HOUSTON, TX - Houston Astros television broadcaster and former infielder Geoff Blum will be the guest on Astroline tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. CT at Pluckers Wing Bar for the ninth installment of the offseason radio program. Astros play-by-play broadcaster Robert Ford will serve as the host. Ford and fellow radio broadcaster Steve Sparks will alternate hosting duties throughout the offseason.
MEDIA NOTE: Media wishing to interview Blum 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 (9 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.
Blum spent the last four seasons as the primary TV color analyst for Astros road games and will now step into the full-time color analyst role alongside play-by-play man Todd Kalas. He joined the Astros television broadcast team in 2013 after a successful, 14-year Major League career that included two stints with the Astros (2002-03, 2008-10), totaling five seasons. Throughout his career, Blum was known as one of the game's most versatile players and as a top pinch-hitter. During his playing days, Blum was also known as a colorful personality that was popular with teammates and fans.
Ford enters his fifth season as the Astros radio play-by-play commentator after being named to the post prior to the 2013 season. Before joining the Astros, 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, 2004).
Astroline preliminary schedule (subject to change).
Day           Date               Station
Thurs.       Jan. 26            KBME
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-