Archive for the ‘Jeff Keppinger’ Category

Ed Wade is FINALLY Able To Dump Keppinger’s Onerous 1.5 Million Salary And Calls up Jose Altuve!!!!

Tuesday, July 19th, 2011

Well, Ed Wade had been trying and trying and trying to get Keppinger off the team and he finally succeeded. Kepp has gone to the World Champion Giants for a couple of minor league pitchers, RHP Henry Sosa and Jason Stoffel.

We’ll check them in a minute – but first, the best news – We finally have a new exciting YOUNG player on the team – Jose Altuve, the 5-5 hard hitting hero of this year’s future’s games, who came out of nowhere – wasn’t expected to be anything but filler – wen’t on any top prospect lists. But he just tore the cover offn the ball at all levels and here he is, making the jump from AA to the ML.. Last guy to do that was Hunter Pence back in 07 – wow, seems like yesterday.

Anyway, Jose entered the minor league system in 08 in the Rookie league – got 150 AB, had a meh .753 OPS. Started 09 back where he came fromand this time, he was on FAHR – hit .328/.408/.508 and stole 21 of 25 bases.

Got promoted to low A and didn’t exactly look like an MVP with a .653 OPS over 21 games, but he started 2010 at Lexington A ball. Had a .809 OPS in 434 PA, stole 39, got CS 14 times. Wa Promoted to hitter heaven Lancaster A+ but didn’t do quite as well, 127 PA with a .790 OPS over 31 games.

Started this year at Lancaster again, had a 1.057 OPS !!!! over 238 PA, got promoted to AA and continued to just KILL the baseball – hitting .361/.388/.569/.958 – didn’t walk near as much as he had at the lower levels. I should note that Altuve’s stolen base percentage decreased significantly as he went from low A to AA – 19/9 at Lancaster and 5/5 at Corpus. Maybe he shouldn’t be running up here – the catchers are even better.

Of course he didn’t get to play tonight – maybe tomorrow – but I kind of doubt it because it is sooooo important for a young guy to sit on his dead butt and watch the Old Guy “go about their business” like he doesn’t know how to prepare for a baseball game – remember the end of the 09 season when none of the callups were allowed to play?

Anyway,

the new minor league pitchers:

Jason Stoffel, RH RP, age 22, was drafted by the Giants in the 4th round in 09. He threw 29 innings over 16 games in 09, then spent the 2010 season at A+ where he threw 50 innings over 52 games – 4.80 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 4.3 BB/9, 11.7 K/9, 0.7 HR/9 and 9.6 H/9. 25 saves, 48 games finished. No idea how many blown saves.

They must have been awed by that K rate because he was promoted to AA for 2011: 31.2 IP over 32 games: 3.98 ERA/1.58 WHIP: 9.7 H/9, 4.3 BB/9, 8.8 K/9 and 0.3 HR/9. 13 saves, 26 games finished. He’s not in anyone’s top prospect lists – no surprise there. But youneverknow – Fast Eddie is decent when it comes to finding relievers who aren’t free agents.

Henry Sosa, age 25, RH RP/SP is from the DR and hit the Rookie league in 06. He’s not any sort of prospect. He spent 09 at AA, had good numbers – 14 GS, 72 IP, 2.36 ERA/1.19 WHIP: 3.1 BB/9, 5.5 K/9 and 7.6 H/9 (sounds like J Happ-less)

In 2010, he was promoted to AAA, started 14 games, relieved in 22 over 115 IP: 4.07 ERA/1.46 WHIP: 4.3 BB/9, 6.5 K/9.

I can’t figure out this year – looks like he started at AAA, got slammed all over the place (23 terrible innings, all in relief - don’t even ask) and was demoted to AA: 6 GS, 2 in relief over 40 IP: 2.68 ErA/1.22 WHIP: 9.1 K/9, 1.8 BB/9 and 8 K/9.

shrug

It’s basically adding up to 1.5 mill that Drayton doesn’t have to pay. And Fast Eddie got to get rid of Keppinger – and one of these days I am going to find out why Fast Eddie wanted him gone so bad – just like I am gonna find out why the Organization hated Luke Scott and wanted him gone. It’s personal, I guess.

