Free Republic

Curt Schilling took on the Internet – and the entire Muslim world – on Tuesday and lost. Badly. The two-time National League strikeout king took to Twitter to voice his concern over Islamic extremism. He posted a photo of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler with the words, “It's said only 5-10% of Muslims are extremists. In 1940, only 7% of Germans were Nazis. How'd that go?” The 48-year-old also tweeted, “The math is staggering when you get to true (numbers).” Schilling, who won three World Series championships during his 20-year MLB career, deleted the post after 10 minutes. Currently working with...

The Houston Astros, the worst team in Major League Baseball, is set to become the most profitable team in the sport's history. According to a Forbes report, "The Astros are on pace to rake in an estimated $99 million in operating income this season. That is nearly as much as the estimated operating income of the previous six World Series championship teams — combined." The highest-paid player on the team makes $1.15 million and 64 baseball players make more than the whole team combined. The Astros, currently at 43-86, have the worst record in the league since 2005. But Jim...

The Houston Astros' plan to pay tribute to their roots by wearing throwback uniforms with a smoking Colt .45 across the chest is back on, after Major League Baseball dropped its objections. Nobody batted an eye in 1962 when the Astros’ forebears, the Houston Colt .45s, first took the field. But with views toward guns changing over the decades, Major League Baseball balked at the team’s plan to mark its fiftieth season by donning the retro jerseys. League officials first said the gun that won the west had no business on the uniforms, but then said it was up to...

The Houston Astros have relieved hitting coach Sean Berry of his duties, General Manager Ed Wade announced today. Berry will be replaced by former Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell, who has been serving as a Special Assistant to the General Manager since his retirement in 2006. Berry, who had been the Astros hitting coach for the past five seasons, has been offered an opportunity to remain in the Astros organization. Bagwell, who will not be in uniform for today’s 1:05 p.m. game, will be available to the media at Minute Maid Park after the game in the press conference room....

WINDY CITY: The Astros conclude a six-game road trip with the final game of a three-game series in Chicago today at 1:20 p.m...LHP Wandy Rodriguez will make his 3rd start of the season against RHP Ryan Dempster and the Cubs. WINNER, WINNER, CUBBIE DINNER: Houston improved to 2-9 this season with a 4-3 win over Chicago yesterday...RHP Roy Oswalt earned his first win of the season after tossing 7.0 scoreless innings with six strikeouts...with the win, Oswalt moves into sole possession of 2nd place on the Astros all-time wins list with 138...JR Towles went 3x4 with two RBI and his...

Outfielder avoids arbitration by completing deal The Houston Astros announced that the club has signed outfielder Hunter Pence to a one-year, $3.5 million contract for the 2010 season. The announcement was made by General Manager Ed Wade.

The Houston Astros will hold a press conference this afternoon to announce the hiring of Brad Mills as the new field Manager for the team. Brad Mills, who spent the last six years working under former college roommate and teammate Terry Francona as the bench coach for the Boston Red Sox, has been named as the new manager of the Astros.

The Houston Astros have hired Brad Mills from the Boston Red Sox as their new manager....

Major League Baseball (MLB), the Houston Astros, and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD) broke ground yesterday on the Houston Astros MLB Urban Youth Academy at Sylvester Turner Park in a special ceremony. MLB Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Jimmie Lee Solomon, Houston Astros President of Business Operations Pam Gardner and current and former Astros players were on-hand with State Representative Sylvester Turner, Houston Parks and Recreation Department Director Joe Turner and other local dignitaries to inaugurate the future site of the second MLB Urban Youth Academy, which will provide year-round free baseball and softball instruction to local...

Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter are among the headliners on the 30-man U.S. team roster announced on Tuesday for next month's inaugural World Baseball Classic. ADVERTISEMENT The 16-nation tournament will feature the world's best players competing for their home countries staged over three weeks. Clemens, 43, winner of a record seven Cy Young Awards for major league pitching excellence, will be joined by fellow-starters Dontrelle Willis, Jake Peavy and C.C. Sabathia on a pitching staff that will be stacked with 10 relievers. "I'm excited to be a part of it," Clemens, a free agent after going 13-8 with...

Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico made a claim that he was almost drafted for pro-baseball back when he was younger. After much hubaloo from the press that pressured the governor to change his mind saying he wasn't sure. Numerous media press captured his moment of trite humility in confessing that he wasn't drafted by the A's: "After being notified of the situation and after researching the matter ... I came to the conclusion that I was not drafted by the A's," he said. Now, Bill Richard was a young man back then where his father probably had to deal...

Game 2 Live Thread! Chicago leads series 1-0 Pettite vs. Buehrle

Will it be Rocket Launch or Rocket Failure? Clemens vs. Contreras

Astros beat the Cardinals 5-1 in St. Louis tonight, to win the series 4 games to 2. Their first trip to the World Series in 9 playoff appearances. World Series starts Saturday in Chicago.

HOUSTON (AP) - Shaun Dean only remembers facing one major league pitcher in his life, back in Little League when he walked against Josh Beckett and stole second base. Now, the lifelong Houston Astros fan is going into the Baseball Hall of Fame after catching two home run balls during a playoff game. Dean was in the second row of the left-field stands for the Astros' 18-inning victory that ended the NL division series against Atlanta. He caught Lance Berkman's grand slam in the eighth inning, then 10 innings later snagged Chris Burke's homer that ended the longest game in...

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, July 27, 2005) – The Houston Astros received a special visit at the ball park July 23, shortly after making a special visit of their own. Several wound-recovering Soldiers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center watched the visiting Astros take on the Washington Nationals at RFK Stadium after receiving an invitation by the team’s highest ranking official. The Soldiers were invited guests of team owner Drayton McLane, who took several of his players to visit with recovering troops at Walter Reed and Bethesda Naval Hospital the two afternoons prior to the game. McLane arranged for his...

Here's a suggestion: If the Houston Astros beats the St. Louis Cardinals tonight, let the World Series teams be a proxy for the presidential candidates. Boston can be the proxy for Senator John Kerry from Massachusetts while Houston becomes the proxy for President George W. Bush from Texas.

 Game Info: 8:05 pm EDT Thu Oct 21, 2004 TV: FOX  Starting Pitchers  Regular Season Stats  R. ClemensHou vs.  J. SuppanStL 18-4 Record 16-9 2.98 ERA 4.16 218 K 110 79 BB 65 15 HR 25 SERIES: NL championship series; tied, 3-3. This is why Houston manager Phil Garner held Rogers Clemens back. And this is why the Astros lured The Rocket out of retirement last winter. For the third time in four seasons, Clemens will be on the mound for a decisive Game 7. Only this time, he'll be doing it for his hometown team, hoping to pitch them...

Major League Baseball is threatening to shut down a non-profit fan website about one fo their teams. The reason? Copyright infringemnt, so they say. Similar to what Free Republic went through except this site provided only a bunch of links, their own commentary and a huge wealth of historical and statistical data that would put the homoginized astros.com and mlb.com to shame. They're getting what they wished for. The website is shutting down rather than fighting in court. To see how Major League Baseball treats their dedicated fans, click on the link at the top and read the lawyer's letter...