You're Outta Here

Axed: Brad Mills fired by the Houston Astros after another lopsided loss

Brad Mills managed the worst team in baseball. And then got fired.
Brad Mills in happier times

Update: The Astros named Tony DeFrancesco their interim manager Sunday morning. DeFrancesco managed the club's Triple A team in Oklahoma City.

General manager Jeff Luhnow says the search for a permanent replacement begins now.

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The Houston Astros ownership has seen enough — Brad Mills is gone.

The Astros fired their manager as the clock ticked toward 11 p.m. on a Saturday night dominated by a Houston Texans' preseason game. Mills' final indignity? A 12-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Minute Maid Park that dropped Houston's baseball team to 39-82.

The Astros players left the clubhouse on Saturday night thinking that Mills was still their manager. But Mills' fate had been decided and he'd be informed of it before he left the ballpark. Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow told Mills in the manager's office that the club was letting him go.

The Astros sent out the official release at 11:01 p.m.

So much for waiting until the end of the season to fire the man managing the worst team in baseball. Or even waiting till morning.

The Astros will reveal the interim rest-of-the-season replacement for Mills in a Sunday morning press conference. Hitting coach Mike Barnett and first base coach Bobby Meacham also have been fired.

As CultureMap has noted many times before, Astros owner Jim Crane and Luhnow do not believe in dawdling once they've reached a decision. Mills wasn't given much to work with as Astros manager. But he seldom impressed with the little he had either.

"It's not any fun," Crane told CultureMap Thursday night at the Astros Wives Gala, the owner's most recent public appearance. "And it's certainly not any fun for the fans."

For more, stayed tuned to CultureMap.

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Cougar Red and Houston Blue

UH expands 'Houston Blue' uniforms, despite NFL cease-and-desist

UH continues using Houston Blue uniforms despite NFL rebuke

Photo courtesy of Houston Athletics

Luv ya Blue running wild.

University of Houston Athletics are in a “Luv ya blue” mood and they don’t care who knows it — not even the NFL.

The university has announced that its football and volleyball teams will wear new Houston Blue jerseys, reminiscent of the classic colors of the Houston Oilers era. The volleyball team's uniform will debut theirs starting November 9 against Texas Tech, while the football team will debut theirs against Baylor on November 23. At the latter event, the first 20,000 fans will receive commemorative Houston Blue rally towels.

The resemblance of the new colors to the Oilers brand was not lost on the NFL. When UH Athletics started incorporating Houston Blue into their uniforms in September 2023, the NFL sent a cease-and-desist letter claiming the uniforms were an attempt to leech off the legacy of the Oilers and the intellectual property of the team now known as the Tennessee Titans. As if to prove the point, the Titans have occasionally worn Columbia blue throwback uniforms at certain games.

UH is unbothered according to vice president for intercollegiate athletics Eddie Nuñez.

“As a university deeply connected to the fabric of Houston, incorporating ‘Houston Blue’ into our uniforms is a powerful way to celebrate the city’s rich history,” he said. “From iconic blue street markers to the Houston Police Department’s signature blue police cars and helicopters, this color holds a special place in the hearts of Houstonians. We’re thrilled to share this tradition with our fans and offer them the chance to show their pride through exclusive merchandise, making it an exciting time for Cougar Nation to rally together.”

The accompanying press release for the uniforms came with a helpful history lesson showing that the Oilers adopted a color widely associated with Houston, not the other way around. The city has incorporated blue into public infrastructure, from street curbs to city vehicles, since the 1920s. The Oilers weren’t even the first Houston team to use blue in their uniforms. That honor belongs to the minor league baseball team, the Houston Buffs. In addition, the university made minor changes to the uniform in response to the NFL's concerns.

UH will be offering a wide range of merchandise to sell in the new Houston Blue colors in person and online through the University of Houston Bookstore as well as at select local retailers. These include shirts, hats, polos, jerseys, and hoodies. Get them before the NFL sends a more strongly-worded letter.

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Fans of Houston sports and Houston food can now score tickets to The Tailgate, CultureMap's all-out party devoted to everyone’s favorite way to get in the gameday spirit. The event, presented by Verizon, goes down from 6-9 pm November 11 at 8th Wonder. Find out more about it here.

university of houston houston blue