Best of luck to Jeff K on the Giants. And let’s hope we see Altuve playing SOON.

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Posted in J.A. Happ, Jeff Keppinger | 10 Comments »

5/30/11: Astros Finally Face A Team Whose Bullpen Is Lousier Than Theirs And Break Losing Streak

Monday, May 30th, 2011

Hope all yall had a relaxing Memorial Day weekend. Sorry that posts have been so sporadic, but we’ve been having cable problems and that means no TV/internet because getting someone to fix the cable on a holiday weekend is like not possible (yes I AM writing from my Mama’s – how did you EVAH guess) . And I absolutely REFUSE to listen to Milo, who I swear is getting worse and worse every time I am stupid enough to turn on the radio broadcast. I never can figure out what inning it is, what the score is, who is at bat, the count, or any other such insignificant details – although the Clounzz are always happy to talk ALL about their golf game and the out of town scoreboard or some commercial or the new scoreboard.

I don’t have any reliable new news about the sale of the Astros, but I DO know that a supposedly very intelligent and VERY rich man has bought 49% of the Mets for 200 mill CASH. And that Frank McCourt has scrounged $$$ from SOMEwhere to make the Dodgers payroll as his ex-wife is demanding that the team be sold and the proceeds divided. And Bud is even CONSIDERING letting someone who had only 75 mill to buy the Astros franchise go ahead?

sigh

Back to games – Wandy went on the DL with some sort of elbow problem – I know teams always lie about this stuff – I didn’t notice anything wrong with his last start, but then again, teams always lie about this stuff. It’s possible something happened during his bullpen session. Fast Eddie must be cussin, as there goes one of his best trade chips – the ol WB has resumed his career pattern of uck-age, and really has no appeal to other teams, especially at his 10 mill a year salary.

And speaking of bullpen, ours again resumed its path of suckage during the Dbax series. After Wilton Lopez forgot how to throw home, Fulchino forgot how to not throw strikes over the middle of the plate, as J Happ finally pitched a very good game and came away with nothing to show for it.

Today, Aneury Rodriguez faced the Cubs, managed to go 4 innings, giving up 6 R/4 ER on 3 singles, 2 triples, a 2 run homer, 2 BB, 4 SB and 2 errors.  He got lucky because the Cubs pitchers/fielders were even worse – Rodrigo Lopez, who killed us last year when he was with the Diamondbacks (that team always kills us, I SWEAR, no matter who is playing/pitching) gave up 6 runs before he hit the end of the 5th, and the rest of the Cubs pitchers donated another 6 runs. OUR bullpen guys, Escalona, Del Rosario and Lopez threw scoreless innings and Melancon gave up only 1 meaningless run.

I would like to point out – smirking – that Jeff Keppinger, who Fast Eddie did his absolute darndest to get rid of last winter, who thought that Bill Hall/Clint Barmes would be SOOOOOO much better – has kicked some SERIOUS Fast Eddie butt. Since returning, he’s played 3 games and has gone

2 fer 5 with a 2 out RBI and none left in scoring position
1 fer 3 with a double, a walk and a run scored
3 fer 5 with a double, a 3 run homer, 4 RBI and a run scored

In 7 PA, he ALREADY has more RBI than Clint Barmes does in 105 PA.

Angel Sanchez (.643 OPS) has 18 RBI in 143 PA. Bill Hall (.616 OPS) has 13 RBI over 154 PA. Hall has been catching a lot of heck for his suckage – but Barmes should be catching just as much – he’s costing about as much as Hall and not providing any more value.

Will be interesting to see what happens when Bourgeois is ready to come back – I am eagerly anticipating Fast Eddie having to, uh, ahem – make, um, adjustments in the roster. For some reason, I bet he is having some trouble finding any trade partners for either Hall or Barmes.

