HOUSTON – It might not be baseball season, but the Astros presence is still strong in Houston.
Each year the team participates in a community outreach tour where people can meet and connect with players and other Astros staff.
Fans flocked to the H-E-B on Hwy 242 in Conroe to kickoff the 2020 Houston Astros Caravan, where they got the chance to meet Orbit, Astros player Cy Sneed, Astros Shooting Stars and commentator Todd Kalas.
“I was super excited!” said 12-year-old fan John Erickson.
Fans lined up for a picture and Q&A with pitcher Cy Sneed, who they say is down to earth.
“It was cool to see how he likes to go hunting, fishing -- same stuff my boys like to do," said Ryan Erickson. “(The see) that they could one day be a ‘normal’ baseball player, right?”
Sneed said getting to meet the fans is what it’s all about.
“I think it’s great," Sneed said. “That’s why we play the game. They get to watch us every day. You get to see them at the games. It’s just great to see the excitement on their faces.”
Long-time major league baseball commentator Todd Kalas interacted with fans, too. He says this Astros team is one of a kind because no other team has won 100 games four seasons in a row. He’s excited to see what this year will bring.
“The CY-young award winner coming back in Justin Verlander, Lance McCullers is coming back from injuries ... so (this) should be another fun year," Kalas said. “(It) could be another big year for the Astros."
The caravan will be making stops all over participating communities from Monday through Thursday, including community centers, military facilities hospitals and more.
According to the MLB website, the will start in Houston then go to Round Rock and Corpus Christi before returning back to H-Town for the Diamond Dreams Gala on Friday and the Astros FanFest on Saturday.
GO to the MLB website for more information about Astros FanFest and the full schedule for the 2020 Houston Astros Caravan.
