Podcast appearances and mentions of Steve Sparks

Johnny Doskow, Martin Gallegos, and Ken Korach preview game two of the Astros and Athletics from West Sacramento. They were joined by Steve Sparks (8:30) and Scott Emerson (15:32) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the league set to conclude its last few series just before teeing into the postseason, many teams across the MLB battle away in hopes of clinching a playoff spot, further extending their season for a chance at the World Series. Focusing on the Astros, the Stros wrap up their weekend series against Atlanta, taking two of the three games from the Braves and winning their first series since the Colorado Rockies roughly 3 weeks ago. Gaining the series win but slipping out of first place now one game behind Seattle, Steve shares a few takeaways from the weekend mixed with some things that need polishing if the Astros wish to reclaim their spot at the top of the division before it's too late.     

With football season officially underway now and fall beginning to creep in, baseball season begins to intensify as the weeks dwindle and teams fight for postseason slots. Concluding another part of their Silver Boot Series against their interstate rivals, the Texas Rangers went on to take two of the three games from the Astros, resulting in a series final of 1-2 for the Astros. With the day off, set to tee back into action tomorrow in Toronto against the Blue Jays, Steve weighs in on the Astros' series loss and weekend in Arlington, followed by what to expect rolling into these last 18 games of the regular season.  

Losing the first series to the Orioles 1-2, followed by a sweep by the Tigers, the Astros look to have shaken back a bit following their 4-game series this weekend, taking 3 out of the 4 games in Baltimore. Still atop the AL West Division and looking to brush off their recent 2-series losses, Steve shares some positives from the weekend with a few things to be mindful of as we begin to expect a few key players to return to the lineup.  

Following a harsh weekend at Daikin, the Astros appear to be in disarray after their series against Baltimore, which resulted in only one game won, with the Orioles taking the series 2-1. With the Mets taking 2 of the 3 games from the Mariners, the Astros continue to lead the AL West Division, roughly 2 games ahead of Seattle now. Taking a moment and highlighting a few noticeable matters, Steve shares a few thoughts from the weekend, along with what to expect rolling into Detroit, which happens to be another postseason competitor to the Astros. 

Returning home to Daikin now following the conclusion of their weekend series in New York, the Astros take 2 of the 3 games from the Yankees in what appears to be a turnaround for them since the All-Star break and the trade deadline. Rolling on to take on a former Astros veteran, Alex Bregman and the Boston Red Sox tonight, Steve shares some positives from the Astros' weekend in New York, along with what to expect going into this series with one of the Astros' frontline starters set to make his season debut.     

With the deadline now behind us, the Astros seem to have collapsed a bit coming out of the MLB's legal tampering period, now having lost 8 of their last 10 games. Replenishing depth in most aspects on the field and aiming to pinpoint a few lingering issues still, following the All-Star break and deadline, Steve joins Sean and Dan discussing the Astros' dreadful weekend in Boston along with some things to be mindful of as we course through the season's schedule.

With the trade deadline set to conclude at 6 pm ET on Thursday, the Astros look to make a splash sometime between now and then following their rough weekend series against the A's. Sweeping the Diamondbacks recently and getting swept themselves by the Athletics, Steve circles today's conversation regarding the Astros' disappointing weekend here at Daikin, along with some potential prospects that the Astros may acquire ahead of the deadline, noting a few players still on the IL set to return sooner than expected.

On the July 24 edition of A's Cast Live, our weekly all baseball talk show Monday through Friday, Chris Townsend was joined by: Eno Sarris - National Baseball Writer for the Athletic (5:55) Steve Sparks - 9-Year MLB Veteran & Broadcaster for the Houston Astros (40:40) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following the conclusion of the All-Star break, the Astros seem to have hit a bump in the road rolling in and coming out of the break as we've now reached the second half of the season. Winning 1 out of their last 6 just before the break and concluding their first series yesterday avoiding the sweep, the Astros win 11-3 but lose the series 1-2 to the Seattle Mariners. Assessing a few blunders over the Stros' last 10 games, Steve shares a few things to be mindful of as we roll through the weeks pertaining to injuries and the trade deadline approaching.