Tomorrow marks the major league debut of The Much Hyped Jordan Lyles. He gets the fun of facing Carlos Zambrano, who beat the Astros earlier this year in spite of giving up 5 runs/5 innings because Nelson Figueroa/bullpen was worse. Jordan better not throw him no pitches down the middle…

The Cubs have a LOT of guys on the DL – Marlos Byrd, Jeff Baker, Reed Johnson, plus Sori hurt his leg and will be out. They still have Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney, who ran circles around pitchers/catchers last series, and a new OF, Tony Campana, a Wesley Wright/Jason Bourgeois sized guy, who stole FOUR bases today. I don’t have any idea how good Jordan Lyles is at dealing with base stealers, but if he can’t hold guys, we’re in trouble if he lets those 3 guys get on base.

I wonder if Robinson Cancel (called up when Q got hurt) is gonna catch him – he’d know him from AAA. Cancel is a 35 year old AAA lifer with 43 major league games played over his 15 year career – last played for the Mets 2 years ago – in 29 games/44 AB, he hit .245/.288/.347/.635.

His lifetime minor league OPS over 3167 AB is .691. This year at AAA, he had an .815 OPS over 102 AB. I’m not holding my breath – he had a .916 OPS the year he had those few games at backup for the Mets. I would be extremely happy, however, if he is great at throwing out basestealers, because unless Jordan keeps em off base, they’re gonna be small ballin us to death…

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Posted in Aneury Rodriguez, Jeff Keppinger, Jordan Lyles | 9 Comments »

2010 Winter Meetings: Apparently, Ed Wade Doesn’t Intend To Play Young Guys

Wednesday, December 8th, 2010

I hear tell that Fast Eddie is telling folks at the Winter Meetings that Clank IS going to play first base (if he can’t trade him to some dumbass AL team) and that Bret Wallace could use another year at AAA. Yeah, he needs another year at AAA like he needs to gain 30 pounds in his butt.

Oh – and get THIS – he is trying to trade Jeff Keppinger because his 105 OPS+ is too unsatisfactory at second base, unlike, say, Clint Barmes and his 67 OPS+ and it can’t be because Keppinger is arb eligible and due a raise from 1.15 mill because Barmes is gonna make 3 times that, easily.

And he’s trying to move Matt Lindstrom and his 1.65 mill because he is arb eligible. True that he was hurt in the second half and uck-sayed. I get that. BUT, get this:

Instead of playing Bogusevic, a lefty hitting LF, he’s trying to sign Jeremy Hermida, who hasn’t hit well since 2007, who was dumped by the Marlins and failed with the Red Sox and Athletics, is a lousy fielder at all 3 positions, and cost over 3 mill last year. Oh yeah – and Ryan Church, who was a VERY good player until he was injured during the 08 season and was so lousy that he was traded for Jeff Francoeur. He has subsequently failed with the Braves, Pirates and Diamondbacks. Interestingly enough, Hermida and Church have very high similarity scores on Baseball-reference.com.

So riddle me this – why, WHY “slash payroll” by getting rid of a middle infielder who can actually HIT, replacing him with one who can’t who is MORE expensive, and why bother to have a “youth movement” when you insist on continuously signing the Cory Sullivans of the world?

Oh yeah – and I also hear tell that Fast Eddie is chasing after Jeff Francis (who used to be good before he was hurt) and HE is hardly a “youth movement” or going to be cheap.

sigh

Man I hope this franchise gets sold right quick and Tal Smith and Fast Eddie get an immediate pink slip. I’m tired of their stuff.

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Posted in Bogusevic, Jeff Keppinger | 9 Comments »

Chris Johnson Drives In Go-Ahead Run As Astros Come Back To Beat The Cards And Win 6th In A Row

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

It didn’t start off very well for the Astros – 10 pitches, 3 outs on Westbrook’s sinker. Then Lopez, leading off for the Cards, hit a liner under Keppinger’s glove for an error (later idiotically ruled a hit) and then stuff happened. Jon Jay hit an easy GB back to the pitcher for whjay SHOULD have been a nice 1-6-3, but the throw was lousy and clanked off the glove of Anderson Hernandez (getting a start at short) and rolled into center. Bourn, running forward to get it, threw it to Anderson to try to tag Jay, but again the throw clanked off his glove and Lopez, who never stopped running, slid into home as the throw came in where it was picked up by Keppinger and scored, even though the replay clearly showed him out.

No outs, 3 errors, a run scored, man on second. So I sighed and thought – oh nooooooooo. But somehow, no more runs scored.

