Broadcasters

The 2022 season marks Todd Kalas’ sixth as the Astros play-by-play voice on television. Kalas, who is the son of Hall of Famer and former Astros broadcaster Harry Kalas, has 30 seasons of experience as a broadcaster in professional baseball.

Prior to joining the Astros in 2017, Todd spent the previous 19 seasons (1998-2016) as part of the Tampa Bay Rays TV broadcast team. While his primary duties for the Rays were as pre- and postgame host and in-game reporter, Kalas also handled play-by-play duties for hundreds of Rays games on both television and radio during his time there. Known for his distinctive voice and personality, Kalas grew to be a popular figure with Rays fans as a result of his work on the broadcasts and was a three-time Suncoast Emmy award winner. Prior to joining the Rays, Kalas also worked with the New York Mets radio (1992-93) and Philadelphia Phillies television (1994-96) broadcast teams.

A native Houstonian, Todd was born at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston while his father, Harry, served as an Astros broadcaster from 1965-70. Harry would later call Phillies games from 1971-2009 en route to a Hall of Fame career. When the Phillies and Rays met in the 2008 World Series, Todd and his father called an inning together on radio during Game One of the Fall Classic. Kalas graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism from Syracuse University, and began his baseball career with the Louisville Redbirds in 1991. In the off-season, he has handled college football, basketball and baseball play-by-play as well as being a studio host for NHL and NBA teams. Kalas and his wife, Michele, reside in Houston.

Geoff Blum returns for his 10th season with the Astros TV broadcast team in 2022, his seventh as the everyday color analyst for Astros telecasts. Blum, who retired after 14 Major League seasons as an infielder (1999-2012), made the transition from the playing field to the broadcast booth in 2013.

During his playing career, Blum had two stints with the Astros, totaling five seasons in Houston (2002-03, 2008-10). Over the course of his tenure with the Astros, Blum hit .259 with 228 RBI, 46 homers, 77 doubles and a .711 OPS. A switch-hitter, Blum was known as one of the top pinch hitters and utility players in the game, appearing at all four infield positions for nine straight seasons (2000-08). He appeared in the postseason three times in his career (2005-06, 2011). Geoff and his wife, Kory, have four daughters: Mia Lea and triplets Ava, Audrey and Kayla.

Julia Morales returns for her 10th season as the Astros TV sideline reporter. As a reporter and anchor for AT&T SportsNet, Morales serves as the primary in-game reporter on Houston Astros telecasts. She has two Lone Star Emmys for her work covering the Astros, with the most recent one coming in 2020. Her first one was for her work on AT&T SportsNet’s weekly show Astros Bases Loaded.

Before moving to Houston, she worked as a sports reporter for Time Warner Cable News, formerly YNN in Austin, covering a wide range of sporting events including the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, World Series, and College Baseball World Series. Prior to joining the Time Warner Cable sports crew, Julia was the weekend sports anchor/reporter for KYTX-TV in Tyler, Texas. Julia began her television career at KTEN-TV in Denison, Texas.

A native of Crandall, Texas, Morales spent two years as a “World Famous Kilgore College Rangerette” before graduating from UT Austin where she was a member of Texas Pom for the Longhorns’ 2005 National Championship season. Julia and her husband, Matt, had their first baby in 2020 with the birth of daughter Valerie Rose. Julia is extremely passionate about animals and serves on the Board of Directors for Houston Pets Alive!, a no-kill animal rescue. She and n Matt foster rescue dogs in the offseason.

Robert Ford was named to the Astros radio broadcast team to work alongside Steve Sparks as the play-by-play commentator on Feb. 13, 2013. He enters his 10th season on the Astros radio broadcast. In their nine seasons, the duo of Robert and Steve have called six postseasons, including five ALCS and three World Series. The 73 postseason games that they have called in that span are the most in the Majors.

Prior to joining the Astros, Ford had served as the radio pre- and postgame host for Kansas City Royals games on 610 AM KCSP, the Royals flagship station, since 2009. He has seven years of experience broadcasting minor league baseball, having called more than 800 games during stints with the Binghamton Mets, Kalamazoo Kings and Yakima Bears. Ford was twice named Frontier League Broadcaster of the Year (2003 and 2004). He also has extensive play-by-play experience in college basketball, including calling games for ESPN in recent years.

He is a 2001 graduate of Syracuse University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism. Ford has twice been a finalist for the Esurance MLB Award for “Best Call, TV/Radio,” including in 2017 for his call of Alex Bregman’s walk-off RBI single in Game 5 of the World Series. Ford lives in Houston and has a daughter, Elena.

Steve Sparks was named to the Astros radio broadcast team to work alongside Robert Ford as the color commentator on Feb. 13, 2013. He enters his 10th season on the Astros radio broadcast.

A knuckleballer in his playing days, Sparks pitched in the Major Leagues in parts of nine seasons (1995-2004) for the Brewers, Angels, Tigers, A’s and Diamondbacks. His best season was in 2001 while with Detroit when he went 14-9 in 35 appearances (33 starts) with a 3.65 ERA while leading the Majors in complete games with eight. He also tallied a career high in innings pitched (232.0) that season.

Sparks attended Sam Houston State University, where he led the Bearkats to back-to-back Gulf Star Conference baseball titles and an NCAA Division II Regional playoff appearance in 1986 and again in the school’s first year at the Division I level in 1987. On Nov. 3, 2017, Sparks was inducted into the Sam Houston Letterman’s Association Hall of Honor. He and his wife, Michelle, currently reside in Sugar Land and have three children: Alexa, Blake and Chloe.

Francisco Romero enters his 15th season of play-by-play on the Astros Spanish radio network and has called over 2,000 games in his career, including four no-hitters and a perfect game. Francisco and his partner Alex Trevino are one of the longest-tenured broadcast duos in the Majors, and have called 73 postseason games since 2017, which is the most in baseball in that span. Francisco joined the Astros in 2008 after spending five seasons broadcasting Milwaukee Brewers games in Spanish on Telemundo Wisconsin. His Major League broadcasting experience also includes selected Minnesota Twins games over five seasons from 2003-08. His Major League broadcast debut was for the Arizona Diamondbacks on Telemundo Arizona in 1999, and he spent two years on Diamondbacks broadcasts from 1999-2000. Other Major League broadcasting experience includes select games on Spanish Radio with the Cincinnati Reds in 2005. He also spent four seasons as the play-by-play broadcaster and pre- and postgame show producer on Spanish radio broadcasts for the Triple A Tucson Sidewinders of the Pacific Coast League. Additional sports broadcasting experience includes both football and basketball for the University of Arizona Spanish Radio Network (1999-present), as well as three seasons on the Arizona Cardinals radio halftime report.

In 2015, Francisco and his broadcast partner Alex Treviño had the distinction of starting the Spanish broadcast efforts for the Kansas City Royals as they were asked to simulcast for both markets (Houston and Kansas City) during the Royals Hispanic Heritage Celebration while playing the Houston Astros. The duo also currently produce a series of webisodes that can be found on the Astros Spanish social media channels. Francisco has been part of three Spanish broadcast effort debuts (Brewers, Reds and Royals) and is the only Spanish broadcaster to have broadcast games for six different Major League Baseball teams (Diamondbacks, Brewers, Twins, Reds, Royals and Astros). In addition to broadcasting baseball games, Francisco was the English as a Second Language instructor for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Chicago White Sox (extended Spring Training) players from 1998 - 2001.

A graduate of the University of Arizona, Francisco spent 10 years as the sports anchor for the Telemundo affiliate in Tucson, Arizona, as well as one year as general assignment reporter. Francisco has been behind the microphone with the Houston Astros as he has called (4) no-hitters and (1) perfect game.

In 2005, Francisco was inducted into his High School Media Hall of Fame, Pueblo High School in Tucson, Ariz. Francisco was also elected to the Pueblo High School Warrior Foundation Hall of Fame Class of 2017.

Alex Treviño returns for his 27th season of analysis on the Astros Spanish radio network. He and his partner Francisco Romero have been a team since 2008, making them one of the longest-tenured broadcast duos in the Majors. The two have called 73 postseason games since 2017, which is the most in baseball in that span. A native of Monterrey, Mexico, he spent 13 seasons in the Majors, primarily as a catcher, including the 1988-90 seasons with the Astros. He also spent time with the Mets, Reds, Braves, Giants and Dodgers. Alex hit a career-high .290 while serving as Houston’s backup catcher in 1989 and hit .364 (32x88) in 25 starts. He played in 939 Major League games and had a .249 lifetime average.

Alex joined the broadcast booth in 1996 and has called more than 3,000 Astros games, 11 postseason appearances and four World Series (2005, 2017, 2019, & 2021). Alex’s 27 seasons in the broadcast booth are the most in franchise history by a Spanish broadcaster, besting Orlando Sanchez Diago’s record of 21 years. In September 2014, Alex was inducted into the Houston Baseball Media Wall of Honor for his significant and lasting contributions to the landscape of Houston baseball through his work in broadcasting.