What Penetrates the Fog

Sorry to say it, Astros fans, but I’ve been away from the game for the entirety of the Padres series. Vacation/work/why do you care?  Yet some facts about this team have managed to penetrate my MLB fog.  I’m writing today with a stranger’s perspective:

1 – Astros are in last place.  Yikes, still haven’t won a single series.

2 – However, Astros are in first place in taking out middle infielders at second base.  Does this implicate some fire in the ‘Stros clubhouse?

3 – Wandy, Wandy, Wandy.  Even strangers are crying about your 7.31 ERA.

4 – Brett Myers.  Even strangers are impressed that the Astros have a solid starting pitcher in the rotation.

5 – Strangers have noticed that Lance Berkman is on fire!!!!  Oh, wait, he’s a Cardinal.

6 – Strangers have noticed that Hunter Pence is not on fire.

5 – Strangers conclude that the Astros are back to being the disastros, which is a lot better than being “the good guys.”

New York City, here they come!

Phillies – dang.

Some small thoughts from this losing series…

1- Well, we were swept in the opening series last year.  As everyone knows, this is a (only) second half team.

2 – Wandy:  He should have been the opening day starter.  Yes, I know his Spring Training performance was horrible and that most people feel he underperformed last year, but with Roy gone, Wandy should be the number one.   Then, Mills has him pitch to Towles?!  Why does Wandy have to pitch to Towles?

3 – Angel Sanchez.  I’ve always liked him, even though the conventional wisdom (according to Alyson Footer and then Brian McTaggart and anyone else who answers Astros Mailbag) has been that he’s not a good enough major league hitter.  Phooey!  I’m glad he’s in uniform and I’m not missing Clint Barmes.

4 – Jason Michaels:  I’m glad to see Jason Michaels!  Even when he’s letting balls hit off his glove in left field I’m glad to see good old Mr. Clutch,  Jason Michaels.

5 –  Roy Oswalt:  Still weird that he’s a Phillie.  Not weird that he went inside on Carlos on Sunday, following Hunter’s home run.

Is anyone going to Fanfest?

If You Ever Go To AT&T Park…

Bundle up!!

Here’s what I wore to the Friday night game.  Yes, Friday, May 14th, that game:

undershirt, long sleeve shirt, turtleneck, Astros windbreaker, wool scarf, cotton gloves.

And I was freezing!!!!!!

The Astros bats weren’t too hot, either.  Ouch, swept in the frigid series by the bay.

What can I say?  Beat L.A.?

Chris Carpenter is a Big, Coddled Baby

In the third inning of today’s game, Chris Carpenter had to be starting something with Carlos Lee.  Why?  Because he’s a big baby.  Because he has a Cy Young and pitches for the Cardinals and therefore gets coddled, his extreme need to be a jerk categorized as “competitiveness” or “fire.”

On the field today benches cleared (slowly), but after the game, Carlos Lee was left all alone by his teammates and manager.

Post game, why didn’t Berkman say something to defend Carlos?  Why didn’t Mills?

He’s having a down year for sure, but Carlos Lee has been the most consistent hitter on this team since we acquired him.  On top of that, he has never said a bad word about management, teammates, or opponents in all that time.

Now Carpenter wants to be starting something and nobody comes to Carlos’s defense?!

Tony La Russa knew what to do.  He defended his pitcher and threw more dirt at Carlos.

Our manager should do the same.

Newsflash

We’re playing the Reds and we’re not winning anymore.

At least we have JD and Brownie?

At most we have JD and Brownie?

We win again?!

I’m willing to give all the credit to the one-two punch of…

(get ready because I’m not being sarcastic)

Matt Lindstrom and Jason Michaels.

Tell me I’m wrong, people.

Astros win! Astros win again!!

1983

In 1983…

Cabbage Patch Kids were invented.

Hurricane Alicia hit the Texas gulf coast.

The Baltimore Orioles won the World Series (and haven’t done it since).

Terms of Endearment won Best Picture.

A congressional sex-scandal broke in Washington.

Thriller was number one.

The Astros started the season 0-9, but finished with 85 wins.

Good News

Y’all, I am tired this week.

Way more tired than the Astros, ahem, and I did my job!

Then today I read good news!

Oh, no, don’t get too excited.  As I post this, we are still losing to the Phillies.

I’m not talking about good results, people.  I said good news.

Bagwell will be joining Brownie and Deshaies on FSN on Saturdays?!

Good news!

Now if we could only get him into the dugout.  I’ve said it before: Bagwell for team manager!

Catcher Position Settled, For Now

Today J.R. Towles outlasted Jason Castro, earning the starting catcher job out of Spring training for the second time in three seasons.

And I thought my Towles autographed hat was going to go the way of my autographed Billy Spiers photo and the minor league ball that Chamo signed for me in the rain.

Whatevs!  Towles is here, probably not to stay, but for the time being.

Astros Spring Training: Who’s Hot, Who’s Not

The Astros are 10-7 this Spring, and everyone knows Hunter has been smacking the you-know-what out of the ball, and Towles has been crazy!  Reading the press and blogs, plus getting a chance to see our b-listers take BP off of Papelbon today, got me all giddy with dreams of a 100 win season.  Plus, Matsui hit one out again?

I was all set to post about free agency and its possible positive impact on our club’s 2010 season.  (Matsui and Myers came to mind first. Then I found that Kaz is hitting only .242 in 33 ABS and Myers has an ERA of 6.43 in 14 IP.)

So I decided that instead I would post who appears to be doing well, and who doesn’t.

Hot:

Hunter Pence, with an amazing .467 avg in 30 ABS, has 3 HR and team-leading 14 RBIs

Chris Johnson, .314 in 35 ABs, 3 HR, 11 RBIs

J.R. Towles, hitting .478 in 23 ABs, 2 RBIs

Pedro Feliz, .400 in 30 ABs, 3RBIs

Edwin Maysonet, .409 in 20ABs, 3RBIs

Geoff Blum, .344 in 32 ABs, 5 RBIs

Carlos Lee, .308 in 26 ABs, 1 HR, 6 RBIs

Roy Oswalt, 0.00 ERA in 6 innings, 4 BB, 3 K

Chris Sampson, 3.38 ERA in 8 IP, 0 BB, 5 K

Samuel Gervacio, 1.29 ERA in 7 IP, 2 BB, 8 K

Not:

Humberto Quintero, .222 in 27 ABs, 2 RBIs

Jeff Keppinger, .238 in 21 ABS, 2 RBIs

Michael Bourn, .209 in 29 ABS, 3 RBIs

Bud Norris, 10.8 ERA in 6.2 IP, 4 HR, 6 BB, 5 K

Wandy Rodriguez, 9.0 ERA in 9 IP, 4 HR, 3 BB, 9 K

Wesley Wright, 8.53 ERA in 6.1 IP, 2 HR, 3 BB, 5 K

Tim Byrdak, 9.00 ERA in 5 IP, 1 HR, 3 BB, 2 K

On the whole, these stats are uplifting me, but not much.  We need Wandy to do well this year, 15 wins well.  And Norris needs to come through, too.  Michael Bourn has to hit better than that.  Feliz, Maysonet, and Sampson are good to see in the “hot” category.

Based on these numbers, I’m mildly optimistic, and willing to up my win prediction from 72 to 75.

What say you, Astros fans?  Will we hit .500 with this team?  Make your fearless predictions here.