Then in the second, Carlos Lee (no Clank tonight – more on that latah) singled – what a relief, we won’t get no hit by Westbrook, who looked unhittable, but Kepp GIDP. Wallace, hitting 6th ahead of CJ again, was HBP, but then CJ struck out.

In the 3rd, Carlos Lee HUSTLED after a fly ball and caught in with s nice sliding catch. Actually, Carlos hustled ALL GAME. Yes, you heard right. He made 2 VERY nice catches, no lazy crap, and he ran HARD to try to break up a DP and he ran HARD to score from 3rd on an IF hit with bases loaded. Guess being benched for 2 days straight might could have done a lil bit of good. I HOPE – he did K, but he also drew TWO walks (neither intentional) singled twice, drove in a run and scored 2. I actually wonder if Brad Mills told him flat out he was gonna lose playing time to Bourgeois and Michaels if he dogged it out there.

youneverknow

But anyway, in the 4th, Anderson Hernandez doubled down the LF line, then Pence beat out an IF dribbler toward third, stole second on a Carlos Lee swinging K, beating the throw from Yadi – it was a NICE jump – then Kepp drove in Hernandez with a groundout. Then

BRETT WALLACE DROVE IN HIS FIRST ML RBI

with a 9 pitch IF single – Westbrook gets all these groundballs with that sinker, but sometiems they find holes and sometimes guys beat them out – and Felipe Lopez is not exactly David Freese with the glove

so the Astros led 2-1.

But it was Uncle leading off the bottom of the 4th and Uncle did what Uncle does best, which is KILL Astros pitching and when a ball went down the middle, Uncle deposited it in the stands to tie the game. Uncle, by the way, says he hasn’t “felt comfortable” all year – guess he isn’t kidding because his OPS has, ahem, fallen all the way down to .953 – have to laugh – bout every ballplayer would LUUUUVVVV to have an OPS over 900…

Anyway, the Cards then load the bases with 2 walks and a single, then Schu GIDP and another run scores, but then TLR’s strategy of having the pitcher bat 8th backfired, because Westbrook can’t hit any better than my 8 year olds, so bases loaded, only 1 run.

But the Cards now lead 3-2. Schumaker and Ryan aren’t hitting worth spit this year, kind of surprised that they didn’t get more sticks at the deadline, but youneverknow.

No excitement in the 5th.

In the 6th, with 2 out, Carlos walks, Kepp ROE (it wasn’t Lopez’ night with the glove), but then up 3-1, Wallace swings at 2 pitches out of the zone – over eager, I think.

At the end of the 6th, both starters were sent to the showers and Jason Motte came on, gave up a single to CJ – guess he’s starting another hitting streak, although he is continuing his on base streak – then a FO, then pinch hitter Jason Bourgeois GIDP 6-3.

In the bottom of the 7th, With Nelson Figueroa pitching in relief, Pence robbed Schumaker of a sure hit to shallow center with a great diving catch. Randy Winn flew out to Bourn, then Brendan Ryan singled and Felipe Lopez hit a ball to right which Pence misjudged and missed for a RBI double and the Cards led 4-2.

Motte came back out for the 8th and Bourn led off. He went to 2-1, couldn’t get the bunt down, fouled off a couple, took another ball, fouled off a couple and drew a walk. And you know what is gonna happen if Michael is on first with a relief pitcher, Yadi Molina or no Yadi Molina, so adter the first pitch to Hernandez, he’s on second. Not that it mattered because Hernandez drew a 4 pitch walk. Motte was pulled and in came ex-closer Mike McDougal, who got Pence to popup on the first pitch. Then Carlos came in, took a strike, then hit an RBI single to right – shallow right, but Roberto Clemente wouldn’t get Bourn. Then Keppinger hit an RBI double with the first pitch and drove in Hernandez – Carlos had to stop at third because of his lack of speed.

Then – get this – TLR has McDougal IBB Brett Wallace. Yes, his first ML IBB!!!!!!!!

So it’s Chris Johnson and his .340 BA up and he hits a chopper over the pitcher’s head, Schumaker grabs the ball, throws home, but throws wide and Carlos, chugging at full speed (for him) beats the throw and everyone is safe. Quintero, who had a BAD day at the plate, GIDP 5-3.

