Top 5 Astros stories of 2013

Rick Ankiel (Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)

#4. Astros get big win in first game as American Leaguers

The Astros started the season with a big win in front of a national TV audience. In Houston’s first game as an American League franchise, the Astros and Rangers squared of on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball — one day before the rest of the league started regular season play. The Astros didn’t disappoint, claiming an 8-2 victory over their newly manufactured rivals.

Bud Norris got the Opening Day start — and the win. The game featured two triples by Justin Maxwell and a 10-out save by Erik Bedard. But the big blow came off the bat of Rick Ankiel.

In the bottom of the sixth, with the Astros already leading by a score of 4-2 , Bo Porter would call on Ankiel to pinch hit for Brandon Barnes. Ankiel would deliver a 3-run bomb to the rightfield bleachers, making Porter look like a mastermind in his first game as a manager. Porter got the best of Rangers’ skipper Ron Washington, who had just brought in Derek Lowe to face Barnes.

Astros fans rejoiced. We were on the top of the world. This American League thing was easy. But, after that, things went downhill in a hurry.

Jarred Cosart (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

#3. Jarred Cosart flirts with no-hitter in big league debut

On July 12th the Astros called up 23-year old pitching prospect Jarred Cosart to make a start in Tampa. His mound opponent: reigning Cy Young Award winner David Price. No problem.

Fueled by adrenaline, Cosart would steal the show. He would retire the first nine batters in order before issuing a walk to Desmond Jennings to start the fourth inning. Cosart would continue to mesmerize Tampa Bay hitters deep into the contest, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning. Exhibiting pinpoint command, Cosart used a combination of fastballs and curves to keep the Rays off balance all night long.

Ben Zobrist finally broke up the no-no with a grounder through the right side with one out in the seventh. But Cosart didn’t flinch. He would quickly erase Zobrist on a double-play ball to end the inning, taking a 1-hitter to the eighth. James Loney would get Tampa Bay’s second hit of the night leading off the eighth, but another double-play ball would get Cosart out of the inning unscathed.

All the while, Price was doing a great job of keeping his team within striking distance. He would set the Astros down in order in the ninth, keeping the score at 2-0.

Cosart would turn the ball over to Jose Veras for the bottom of the ninth, having thrown only 96 pitches in a brilliant debut. The Rays would plate a single run off the Astros closer but it wasn’t enough to deny Cosart the victory.

George Springer (photo by Tammy Tucker)

#2. George Springer’s phenomenal season

Astros outfield prospect and former first round pick George Springer started the 2013 season at AA Corpus Christi. After a big year at High-A Lancaster, Springer had spent the last month of the 2012 campaign at Corpus. In 2013, the question everyone was asking was: how long until Springer is patrolling the outfield at Minute Maid Park?

The Astros seemed intent on getting Springer at least one more year’s worth of experience in the minors. Spending the entire season at AA was a possibility. But George had other ideas. The 23-year old turned the Texas League into his own personal playground. By the time the All-Star break rolled around, Springer had already belted 19 homers, driven in 55 runs and stolen 23 bases. His slash line of .297/.399/.579 was a carbon copy of what he had done the year before at hitter friendly Lancaster.

After slugging a pair of homers in the Texas League All-Star Game, Springer was on his way to AAA. Once he arrived in Oklahoma City, Springer continued to rake. In fact, he actually turned his game up a notch. In 62 games with the RedHawks, Springer slashed an impressive .311/.425/.626 while blasting 18 homers, driving in 53 runs, and stealing 22 bases.

When all was said and done Springer had 37 homers, 108 RBIs, 45 stolen bases, and a 1.010 OPS. The Astros Minor League Player of the Year posted some of the best numbers anyone has seen in the last decade or so. Now, the question remains. When will we see Springer in Houston? My guess is the Astros keep him in AAA for a couple of months so they can squeeze in another year of team control.

#1. The CSN Houston debacle

Sorry to end things on a low note but this was — by far — the biggest story of the year. The Regional Sports Network that was supposed to bring in a ton of money for the Astros has been a total flop. Only 40 percent of Houstonians were able to watch Astros games in the comfort of their own homes in 2013. Meanwhile, fans in outlying areas were left completely out in the cold.

Astros fans in Austin, San Antonio, and New Orleans who were accustomed to watching their team play every night on TV found themselves watching dots run around the bases on mlb.com’s gameday or — even worse — trying to decipher Steve Sparks’ play-by-play ramblings on the radio.

Fans as far away as New Mexico and Arkansas were unable to watch the Astros — even if they were willing to pay money to do so. Major League Baseball’s archaic blackout rules make it impossible for fans who live as far as 500 miles from Houston to view Astros games on TV.

One year, several empty promises, and umpteen lawsuits later, millions of us are still left staring at a blue screen. As we move from 2013 into 2014 the biggest story becomes an even bigger issue. How long will it be before our ability to watch the games on TV is restored?