play ball!

Ken Hoffman on the Houston Astros chances and why Opening Day hits different

All Star and MVP Jose Altuve will lead off on Opening Day.

Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images

At precisely 8:38 pm Thursday, April 7 Houston time — give or take a brief delay for yet another Progressive Insurance commercial (love the Dr. Rick spots) — Los Angeles Angels pitcher Shohei Ohtani will fire off a high-90s fastball to Houston Astros leadoff hitter Jose Altuve.

And with that, the 2022 Major League Baseball season will be on for the reigning, defending, undisputed American League champion Houston Astros.

This is odd: April 7 will be the first time the Astros and Angels face each other on Opening Day. The game will air on AT&T SportsNet Southwest. The Astros TV crew of Todd Kalas (fourth season), Geoff Blum (seventh season), and the current dean of Astros announcers Julia Morales (eighth season) returns intact.

Opening Day hits different
There is something special about baseball’s Opening Day. It’s practically a national holiday. There isn’t nearly the same hoopla or magic to the start of other pro sports’ seasons in America.

Speaking of hoopla...

Opening Day LFG pic.twitter.com/tszJXZprVz

— Alex Bregman (@ABREG_1) April 7, 2022

The NFL season begins in September, when days grow shorter, colder weather sets in, kids get homework, and other lousy things happen.

The NBA season starts in October, but nobody really notices until Christmas Day.

Maybe baseball’s Opening Day is celebrated more than other sports because it takes place in spring. Ah, spring. The poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote, “In the spring a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of love.”

Poet William Wordsworth said, “The budding twigs spread out their fan to catch the breezy air (Lines Written in Early Spring).

Perhaps the brilliant philosopher George Costanza said it best, “Spring! Rejuvenation, rebirth, everything’s blooming, all that crap!”

The Astros Opening Day pitcher is Framber Valdez who’ll be squaring off against the Angels’ starter and leadoff hitter (and 2021 MVP) Ohtani. The Angels are -130 favorites. The over/under is 8.5 runs.

Bet on our boys
History says the Astros are a good bet. The Astros are riding a nine-game Opening Day win streak. That’s tied for the longest Opening Day win streak in history with the Cincinnati Reds (1983-92) and the Detroit Tigers (2009-2017). Remember what Winston Churchill said, “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

But, let’s not forget what famed mobster Michael Corleone said on the subject: “If history has taught us anything, it says you can kill anyone.” I wouldn’t make the bet. Ohtani’s pitching/hitting and Mike Trout is back in center for the Angels.

Fun fact: the Astros switched from the National League to the American League in 2013, that means they are undefeated on Opening Day as an American League team.

The Astros, then the Colt .45s, won their first Opening Day in 1962 with Bobby Shantz getting the start and the win, 11-2, over the Chicago Cubs at Colt Stadium.

In 2017, the Astros' one and only World Series championship season, Dallas Keuchel got the start and win, 3-0, over the Seattle Mariners. Last year, Zack Greinke started and got the W, 8-1, over Oakland.

The Astros’ surefire Opening Day pitcher was Larry Dierker, four starts, 4-0 record. Roy Oswalt got the most Opening Day starts, eight in a row (2003-10) with a 2-4 record. Overall, the team is 32-28 on Opening Days.

The Astros have not revealed who will throw out the ceremonial first pitch when their home season finally begins on April 18. An announcement will be made next week.

Around the league, Billy Crystal will toss the ceremonial first pitch for the New York Yankees. Tom Hanks will do the honors for the Guardians in Cleveland (side bet on which Astros announcer will call them the Indians first).

Joe Burrow will take the mound for the Reds in Cincinnati, astronaut Shane Kimbrough for the Braves in Atlanta, Russell Wilson for the Rockies in Denver, and IchiroSuzuki for the Mariners in Seattle.