But Astros lead, 5-4.

Brandon Lyon comes in to face Uncle, Holliday and a pinch hitter.

Uncle smacks a single to left, Holliday goes to 3-2 and then sends a fly ball to left, and Carlos HUSTLES and manages to snag it instead of letting it fall in for a single as he usually does!!!!! Nick Stavinoha then GIDP 6-4-3.

Yes, it WAS GIDP city tonight – Astros had 3, Cards had 2.

So top of the 9th, in comes ex-Stro Trever Miller. Angel Sanchez, pinch hitting, comes in and singles to right (got this feeling Tommy Manzella just might could not get his job back) and then Michael Bourn, on another 3-2 count, after failing to get the bunt down TWICE, hits an IF single toward 3rd and with his speed beats the throw. So men on first and second, no out. Jason Michaels flies out to shallow center and runners hold. Pence singles to right and Sanchez scores and Michael flies to third.

Trever is pulled and Blake Hawksworth, who started against the Astros a couple months back and held us to a couple of hits, comes in to relieve and face Carlos, who sees 4 pitches out of the strike zone and does NOT swing at any of them, giving him his second walk in ONE game. Yes, you read that correctly.

Keppinger comes in and hits the first pitch to center and Bourn trots home with Pence close on his heels. Wallace pops out, then CJ doubles off the LF wall to drive in ANOTHER run and the Astros lead 9-4. Quintero grounds out to end the inning.

Lindstrom, who had started warming up when the Astros led 5-4, goes in to finish up. He gives up an IF single to Yadi, as it richchets off his glove and bounces into the vacated hole at short.

Then Schu comes up, hits a grounder to right, which Wallace lets bounce off his glove, but fortunately, Keppinger is backing up the play and gets the ball to first in time. Lindstrom gets the next 2 outs with 2 pitches.

A nice come from behind victory – which, curiously enough, is something the Astros have done quite a bit this year.

Tomorrow, Bud Norris, who is NAILS at Busch, faces Jaime Garcia, who I thought was pitching tonight. Jaime really SHOULD win Rookie of the Year, seeing as how Strasburg will have only pitched less than half of the year and Jaime is awesome.

Bud has had 2 good starts in a row – let’s hope it continues.

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Posted in Brett Wallace, Carlos Lee, Chris Johnson, Hunter Pence, Jeff Keppinger, Michael Bourn | 11 Comments »

Astros Hit 4 HR – In The Same Game – And Beat Pirates

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

Well, Casey Daigle, the very definition of a AAA pitcher, got his first ML win since 2004 against what is basically a AAA team.

Keppinger hit a solo homer in the first, Clank hit a 2 run homer in the 3rd, Lance Berkman hit an opposite field line drive 360 or so feet into the Crawford Boxes and then Pence smashed a solo homer waaaaay up the left centerfield wall – hit the support pillar (the one more toward CF) under the Citgo sign, not quite all the way to the tracks. Fortunately, it was all the runs (except for one which was scored on a passed ball) that the Astros would need.

Moehler only lasted 3 innings because he pulled his groin with 1 out in the 3rd. He gave up 2 singles in the second, and a double off the LF bullpen wall in the 3rd, and no runs.

Chacin came in to relieve in the 4th and basically had nothing. He gave up a double down the RF line, then a walk (both of these to leftys), then a RBI single, then a RBI double off the LF bullpen to Ryan Freaking Church, then a stupendous drive to the RF bullpen by Ronny Cedeno, ex C*b, but Michael Bourn made yet another absolutely incredible, unbelieveable running catch on what SHOULD have been a triple. The pitcher, who looks as if he’s never held a baseball bat in his hands before tonight, Kd, then the next hitter flew out to Bourn, who made another nice catch, but nothing near as stupendous as the first.

Casey Daigle then came in to pitch the 5th with the score tied , gave up an IF single, a FO, a K, then 2 walks, but then got Church to K with bases loaded on the 26th pitch. I remember when Church was a good player. He had a smoother 6th, giving up only a single and getting a GO to short, a popup to LF (yeah, Clank go it, but he stood under it waiting for it to come ddown for like 6 seconds) and a flyout to left. Berkman had already hit the go ahead homer in the 5th, so Daigle owes him a steak dinner, or at least a photo of his very photographed wife or something.

