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HOUSTON -- Reid Ryan choked back tears as he was introduced as president of his beloved Astros, the team he grew up watching in the days when his Hall of Fame father, Nolan Ryan, starred as a pitcher for Houston. "My ties with the Astros go all the way back to 1980 when my dad came over," Reid Ryan said. "Today really is a dream come true because you grow up an Astros fan if youre in Houston. Everybodys got their hometown team, and the Astros were mine. This is just a very special day." Astros owner Jim Crane certainly appreciates having the Ryan name associated with his team again, but was quick to point out that Reid Ryan is much more than simply the son of a famous ball player. "Its great to have your kid in the business, but now he can prove himself as Reid Ryan," Crane said. "His dads is a famed player, a very, very famous guy, but Reids the kind of guy that stands on his own, and I think youll see him stand alone in this position and do a great job." Since 1998, Ryan, the eldest son of Nolan Ryan, has been the CEO of Ryan-Sanders Baseball, which owns the Triple-A Round Rock Express and Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks. The 41-year-old Reid Ryan helped create the Express, an affiliate of the Texas Rangers and the Hooks, an Astros affiliate. Don Sanders, who co-owns Ryan-Sanders Baseball with Nolan Ryan, raved about Reid Ryan. He pointed out the work he did in luring fans to see his teams, which have often been ranked at the top of the minor leagues in attendance. Reid Ryan also came up with the idea for the Rangers to play two exhibition games at the Alamodome in San Antonio in March that drew more than 75,000 fans. "If I were going to buy a baseball team and I could have anybody in the country to run it, hed be the guy," Sanders said. "Hes just awfully good. I dont know that in this arena that anybody is any better." Reid Ryan takes over a job where he will be tasked with helping increase attendance and win back disillusioned fans to a team that has finished with 100 losses in each of the last two seasons and has the worst record in the majors again this year. He acknowledged that Houstons problems are complex and that theres no way he could know how he will work to get things back on track on his first day. But he did share a couple of keys that he will focus on. "We have to put the fans first in everything we do and then weve got make sure were taking care of the players, because its all about the players," Reid Ryan said. "If you dont have the players, youre really not going to have anything." While the team has been baseballs worst for the last couple years, Reid Ryan has been impressed with how the infusion of quality prospects from Houstons many recent trades has improved the organizations farm system. "We had a stretch where we finished last five years in a row in Corpus Christi, and it was tough and we didnt have a lot of prospects," Reid Ryan said. "Then (general manager) Jeff (Luhnow) started making some of the hard decisions he made ... now theres a lot of talent, a lot more than Ive seen in my time with the Astros." His father played for the Astros from 1980-88 and spent four years beginning in 2004 as a special assistant to the general manager in Houston before joining the front office of the Texas Rangers. His famous dad and former Astros great Craig Biggio were on hand Friday for the announcement. Though Nolan Ryan now works for Houstons in-state rival about 200 miles up the road, he still has a keen interest in the team he once played for. "He grew up an Astros fan. Im still an Astros fan. I follow them on a day-to-day basis," Nolan Ryan said. "Im very connected to the team and very connected to what goes on here in Houston with the baseball climate. So thats a part of us and will always be a part of us." Nolan Ryan said he hasnt shared any advice with his son about his new job, but he is very excited to see his son working for his former team. "Youre very proud when you see one of your children get an opportunity of this nature," Nolan Ryan said. "Im very proud of the fact that our kids grew up in baseball and have a relationship with baseball and enjoy it and want to be associated with it. So that makes you feel good." The younger Ryan takes over the position that was left vacant when George Postolos resigned on Monday. Also on Friday, Crane announced that he had agreed to a letter of intent to buy the Hooks. The sale is pending MLB and Ryan-Sanders shareholders approval. The Astros plan to assume control of operations of the Hooks at the end of the 2013 season. Javier Hernandez Mexico Jersey .35 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. 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Any real chance at payback wont come until the playoff. Still, Pittsburgh knows its taut 3-2 win over the Bruins on Wednesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward Brandon Sutter said. IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Brady Ellingson hopes this early scoring outburst cements his role as Iowas sharpshooter off bench.Ellingson scored 21 of his career-high 23 points in the first half, Cordell Pemsl added 18 points and nine rebounds and Iowa breezed to a 116-84 win over Savannah State on Sunday.The Hawkeyes (2-0) made a school-record 18 3-pointers and led by at least 20 points the entire second half. Iowas 116 points are the most in Fran McCafferys six seasons as coach and tied for the seventh most in program history.Ellingson hit 4 of 6 3-pointers -- a much-needed confidence boost after a rough start to his college career. The sophomore guard battled a foot injury during a redshirt season two years ago and was in and out of the rotation last season because of inconsistent play.(My confidence) was really high, Ellingson said. I was really open, so I got to set my feet.Troyce Manassa had 14 points and 11 rebounds for Savannah State (0-2), which committed 20 turnovers.Tyler Cook scored 14 points and Peter Jok had 13 for the Hawkeyes. Nicholas Baer added nine points and a career-best six assists. Iowas bench scored 76 points -- led by Ellingson.The Hawkeyes were out-rebounded in the first half, but came back to edge the Tigers 52-40 on the boards.Iowa has won 39 of its last 40 non-conference home games.BIG PICTUREIowa: Pemsl wasnt the most prolific recruit in McCafferys freshman class, but hes clearly going to be a factor off the bench for Iowa. At 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, Pemsl is strong, but he has a greaat handle around the rim.dddddddddddd Pemsl made all seven of his field goal tries and converted four and-one opportunities.Hes just a really skilled big man, McCaffery said. He has an innate ability to make a decision in traffic.Savannah State: The Tigers have allowed 113 and 116 points in their first two games. They mixed up man and zone defenses against Iowa -- neither were very effective. Savannah State had the best scoring defense in the MEAC last season, but it lost four starters from that team.STAR WATCHJok never got into a shooting rhythm against the Tigers, finishing 5 of 15 from the floor. The senior made only one of his first six shot attempts.This was two days after Jok scored 27 points against Kennesaw State -- the most by a Hawkeye in a season opener since Adam Haulskas 29 against The Citadel in 2006. Joks 27 points was also the most by a Big Ten player among Fridays games.HE SAID ITWe would have preferred a little more of a mixture of penetration, but we have good 3-point shooters, McCaffery said. And we were open.The Hawkeyes attempted a school-record 43 3-pointers. Iowa made just 7 of 22 3s in Fridays opener.UP NEXTIowa faces its first real challenge of the season on Thursday against Seton Hall (2-0) as part of the Big Ten- Big East series.Savannah State plays Middle Georgia State in its home opener on Thursday before another tough test at Memphis next weekend. ' ' '