams (the Astros oulasted the Rangers, Sunday, in 14 innings, 6-4).

But, in the Astros’ little corner of the world (and American League), there was a plethora of off-field, behind-the-scenes, and backstage goings-on you might’ve missed during Opening Week, especially if you failed to keep at least one foot in your batter’s box at all times.

  • Opening Day at Minute Maid Park, April 6, provided a host of special events, including the bestowing of a pallet of goodies on Astro second baseman Jose Altuve before the game vs. the Cleveland Indians. For being the first Houston franchise player to lead the league in batting (.341 last season), owner Jim Crane and Astros President of Business Operations Reid Ryan presented the 5’5″ Altuve with a silver bat.

On November 6, 2014, Louisville Slugger selected Altuve as their Silver Slugger Award winner as the top offensive AL second baseman. They, too, gave him a silver bat, this one attached to a commemorative plaque.

Altuve was also presented with a one-of-a-kind, custom-designed 14-carat white gold ring. Festooned with 20 diamonds and 5 rubies, the man who led the majors with 225 hits in 2014 was also gifted with a 2015 black Lexus GX460 SUV. Not to be outdone, popular Austin-area sports artist Opie Otterstad presented the league’s leading base stealer (56 in ’14) with a beautiful, original acrylic-and-palette-knife painting depicting Altuve batting, sliding, and celebrating.

To recap, that’s a painting, 2 bats, and a ring. Good thing he got a car! To add to the emotional high this day must’ve been for Altuve, he caught newly-minted Hall-of-Fame all-everything former Astro Craig Biggio’s ceremonial first pitch.

Also on Opening Day, the Methodist (Hospital) Space Race debuted. Set to take place every home game in the 5th inning, costumed bubble-headed runners race from center field to home plate along the first base line (think Milwaukee’s racing sausages, or the racing Presidents in Washington). Here, though, we’ve got 3 contestants: A white-suited astronaut, Apollo; Squeeze in orange, and a blue-clad Doc Rocket. For the record, Apollo won the first race. Nuts. My money (were I a wagerer) was on the good doctor.

  • This season, Astro players are wearing a commemorative patch on their right uniform sleeve, celebrating the 50th birthday of the Astrodome. Thursday, April 9 was the actual day in 1965 the venerable, world’s first covered multi-purpose venue opened its long walking ramps and escalators in an exhibition game against the N.Y. Yankees. Mickey Mantle, hitting lead-off, got the first hit and homer, in the Yankees’ 2-1 loss, as Astros player/coach Nellie Fox won it in the 12th on a walk-off single before a sellout crowd.
  • First pitch honors before Thursday’s game went to former Astro pitcher Larry Dierker and Dene Hofheinz, daughter of Astrodome maestro Judge Roy Hofheinz. Dene Hofheinz recently reflected on the importance of the Astrodome’s influence on sports, as well as the half-century celebration of the building: “There’s almost no way to put it into words, and words have usually been my specialty.” Ms. Hofheinz was referring to her years as a songwriter in the 1970s (she was then known as Dene Hofheinz-Mann), when she contributed songs for fellow Houston native Lisa Hartman’s self-titled debut album for Don Kirshner’s CBS-distributed label in 1976. Lisa has been Mrs. Clint Black since 1991.

Ms. Hofheinz disclosed that her father’s inspiration for the Astrodome came from a trip he and Dene’s mother took to Rome, and determined that the Colosseum would “basically be the structure and architecture for a multi-purpose indoor stadium.”

She revealed, too, that an innocent conversation with her father on the way home from a minor league Houston Buffaloes game prompted his conjuring the notion for an indoor baseball venue, as she remembered the helicopter-sized mosquitoes. “Why can’t we play baseball inside?” she asked her father from the backseat. Thinking she was in trouble due to her father’s immediate silence, he finally spoke up, saying, “Have you been taking my smart pills?” She realized after awhile that he had given her a compliment, and the seed of the Astrodome had been planted!

The Astros return to Minute Maid, Monday, for a 3-game series against the Oakland A’s, before taking Thursday off prior to a weekend home series vs. the Angels. Righty Scott Feldman will start Monday, coming off his impressive outing Wednesday against the Indians when he gave up 1 earned run in 6 2/3 innings.

Author: Brad Kyle

Brad was born the same year as rock’n’roll and Disneyland. Aging only slightly better than one of them, he’s a Houston native, and has seen countless Astro games, in all three Houston pro ball stadiums: Colt Stadium, The Astrodome, and Minute Maid Park.

He has spent one day as a crematorium assistant, one day in a Paddington Bear suit at the Beverly Hills Saks Fifth Avenue, and 3 days as an extra on 1998’s 20th Century Fox theatrical release, “The Newton Boys,” directed by Richard Linklater (and starring Matthew McConaughey and Ethan Hawke).

Brad has also played pinball with the Talking Heads’ David Byrne (he’ll claim he won, but *wink*), and when presenting Peter Gabriel (Genesis) with a paper plate for his autograph, he proceeded to write, “To Brad, Eat well. Peter Gabriel.” I’ve been following his advice ever since!

Brad has spent professional time (more than one day for each) as a teacher, youth minister, radio personality, record store manager, entertainment booking agent, singer, comedy writer, and…..oh, yeah, sports writer!