Byrdak came in and pitched a 1,2,3 nice easy 7th. Lyon gave up a double to Doumit off the RF bullpen – 6″ higher and the ball woulda gone over the wall, but then he got Church, Cedeno and Delwyn Young out.

Lindstrom, as usual, made it, uh, interesting. Why is the guy so allergic to 1,2,3 innings? He gave up a leadoff drive to the LF bullpen, but Bourn made a nice catch. He got a groundout, but then gave up a double off the scoreboard, then a single to right which couldn’t score because it was shallow enough that Pence’s throw could have easily nailed the runner. And then he got a blessed K.

These guys aren’t quiiiite as bad as the 03 Tigers, but they aren’t ahead by real too much.

Bourn singled, walked, stole a base, scored a run. Kepp hit a homer. Lance had 2 walks and a homer and scored 2 runs. Clank walked (???!!!) and hit a homer. Pence had 2 walks and a homer. CJ had a groundout, a K and hit 2 balls very hard to the OF – but unfortunately, they were caught. Quintero had a single and 2 Ks. Sanchez hit a bunt single and walked. Pinch hitters Feliz, Bourgeois and Michaels went ofer. 11 guys left on base, but fortunately, tonight it didn’t matter.

This afternoon, it’s Roy vs Ross Ohlendorf. Hopefully, the guys will give Roy some run support and Roy will give us a series sweep before Uncle and gang invade the place on the weekend.

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Posted in Berkman, Brian Moehler, Carlos Lee, Hunter Pence, Jeff Keppinger | 10 Comments »

9/17/09: For The Second Time This Year The Astros Hit 5 Solo Homers And Lose

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

Cooper likes to put his players in a good position to lose.

This was one of the worst major league games I have EVER had the misfortune to watch. And I didn’t even bother to watch after the end of the 6th – I KNEW the ending already.

Bazardo gave up a lot of HARD hit baseballs, 2 homers a 5 more really hard hit balls, 3 of which were caught. He has a rather mediocre fastball and sometimes a ball that does break well. He gave up 4 ER over 5 IP and left with a tenuous 1 run lead.

His opposition was a right whose FB topped out at 86 (no, I’m not kidding) and threw the change offn his change offn his change and an occasional nice curve. Trouble was that every time he hung one of those breakers, it left the ballpark – twice by Kep, once by Kaz, once by Blum and once by Carlos.

I noted that Coop, obviously unwillingly, inserted Towles and Manzella in the lineup and didn’t look real too happy about it – he got his wish – Towles only hit a dribbler down the RF line for a single and Manzella got the sombrero. So, just to show how much he HATED having to use any ballplayer who wasn’t a Proven Veteran, after losing the previous 2 games, he started the worst and least experienced reliever in the bullpen, Wilton Lopez.

My husband looked at me and said – my GOD, the *(%*#! is TRYING to lose the game. You put in your WORST pitcher to try to preserve a 1 run lead? Well, he proved his point all right. Sure enough, Lopez coughs up the lead. Then Wesley Wright comes in, gives up an IF single on a ball on which Berkman makes that play but Blum doesn’t, then a single to right which advances the runner to third, then Fulchino comes in and gives up the go-ahead run on a WP. Other than that, he was nails – gave up a walk and 6 Ks in his 2 IP.

Too bad Coop didn’t bring him in when we were still, like, you know, WINNING. But noooooooooo.

Astros scored all their runs on the 5 solo homers – well one of them would have been a 2 run job if Pence hadn’t stupidly tried to stretch a double into a triple – he was out by 20′ and I couldn’t tell whether or not he ran through a stop sign or whether this was another of Dave Clark’s stupid mistakes.

But the Astros did ZERO with MOB – Clank and Blum left 2 on in the first. In the second, with one out, men on first and third, Coop had Bazardo sac-bunt, not squeeze. WHY????? did he keep Kep at third? And when Bazardo hit the ball, WHY did Clark hold Kep at third even then? Another dumb mistake, waiting for, what? Bourn, unfortunately, grounded out. Pence left 2 on, 2 out in the 4th.

