One Game Under

Here we are again. One game from returning to .500. Not since being 1-1 on April 7th, have the Astros been winners, err… I mean, non-losers. Actually, with an extra game to be finished up, the Stros have a chance to be winners tonight for the first time all season. First, the Astros and Nationals will pick up where they left off, albeit 1,500 miles southwest. With an extra-inning win to start the night off, the Astros can either go on to be winners, or quickly follow a step forward with another step back.

During Spring training, my brother and I talked about how we thought the season would play out. I predicted that it would look pretty ugly throughout, but that somehow the old never-say-die attitude would land the team at (an over-performing) 80-82 – with scattered winning streaks to justify management’s claims that we’re still in it. My brother predicted that through the course of the season, the Stros would have great runs to get them to 2 games below .500, slipping back down each time. It appears he was one game off. Here we are again with a third chance in a week. Each time they approach the plateau, they roll back down like a car in neutral that couldn’t build up quite enough momentum along the way.

Who’s gonna stumble this time? In San Francisco, the offense was characteristically baffled by their first view of a rookie, Ryan Sadowski (who?), and against Pittsburgh, the defense faltered. Odds are, this time it’s the pitching. Lately you have no idea what’s gonna happen with Russ Ortiz, so it’s anyone’s guess. Hopefully, though, Lance and Hunter finally teach the rest of the boys that in Texas we take two steps forward before taking another step back.

Drayton’s Business

There’s an amusing article in the Houston Chronicle about Drayton McLane encouraging Houston business leaders to become visionaries.  The funny part is the description of McLane’s business:

“McLane is the chairman of the McLane Group, a company that makes root beer, tracks down hard-to-find foods like Abba-Zaba taffy peanut butter bars and provides military services.”

Tracking down candy can be something you do? I just spent thirty seconds on Google and I found some Abba Zaba bars.  It’s not exactly like tracking the abominable snowman.

I just hope he doesn’t micromanage the military services the way he does the Astros.

Lastly, I recommend that you read this official description of one of the McLane Group companies.  Business majors, explain yourselves.

Drew Sutton is the Reds’ PTBNL

You’ve got to be kidding me. Drew Sutton is the player-to-be-named-later. Man, all this time I was hoping it wasn’t Sutton who was feeling like this guy.

As it turns out, the Keppinger deal was yet another one of those win-now, suck-later moves by the Astros. Actually, I guess that kind of strategy might sometimes be justifiable, but in the Astros’ case it’s more of a suck-a-little-less-now, suck-even-more later.

As Ed Wade and Tim Purpura become less and less distinguishable, it becomes even more apparent that Drayton’s pulling the strings. I realize that. The problem is that Ed Wade contributed plenty in getting the Astros into the mess of needing someone, anyone as a viable infield alternative to … Aaron Boone?

I know I’m echoing some of the recent comments here, but it’s truly depressing that McLane doesn’t give Astros fans enough credit. He doesn’t think we’ll watch a team of young upstarts.

In 2007, I called in to an Astros postgame show and said I’d much rather have the Marlins’ roster on the field and watch us lose a bunch of games, than watch our team go just over .500, or whatever. I don’t think the host agreed or cared. Well, here we are 2 years later. The Marlins have the best record in the majors, and the Astros have the oldest roster in the majors.

Cooper could be first manager fired

See Ken Rosenthal’s column.  He says that the veteran players don’t like Cooper.  Amen.  Cooper is absolutely horrible.

Welcome, Jeff Keppinger!

Last year, it was the new guy, Miguel Tejada, providing the walk-off heroics. This year another new guy came through for the victory. This time, it was the new guy’s first at-bat as an Astro. I heard that Keppinger is a blue-collar player who tries hard, hustles, and plays the game the way Astros fans have come to expect. Well, the swing sure wasn’t pretty, the broken bat was interesting, and the follow through looked like there were banana peels all over the batter’s box, but Keppinger got bat on ball. That’s the determination we need with a runner on third with one out.

Stumbling around has never been so pretty.

