We're a group of friends that go to tons of Astros games over the summer, and we decided to dress up in puma suits and pay homage to our favorite player, #17, The Big Puma.
We are: The Little Pumas.

If you love Houston Astros Baseball, get some standing room only tickets and come down to Minute Maid Park to help us cheer on Lance Berkman and the Astros!

Little Puma Roster

	Name: Bubba Favorite moment in a puma suit: May 23rd, 2008 vs the Phillies - the birth of The Liittle Pumas. It was me, my brother Kevin and Nathan, the 3 originals. we had NO CLUE what to expect from the fans at Minute Maid, we had no idea if we were going to be laughed out of the ballpark or supported. The fans there embraced The Little Pumas from day 1 and the rest is history. I thought after that game, "I had so much fun tonight, there is really no other way to watch a 'Stros game", and I've been puma-ing it ever since, and I've seen The Little Pumas grow from 3 to over 20 since our first game. What will you do when Berkman retires? Stop buying standing room seats and start buying seats in the nose bleeds like I used to. How'd you get involved with the little pumas? Lance Berkman is a franchise player for the Astros and I figured he had gone on long enough without having a fan group. Then I thought of a couple nicknames that were known to him...Fat Elvis was the first thing that came to my mind but I knew he hated that name, and would probably not respond too well to a group of dudes portraying him as a fat version of Elvis, so the next thing I thought of was Big Puma. I knew this was a nickname that he liked a lot better, so I thought, "hm what could we do to show our support for the puma? I wonder if I can find some puma suits online." So after a few clicks of the mouse, a few google searches and a few guys with no shame, The Little Pumas were born.
	Name: Kevin Favorite moment in a puma suit: Celebrating a Berkman homer against the Rangers in the bottom of the 8th to put us on top. Either that, or devouring a brownie a la mode at Wings N More. What will you do when Berkman retires? I'll probably put the puma suit up on eBay and try to make a profit. How'd you get involved with the Little Pumas? My brother asked me if I wanted to start wearing puma suits to the games in honor of Berkman. He was broke as usual, so I bought half a dozen suits and now here we are.
	Name: Nate Favorite moment in a pumas suit: One game late in our first season Bubba and I got really determined to deliver some Puma Paws to Bill Brown and Jim Deshaies in the booth. We set out to get up there with no guarantees. We got into the club level surprisingly with no issues and just walked into the "Authorized Personnel Only" door like we owned the place. A few minutes later we found ourselves in the booth with Bill and Jim during the broadcast giving them paws and helping them throw peanuts and cracker jacks out to fans during the 7th inning stretch. What will you do when Berkman retires? I will continue to attend Astros games regularly and be the huge fan I have always been. How'd you get involved with the Little Pumas? Bubba called me about a month and a half into the 2008 Astros season and said Kevin had ordered some Puma suits online. He said as soon as they come in they were going to wear them to an Astros game in support of Lance Berkman. He asked me if I was down to wear a suit and I said hell yes I am, and the rest is history.
	Name: Wes the Mess Favorite moment in a puma suit: My favorite moment in the suit would have to be getting to meet lance and some of the other players on fan day in 2008. Jose Valverde upon seeing me wigged out and stole my hat to take a picture giving me his. I wanted to steal his hat too but didnt get the chance... What will you do when Berkman retires? I would still support the team in any way possible, plus im sure pence will still be around during that time or some other rising star so making another fan club would be fun to do. However until then its all about the big puma. How'd you get involved with the Little Pumas? Well during the first game of the little pumas, I happened to be watching on TV and thought.. hey those guys seem really familiar and as soon as they zoomed in on the group I instantly noticed them as Bubba, Nate and Kevin. so I decided to ask if I could suit up and here I am.
	Name: Stephen Favorite moment in a puma suit: My Favorite moment in the Puma suit would be more of a montage of moments when people curiously stare at me wondering what I am. I know all of them eventually figured it out. What will you do when Berkman retires? When Lance Berkman retires I suppose I will have to wear the suit full time in protest. I will get so stinky that I will be declared a public safety hazard and will be quarentined for the good of humanity. Berkman will feel bad and come out of retirement. How'd you get involved with the Little Pumas? Big Bubba called me one afternoon and asked if I wanted to wear a Puma outfit and cheer on The Big Puma. I am somewhat shy about wearing animal apparell but thought "What the hay". I am now a part-time worker and full-time Puma. You ruined my life Bubba. Now I can't afford my leg surgery.
	Name: Jeff Signature Trademark: Chanting just about anything you can imagine Signature Chant: Beef Fa-ji-tas, Silent Chant, and B-G-O Favorite Moment in a puma suit: Oh man, there are so many. Opening day at Colt Stadium was a good one, although those Puma Suits got real hot real quick. Back then they were all made out of wool so I'm sure you could imagine. Ryan's no-no back in 81' was real fun, but I'd have to say the best moment in a Puma Suit was Mike Scott's no hitter against the Giants to clinch the division in 86'. Us Pumas really went wild that game. What do you see yourself doing once Lance Berkman retires? Well I think the plan is to go to Disneyworld, but I'm afraid that the Animal Kingdom won't let us leave if we go back. There's not doubt in my mind that the Pumas are a shoe in for Cooperstown, so I guess it's just gonna be sit and wait till we get that call and can hang up the suits for good. How did you get involved with the Little Pumas? I'm a founding member of the O's Bros, and an honorary member of Los Caballitos, which is why you see wizard robes and a sombrero accompanying the Puma Suit on days Roy O pitches. I knew I had to join because I'm going for the world record of being apart of the most fan clubs ever!
	Name: Ernest Favorite moment in a puma suit: Getting Berkman's autograph on the LP banner during Fanfest, then afterwards he asked us to stay to take a picture with him. I was on Cloud 17 for the rest of the day! What will you do when Berkman retires? Have one last game as a Puma, then ceremonially retire the Puma suit, only to bring it out one more time for the trip to Cooperstown. Favorite Lance Berkman moment: Watching him hit his first walkoff Home Run against the Cardinals in Aug 2008. It only took him 9 years, but who's counting? How'd you get involved with the Little Pumas?Like Erin said, we kinda bought our way in to the group when we got the banner for them. But I also liked the way the pride in the team and the way they cheered for the Astros regardless of the outcome, that's something this town is lacking when it comes to sports teams.
	Name: Erin Favorite moment in a puma suit: Making the commercial for the Big Puma Bobblehead, and watching it being aired during the games. What will you do when Berkman retires? Get him to autograph my Puma hat, and frame it! (also be sad because he is the epitome of an Astro). How did you get involved with the Little Pumas? Met Bubba, Kevin and Nate one day, after seeing them at every game, and wanted to say hello. Ernest and I decided they needed a proper banner to hang on the Puma Porch. So made a design online, and gave them the banner before a game. Have been a Little Puma ever since. So really, I bought my way in!
	Name: Sherwin Favorite moment in a puma suit: I have to agree with Erin there. Making the commercial was really fun, and I was glad we got a chance to experience that. What's also cool is the great moments live on because the guys and girls are fun to watch a game with, win or lose. What will you do when Berkman retires? When Lance Berkman retires, I'll continue to support the team as I always do, but we'll really need to get another cool player for it to be worthwhile again. It'll be a sad day when he decides to hang it up. How did you get involved with the Little Pumas? I was hanging out with Jeff the Wizard, Ernest, Eric, and Erin one game, and Bubba came by and visited. I asked about the Little Pumas, and later on got a call to fill in for Kevin (I think). It was all good from then on.
