Lloyd Bentsen: “I rise today to honor the Houston Astros from my district for winning the National League Central Division. Fittingly…”

“I rise today to honor the Houston Astros from my district for winning the National League Central Division. Fittingly, the division winning game came 11 years to the day after the Astros won their last division title when pitcher Mike Scott threw a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants. In winning the Central Division title, the Astros have displayed the grit and determination that are the hallmarks of Houston's brand of baseball. With all-stars such as first baseman Jeff Bagwell, second baseman Craig Biggio, pitchers Darryl Kile and Billy Wagner, the Astros have played exciting baseball, displaying their explosive offense and stellar defense throughout the season. I would also like to praise the rookie manager for the Astros, Larry Dierker. A former Astros pitcher during the 1960's and 1970's, Larry gave up his highly respected job as a color commentator for the Astros radio and television broadcasts to become the new manager of the team last October. As Houston is known as the city of champions, my bet is with the Astros to bring the World Series title home in October.”