The Astros missed a golden opportunity in the 9th inning, with runners on first and second, no outs. Bourn decided to pull a bunt back and swing away. Apparently Cooper tells his players to use this trick if the infield is playing where it would be almost impossible to make the bunt work. That advice is obviously, however, for pitchers who don’t have Bourn’s speed and athletic ability. Shouldn’t Bourn be the best on the team at laying down a bunt? The worst part about that decision is that it shows that Michael Bourn still doesn’t have a solid understanding of the game. He has admitted he didn’t like baseball or watch it at all growing up, and I can’t help but feel that he’s still playing catch up.

Oh well, luckily, that didn’t make a difference in the win column. Hats off to Wandy for looking like a solid number 2 starter. So far, two games, two quality starts. Let’s cross our fingers and hope we see plenty more, because this offense could be pretty fun to watch. Miggy is looking like our spark plug again. In game one, he had three lead-off singles. Last night he had only one hit, but again it seemed like he was involved in some way with everything the team got going. Carlos Lee will start hitting at some point, and I’m hoping that Cooper starts to fill out a line-up card that makes sense.

The Astros are .500. With this team, it’s anyone’s guess whether they’ll see this winning percentage much farther out into the season. Oh well, for now, it’s good enough to focus on how good it feels to beat the Cubs. Go Stros!

Calling True Astros Fans! Come One, Come All to the Great Wade-Chacon Debates!

Hello fair readers. Reader. Please jump in and comment on my argument with beckeesh and Cabeza about the merits of Ed Wade, and the demerits of Shawn Chacon. Agree with me, disagree, but bring your Sharpies, some facts or JUICY speculation, and a taste for friendly combat.

 To Beckeesh and Cabeza:

                            Are you both out of your gourds? Your odd, Ed Wade shaped gourds?
Wade is one of the main reasons this team is running at all. HE didn’t fire Jim Hendry, so stop taking it out on him.  He’s certainly not my hero, but I don’t see why he’s so horrible either.  I’m not sure how much you both actually know about the “unwritten baseball clubhouse honor code”, Serpicos, but I readily admit I know very little about it. I rate the players by their performance, what they say in the media, and what they do off the field. Almost none of them are Paul Newmans (Biggio), some are admirable yet conservative Gregory Pecks (Berkman), some are even forgivable scoundrel Robert Downey Jrs. (Caminiti), but Chacon isn’t even a movie star. Tell me one thing he did for the Astros, except pitch well for one month, and then bitch, moan, and strangle HIS EMPLOYER AND CAUSE ALL THIS WHISPERING DOUBT cause he has major issues (maybe he’s a poor man’s Sean Penn). 

 No doubt Wade may have crossed some lines, but until you bring me some bona fide proof as to why I should not only hate Ed Wade but FREAKIN’ ADMIRE Shawn Chacon, I place Wade into the category of solid GMs that helped to build world champions, and Chacon goes into the worm pile, just under Derek Bell and just above Julio Lugo, not only for being a blowhard wannabe machismo idiot, but for being that guy in an Astros uniform and helping to disrupt,distract, and degrade a season with promise, and in a clubhouse I have always admired. Though from the outside.

New-han’s On Deck, or, Predictions Schmictions

Quick check in on our beloved and terrifyingly inconsistent disAstros.

I have not blogged in a bit, mostly because I was intently watching my NCAA Tigers go all the way to the Sweet 16, only to be dismantled by Missouri. And Now I’m watching Kentucky try to woo Memphis’ future away.

ANYhoo, this is not a Memphis blog, though Calipari could learn from the loyalty of Bagwell, Biggio, and Berkman.

This is an Astro blog, and though hope springs eternal yada yada, No one in baseball has the slightest respect for the Astros’ chances to even compete in the NL Central. Despite our scrappy pedigree, even the Reds are consistently picked ahead of us, though they have proven nothing more than the Stros as far as I’m concerned.  

I state this now. Listen oh predicting and Astro loving world.  A very slow start, or more than 3 early injuries, and we can kiss the Astros’ season goodbye, but even a medium start, and I will guarantee you the Astros hang around for postseason contention.  Our pitching staff, though the weak point of the team, isn’t as horrifying as everyone predicts.  I respect Moehler, Hampton is solid if healthy, and Wandy could easily have his best year this year, put it all together, so to speak. 