I didn’t have any problem with Coop having Bourn sac-bunt against a lefty with Maysonet (who singled – GOD forbid he get any regular playing time) on first. Kaz walked, then enither Pence not Clank did anything.

The usual.

I am just flat out tired of this crap. Only good thing about losing, I keep telling myself, is that with any luck, MAYBE Drayton will get it through his think skull that you NEED good managers and coaches, even here at the ML level. This is the worst team I can remember watching since I was a kid. Yes, including the 2000 team, which basically fell apart in the first year of the Box.

And I hope Drayton is watching Drew Stubbs, the guy who wanted more than slot who Drayton didn’t want to sign for more than slot for fear of offending Buddy Boy and losing his prime spot right in front of him. Drew isn’t hitting like Pujols, no, of course not, and is hitting around .250 and hes he does have 38 Ks over 128 AB, but he is adjusting to ML pitching. And with (fortunately for him) Willy Taveras on the DL, he hasn’t had to constantly worry about having to sit and has played almost every day since being called up in the beginning of August. AND he’s a darn good OF, too. Actually, after watching him these past 3 days, I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a longer and better career than Hunter Pence.

Hunter hit a ball waaay into the gap tonight – first time I’d seen him do that in weeks. He had darn well better work with someone this winter is all I can say. And, work with Bagwell on baserunning. AND, by the way, he was right – strike 3 WAS waay off the plate (second out, top of the 9th.)

Thank GOAWD we are off tomorrow because I’ve had bout enough of this sorry ass team and the sorrier-assed manager. He is, without question, the worst manager I have ever seen. Including Jimy Williams. And Terry Collins. I had such high hopes when he first started, too – he looked so different back in the fall of 07, but I realize that it was because he had been ordered to play all the young guys fairly consistently (except for Biggio – hey, it was the Prima Donna’s farewell tour, nevermind that he could no longer hit or field.)

I actually can’t remember when I turned off an Astros game in disgust. I’m sure I’m going to be doing it a LOT more over the next few weeks.

Friday, we head to Miller Park so Prince Fielder can tee off.

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Posted in Jeff Keppinger | 9 Comments »

4/17/09: Once Again, The Astros Mortgage Future For The Present

Friday, April 17th, 2009

The Astros have sent their best prospect, Drew Sutton, to the Reds for Keppinger. Yes, I said best prospect. Castro is in A ball, and Sutton looks a lot closer to the majors than he does. And please, Felipe Paulino is teh SUKC.) And unless Brandon Phillips is injured or traded, this is the end of Sutton’s future ML career. Obviously, the Reds didn’t view him as a future major leaguer, merely AAA fodder. Of course, they didn’t think much of Keppinger, either.

As long as Drayton keeps insisting, like Kevin Bacon during the parade/riot in Animal House, that ALL IS WELL, we’ll keep getting rid of prospects and cheap young players for Proven Veterans. Like, say, Miggy Te-roider (which was OBVIOUSLY not Ed Wade’s idea.)

But, you know, the Astros and the Reds might could both be correct in their belief that Sutton is not ML material. Remember the Andy Marte/Edgar Renteria trade? Like, you know, EVERbody, just about, lauded Theo The Boy Geeeen Yuss for stealing Schuerholz/Cox blind, sending their suckulous error-laden, banjo hitting bag of nerves hitless shortstop to Atlanta for their top prize – a guy who was continually labelled Likely Future Hall Of Famer; in fact, Marte was ranked the #1 prospect by Baseball America the very year of that trade. And you know what? Renteria was great the 2 years he was in Atlanta, with both bat and glove, and Marte, who Boston promptly traded to Cleveland for Coco Crisp (himself not a success – to be nice about it – with the Sox) has, over the past 3 years in 456 AB, hit .219/.288 OBP/.336 SLG. for the Tribe, and his AAA numbers haven’t shown much either.

Interesting.

And we all know that the Bagwell for Anderson trades are significantly less frequent than the Marte for Renteria trades.

