On Thursday, the Houston Astros will begin spring training as they prepare for the first pitch of the 2008 baseball season. Pitchers and catchers report on Thursday, while next Tuesday is the date that position players report.
The top two catchers for the Astros in 2008 are expected to be J.R. Towles and Brad Ausmus. Towles joined the Astros at the end of the 2007 campaign and hit .375 in 14 games for Houston. The 38-year-old Ausmus is entering his tenth season as a member of the Astros.
Roy Oswalt headlines the pitchers this season for the Astros. Oswalt has been one …read more

On the Houston Astros official website, you can find an interesting article about J.R. Towles.
Towles has a chance be opening day starting catcher for the Astros in 2008. While Towles doesn’t have much big league experience, he did impress last season in the 14 games he played for Houston. During that time, he hit .375 and had one homerun and 12 RBIs.
The 6-foot-2 Towles will be 24-years-old on opening day. Brad Ausmus, who has spent nine of his 16 seasons as a catcher for the Astros, will also return to the team for a tenth season.