For anyone who has lived in the Houston area for more than a couple of years, Larry Dierker is an icon.  He is one of the most famous Houston Astros players and is beloved by this city.  His CBL message - “Baseball and Life” - will be both motivational and humorous.
 
Larry started his career in the Major League on his 18^th birthday on September 22^nd 1964 and proceeded to strike out Willie Mays in the first inning!  He was the Astros first 20 game winner in 1969, threw a no-hitter vs. the Expos in 1976 and was a National League All-Star in 1969 and 1971.  His number 49 uniform was retired by the Astros in 2002.  For 11 years, Larry wrote a weekly column during the season for the Houston Chronicle.
 
After his playing days, he enjoyed more baseball successes.  He managed the Astros for five years and won the NL Central Division four times.  He was named NL Manager of the Year in 1998. Larry owns the best managing record in Astros history!  He also served for 18 years as a principal analyst on radio and television.
 
Larry produced and recorded a three minute vignette “The Baseball Library,” which played for five years on the Astros radio network pre-game show (approximately 500 separate shows).  He was elected to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2000 and was named one of 38 Houston sports legends at the Super Bowl Gala in 2004.
 
His first book - This Ain’t Brain Surgery - was published in 2003 and he published his second book - My Team - in July, 2006.
 
Larry attends Foundry United Methodist Church, which is the driving force behind one of Larry’s passions: Cy-Hope, a charitable organization formed to help at-risk kids in Cy-Fair.  Larry is the President of the Board of Cy-Hope.  They have implemented school lunch, backpack, tutoring, mentoring and after-school programs. 
 
Cy-Hope also started a baseball ministry which is called Dierker's Champs. Last spring they fielded 13 teams (ages 4 - 14) in the Cy-Fair Sports Association's baseball league.  Their emphasis is twofold.  First, to get the kids the best coaching possible and second, that the coaches teach more than just baseball. Larry anticipates that Dierker's Champs will field 20-25 teams next spring.  
 
Larry and his wife Judy have two daughters (Ashley and Julia) and a son (Ryan).