Alan Ashby to be guest on Astroline Wednesday

HOUSTON, TX - Television broadcaster and former Astros catcher Alan Ashby will be the guest on Astroline this Wednesday, March 18, at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT), which airs from the ESPN Club at Disney's BoardWalk in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Astros radio play-by-play commentator Robert Ford will serve as the host.

Wednesday's Astroline, which is presented by Karbach Brewing Co., will air on 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. 

Astroline will continue from the ESPN Club at Disney's BoardWalk for the final two broadcasts from Florida during Spring Training. Astroline runs through March 26 (16 segments overall). On-site locations for Astroline are open to the public with no admission charge. 

Fans can submit questions to the show via Twitter using the hashtag #Astroline, before and during the show. Fans may also post questions on the Astros Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Astros. As always, fans will also have the option to call the show with questions at 713-212-5790. 

Ashby has worked for the organization for over 25 seasons, serving as a player, coach, radio and television broadcaster for the club. Prior to rejoining the Astros broadcast team in 2013, Ashby had been calling games on radio and television for the Toronto Blue Jays for six seasons (2007-12). From 1998-2006, he worked as the Astros color analyst on radio alongside Hall of Famer Milo Hamilton. As a player he spent 11 of his 17 Major League seasons as a catcher with the Astros from 1979-89, during which he was a part of three postseason teams. Ashby compiled a career batting average of .245 with 90 home runs and 513 RBI in 1370 games, and caught three no-hitters (Ken Forsch, Nolan Ryan, Mike Scott). As part of the club's 50th anniversary celebration in 2012, Ashby was named to the Astros All-Time 25-man roster. Previously, he was named to the All-Time Astrodome team in 1999, and in 2000 was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame. 

Tomorrow, Ashby will join Bill Brown and Julia Morales for the first Astros game broadcast on ROOT SPORTS, when the Astros visit the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton, Fla. (12:05 CT start). It will be the first of four Astros Spring Training telecasts for ROOT SPORTS.

Ford enters his third season as the Astros radio play-by-play commentator after being named to the post on Feb. 13, 2013. Prior to joining the Astros radio broadcast team, Ford spent four seasons as the pre-and postgame host for the Kansas City Royals radio broadcasts on 610 AM KCSP, the Royals flagship station. The 2001 graduate of Syracuse University spent seven years broadcasting minor league baseball, calling more than 800 games during his stints with the Binghamton Mets, Kalamazoo Kings and Yakima Bears. Ford was twice named Frontier League Broadcaster of the Year (2003 and 2004).

*Media Note- Media wishing to interview Alan Ashby are asked to arrive by 7:45 p.m. ET.

Astroline schedule (subject to change).

Day   Date   Station   Location
Wed.   Mar. 18     KBME   ESPN Club at Disney Boardwalk
Thu.   Mar. 26     KBME    ESPN Club at Disney Boardwalk

-ASTROS-