Monday, June 23

HOUSTON -- With a rash of injuries so far this year, the Astros called upon a number of rookies who are getting their feet wet in the big leagues in 2025. A few took some time last week to answer some questions about their early impressions of life as a big leaguer:

What’s the best thing about life in the Majors?

RF Cam Smith: “The food is outstanding, at least at home. I can’t say away because that’s where I got food poisoning.”

RHP Ryan Gusto: “Just being with the guys. It’s a great group. The travel is really nice, even though there’s a lot of it. The hotels are great, the food’s fantastic and being able to just get in front of the atmosphere of fans here, the whole thing is just really incredible.”

IF/OF Shay Whitcomb: “Definitely the food. The Major League spreads are way better than the Minor Leagues.”

How would you describe the travel?

Whitcomb: “No more long bus rides. Being able to fly everywhere. … The Astros are fortunate to have our own plane, so it’s been a game-changer.”

Smith: “Travel is definitely leisure. It’s all relaxed. Everybody has first-class seating. They’ve got couches in there. It’s very cool.”

LHP Colton Gordon: “Everything is taken care of, in the sense of all you have to worry about is showing up every day and playing and being ready for work, which for me is baseball. They help you get the luggage to the room, everything is loaded on the plane. I bring my little carry-on bag that has my notebook and my computer in it and that’s it.”

What’s surprised you the most about life in the Majors?

Whitcomb: “Just how relaxed everyone is. I know that there’s an expectation to win every day and sometimes that can be pressing, but everybody is very much understanding of that and trusting in the work that they do and being able to still have fun.”

Gusto: “I’d say how much more there is to learn about the game. You think coming up through the whole Minor Leagues, you’re on a path and you kind of develop and conquer one thing after another, until you get to a point until you’re ready for the big leagues, or so you think. But you get up here and it’s a whole other level of everything.”

Smith: “I think the personalities. I thought everybody was really serious about it, but there’s actually a lot of personality on each and every team. You can see it.”

What’s your favorite road ballpark so far?

Gusto: “I’d say my top two, in no particular order, are Pittsburgh and St. Louis. We had a couple of really nice days when we were in St. Louis, so you had the Arch in the background and it was nice and sunny and 70 degrees, so you can’t beat that. In Pittsburgh, I loved you got the background with the bridge. The whole stadium itself is really nice.”

Whitcomb: “This one is a little biased for me because that’s where I spend my offseason, but I’m going to say San Diego. I think not only is the playing surface really good, but the background with the city line and everything. PNC [in Pittsburgh] is not bad either. I just went there for the first time and that was beautiful.”

Gordon: “Pittsburgh was beautiful. I went up to the top and the stadium, the backdrop, the weather, clubhouse -- just all around was really, really nice”

What ballpark are you looking forward to playing in the most?

Gordon: “I’m looking forward to going out west. Dodger Stadium will be pretty cool in a couple of weeks, Colorado will be cool and then the Yankees and Fenway. Super historical places and looking forward to checking them out.”

Gusto: “I hear that the Yankees' ballpark is something else. I hear it gets a lot of fans and they do a lot of things really nice. I’m expecting that’s going to be a really good one, and there’s a rivalry there, so it’s going to be a good thing to be a part of.”

Who hit the first grand slam in franchise history?

A. Don Buddin

B. Bob Aspromonte

C. Norm Larker

D. Al Spangler

The Astros will play host a week-long summer enrichment camp July 14 -18 at Daikin Park. This camp combines baseball with hands-on STEM education and is designed for young learners ages 7-12. The camp goes beyond the basics of the game to teach important lessons in teamwork, leadership and critical thinking.

Through engaging activities and guided instruction from Astros staff, participants will build confidence, communication skills and a deeper appreciation for the game of baseball. The camp also includes special tours and guest speakers, making it a fun and enriching experience for every young fan. Each child enrolled will receive a camp shirt and mementos throughout the week. The deadline to enroll is June 27.

A. Buddin hit the first grand slam in a 9-7 Colt .45’s loss to the Dodgers in Game 2 of a doubleheader on June 10, 1962, at Colt Sta­dium.

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