Concluding an epic series showdown in Los Angeles and celebrating a remarkable 4th of July weekend, the Astros come back to Houston sizzling hot following their 6 game away stretch taking 2 of the 3 from the Rockies and shockingly sweeping the Dodgers following yesterday's 5-1 victory. Returning back home here at Daikin now roughly 2 games back behind the Tigers for the best record in the MLB, Steve joins and shares a few ideal takeaways from the Astros' weekend series and what a series win like this means as we inch close to the start of the second half of the season.

Finishing another electrifying weekend series here at Daikin, the Astros roll past the Cubs taking 2 of the 3 from Chicago furthering their position at the top of the American League just roughly 3 games behind the Detroit Tigers leading the league. Now standing at 50-34 with the third best record across the MLB, the Astros move on to take on the White Sox for their 3rd series of season next. Welcoming back their former Astro players following their departure this offseason regarding Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressley, Steve shares a few highlights and takeaways from this weekends stunning series along with a few things that may be needed ahead of the trade deadline approaching. 

Moving on from Sacramento down to Angel Stadium in Anaheim, the Astros go on to take 2 of the 3 games from the Angels resulting in another series victory for Houston. Battling the Yankees for the second seed in the American League as both teams are tied at 45 wins and both roughly 3 games back from the Tigers, Steve joins and shares his takeaways from the Astros' weekend in Anaheim along with a couple of future decisions that must be made looking ahead following the great play the organization has sustained still without a few notable names in the lineup.

Johnny Doskow, Martin Gallegos, and Ken Korach preview game one of the Houston Astros and Athletics from West Sacramento. They were joined by Steve Sparks (8:47) and Mark Kotsay (14:23). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Completing their 6 game homestand against the White Sox and the Twins, the Astros go on to take a combined 5 out of  6 of the games here at Daikin from both clubs furthering their position at the top of the American League now at 41-30. Sweeping Minnesota yesterday and now moving on to Oakland, Astros broadcaster Steve Sparks joins Sean and Dan discussing the Astros blazing weekend here at home with a few takeaways that looked phenomenal, along with some pointers that roughly hint at that possibility of this Astros' ball club making another postseason, World Series run.  

Cruising by the Pirates last week in Pittsburgh then moving on to Cleveland, the Astros again go on to take 2 of the 3 games from the Guardians winning the series 2-1, still leading the AL West Division at a standing of 36-29. Still without Yordan in the lineup and following the absence of a few players, the Astros continue to still taper off wins furthering their position 3rd in the AL behind New York and Detroit. Steve shares a few takeaways from the Astros weekend series and what this means moving forward if they can sustain such great play in the second half of the season. 

Taking 7 out of the 10 games in their homestand, the Astros look to have the ball rolling as they go on to split their revenge series against the Tampa Bay Rays 2-2. Teeing off against the Pirates tomorrow, the Astros lead the AL West Division now in first place surpassing the Seattle Mariners with a standing record of 32-27. Gaining wins without certain players in the lineup and on the mound to help along with a few things that need still need to be adjusted, Steve shares what what he loved most coming out of this weekend's series and what to expect next as the Astros get ready to take on Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates still without their power hitter, Yordan Alvarez.

Winning their series over Kansas City prior to kicking off their interdivision rivalry against the Rangers in the Silver Boot Series over the weekend, the Astros split the series taking two of the four from their rivals with yesterdays final score resulting in a 4-3 victory. Revisiting a few phenomenal and clutch performances, Steve shares few things he loved from the weekend along with updates in regards to Hayden Wesneski and Yordan Alvarez moving forward.  

