THE PUB CRAWL

Sports fans come together for inaugural ESPN 97.5 Houston Sports Pub Crawl

Sports fans come together for inaugural ESPN 97.5 Houston Sports Pub Crawl
The Be Someone shirt was all over downtown. SportsMap staff

Normally you'd be hard pressed to find a UT and an Aggie fan sharing a beer on a fall Saturday afternoon. Splitting that same table with a few hockey fans just confuses the situation even further. And yet, up and down Main Street similar scenarios played out this past Saturday at the first annual Houston Sports Pub crawl.

Sponsored by ESPN 97.5, Sportsmap 94.1, and It's A Houston Thing apparel, the pub crawl began at 3 p.m. Participants arrived in a myriad of sports jerseys and checked in at Dean's Downtown where they received a special edition pub crawl t-shirt featuring The iconic “Be Someone” graffiti bridge overhanging I-45 south, as well as a matching cup, wristband, and koozie.

Upon checking in, pub crawlers were encouraged to check out any of the 10 participating bars including El Big Bad, Molly's, and Bovine and Barley where they enjoyed $3 drink specials throughout and had the opportunity to interact with local on air talent from ESPN 97.5.

“It's a really cool concept,” said pub crawl participant Hector Alfero. “It's cool to come out and meet fellow Houston sports fans over a beer.”

The pub crawl lasted three hours even after the check in tents were taken down most participants lingered up and down mainstreet well after 6 p.m.

“Me and my buddies usually drink when we're watching sports,” Alfero continued. “It only makes sense that we would come check out a sports related pub crawl.”

Judging from the enthusiastic reception the event garnered, it seems like it's only a matter of time before sports fans will have another opportunity to meet up and drink up.

 

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Houston's pitching is leading the way. Composite Getty Image.

A month into the 2025 season, the Houston Astros have emerged as one of MLB’s most confounding teams. Their offense ranks near the bottom of nearly every key category, yet they remain competitive thanks to a pitching staff that has quietly become one of the most formidable in baseball.

Despite winning back-to-back games just once this season, Houston’s pitching has kept them afloat. The Astros boast a top-10 team ERA, rank seventh in WHIP, and sit top-eight in opponent batting average—a testament to both their rotation depth and bullpen resilience. It’s a group that has consistently given them a chance to win, even when the bats have failed to show up.

Josh Hader has been the bullpen anchor. After a rocky 2024 campaign, the closer has reinvented himself, leaning more heavily on his slider and becoming less predictable. The result has been electric: a veteran who’s adapting and thriving under pressure.

Reinforcements are also on the horizon. Kaleb Ort and Forrest Whitley are expected to bolster a bullpen that’s been great but occasionally spotty—Taylor Scott’s 5.63 ERA stands out as a weak link. Lance McCullers Jr. missed his last rehab outing due to illness but is expected back soon, possibly pairing with Ryan Gusto in a piggyback setup that could stretch games and preserve bullpen arms.

And the timing couldn’t be better, because the Astros' offense remains stuck in neutral. With an offense ranked 26th in OPS, 27th in slugging, dead last in doubles, and just 24th in runs scored, it's clear the Astros have a major issue producing consistent offense. For all their talent, they are a minus-two in run differential and have looked out of sync at the plate.

One bright spot has been rookie Cam Smith. The right fielder has displayed remarkable poise, plate discipline, and a polished approach rarely seen in rookies. It’s fair to ask why Smith, with only five Double-A games under his belt before this season, is showing more patience than veterans like Jose Altuve. Altuve, among others, has been chasing too many pitches outside the zone and hardly walking—a troubling trend across the lineup.

Before the season began, the Astros made it a point to improve their pitch selection and plate discipline. So far, that stated goal hasn’t materialized. Many of the players who are showing solid discipline—like Isaac Paredes or Christian Walker—were already doing that on other teams before joining Houston. It raises the question: are the Astros’ hitting coaches being held accountable?

The offensive woes are hard to ignore. Catcher Yainer Diaz currently owns the second-worst OPS in baseball, while Walker ranks 15th from the bottom. Even a star like Yordan Alvarez has yet to find his groove. The hope is that Diaz and Walker will follow Alvarez's lead and trend upward with time.

With so many offensive questions and few clear answers, a trade for a left-handed bat—whether in the outfield or second base—would be ideal. But with the front office laser-focused on staying below the tax threshold, don’t count on it.

For now, Houston's path forward depends on whether the bats can catch up to the arms. Until they do, the Astros will remain a team that looks good on paper but still can’t string wins together in reality.

We have so much more to get to. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!

The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!

*ChatGPT assisted.

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