	Name: Rick Favorite moment in a puma suit: My Favorite moment in the Puma Suit would be all of the times I came to the park already dressed in the Puma Suit, making my way from the parking lot to Homerun Pump. Just interacting with the fans, the Minute Maid Park staff and even the opposing team fans, is well worth the sweat, tears and many sore throats after a game. What will you do when Berkman retires? In the words of the great Jimmy Dugan, "There's no crying in baseball." And those are my sentiments about Lance's eventual retirement. I won't cry but I'll miss him and all the great things he's done for the Astros and the city of Houston. I'm sure Bubba will retire the Little Pumas, and I'm sure the Astros will retire the number 17, but I'm hoping the next great 1st baseman for the Astros gets the nickname of "Big Cougar" or "The Panther" so we (as fans) can carry on the legacy of Lance Berkman. How did you get involved with the Little Pumas? All the credit goes to Ceci. I knew Lance was known as the Big Puma but I had no idea he had a fan club. During the Rangers/Astros game Ceci kept saying she wanted to go say hi to the guys in the Puma Suits, and I quote: "Hey Rick, IwanttogosayhitotheguysinthePumaSuits...." For about 5 innings I kept yelling PUMASUIT and making fun of Ceci's buzzed accent. Fast forward a few weeks later. WNM had a corporate outing at an Astros game. After the 7th inning stretch, Ceci decided we were going take pictures with "The Guys in the Puma Suits." After a few minutes of taking pictures and BS'ing with "The Guys in the Puma Suits", we invited them over to the restaurant for beers and wings (in Puma Suits of course). During the Little Pumas visit, Ceci talked with Bubba and the rest is history.
	Name: Ceci Favorite moment in a puma suit: There are soooo many! Sometime in the 08 season, we noticed two upper deck sections of elementary school kids and decided we should go over to them and try to get them to do the Puma chant with us. Kevin and I ran to the other side of the park like champions and made it up to their section just as Berkman came up to bat. Those kids were so excited to see Little Pumas in their section we almost weren't able to escape. Getting my mom in a puma suit was pretty surreal. Also, the first three games of the 09 season with the Champion Stick, JOHNSON!, Paul Wall breaking my camera, and beef fajitas riding a trolley. What will you do when Berkman retires? Sit down for a game again...? How did you get involved with the Little Pumas? I knew from the moment I first saw The Little Pumas that they were Champions. It took a couple games before I got the courage to go over and say hi, I'm glad I did because a couple of weeks later I found myself in a Puma Suit explaining to Cubs' fans that we weren't baby bears.
	Name: Kid 1 (aka Charlie) Favorite moment in a puma suit: Every time I put that suit on is my favorite time! You never know what is going to happen to you or with you when you have it on. It's just so amazing the people you get to meet out of it, and the things that happen to you because of it! What will you do when Berkman retires? I will still be wearing my suit so I can still get the, "hey puma!" and the other little perks that come with the suit. How did you get involved with the Little Pumas? Uh, Started probably in the last month or two of last season. I was a regular and went to just about every game. So every once in a while when they had an opening with an extra suit that day I would hop in it! I started full time at the beginning of the season 09' when I finally bought my own suit!
	Name: Casey Favorite Lance Berkman moment: Bottom of the 8th inning during the 2005 NLDS Game 4, Berkman blasts a grand slam to the Crawford boxes to the put the Astros down 1! Without that we wouldn't have won! Favorite moment in a pumas suit: Every moment is my favorite.. I can tell you my least favorite though... DROPPING MY FLAIR ONTO THE FIELD! What will you do when Berkman retires? Cry for a few days, throw away all the gifts he gave me, burn all of the pictures of us...kind of like a break up. How did you get involved with the Little Pumas? I always saw the little pumas and on my birthday last year my best friend and I got the nerve to approach them for a picture. I went home and added the picture to the fan page and soon LP's were tagged in it, Kid 1 to be exact, so I pretty much started lurking/creeping on him. Messaged Bubba and got the okay to Puma.
	Name: Stephanie Favorite Lance Berkman moment: When he returned from his injury this year, that was pretty awesome. I also loved the bobblehead video from last year...does that count? What will you do when Berkman retires? I'll still be crazy at games, singing and dancing to Poison and probably anything else they play. How did you get involved with the Little Pumas? Through the wonderful Aussie that I work with!