HOFFMAN'S 10 QUESTIONS

Houston Astros speedster Tony Kemp answers 10 quick questions

Houston Astros speedster Tony Kemp answers 10 quick questions
Kemp reveals the best clubhouse food and his favorite drive-thru. Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

This article originally appeared on CultureMap.

The 4th Annual George Springer All-Star Bowling Benefit drew 450 Astros fans and supporters of Camp SAY: A Summer Camp for Young People Who Stutter, who chipped in $200,000-plus — that’s more than double last year’s haul, and a record for the charity.

It was a pretty good day for Springer all around. Not only did his charity enjoy a mega-successful event, but the Astros finished a sweep of the Chicago White Sox, and he was named to the American League All-Star Team.

The fundraiser was held at Bowlmor Lanes. Celebrities, teammates, and athletes from other sports had Springer’s back. Some were good bowlers, some should never be allowed to rent shoes again. 

Among the local media superstars: Channel 11 weather wonder Chita Craft (her 15-month-old son’s favorite word is “bubbles”), Houston Live host Courtney Zavala, Great Day Houston host and songbird Deborah Duncan, debonair radio ace Michael Garfield, Channel 13 sports anchor (and my former radio co-host) David Nuno, KHOU news anchor Ron Trevino, and Houston Chronicle society reporter Amber Elliott.

Athletic supporters: Texans linebacker Whitney Mercilus, Texans alum Chester Pitts, and new Rocket Michael Kidd-Gilchrist — who played his high school ball in America’s garden spot, Elizabeth, N.J. Astros teammates: pitchers Brad Peacock, Lance McCullers, Tony Sipp, and outfield speedster Tony Kemp.

As long as you and I are here, put it there (thanks, Paul) … 10 Questions, Tony Kemp.

Ken Hoffman: When was the first time somebody asked for your autograph?

Tony Kemp: It was my second year in college [Vanderbilt]. It caught me by surprise. I wound up printing my name: "Tony Kemp." 

Read more at CultureMap.

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM
The Guardians beat the Astros, 4-2. Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images.

José Ramírez homered for a third straight game, Angel Martínez also went deep and the Cleveland Guardians got a 4-2 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday night to complete a three-game sweep.

It’s the first time the Guardians, who entered the series on a 10-game skid, have won three in a row since a four-game winning streak from May 21-24.

Slade Cecconi (4-4) allowed five hits and two runs with a career-best nine strikeouts in 7-plus innings for the win. Paul Sewald pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save.

Martínez homered for a second straight at-bat with his shot to the Crawford Boxes with one out in the first inning. His grand slam with two outs in the 10th inning Tuesday night lifted Cleveland to a 10-6 win.

Four pitches after Martinez’s homer Wednesday, Ramírez also connected off Brandon Walter (1-2) to make it 2-0. Walter settled in after that, retiring the next 17 batters, with seven strikeouts before Bennett Sousa took over to start the seventh.

Ramírez and Carlos Santana hit consecutive singles with no outs in the inning before David Fry walked to load the bases. Johnathan Rodríguez then singled to score two and extend the lead to 4-0.

The Astros had managed just four singles when Taylor Trammell walked with no outs in the eighth and scored on a double by Mauricio Dubón that cut the lead to 4-1. There were two outs in the inning when Jose Altuve’s RBI double made it 4-2.

The AL West-leading Astros went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position to cap this disappointing series which came after they swept the Dodgers in Los Angeles over the weekend.

Key moment

Martínez and Ramírez had back-to-back homers in the first.

Key stat

Ramírez, who dropped out of next week’s All-Star game Wednesday to rehab a nagging Achilles injury, has four homers and seven RBIs this month.

Up next

LHP Logan Allen (5-7, 4.07 ERA) will start for Cleveland in the opener of a four-game series against the Chicago White Sox Thursday night. The Astros are off Thursday and haven’t announced their rotation for their weekend series against the Rangers.

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome