We were headed to the airport around 4 p.m. on Monday when we received word that our flight to Waco was called off.

A small contigent of Astros representatives was planning to attend Monday night's Texas Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Waco, where two Astros -- first baseman Lance Berkman and Triple-A pitching coach Burt Hooton -- were among 10 honorees who make up the class of 2010.

Bad weather -- rain and high winds -- changed our plans. We were going to fly up on Drayton's seven-seater plane, but his pilot thought better of it after assessing the weather conditions.

Apparently, Drayton's pilot will fly in just about anything, but even he was not comfortable with making the Houston-Waco trip that night. Although I'm disappointed to not be going, my stomach is turning just imagining what a bumpy ride that would have been.

Anyhoo, congratulations to the Big Puma and to Hooton, who was 35-3 with a 1.14 ERA for the University of Texas before winning 151 games in the big leagues.

Puma, as most of us know,  is a five-time All-Star with 313 home runs in his career with the Astros. He's a native of Waco and a graduate of New Braunfels Canyon High School.

During his three-year baseball career at Rice University (1995-97), Berkman earned first-team All-America honors and in 1997 was named the National College Player of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

He also turns 34 on Wednesday...

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I won't have any pictures from Monday's ceremony, obviously, but the canceled trip opens up the perfect opportunity to post some pictures from the "Rain or Shine: How Houston Developed Space City Baseball" exhibit currently on display at the Heritage Society of Houston.

I stopped by the exhibit the night it opened and found it absolutely delightful. On display are memorabilia from every era of Houston baseball, including the years of the Minor League Buffs to the original Colt .45s to the Astros.

I am not originally from here, but I find the history of Houston baseball fascinating. When we closed down the Astrodome in 1999 we immersed ourselves in a season-long historical celebration of the 35 years in the Dome, and from Bob Aspromonte to Jimmy Wynn to Nolan Ryan to Cesar Cedeno to Jose Cruz to Mike Scott to Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio, I felt like I came to know dozens of characters and personalities that helped define what this franchise means to this city.

On a recent caravan trip, I told Jim Deshaies that if I could go back in time and join one team in Astros history that I missed (I got here in 1997), it would be the 1986 Astros. These days, you'll see a bunch of players from that era around the game -- Charley Kerfeld, Larry Andersen, Alan Ashby, Billy Hatcher -- and I can only imagine just how much fun it was to be around that club. What a year, too: they first hosted the All-Star Game, then clinched the division on a Mike Scott no-hitter before playing some of the most exciting postseason games in team history.

The Heritage Society exhibit, located at 1100 Bagby (near the Hobby Center), offers a nice variety of artifacts to capture a half-century of baseball in Houston, highlighting every era. It'll be there until April 4, and admission is free. Here's a sneak peek:

The exhibit contains one jersey from every year of baseball in Houston.

The helmet Chris Burke wore when he hit his game-winning homer in the 18th inning of the NLDS in 2005, and the helmet Brad Ausmus wore when he set an Astros record for games caught.

Seats from the Astrodome.

This is the suit and the hat former announcer Gene Elston wore on road trips. Apparently, the entire team was required to wear matching suits, as you'll see in the next picture.

I think I'd actually pay money to see Berkman and Michael Bourn wearing the same suit, just for laughs. But what really cracks me up about this picture, more than everyone being dressed alike, is that two of the players are holding guns as props. Let's see...get off a plane, pull out your gun. Could anything sound more absurd these days?

This is a piece of the original scoreboard in the Astrodome. Apparently, the lights do indeed still blink.

This is a 1960s RCA Victor Radio that broadcasted the first game in the Astrodome on April 9, 1965. So cutting edge at the time. Nowadays, you can get any Major League game on any night by simply having the right app on your iphone. (Sigh. I still remember when "apps" meant "appetizers.")

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Thanks to all who showed up for the "Go Red" photo shoot Friday morning at Minute Maid Park. Hosted by the Astros and the American Heart Association, the event commemorated the "Go Red for Women" campaign, bringing awareness to about heart disease as the No. 1 health threat to women.