Opening Day trivia
Since William Howard Taft became the first president to throw a ceremonial first pitch at old Griffith Stadium in 1910, only two presidents haven’t tossed a first pitch during or after their time in the White House. Who are they? (Answer: Donald Trump and Joe Biden.)

The greatest presidential ceremonial first pitcher undoubtedly was Harry Truman. He threw out first pitches all eight years he was in office (1945-52). In 1950 he threw out two Opening Day pitches, one lefty and one righty. It wasn’t a gimmick — Truman was ambidextrous.

The strangest ceremonial first pitch was made by Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez after announcing his retirement in 2012. He stood at home plate at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and fired the first “pitch” to teammate Michael Young standing at second base.

Lastly, in case you thought I forgot...

If the Astros lose tonight, they won’t be able to sell beer the rest of the season. Why?

They will have lost the opener.

---

Share your Opening Day thoughts with Ken Hoffman on Twitter.

houston-astros sports

who's your caddy

3 Houston golf courses score best in the state title by Texas Monthly

texasmonthly.com

undefined

Anyone who swings a Callaway or TaylorMade in Houston knows our fair city usually boasts 12 months for great golfing. No surprise, then, that three of the best golf courses in the Lone Star State are located in the Houston area, according to a new 2023 guide by Texas Monthly.

Texas owns the fifth-most public golf courses in the country, with about 600 tracks spread out throughout the state. With that in mind, the Texas Monthly team traveled thousands of miles to collect their data about the most unique, reasonably-priced, and accessible golf courses in Texas.

The three Houston courses all fit this criteria, while offering some of the best experiences for players of any skill level.

The first golf course on the lists is BlackHorse in Cypress, a 36-hole complex distinctly designed by Jim Hardy and Peter Jacobsen as an appreciation of East Texas' wetlands. The combined space between the South and North Courses add up to nearly 14,500 yards, with the South Course taking the shorter length but compensating with a more challenging design.

Out of the total three dozen holes, Texas Monthly explains the sixteenth and seventeenth holes are the most memorable.

"The former, a short par 4, dares big hitters to drive over a beautiful marsh, and the following par 3 is effectively an island — a wooden bridge just above the waterline takes you from tee box to green," said senior editor Josh Alvarez. "The spectacular wetland landscape and resident waterfowl provide consolation for any splashed shots."

Next on the list is the oldest 18-hole course in Houston – Gus Wortham – which the Monthly says was just "an afterthought" to the city. It was only after locals expressed disagreement over turning the course into a botanical garden that the Houston City Council decided to revamp the course into what it is today.

"Thanks to some TLC over the past six years, Wortham boasts a freshly rebuilt clubhouse, an all-grass driving range, resplendent fairways, and attractive, constantly beguiling greens," the guide said.

What sets this course apart, according to the Monthly, is how it hasn't lost its edginess through the years, even with the city's reinvestment.

Last, but certainly never the least, Memorial Park has had time in the spotlight before when it earned a title as one of the best municipal courses by Golf.com. So it comes as no surprise that the famed course would be included in Texas Monthly's guide – going so far as to say Bayou City golfers should be counting themselves lucky ("if not downright spoiled") for such a well-maintained, conveniently located, and affordable course.

Since Memorial Park's renovation and reopening in 2019, the course has become only one of two municipally-owned courses on the PGA Tour, in addition to being a formidable host for the Houston Open.

"Those who fear the sand will rejoice at seeing fewer than twenty bunkers during the round, but in exchange players must carefully navigate grass hollows, deep ravines, and thick Bermuda grass that clutches balls when they miss the fairway," Alvarez said. "Make use of the double-decker driving range to get your iron distances dialed in, because the greens can be unkind."

And don't forget to grab a Bill's Burger from Becks Prime after the round is over.

The remaining 15 courses in Texas Monthly's "A Guide to Texas' Best Public Golf Courses" can be found on texasmonthly.com.

golf reports Texas Monthly houston cypress sports memorial park