How many times has a team’s pitching staff proven saltier and more durable than anyone expected.  There are at least two story lines like that EVERY YEAR in Major League Baseball. 

And don’t get me started on how disrespected our hitters are, at least as a group.  Now that we’ve got Pudge too, Our lineup is very solid. I’d take our club’s hitters over the Red’s any day of the week.  Berkman and Lee are blue chippers, and the only knock against Pence is that his sophomore season wasn’t spectacular. The only knock on Matsui is his health, which is a legitimate worry, but when he’s playing, baby, money all the way.  Remember the Rockies folks? Not that long ago.   And Tejada? Still one of the best hitting shortstops in the game. And he’ll have something to prove coming in.

I’d put our bullpen up against any in the majors.

So, there you go. All the predictors can BITE ME!

The 2009 Astros probably won’t win the division, but they will compete for the Wild Card.    

My only major concern now(besides injuries)?

                                                            Management.

After Cabeza’s research, and after reading about Newhan’s anger concerning Cooper’s handling of his release, I am worried about his leadership. I was a big supporter last year, and I think he is a gritty, cool guy, but he may not be a good leader with the Astros. Now, he may be, Newhan could just be blowing justifiable steam, but if the players don’t respect Cooper, we’ve got a problem.  Wade may not be liked all around, but I bet he’s got some respect from the boys.

If the players leave it out on the field, then the weird Wade and Cooper vibes will dissipate, but if not…

Of course Drayton McClane is a weirdo, and they’ve been fine under him for a number of years. 

A player, and soon, should make a statement of solidarity concerning Cooper. Please.

P.S. Concerning Wade, I’ll hear other arguments, but don’t bring up Chacon and how Wade handled that badly.  Shawn Chacon is an idiot.  Don’t attack your boss after you instigated an argument.  Don’t PHYSICALLY attack him anyway.

I repeat, I don’t care what Oswalt said, Chacon is a hot headed moron, who blew a chance at late career glory because he wanted to flex up against a sixty year old man who gave him a second chance to start. At least Caminiti waited till he was retired.

Astros Opening Day Line-up?

Was Friday’s victory over the Phillies a glimpse into what we’ll see come opening day? Cooper fielded this starting line-up:

1. Kaz Matsui (S)
2. Ivan Rodriguez (R)
3. Lance Berkman (S)
4. Carlos Lee (R)
5. Miguel Tejada (R)
6. Hunter Pence (R)
7. Geoff Blum (S)
8. Michael Bourn (L)

Starting Pitcher: Roy Oswalt

I can’t say I’m a huge fan of this batting order, so I hope it’s not set in stone. In particular, I’d really like to see Hunter Pence batting 2nd. He’s had trouble with breaking pitches, and hitting in front of Berkman should increase the amount of fastballs he gets, particularly if a speedy Matsui or Bourn is aboard. Plus, Pence is faster on the basepaths than Pudge.

The top of the order isn’t all about speed, though, it’s about on-base percentage.  I know, Pence doesn’t often see ball four, but Pudge is known for never taking walks. In his career, Pudge has struck out three times as often as he has walked. In 2007, Pudge had only a .294 OBP, walking only nine times the whole season. Last year he picked up the pace, with twenty-three bases on balls. Pudge has a .339 career OBP, mostly from his career .301 batting avg. Pence’s career on-base? .336! 

A young guy and an old guy with virtually identical on-base percentages. One on the rise, the other declining. Both righties. One with above average speed, the other with above average speed… for a catcher.

Coop, you’ve gotta bat Pence 2nd and Pudge 6th.

Also, I know this is super-trendy and all, but I’d like to see Bourn batting 9th, with the pitcher in the 8 hole. What’s the point of having Bourn’s speed in front of the pitcher’s spot? A pitcher should be capable of laying a decent enough bunt down for Blum to advance.  I’d much rather take advantage of Michael Bourn’s occasional hit or walk after the pitcher made the final out in the previous inning. It’s like keeping him as the lead-off man, but without having to see him bat so many times. Also, Matsui’s career numbers are much better in the 2nd spot in the order. So, maybe that could be a collateral benefit.

