Coach Leonard Toups at Aldine. Via VYPE
Originally appeared on VYPE
Entering his third season on the north side, Leonard Toups is getting the special opportunity to coach at his alma mater in his first head-coaching job.
"I love that I can still be a part of the game," Toups said. "Is there really a better job than that? I get paid to teach the game of baseball and have fun every single day."
After playing at Aldine High School, Toups played junior college baseball at UT-Brownsville. He then played Division I baseball at Texas Southern and was a part of the 2008 SWAC Championship team.
Heading into this year, Toups said the first goal of the season is to win a district championship. What's even cooler for Toups is that he is getting to coach his son Johnny.
"Honestly, it's a lot of fun. I can assure you that he gets no special treatment. I am demanding of all of my athletes and hold them all to the same standard. He knows that I'm coach Toups on the baseball field between the lines and dad outside of them."
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Astros stumble again as Braves complete gut-wrenching series sweep
Apr 17, 2024, 4:51 pm
Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander will make his season debut Friday night at the Washington Nationals.
Houston manager Joe Espada made the announcement Wednesday.
“Getting him back is huge because it brings a level of confidence to our team, a boost of confidence that we’re going to get someone who’s been an MVP, a Cy Young (winner) on the mound,” Espada said. “It's (good) for the morale and to get stuff started and moving in the right direction.”
The three-time Cy Young Award winner opened the season on the injured list with inflammation in his right shoulder. He made two rehabilitation starts, the first for Triple-A Sugar Land on April 7 before Saturday’s start for Double-A Corpus Christi.
Espada wouldn't say how many pitches the 41-year-old would be limited to but said they'll keep an eye on his workload.
“We've got to be careful how hard we push him early,” Espada said. “I know he’s going to want to go and stay out there and give us an opportunity to win, but we've got to be cautious of how hard we push him early in the season.”
Verlander wasn’t thrilled with the results in his rehabilitation starts, but he said Monday that those games were valuable in getting him prepared to come off the IL.
He allowed seven hits and six runs — five earned — in four innings against Frisco on Saturday. He struck out three, walked one and threw 51 of 77 pitches for strikes.
Verlander allowed six earned runs and struck out six while pitching into the fourth inning for Sugar Land on April 7.
The Astros have gotten off to a tough start with Verlander and fellow starters Framber Valdez and José Urquidy on the injured list. They enter Wednesday's games last in the AL West with a 6-13 record.
Espada hopes Verlander can be the boost the team needs to get on track.
“It’s good to get him back in the rotation,” Espada said. “With what he means to this club just to get him back on track, getting some innings from him (to) build our rotation with the pieces that we need to move forward is exciting.”