HOUSTON, TX - Former Houston Astros player and manager, Phil Garner, will be the guest on Astroline tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m. CT at Pluckers Wing Bar for the 10th installment of the offseason radio program. Astros color commentator Steve Sparks will serve as the host. Sparks and fellow radio broadcaster Robert Ford will alternate hosting duties throughout the remainder of the offseason.
MEDIA NOTE: Media wishing to interview Garner at Astroline are asked to arrive by 6:45 p.m.
Tomorrow night's Astroline, which is presented by Karbach Brewing Co., will air on the Astros Radio Network, the Astros flagship station KBME SportsTalk 790 AM and will stream online at Astros.com/Astroline. All shows are scheduled to broadcast on KBME SportsTalk 790, but are subject to change due to scheduling conflicts. Astroline broadcasts live, weekly from 7-8 p.m. CT during the offseason.
For the fourth consecutive season, Astroline airs from Pluckers Wing Bar (1400 Shepherd Dr., Houston, Texas, 77007). Astroline runs through March (8 remaining segments), and is open to all Astros fans with no admission charge. On Feb. 22, the location of the final five Astroline shows will move to West Palm Beach, which is the Astros new Spring Training home.
Fans can submit questions to the show via Twitter using the hashtag #Astroline, before and during the show. As always, fans will also have the option to call the show with questions at 713-212-5790.
Garner managed the Astros from 2004-2007, leading the club to a 277-252 record, two National League Championship Series (2004-05) and Houston's first World Series (2005) during his tenure. In 2,401 games as a Major League manager with Milwaukee (1992-99), Detroit (2000-02) and Houston, Garner held a 985-1054 overall record. As a player, Garner spent seven of his 16 years in the Major Leagues with Houston, hitting .260 (659x2530) with 119 doubles, 49 home runs and 320 RBI.
Sparks enters his fifth season as the Astros radio color commentator after being named to the post on Feb. 13, 2013. Prior to joining the Astros radio broadcast team, Sparks served as a pre- and postgame analyst for Astros television games over several seasons following a 17-year playing career. 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 came in 2001 for Detroit when he went 14-9 with a 3.65 ERA and a Major League-best eight complete games while tallying 232.0 innings pitched.
Astroline preliminary schedule (subject to change).
Day           Date               Station
Wed.         Feb. 1              KBME
Wed.         Feb. 8              KBME
Thurs.       Feb. 16           KBME
Wed.         Feb. 22*         KBME
Thurs.       March 2*       KBME
Thurs.       March 9*       KBME
Tues.         March 14*     KBME
Wed.         March 22*     KBME
*live from West Palm
-ASTROS-