Meanwhile, I’d like to post this interesting little excerpt from Ken Rosenthal’s latest column “Cooper Could Be The First Manager Fired” and will point out that when it comes to Drayton, the emperor has no clothes.

“The Astros needed to start quickly to keep owner Drayton McLane from interfering.”
Interfering??? INTERFERING??? Who, Drayton???
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Like, WHO is gonna put the bell on the cat???
 ”It didn’t happen, creating the realistic possibility that Cecil Cooper will be the first manager fired. Cooper is a ready scapegoat; McLane allowed him to enter the final year of his contract without offering him an extension. The Astros’ veterans do not care for Cooper, and the team’s 1-6 start — following its 1-16-3 start in spring training — points to a lack of preparation.”
Well, let’s be realistic – one of the manager’s main jobs is working well with the players and the fact that the players do NOT like him is darn important. That and the fact that Cooper apparently does not want young players. Why on earth should he be offered an extension, seeing as how he neither makes good tactical decisions or, like Garner, is able to get along well with and create a positive attitude among ALL the players. Shawn Chacon was just the very tip of the iceberg, and had this team been one of the media darlings, there would have been a LOT more ink and a LOT more talk.

“Hitting coach Sean Berry could be the first to go; the Astros are averaging 2.29 runs per game, lowest in the National League. Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee and Co. will come around, but even then the Astros will be in trouble.”

Well, let’s be honest here – NO hitting coach would get real too much out of most of these guys, and Berry has not done a good job since taking over for Gaetti.

“The rotation beyond Roy Oswalt is highly suspect. Right-hander Brian Moehler, 37, has a sprained right knee. Left-hander Mike Hampton has not made more than 13 starts in a season since 2004. Righty Russ Ortiz has not made 30 in a season since then.”

And the reason you can’t even be bothered to mention Wandy is???? And you ALSO notice that the Astros idea of backup is NOT someone like Chris Sampson, who actually can get ML hitters out, but rather the Jeff Fulchinos and Alberto Arias’ of the world.

“The Astros lack an obvious in-house replacement for Cooper. Buck Showalter, highly detail-oriented, might be the perfect choice to set the team on the right course. But he might not want to work for McLane.

Who would?”

OH man, I would PAY to see McLane vs Showalter. Of course, McLane would never EVER hire a guy like Buck who is nobody’s punk.

But the most important part of that statement is the obvious statement “who would” as Unca Drayton has seriously, SERIOUSLY gotten himself an Angelos reputation. Maybe even worse. I have heard exactly that from all KINDS of people I know who know a lot of people in baseball and Keith Law has actually publically stated this.

“The Astros’ 86-75 record last season was an illusion; the team was outscored by 31 runs.”

Trouble is that the only one who doesn’t know it and won’t face it is Drayton.

 ”Payroll considerations forced the team to part with left-hander Randy Wolf and third baseman Ty Wigginton. The late signing of free-agent catcher Ivan Rodriguez was McLane’s way of saying, “Look, fans, we’re trying!”

That and the fact that Rodriguez was an All-Star for years and Drayton hopes to use that in marketing the team. Rodriguez, so far, looks like Quintero and that is a seriously bad thing.

“Say this for the Astros — they routinely start poorly, then charge. Firing Cooper would not be unreasonable, particularly if McLane replaced him with someone like Showalter. But the owner is sadly mistaken if he thinks his team is ready to contend.”

And here is the problem. Drayton has gotten to the point where he believes that this team can barely win enough to get to the WC and then to the playoffs, namely because they have done so every year for the past 6 years, except for 07, The Year Of The Biggio Adoration At The Expense Of The Team, and that will fill the stands and his pockets.

The only thing that will really even make a dent in Drayton’s thick skull would be the significant absence of fans from the stands AND a deluge of angry fan letters AND the non-renewal of season tickets. It might could possibly allow a crack in that air of assurance that if he can run a grocery business, he can GM a ML team, but he seems to be sensitive to public criticism, and if the fans start blaming him instead of the GM (like poor ol Purpura) or the manager (like Jimy The Silent or Phil the Chatty or Coop The Hapless), he just MIGHT consider hiring a significantly better GM than Ed Wade and letting him actually re-build this franchise.

youneverknow

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