All I ask is for Cooper to put together a batting order that makes sense from day one and stick to it.  No tinkering day to day, with Tejada batting second sometimes, and Bourn leading off every once in a while.  Ol’ Scrap Iron Phil drove us nuts with that; we don’t need more of it.  This line up has people that can hit, and I just hope we fans get to see it have a chance to come together the way it should, even if it struggles at first.

Lucky Seven!

The Astros held on to beat the defending champs today, making it seven wins in a row. This team has been all about streaks in recent years, with extreme highs, extreme lows, and little in-between. The emotional rollercoaster looks set for another wild ride this year.

The big news going into this game was Roy Oswalt’s return to the team, after America collectively shrugged at the WBC. Another day, another quality start from Roy: six innings, three earned runs. Most impressive were his six strikeouts and no walks. Roy is so aggressive attacking the strikezone that I expect the low walk rate, but the strikeout per inning is unusual. I wonder if the home plate umpire called a big strike zone, or if Roy shied away from pitching to contact. The latter is a possibility because the box score suggests he was having trouble keeping the ball down. He induced 8 flyouts and only 3 groundouts. I’m sure he’ll try to flip those numbers around because we all know how his home park treats fly ball pitchers. In contrast, LaTroy Hawkins induced groundouts to all three batters he faced, and Chris Sampson also got three ground ball outs in two innings. So, it’s unlikely the Phillies were all swinging like Mark McGwire.

Chris Sampson got a two-inning save today, though he allowed his first two earned runs of the Spring. He has only pitched seven innings, so it’s too early to get excited about a 2.57 ERA. Still, I’m hopeful. My feelings about Sampson are similar to how I feel about Wandy: I’m crossing my fingers that he can stay healthy and find some consistency, because I see a really good pitcher there. Sampson will likely have the difficult job of being the team’s most versatile pitcher. He can fit in so many places in the bullpen, that depending on injuries, we could see him fill almost any role. Hopefully his ability to pitch multiple innings doesn’t relegate him to mop-up duty. I see that as more of a Geoff Geary role. If our offense is good enough to keep the team in games when the starters struggle, we could see Sampson step into a lot of close games in the 4th or 5th inning.

Other not-so-noteworthy stuff: My favorite still-active ex-Astro, Eric Bruntlett, went 2-for-5, with an RBI double, and a caught-stealing (go Pudge!). Bruntlett is batting .350 this spring. Oh, how nice it would be to have the often overlooked, valuable piece of the Brad Lidge-for-Michael Bourn trade as our super-utility man. Brunty, I forgive you for being pissed off when I got your autograph and told you “best double-play in Astros history, NLCS.” After all, you had just spent the afternoon wasting away at first base in a pathetic Round Rock express game. Hunter Pence committed two errors, not counting the video portrait of him pretending to use a bat as a sword and pool cue. I couldn’t believe everyone else wanted that loser’s autograph.

Wandy!

Man, for some reason, a good outing from Wandy gets me so pumped! Yesterday, Wandy led the Astros to their fifth consecutive win. He allowed two hits, two walks, and struck out two in four scoreless innings.

A healthy four innings out of Wandy is enough to make any Astros fan breathe a tremendous sigh of relief… But four scoreless innings? Wandy, you’ve got me light headed.

I hope this isn’t the highlight of Wandy’s year, because he’s teased us before. I tend to think that if he can stay healthy, we’ll see 12 wins and a 3.94 ERA out of the Magic Wand, making for a great pairing with the Wizard.

Obviously, I realize I shouldn’t get too worked up about Spring wins or losses. Everyone who says that it’s all about individual results in Spring Training is correct. However, typically, good individual performances go hand in hand with wins. Last year, it seemed like however Miggy went, the Stros went. Yesterday, big individual performances from Blum and Wandy led to Houston scoring eight runs while shutting out the other side.

It’s fun to see the bats start to wake up. Pudge hit a long ball to left field that sure would look good from the Crawford Boxes. Bourn (.213), Blum (.178), and Matsui (.111) all had hits yesterday. They had to stumble onto some hits sooner or later. Baseball is all about the law of averages, and the Astros players knew it when they lost 15 consecutive games (not counting ties). They all just saw the losing spell as proof that a winning one would come. It appears they were right, now let’s just hope they keep it going into the games that count.