It was a fun hour, for a good cause, and we had a nice turnout. The group wore red, of course, and posed in the outfield seats. Enjoy the visuals:

Even the little ones got into the "Go Red" spirit:

While waiting for the photo shoot to begin, I noticed a bit of activity on the field. Here we have Hunter Pence running wind sprints in the outfield:

Kind of looks like Rocky Balboa here... 

Other news and notes:

Houston College Classic
For the 10th consecutive year, Minute Maid Park will host the Houston College Classic March 5-7. This year's field includes three teams ranked nationally in Baseball America's preseason poll including No. 1 Texas, No. 5 Rice and No. 11 TCU. Rounding out the field is the University of Houston, Texas Tech and Missouri.

Tickets currently are available and can be purchased at astros.com, at the Minute Maid Park Box Office, or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-877-9ASTROS.

Astroline
Guests for the next two weeks of Astroline shows are confirmed -- Chris Sampson next Wednesday (Feb. 10) and Jimmy Wynn the following week (Feb. 17). The guest for Feb. 24 is still pending. Astroline will then move to Florida for the remainder of Spring Training.

The Houston show is broadcast live from Sherlock's Baker Street Pub at 1952 West Gray St. and is open to the public. I'll be tweeting live from Astroline for the next two weeks, so when you get a free moment, please send your questions to my twitter account.

Puma, Hooton entering the Hall

Lance Berkman and Burt Hooton will be inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame on Monday in Waco.

I'll be there, tweeting live and blogging when it's over, so be sure to check early and often for up-to-the-minute play-by-play action. Puma loves it when I follow him around with a camera so this should be a ton of fun.

Astros Fanfest

Fanfest will again be held in conjunction with the exhibition games before Opening Day, April 2 and 3. A full schedule of activities will be released at a later date.

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Friday is National Wear Red Day, and the Astros are staging a photo shoot at Minute Maid Park to show their support.

The American Heart Association and the Astros are seeking at least 1,500 Houstonians (representing the number of women who die daily in America from heart disease) to pose for a photo, showing solidarity in fighting this very preventable ailment.

The instructions are simple: show up to the right field gate at Minute Maid Park on Friday (Feb. 5) at 9:30 a.m. and you'll be escorted into the ballpark. One requirement: you must wear red. The photo will be taken from the outfield seats.

See you there!

Often during a road trip during baseball season, especially as it drags into the summer months, I'll open my eyes in the morning and forget, briefly, what city I'm in.

Usually, it takes only a few seconds to look around the hotel room and remember where I am -- or, after a particularly late arrival into our third road city in 10 days, I'll simply look at address on the hotel phone for help.

(Process of elimination works, too. After all, in all likelihood, I'm in St. Louis, Pittsburgh or Cincinnati.)

Caravan season is shorter than baseball season, obviously, and only two hotels were involved over the nine-day tour last month -- two nights in Temple and two in Austin (or was it Waco?). Still, caravans, much like the regular season, test your stamina and durability, and it's great practice for what's ahead in the not-so-distant future -- lots and lots of traveling.

Covering 15 cities and hundreds of miles with 35 players and staff over a two-week stretch is no easy task, and while it takes lots of man-power to make a Major League caravan happen, lest we not forget the most important component -- wheels.

In-town caravan stops were traveled by car, but when our out-of-town markets came into play, the Astros needed a bigger and/or faster way of transporting their troops. Enter the buses, planes and, my personal favorite, the oversized tour bus that took us around Waco/Round Rock and San Antonio for three days. Think Motley Crue meets prom, minus the questionable behavior and roadies.

I posted dozens of pictures throughout our caravan travels, but I have a handful of shots that, for no particular reason, I didn't post on the blog (although a few did make it onto Twitter). Here is my final mention of the 2010 caravan, through the lens of my ever-present camera:

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Example A: Standard Bus. Destination: Temple, Texas

There's nothing terribly descript about a standard run-of-the-mill coach bus, unless you consider the fact that this was actually our second bus of the trip. Bus 1 first got stuck on the incline coming out of Minute Maid Park, and then, once rescued from that situation, broke down about 20 minutes into the three-hour trip. 

