THE PITCH COUNT: ASTROS -- HELLO LARRY AND THE THREE B'S

          Today, THE DAILY continues our exclusive MLB team     profiles with a look at the Astros.  On deck: The Tigers
  
     
TEAM:
    
Houston       Astros
  
  
     
'97       SLOGAN:
    
"Houston's       Brand of Baseball"
  
  
     
PLAYERS       FEATURED:
    
Larry       Dierker, Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Derek Bell, Billy Wagner, Shane Reynolds,
  
  
     
PAYROLL:
    
$32,935,000       (20 of 28)
  
  
     
SEASON-TICKET       BASE:
    
10,000       (includes full-season equivalents)
  
  
     
SELECT       KEY SPONSORS:
    
A-B,       Coca-Cola, Enron, Contintental Airlines, Methodist Hospital, Exxon
  
  
     
OUTFIELD       WALL ADS:
    
A-B,       Fox Sports Southwest, Methodist Hospital, Isle of Capri Casino, Houston       Chronicle, Randalls, Continental Airlines, Texas Lottery, Compaq, Office       Depot, Coca-Cola, Southwestern Bell, Armitron, Oshman's
  
  
     
VIRTUAL       ADVERTISING:
    
None
  
  
     
WEB       SITE:
    
www.astros.com
  
  
     
SITE       DESIGNER:
    
Houston-based       Twin Spin Design
  
  
     
WEB       SITE ADVERTISING:
    
Handled       by Twin Spin Design
  
  
     
BROADCAST       TV:
    
KXTH
  
  
     
GAMES/YEAR       IN DEAL/$:
    
64/10th       of 10/$5M
  
  
     
SALES       RESPONSIBILITY:
    
Station
  
  
     
CABLE       TV:
    
Fox       Sports Southwest
  
  
     
GAMES/YEAR       IN DEAL/$:
    
60/12th       of 15/$4M
  
  
     
SALES       RESPONSIBILITY:
    
Station
  
  
     
RADIO:
    
KILT-AM
  
  
     
GAMES/YEAR/$:
    
162/2nd       of 3/na
  
  
     
SALES       RESPONSIBILITY:
    
Team
  
  
     
SPANISH       RADIO:
    
KXYZ-AM
  
  
     
GAMES/YEAR/$:
    
162/na/na
  
  
     
SALES       RESPONSIBILITY:
    
Team       and Station
  
          NOTES: Team payroll comes from USA TODAY figures.     Length of deal and rights fee for TV and radio packages come     from Broadcasting & Cable, 3/31 issue.