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Astros File: Jake And G-Spring’s Excellent Adventure

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  • Updated: March 5, 2016
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THEIR STORY: A funny thing happened on their way to the ballpark Thursday, March 3: Houston Astros outfielders (and best buds) Jake Marisnick and George Springer eschewed the team bus (as manager A.J. Hinch allows some players) to trek together by car to Clearwater for the team’s first Spring Training game.

Related: Exclusive Interview with Jake Marisnick and Max Stassi

About halfway between the Astros’ Kissimmee spring home and the Phillies’ Clearwater camp lies Plant City, home to Dinosaur World, the wayward players’ destination. DW opens at 9 am daily (ET), and game time was 1 pm, so time might have been a concern, initially, but only if they had stayed for the petting zoo or the 11 o’clock pterodactyl feeding.

All they did, though, was snap this selfie (above) with a hapless, unwitting T. Rex over their shoulders, so time didn’t end up being an issue: Springer calmly smacked 2 doubles in his two at-bats in an eventual 3-2 Astros win over the Phils. He also doubled in two plate appearances Saturday, scored, and got picked off first after a walk.

Related: Astros’ Spring Training Non-Roster Invitees

“That’s the team we have,” Hinch chuckled, after viewing the selfie. “You know what it tells me. It tells me I should separate them on these trips.”

Hinting at a possible selfie assignment for the dino duo, Hinch intoned (tongue planted firmly in cheek), “We make the trip to Bradenton, and there’s an aquarium or two that we know about. There’s a few landmarks in the travels of the Grapefruit League; we could have a whole selfie series.”

The Astros’ intrepid, glove-wielding Jurassic sojourners made it to the Kissimmee home-opener Friday with little incident, as Marisnick contributed a single in a 6-3 Houston win over the Cardinals, while Springer sat out.

That’s their story, and they’re sticking to it, as if it were encased in amber.

THE ALTERNATE STORY, “Astros Meet The Flintstones”:

On their way down I-4, a horrible wrong turn not only changes the driving path of two Houston ballplayers, but alters their route in the space-time continuum.

Not only do Jake Marisrock and George Springstone land unexpectedly in the Cretaceous Period, but also into an oddly familiar, garishly colored animated world.

As luck (and the convenience of story arc) would have it, a baseball diamond had been placed directly in the middle of a meadow filled with dinosaurs. In the Spring Training camp of the Bedrock Bombers, a lone figure stood in the batting cage, blasting small, white boulders over a couple of dimwitted brachiosaurs some 500 feet away.

Free agent first baseman Fred Flintstone was taking his hacks, and Marisrock and Springstone were amazed at his brutal display of power.

Moments before, The Great Gazoo had thrust upon the unlikely pair the power to dispense contracts, and Flintstone was signed on the spot. The two outfielders set about to deliver the prehistoric prospect to their waiting manager, A.J. Hinchrock.

Related: Clearing the Astros’ 1B Logjam

As the Astros already have a good half-dozen players competing, this spring, for the starting first base job, Hinchrock just sighed and looked wearily at the wide-eyed and anxious outfield pair. “Oh great, that’s all we need! Now, I’ve got to find at-bats for this guy,” bemoaned Hinchrock.

Over a mournful muted-trumpet “Wah-Waaaah!” The Great Gazoo darted off, but only after dropping a completely unnecessary, “Way to go, dum-dums!”

That’s my story, and Gazoo made me do it.

(The Great Gazoo: “That’s right, dum-dum! I’m also the one who gave outfielder Preston Tucker his nickname, Bamm-Bamm)!”

Discover the Origin of The Great Gazoo

Brad Kyle

Brad Kyle

A native Houstonian, my intro to the Houston Astros happened at age 8, about the same time as my refusal to try out for Little League.

So, I exchanged a bat for a mic, and did radio and singing for many years, picked up a pencil for teaching, a degree for youth ministry, and along the way, picked up the fun of writing about the Astros!

Along with my full range of Astros MLB coverage, you'll notice way more than game reviews and stats 'n' facts:

Get to know the Astros' minor league teams, as well, with player profiles, interviews, MLB historical perspective, and sometimes, a little fun mixed in!

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Brad Kyle

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