Here we have Michael Bourn (left), J.R. Towles (right) and bullpen assistant Javier Bracamonte (forefront) passing the time with idle chatter and ipod surfing.  

Example B: Tricked out Tour Bus. Destination: Waco, Round Rock, San Antonio.

I was left somewhat speechless when I hopped onto this particular vehicle. The only words I could come up with were "holy vinyl."

This awesome bus was divided into two sections, every inch taken up by beige couches. It also contained a bathroom, fridge, tables for eating, outlets for recharging and digital cable. (You haven't lived until you've watched a Presidential State of the Union address with Bagwell, Lindstrom and Norris).

The "back" of the bus, designated for sleeping (players) and editing video (me).

Here's a view of the front of the bus. This shot is pretty much a microcosm of what it's like covering baseball players. The young ones (Norris, Lindstrom) usually made some kind of gesture or pose when they saw the camera pointed in their direction. Bagwell? After more than a decade of practice, he is fantastically good at ignoring me. Or, as Puma would say, "Beat it, media."

The dining area. Only if you put anything substantial on the table, it ended up on your lap. Bit of a bumpy bus.  

Deshaies is listed at 6-foot-5, but he always seemed to be about nine feet tall to me. Fortunately, he had plenty of room to stretch out on the rockin' couches to take a nap.

Bags staked his territory pretty much from the minute he got on the bus. Contrary to what it looks like, he wasn't sleeping here. He was in mid-blink. It was right about this time that J.D. said to him, "Baggy, you look like Waylon Jennings on a tour bus." (Yes, that's me in the mirror capturing the moment on my iphone.)

Somewhat surreal moment of the day: We turned on MLB Network to pass the time, and lo and behold, they were showing Game 6 of the '86 NLCS. Watching it with someone who was actually on that team was quite entertaining. Even though he knew the outcome, J.D. still found himself yelling at the T.V. "I still can't believe we lost that game," he said.

Example C: Drayton McLane's 7-seater plane. Destination: southeast Texas.

We ended caravan season with a quick one-day trip to Corpus Christi and Victoria, which we traveled to on Drayton's plane. There's no better way to get from point A to point B if you're in a hurry (unless you're claustrophobic or prone to motion sickness.)

Here we have Jason Castro (back left), Larry Dierker (back right), Hunter Pence and assistant GM Ricky Bennett.

We have a running joke on these caravans, using the hilarious line from the movie "Dave"..."And we're walking, we're walking..." At some point, we discovered the line actually works. It's not that people aren't paying attention, but when you get players, former managers and broadcasters together, they tend to chat among themselves and lose track of time. So it's up to the support staff to make sure everyone is moving. Thanks to PR guru Sally Gunter, seen here on the left, we made it right on time to five stops in one day. "And we're walking..."

Last one...a shot from the inside of Drayton's plane. That's Castro in the back. Pence and Dierker basically rode backward, which I cannot fathom. To be honest, just looking at this picture is making me queasy.  

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The group that was given a 30-day negotiating window by Astros owner Drayton McLane to make an offer to purchase the club has not made an official offer prior to the Jan. 31 deadline, the Astros announced on Monday.  

"As I've said all along, my family and I are not actively attempting to sell the Astros," McLane said in a statement. "Over the years, I have been approached many times by groups interested in discussing the possible purchase of the team, and I've always been open to listening.

"This group was granted an exclusive negotiating window which expired yesterday (January 31), how­ever, nothing materialized. 

"For 18 years, the Astros have been and will continue to be a big part of me and my family. We consider owning the Astros a public trust and embrace the responsibility to the city of Houston.

"Moving forward, we remain as committed as ever to putting a competitive and winning team on the field and making a positive difference in our community. We are anxious to start spring training and begin the 2010 championship season on April 5 at home against the Giants."

