As we head into the long 4th of July weekend, the "Monsters of the Midday" are outside the cage today!  Come hang out with us at Home Plate Bar and Grill on Texas Avenue from 11 AM-3 PM, right across the street from Minute Maid Park, where the Astros and L.A. Dodgers will wrap up their 4-game series with a 1:05 matinee.  Houston Chronicle Astros beat writer Brian McTaggart will stop by to take your questions on the 'Stros, and we'll head into the weekend with "Reverse Trivia" from 2-3 PM on 790 the Sports Animal.
In honor of the 4th of July, during today's show, we'll play some of the great -- and not so great -- performances of the National Anthem.  There's no question Whitney Houston hit it out of the park with her version prior to the N.Y. Giants-Buffalo Bills Super Bowl, but here's my all-time favorite -- Marvin Gaye's soulful rendition prior to the 1983 NBA All-Star Game at the Forum in Los Angeles.  If this doesn't give you goosebumps, have your pulse checked.    



Be sure to check out the 790 Message Board -- it's blowin' up, baby!  Are A-Rod and Madonna becoming an item?

The Texans beefed up their improving defense with the recent signing of free agent outside linebacker Rosevelt Colvin.  For details on Colvin's deal with the Texans, check out Mike Reiss' piece on him in the Boston Globe.



The 6-foot, 3-inch, 250-pound Colvin played in 11 games, starting ten for the AFC champion New England Patriots last season.  He finished the season with 28 tackles, a pair of forced fumbles and fumble recoveries, four sacks, and his first interception since the 2001 season.
Colvin was originally drafted in the fourth round (111th overall pick) in the 1999 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.  During his first four seasons with the Bears, Colvin played in 56 games and started 36 games at defensive end in Chicago's 4-3 defense.
Colvin led the Bears in sacks during the 2001 and 2002 seasons with 10.5 sacks each year.  In 2001, he spearheaded a defense that led the league by yielding a mere 12.7 points per game on the Bears' way to a 13-3 record and the AFC Central division title.
Colvin, a native of Indianapolis, signed with New England in 2003 and was moved to outside linebacker in the Patriots' 3-4 scheme.  During his time in New England, Colvin appeared in 61 games, starting 39, and helped the Patriots win back-to-back Super Bowls in 2003 and '04.
While with New England, Colvin led the team in sacks in 2006 with 8 1/2, and 2005 with seven.  The Patriots finished ranked as a top ten defense in four of his five seasons with the team, and made the playoffs all five years, advancing to the Super Bowl three times.
During his nine-year career, Colvin has appeared in 117 games, starting 75.  He's recorded 414 career tackles and 52.5 career sacks.  He's also forced 13 fumbles and recovered nine.

Following are free agents the Texans have signed from other teams (6):

LB Kevin Bentley (6-0, 238)  Last team: Seattle Seahawks
RB Chris Brown (6-3, 220)  Last team: Tennessee Titans
Rosevelt Colvin (6-3, 250)  Last team: New England Patriots
S Nick Ferguson (5-11, 201)  Last team: Denver Broncos
CB Jacques Reeves (5-11, 188)  Last team: Dallas Cowboys
LB Chaun Thompson (6-2, 255)  Last team: Cleveland Browns

Following is the player the Texans have acquired via trade (1):

C Chris Myers (6-4, 300)  Last team: Denver Broncos

A check of this morning's NL Central standings shows the Chicago Cubs atop the division, thanks in part to a favorable early-season schedule.  A 26-8 home record at Wrigley Field helped the Cubs hit the month of June with the best record in Major League Baseball for the first time since 1908 -- the last time the Cubs went on to win the World Series.
So, a century later, we ask the question: Is this year's Cubs team for real?  It's been a popular thread on our 790 Message Board... check it out and sound off.  It's blowin' up, baby!  I'm still sticking with my pre-season prediction -- Cubs skipper Lou Piniella will guide his crew to the 2008 NL Central division title.
What Cubs mention on the blog would be complete without a visit from Harry Caray?



Click this link to hear some hilarious outtakes from the longtime Voice of the Cubs.

Did you catch this under-the-radar move the N.Y. Yankees made over the weekend?



Former Astros standout Morgan Ensberg -- who finished 4th in the NL MVP balloting less than three years ago -- is running out of opportunities to prove he can be a regular contributor at the Major League level.

Remember this guy, Astros fans?



In case you've forgotten (and you probably have), that's Jason Hirsh -- drafted by the Astros in the second round of the 2003 June first-year player draft, then dealt to the Colorado Rockies (along with a speedy young CF named Willy Taveras) in the absolutely brutal, infamous Jason Jennings Trade.  This is a crucial week in the future of the Astros, as teams across MLB re-stock their minor league rosters through the June amateur draft.  It's imperative the Astros draft, sign, and develop several quality starting pitchers as soon as possible, and they should use their first pick on a college starting pitcher who can contribute at the big league level as early as 2009.

Let's face it -- this two-step Astros blueprint for 2008 isn't cutting it:

1. Roll out a starting rotation of Roy Oswalt, Brandon Backe, Wandy Rodriguez, Shawn Chacon, and Chris Sampson.
2. Hope and pray each guy has the best season of his career.

So are there reinforcements on the horizon?  Check out Baseball America's rankings of the Top 200 MLB Draft Prospects.  And who might the Astros select in the first round?  Take a look at Baseball America's mock draft.  The Astros own the 10th overall pick, by the way... there's a lot of pressure on the scouting department to not screw this one up.