BP Times Three!

(Photo courtesy of Houston Chronicle)

One of the often used phrases in sport as in life is the one about, 'If you want to be successful then surround yourself with good people'. This was certainly the case yesterday in Jupiter, Florida.

No less an ex-Cowboys/Giants coach Bill Parcells was in Jupiter, Fla. catching some Astros baseball as Houston was preparing for an exhibition matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals. Once upon a time I recall that coach Parcells liked hanging out and was pretty tight with Tony LaRussa and Buck Showalter from his Yankees days.

"This here was my favorite sport. I love baseball, I love it to this day, I watch all the time," Parcells said. "And I know just enough to be dangerous."

Bill Parcells was talking about having met Bo Porter a few years back when Porter was a coach with the Marlins. To have a coach of that caliber hanging out during batting practice certainly did not go unnoticed by the Astros GM .

"It's great that Bo has contacts like that," general manager Jeff Luhnow said. "I think any time you can learn from somebody who's had that kind of success, even if it's in another sport, and has been that inspirational and that successful, that it can only help."

Bill and Bo had spoken about a month ago when Porter first arrived in Florida, prompting Parcells to impart some coaching advice and how to handle it.

"I know he wants it bad," Parcells said. "That inspires me to give him everything I've got."

With the Astros making the move to the American League West and having had a 107 loss season in 2012 one has to wonder if perhaps the two time Super Bowl champion felt the same stress back in 1983?

"My first year, I almost got fired," Parcells said. "Sometimes the situation won't let you win. …If you start to make progress, you start to get some credibility and things can move forward and the organization gets confident in you and the direction you're trying to take the team."

Well so much for getting an assist on experience. It was not the smoothest of days for the Astros as they were batted around by the Cards 10-2. The first ever meeting for these two teams with Housto now representing the American League.

Philip Humber with a solid ining of work while Sam Demel had his issues in the third inning.

Split squad action action continues for the Astros as they now continue to determine a starting staff that should in all probability build around a trip of Bud Norris, Philip Humber (also a Rice prodigy) and one time Rangers nemesis and ex Mariner and Oriole Erik Bedard. I hope he makes it!

Bo Porter...Bill Parcells...and Batting Practice before and during the game. That's three BP's in one instance.

Over and out in Big D.

Mr. Will