Jason Castro reported to his first big league Spring Training camp last year relatively unnoticed, all things considered.

The club's No. 1 Draft pick in '08, Castro received the big league invite in '09 not because he had a remote chance to make the club (he didn't), but because the team told him if he handled his first professional season as well as expected, he would be welcomed to big league camp the following spring. Castro held up his end of the bargain, so the Astros held up theirs.

The stakes are different -- higher, even -- this year as Castro prepares for his second Major League Spring Training. Castro's chances to make the club when camp breaks vary, depending on who you talk to. The cautious approach, which obviously protects the player, is to say simply that Castro will have a very real chance to make the club, but it's more likely he'll start the season at Triple-A and then work his way onto the big league roster at some point in 2010.

That's all well and good and I do take that at face value, to a point. But we also see that the projected catchers this season are Humberto Quintero and J.R. Towles, and while they have value and merits in their own right, these are the same two catchers the Astros had last year when they scoured the free agent market for a stop-gap and landed on Pudge Rodriguez.

So, it's not out of the realm of possibility to speculate that the Astros might outwardly feel that Castro will ease his way into the starting job eventually, but inwardly have every finger and toe crossed that Castro might just hit well, handle the pitching staff with ease and give the Astros no choice but to start him behind the plate on Opening Day.

It'll be an interesting storyline come Feb. 20, when pitchers and catchers step onto those backfields at Osceola County Stadium for the first time (side note -- morning workouts are open to the public and free. Gates will open about five minutes after the players hit the fields for stretching, which Brad Mills says will begin at 9:30 a.m.) I've been calling Castro the "future Astro," but you have to wonder if that future just might arrive sooner than later (like, say, April 5 vs. the Giants).

Castro's clearly ready for that line of questioning. He wore a hint of a grin when asked about it before the luncheon hosted by the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks, and it's nice to see him take the speculation in stride.

"It's definitely something I've thought about, obviously," he said. "I'm very excited about it. But when I do get there and the time comes, it's about producing on the field. I'll get my work in, prepare myself to do that and hopefully I'll be ready. That's the main thing I'll have my mind on -- just playing."

In the meantime, it was nice catching up with Castro on the very last day of the nine-day, 15-city, umpteen-mile caravan jaunt that has now drawn to a close. The traveling party -- Larry Dierker, Milo Hamilton, Castro and Hunter Pence -- visited southeastern Texas, where they visited Driscoll Children's Hospital in Corpus Christi, greeted fans associated with the Double-A Hooks and mingled with kids from the Boys & Girls Club in Victoria. 

Enjoy the images, including a few from Wednesday's trip to the Center for the Intrepid at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.

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Driscoll Children's Hospital

Castro chats with Milo Hamilton during the Corpus Christi luncheon presentation.

Castro, Pence sign autographs in Corpus.

Pence took the young fans a bit off guard with his constant barrage of questions: "Did you have a good day at school today? Did you learn anything? How was recess?" This whole visit was a surprise for the kids at the Boys & Girls Club, so needless to say, most answers were in the form of wide-eyed, gaping nods.  

Most of the kids loosened up by the end of the visit, however.

One day earlier, another caravan traveling party wrapped up its three-day jaunt through Central Texas with a visit with soldiers at the Center for the Intrepid in San Antonio. Most of the patients there have lost limbs -- mostly legs. Our guys didn't know what to expect when they entered the facility, but it took no time at all before the conversations flowed freely. It was one of the few stops we made that when it was time to leave, no one wanted to.

Below: Matt Lindstrom 

Bud Norris

Lindstrom

Group shot with Bagwell

I love this one...Bagwell was asking so many questions that finally the young man just took off the prosthetic leg and handed it to him.

One last group shot before we left.

The Astros are currently in the midst of a nine-day caravan schedule that has them visiting more than a dozen cities, during which they stop by schools, sporting goods stores and other area stopping points.

No visits are more important, however, than the hospital visits, especially when children are involved.

