*Good interview from Chandler Rome with James Click, who talks about improving the farm system and extending George Springer.
*Brian McTaggart sat down with Former Astros Great Chris Burke.
*Joe Smith's mom is in a nursing facility, so he won't be able to spend time with her this Mother's Day. [Ed. Note: SUNDAY IS MOTHER'S DAY]
*El Yordo gets the nod as the biggest power hitter on the Astros. Yordan and his wife also provided pizza for over 100 Houston-area police precincts and firehouses.
*Never let a chance to mention the Larry Andersen trade go by...
*Ken Rosenthal says the 2020 draft will be five rounds. Teams can sign any undrafted player beyond that for $20,000. Jake Kaplan notes that the Astros will have the 72nd overall pick, as well as the 101st, 131st, and 160th.
*ESPN's David Schoenfield picked his USA Baseball Dream Team for an unknown Summer Olympics. If you want to know where to scroll to find some Astros, he has this:
Our only rule: No Astros. Hey, chemistry is an important thing in a tournament like this and those sign-stealing wounds haven't healed yet. Can't take the risk of some bad blood if, say, Alex Bregman has to dress next to Cody Bellinger.
EXTREMELY cool.
That said, Jose Altuve's 2017 season DID make ESPN's most iconic seasons of the 21st century list, albeit with a caveat.
*Michael [squints] Brantley got the nod as the Astros' most under-rated player.
*The Athletic's Keith Law: What if the Padres had drafted Justin Verlander 1st overall in 2004
*Shoeless Joe's 1910 card sold for $492,000.
*SI: The best individual pitches in MLB.
*The KBO demoted five umpires to the minor leagues in a shocking turn of a league holding its officiating crews accountable.
*FanGraphs: Former Astros Great Asher Wojciechowski doesn't take anyone for granted.
*The Athletic: What if Chris Paul didn't tear his hamstring in Game 5?
*The Rangers aren't offering refunds for season ticket holders lol.
*A student of mine from two years ago was killed in a car wreck last weekend, and his family needs help with funeral expenses. He was a good kid who saved an elderly neighbor from a burning house. If you have any ability whatsoever (and I completely understand if you don't), please consider helping.
*Vox: The world's scariest facial recognition company, explained.
*Rolling Stone: Dropped from her label, the insanely talented Lauren Jenkins looks for a new way forward. Check her literal brand new song:
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