Losing back to back series against the White Sox and the Brewers, the Astros turn things around drastically following their phenomenal weekend here at home against Cincinnati taking 2 of the 3 games from the Reds. With Hunter Brown on the mound opening the series followed with Ronel Blanco closing the series yesterday, Steve joins and shares his thoughts on the outstanding pitching performances from the weekend along with an update pertaining to when we can expect Yordan to return back to the lineup.

Steve Sparks joined The Sean Salisbury Show for his weekly segment talking about the team's latest rough patch, with takeaways on Yordan Alvarez's injury and the inconsistent pitching as of late. 

Steve Sparks is hilarious, there's no way around that. He doesn't miss an episode of this show despite being a broadcaster for the Houston Astros; that job will keep you busy. He was a knuckleballer (one of the few) and his way of getting there is fascinating. He shares stories of three different Bobs (Uecker, Gibson and Feller), one of which will definitely make you cry. He explains his nickname that he got in the minor leagues, "Phonebook," plus he dazzles us with his seamhead qualities that we cannot get enough of. Easily one of our favorite interviews in the history of this show, pass it along to someone who loves this game as well and don't forget to subscribe! Visit GreatGameOrWhat.com to contact the show with your questions, quips and insights. Joy Pop Productions LLC

Completing their series against the Royals down in Missouri over the weekend, the Astros fall short to Kansas City although, turning things around yesterday afternoon to avoid the sweep with a final score of 7-3. Following the series loss with the Royals taking 2 of the 3 games from the Astros, Steve joins and shares a few notable takeaways from the weekend along with a few key players and things to be mindful of as we roll on through the schedule with the Astros set to take on the Tigers here at home next.

Joe Siddall, former MLB catcher and current Sportsnet Blue Jays analyst, joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to help diagnose Toronto's offensive issues following yesterday's 7-0 shelling. Joe shares his view on potential lineup changes to come, before sifting through the performances of Anthony Santander, George Springer, Alan Roden, and Alejandro Kirk. Later on, Astros analyst Steve Sparks (28:22) previews Ronel Blanco's start in Houston tonight. The trio also chat about what's changed in Josh Hader's approach in 2025, the aftermath of Alex Bregman's departure, what's behind Jose Altuve's move to the outfield, Jeremy Peña's development, and much more! The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Coming out of a series loss to the Cardinals recently and teeing off their three game series on Friday statistically against the best team in the MLB thus far being the San Diego Padres, the Astros look to have gotten the ball rolling a bit following a series win over San Diego down at Daikin Park. Taking 2 of the 3 games from the Padres and almost gaining a series sweep over the leagues leader in the power rankings, Steve joins and shares his takeaways from this weekends mind-boggling series and what position this now puts the Astros in as they roll on now to take on a pretty solid Toronto Blue Jays team this evening. 

Concluding their three game series against the Anaheim Angels here at Daikin Park over the weekend, the Astros look to be stepping in stride as the season rolls on closing their series against the Angels 2-1 securing yet another series win. From Yainer Diaz obtaining his first career grand slam Friday evening springing the Astros into their Game 1 victory to Hayden Wesneski closing out the series yesterday afternoon following 10 K's and only allowing 3 runs, Steve joins and shares a few of his thoughts following the Astros explosive weekend against the Angels and what this says about the organization as the team continues to move forward in their schedule.  

Shaking back from their horrendous series against the San Francisco Giants finishing 0-3, the Astros look to have turned the page concluding their series against the Minnesota Twins finishing 2-1 yesterday afternoon. Grinding out a huge win yesterday to solidify the series win, Astros broadcaster Steve Sparks joins for his weekly segment with Sean and Dan and shares a few of his thoughts and takeaways from this series and yesterday's nail biting game. Also, following yesterday's gritty win, Steve also shares what does grinding out a win like this mean looking ahead as we've merely just scratched the surface of the 2025 season.