The Astros spent about an hour and a half at the Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas on Tuesday, but everyone agreed that it probably should have lasted longer. It's heartbreaking to see what these kids are going through, but heartwarming to see their faces light up when ballplayers walk into the room. It's especially entertaining to watch a youngster as it dawns on him that yes, that was really Jeff Bagwell who shook his hand and introduced himself.  

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Other news and notes in Astroland:

Bud Norris loves the big leagues, but he still reflects fondly upon his Minor League years, especially when one certain special assistant to the general manager would roll through town for a couple of days.

"We'd see Bagwell lurking around, trying not to be noticed," Norris said. "But as soon as we saw him, we knew: We were going to get a good dinner that night."
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Speaking of Bagwell, he's ready to go under the knife for another shoulder surgery, scheduled for Monday in Scottsdale, AZ.

He's hoping to alleviate a lot of the pain that has not only returned, but appears to be getting worse.

The procedure will involve shaving the ball of his shoulder down to a perfect circle, drilling a hole in the middle and sticking a metal half-ball on top of it.

"They go into my shoulder and open it up -- it won't be arthroscopic, Bagwell said. "It's actual surgery. They'll take out all my bone spurs, there's one big one in there that we've known about for a while."

Read the full story, which includes more Bagwell insight, here.

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Park Patrol tryouts are scheduled for Feb. 5 from 4 to 7 p.m. CT and Feb. 6 from 9 a.m. to noon at Union Station. You might remember that the Park Patrol is an interactive squad that performs various home game duties, including t-shirt launches, prize giveaways and trivia contests while performing dance routines and "skits" with the Team Mascot.

Park Patrol members will perform these tasks LIVE in the stands, on ballpark concourses and will be featured on the stadium videoboard. They will also make appearances at season ticket holder events, Astros in Action Foundation events, and any approved event in connection with the Houston Astros.

To be considered for the Astros Park Patrol, please contact by phone or through e-mail to Dukeman Productions at 713-838-9855 or Kevin@dukemanproductions.com.

For more information, check out the Park Patrol page on Astros.com.

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The one thing I love about working in baseball is that not only do you meet new people all of the time, but you never know what odd and interesting stories you're going to hear from those new people you meet.

I thought I had the basics down in terms of Matt Lindstrom: Turning 30 on Feb. 11. From Rexburg, Idaho. Was drafted by the Mets. Was traded to Houston from the Marlins. Has a fastball that has been clocked at 102 mph.

But here's something I didn't know: as a youngster, he spent two years with his church on a mission to Stockholm, Sweden. He picked up the language during his time there, and as a result, he is, more or less, completely fluent in Swedish.

"I decided to go at a young age, around 12 or 13," Lindstrom said during the Astros' caravan to Central Texas. "My dad taught a group of guys who were preparing to going on their missions. I got to see them come home and how their lives changed and how they kind of matured. It was something that I wanted to do as well.

"I was supposed to go over there and teach people about the gospel and about the church, but it was probably more beneficial to myself, just learning how to deal with people and talk to people about religion and learning what their beliefs were."

Lindstrom said it took about eight or nine months until he felt like he no longer needed a translator.

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Jeff Bagwell is having shoulder surgery next Monday. This is one last step that will -- hopefully -- allow for him to live a more pain-free life than he's living now. We'll have more details about this on Tuesday, but I can tell you the procedure will take place in Phoenix and Jeff is doing this with the hopes of not having to undergo a complete shoulder replacement. He may have to take that measure someday but he's trying to avoid it as long as he can.

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At 6-foot-5, Jim Deshaies is used to standing out in a crowd, but he took it to a new level when he reported for caravan duty Monday morning wearing a shirt no one in this hemisphere -- literally -- had ever seen before.

The long-sleeve button-down contained splashes of mustard yellow, brown and white, with designs that looked sort of like leaves and maybe trees. The design was hard to pin-point, but its uniqueness made perfect sense when J.D. told us it's a gift from his daughter, Libby, who brought the shirt back from Ghana, Africa. Libby, a student at American University in Washington, spent last semester studying overseas.

