The 2013 Major League Baseball season kicked off this week. And it's already tough sledding for the Houston Astros. They lost a hundred games each of the last two seasons. They have the league's lowest payroll – in fact, their 25 man roster makes less combined than Alex Rodriguez makes for the Yankees alone. And their debut in the American League – well, after an Opening Day victory, it's not exactly been stellar. The Astros struck out 46 times in the next three games, and lost back-to-back shutouts. It looks like they may lose a hundred games again this season. But, as much as they want to compete as best they can, the Astros franchise is fixated on long-term goals – on building up the franchise through smart drafts, and cultivating talent through the minors.
Among those expressing optimism about the Astros' ability to maintain that long-term approach is Milo Hamilton. For 59 years, Hamilton called play-by- play in the Major Leagues, including 27 years for the Astros. He retired from full-time broadcasting duties last season, but remains engaged with the team. Houston Matters host Craig Cohen caught up with Hamilton at Minute Maid Park during batting practice last week, and asked him what intrigued him most about the 2013 Astros.
