Johnson to be guest on Astroline this Thursday

HOUSTON, TX — Houston Astros third baseman Chris Johnson will be this week’s guest on the club’s popular Astroline call-in radio show at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 12. Hosted by Hall of Fame Broadcaster Milo Hamilton, Astroline is broadcast live from Buffalo Wild Wings at 510 Gray Street. The show will air on Thursday nights, rather than the customary Wednesdays, on four occasions this offseason. The remaining Thursday dates are Jan. 19, Feb. 2 and Feb. 23.

The show is open to the public and airs on the club’s flagship station, KTRH 740 AM. Listeners can call the show with questions at 713-212-5874. Fans may also send questions to Alyson Footer via Twitter at twitter.com/alysonfooter. Astroline is streamed live at www.astros.com. Archived broadcasts from this year’s shows are also available on the team’s website.

Johnson, 27, was the club’s Opening Day third baseman in 2011 and went on to hit .251 (95x378) with 21 doubles, seven home runs and 42 RBI in 107 games for the Astros this past season. He has played in parts of three Major League seasons (2009-11), all coming with Houston, and owns a .273 (202x741) career average in 212 Major League games. Johnson was originally a fourth-round pick by Houston in 2006.

Hamilton began his Hall of Fame radio career as a disc jockey on the Armed Forces Radio Network during Thanksgiving week in 1945. The 2012 season will be his 28th season with the Astros and his 59th year broadcasting Major League Baseball.

Thursday’s Astroline is the seventh of 18 scheduled shows during its five-month run leading into the 2012 baseball season. The program will move to Florida in late February, after the Astros have reported to Spring Training in Kissimmee, FL. The first of four broadcasts from Florida will be on Feb. 29.

Astroline, presented by Budweiser, features interviews, news and information on the Houston Astros. The show features a different guest each week, ranging from current and former Astros players to front office personnel.