J.D. and I decided if Tommy Bahama decided to open a shop in Ghana, this is what the apparel would look like.

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The Astros' caravan party to Central Texas includes Deshaies, Bagwell, Lindstrom and Bud Norris. The group visited the Veterans Hospital in Waco and Mountainview Elementary School. Tomorrow we're off to the Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, a tour of the State Capitol and the Dell Diamond for a luncheon with the club's Triple-A affiliate, the Round Rock Express. 

Enjoy the pictures from day one:

Deshaies, Bagwell, Norris, Lindstrom visit with Cecil, a lifelong Astros fan, at the Veterans Hospital in Waco.  

Norris at Veterans Hospital.

Lindstrom

Signing autographs for vets.

J.D. emceed the visit with kids from Mountainview Elementary. When it was Bagwell's turn to talk, he told the kids to put the Wii down and do their homework.  

Group shot with the kids.

Some of the luckier kids obtained autographs when the show was over.

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Some observations after Week One of caravan season...

1. I think you're going to really like Brad Mills. He smart, passionate about baseball and while he's technically a "rookie" manager, he has plenty of leadership experience, having managed 11 years in the Minor Leagues and coached 11 years in the big leagues. He spent the last six years as Terry Francona's bench coach and earned two World Series rings in the process. I believe that counts for something -- a lot, actually.

Mills feels very strongly that there is a correct way to conduct yourself when you are a Major League ballplayer. He believes in the importance of the veteran players passing along that knowledge to the young players, and he also believes in every player taking the field with absolutely no confusion about what is expected. 

I swore I wasn't going to make any sweeping proclamations about someone taking over a high position with the organization, based on some of my past observations over the last eight-plus years that I now have deemed cringe-worthy ("So-and-so's GREAT! Capable! Approachable!" Only to find out that well, no, that wasn't the case. At all.) But I spent a full week around Mills, first in Temple and then in Houston, where we had plenty of time to chat during the long drives to and from about a dozen caravan stops. And I have to say, with no hesitation, Mills clearly gets it.

I walked away from the caravan week with a strong feeling that the clubhouse culture is going to change dramatically soon after Spring Training begins. Toward the end of 2009, there was a feeling of defeat that I have never, ever seen from a Houston club, even in the down years. I don't know Mills that well yet, but I just cannot envision him putting up with any sort of defeatist attitude from the players.

Plus, he's a warm-weather kind of guy. He called Francona, who lives year-round in Boston, yesterday to let him know "It's 75 degrees here and there is not a cloud in the sky." Just wait until he manages 81 home games without a single rain delay. he'll feel like he hit the lotto.

2. Of all of the recipients of the Darryl Kile Award over the years, Brian Moehler just might fit the description better than anyone. The award goes to someone who, among other things, is a great teammate who puts the team before any personal agenda.

On our way to a caravan stop on Wednesday, Moehler brought up what a fantastic signing Brett Myers is and how much it improved the Astros chances to be competitive in 2010.

Now, Myers just might have knocked Moehler out of the starting rotation mix and bump him to the 'pen. That is of little concern to Moehler. The only thing that matters to him is winning, and Myers increases the Astros' chances to do just that. If it means taking a lesser role on the team, then, in Moehler's view, so be it.

3. Pitchers and catchers work out in less than a month. The first full-squad workout will take place a few days after that. Here's what intrigues me the most:

* Jason Castro's chances to make the team as the front-line catcher right out of the chute. I'm sensing that the club would like for it to happen, but is hesitant to put that much pressure on the kid. Someone brought up a good point -- Castro needs to concentrate on his work behind the plate, handling a pitching staff, learning opposing hitters, etc...yet, his odds to make the club will largely depend on how well he hits in March. Is that fair?

* Roy Oswalt's back: He's changed up his conditioning routine, cutting back on running and concentrating more on core-strengthening. He said he'll be ready when the bell rings, but keep in mind that for a player, that bell rings on Opening Day, not the Grapefruit League opener. So don't expect miracles on March 4.

* Who gets the Opening Day start. If Opening Day honors go to the starting pitcher who had the best year in the previous season, then Wandy Rodriguez getting the ball is a no-brainer. But I've come across a couple of people who think there's an argument to be made for Oswalt, the team's unmatched ace almost a full decade. If you were Mills, who would you appoint?

In the meantime, here are some shots from the locally-based caravan stops from the last couple of days, plus the baseball dinner...enjoy.

Craig Biggio mingles with residents of the Brookwood Community.

Bill Brown, Mills, Biggio and Moehler (hidden behind Brownie) begin the presentation at Brookwood.

Junction Jack, Moehler and Biggio play an abbreviated game of baseball at Brookwood. I think Moehler struck out Biggio here.

Then it was off to Katy Jr. High...

Later that night, at the baseball banquet...

MVP Michael Bourn, conducting his 1,000th interview of the week (or at least it seemed that way).

Bourn signed a few autographs for some young admirers.

 Rookie of the Year Jeff Fulchino and his wife, Carrie.

Darryl Kile Award recipient Moehler, and his wife, Dee.

Bourn, Wandy, Moehler, listening intently to seating instructions before heading to the main banquet room.

The next day, the caravan resumed with a trip to Methodist Hospital...

...Pearland High School..

...and a Grand Slam for Youth Baseball Little League sign-up rally.

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Meet Tyran.

This young man was one of many patients the Astros met during their visit to Scott and White Hospital during the final caravan day through Temple, Texas on Wednesday. He was timid at first, but thanks to a very congenial Michael Bourn, it took no time at all for Tyran to relax with our players and enjoy the company.

Tyran's mother sat back and marveled at how happy Tyran was with the lavish attention everyone -- Bourn, J.R. Towles, Brad Mills and bullpen assistant Javier Bracamonte -- heaped upon this young man, and it was yet another reminder how little ballplayers have to do to make someone's day and positively affect a young life.

The players carry autograph cards with them on these caravan trips and hand them out to anyone who wants one, and soon, Tyran had a stack of mementos. It was touching enough just watching the scene unfold, but it was Tyran's mother's words at the end of the visit that really moved me.

"I'm his foster parent, and we just got him," she said. "I haven't even been able to bring him home yet. I was wondering how I was going to decorate his room when it was time."

Pointing to the stack of autograph cards, she said, "Now, I know exactly how to decorate his room."

The compassion people carry with them -- they're truly angels on earth -- never ceases to amaze me. Parents come in all forms, as do those who dedicate their lives to caring for people who are dealt a terrible hand in life. The hospital workers at Scott and White who escort us through the hospital every year had a gut-wrenching hour just before we arrived -- they lost a young patient to whom they had grown incredibly attached. "We've had a terrible day," one woman said tearfully. "Please bear with us." Then she gathered herself, put on a smile, and walked us into every patient's room with the same unbridled enthusiasm.

Yes, we look at baseball players as heroes, but let's not forget the everyday folks who do absolutely extraordinary things. When you work in sports, you're reminded of this practically every day. Wednesday was one of those days.

Tyran could not take his eyes off Bourn, and I think Mike became pretty attached as well.  

 The group with more patients at Scott and White.

A difficult day for those who work at Scott and White. Yet they still made the day special for dozens.

A few patients' rooms were off limits because the kids were too sick, but others were inhabitable only if the guests wore masks and gowns. Here's Bourn getting suited up. I posted another shot on Twitter.

After the hospital visit, we had a major change of pace...lunch at the Temple Lions Club. This is always a raucous hour attended by Drayton McLane and a few dozen locals. An auctioneer raffles off a handful of Astros goodies...signed bats, balls...and a Milo bobblehead!

Then it was off to Yoe High School, the alma mater of one Drayton McLane.

After the autograph session following the assembly...it was time to head back to Houston.

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