Tony DeFrancesco’s Gives Free Headphones for Solid Performance

I’m a college student.

I go to class, arrive there at least 20 minutes early and make sure I take good notes. I come home, do my homework and then some with hopes I make good enough grades so Mommy and Daddy don’t drive up here and take me back home.

Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

That’s my incentive. Do what I’m expected to do and I avoid punishment.

The Houston Astros are a professional baseball team. No, seriously. It is their job to go out and perform at their highest level in order to earn the franchise a win night in and night out. For most teams, that is enough.

Astros manager Tony DeFranceso is taking it a step further.

The former Triple A manager now with the big league club on an interim basis for the remainder of the year is now rewarding players with a set of $200 headphones if they are key to an Astros win.

In Tuesday’s 1-0 win over the Chicago Cubs,  five players including Justin Maxwell, Wilton Lopez, Wesley Wright,  Xavier Cedeno and Jose Valdez all earned a pair of those fancy music playing devices to jam Garth Brooks’ greatest hits on those long flights to play in new cities for the remainder of the year.

I can see that DeFrancesco is really just trying to help here. To an extent, it’s working. The Astros have already matched their win total of August (5) and it’s not even halfway through September.

I don’t have too much of an issue with this, but I wish it could have been kept under wraps.

The Astros have become a joke to baseball. That isn’t an insult to the team, I love those guys no matter how they listen to their music. They are doing the best they can with what they have, even if what they have is a bunch of minor league guys playing above their heads.

It’s just what happens with a team in rebuilding mode not only with their roster but with the organization as a whole.

With that being said, I suppose I don’t have too much of a problem with it. A win is a win. Personally I wouldn’t mind seeing a few more during this last month of the season.

I’m sure my roommates are wishing I would buy a pair for myself. My ritual of listening to “In the Arms of an Angel” on full blast may be getting to them at this point. DeFranceso, if you happen to be reading this please contact me for shipping information.

If you’re keeping us in the win column, feel free to give away whatever you’d like.