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Kicking off the official start of the MLB season following Opening Day last Thursday, the Astros take on Juan Soto and the New York Mets in their first series of the season. Finishing with a 2-1 standing over the Mets, the Astros win their first series of the season in regards to their not so great start last year against the Yankees, finishing with a start of 0-4. Looking to have turned things around following a new season filled with new prospects, the Astros look to step with a different stride rolling into this season. Assessing the Astros first series of the season, Steve Sparks joins for his weekly segment and shares a few things he saw and loved over the weekend along with what still needs work in order to ensure a stable season, hoping to lead to another postseason if not another World Series run.

Entering the final week of Spring Training for the MLB, Opening Day tips off Thursday afternoon with teams set to finalize their 40-man rosters before then as we get ready to kick into the 2025 MLB Season. Tampering and trading prospects along with a few veteran departures in the offseason this year, the Astros look to be ushering into a new era in the organization following the new young core they've acquired filled with lots of potential and talent. Assessing the Astros Spring Training this year and joining the show back for his weekly segment during Astros season, Astros broadcast announcer Steve Sparks joins Sean and Dan in what he's seen from this season's spring training and what he believes the starting lineup may tend to look like as we all anticipate for Opening Day on Thursday.

Broadcasters Robert Ford and Steve Sparks talk with Astros General Manager Dana Brown as the sun sets on the 2025 Spring Training campaign in West Palm Beach, FL. Get the latest thoughts and player updates from Brown as he and the Houston Astros prepare for Opening Day next week at Daikin Park. Astros Radio is your complete source for the 2025 season LIVE on SportsTalk 790 KBME, iHeartRadioApp, @MLBAtBat, MLB.TV, & SiriusXM. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Schoenfield and Buster discuss Buster's top-10 starting pitchers in MLB, why Buster's son told him he was wrong, Buster's thoughts as he assembles his relievers list, and if Dave agrees with Buster's No. 1 at the other positions. Then, Todd Radom returns to shares tales of his travels, the changes to expect in this season's uniforms and his thoughts on the Boston Red Sox. Plus, Steve Sparks previews the Houston Astros and Jenny Cavnar previews the Athletics. CALL THE SHOW: 406-404-8460 EMAIL THE SHOW: BleacherTweets@gmail.com REACH OUT ON X: #BLEACHERTWEETS 4:12 David Schoenfield 24:25 Astros preview w/ Steve Sparks 28:26 Todd Radom 38:29 Athletics preview w/ Jenny Caviar 43:33 Bleacher Tweets Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Schoenfield and Buster discuss Buster's top-10 starting pitchers in MLB, why Buster's son told him he was wrong, Buster's thoughts as he assembles his relievers list, and if Dave agrees with Buster's No. 1 at the other positions. Then, Todd Radom returns to shares tales of his travels, the changes to expect in this season's uniforms and his thoughts on the Boston Red Sox. Plus, Steve Sparks previews the Houston Astros and Jenny Cavnar previews the Athletics. CALL THE SHOW: 406-404-8460 EMAIL THE SHOW: BleacherTweets@gmail.com REACH OUT ON X: #BLEACHERTWEETS 4:12 David Schoenfield 24:25 Astros preview w/ Steve Sparks 28:26 Todd Radom 38:29 Athletics preview w/ Jenny Caviar 43:33 Bleacher Tweets Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's a pitching clinic as we get to know recently acquired RHP Hayden Wesneski and get reacquainted with RHP Forrest Whitley, the Astros 1st round pick in the 2016 draft. What are the expectations for Hayden and Forrest this spring? Will either RHP be part of Joe Espada's starting rotation or start the season in the pen? Listen to Steve Sparks and Robert Ford host the latest news Astroline from West Palm Beach with these two big arms of the Houston Astros. Astros Radio is your complete source for ‘25 Spring Training coverage on SportsTalk 790 KBME, astros.com, MLB.TV, & SiriusXM. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices