I most certainly AM gonna talk about the Astros actually winning a series from the GIANTS!!! after calling up the younguns (even though there seems to be some kind of omerta with the media about refusing to talk about Chris Johnson, only The C-astro – but more on that next entry…)
But first I want to note that Tommy Manzella broke his finger while fielding a ground ball on Tuesday – allowed an IF single that otherwise would have been an out. Trainer trotted out, Tommy said he was fine (grrrrrrrrr – MENNNNNNNNNNNN – well, except for JD Drew, that is) and next day they discovered it was, in fact broken, so he will be out for a month or so. And just when he was starting to get comfortable, too, drat it.
Osvaldo Navarro, an actual SS, was called up from AAA – remember him? He’s the guy who got called up a month back and got a couple of pinch hits against setup guys/closers, just to prove that Matt Kata should been called up instead, then was sent back down after going ofer 3 PA, which proved he couldn’t hit ML pitching.
Anyway, naturally, Geoff Blum is playing short, which makes about as much sense as Carlos Lee playing short, especially having Blum bat righty – heck, when batting lefty, he is sucking. But hey, we can’t have ALL these young guys in the lineup. Only Castro, The Annointed One, must be any good. Otherwise, fans might could want to see more young players come up from the farm and bring some excitement to this deadly dull baseball team and we can’t have THAT!!!
Unless, of course, the Young Player is one drafted and pimped by The Geeeenyuss Ed Wade.
Where was I?
Oh yeah.
Chris Sampson is back off the DL, hopefully not hurting and actually able to throw that sinker. Wesley Wright went back down – he still has options.
Felipe Paulino just might could have thrown a few too many pitches a few too many outings because he has “shoulder tendonitis” – and remember, he missed an entire YEAR with problems.
Josh Banks has been called up to be the sacrificial lamb in the Saturday afternoon game at Arlington. I can’t even begin to imagine how unbelieveably HOT it must be there during day games in the summer. You talk about cruel and unusual punishment. I have never figured out why on earth they didn’t put a roof on that stadium, too. Or at least not cut off any wind flow by putting up expensive seats to block it. At least you are allowed to bring water jugs into the Ballpark – and you’d need a couple of 2 liter bottles of water to not instantly dehydrate.
Banks is an almost 28 year old righty – drafted in the second round out of college by the Blue Jays. He threw 7 lousy innings for the ML club in 07, had 3 bad starts to begin 2008 at AAA, and was let go and was then picked up by the Padres, who were desperate to have some live warm body (yes, male) who could throw some innings as a starter and Banks threw 14 games, ending up with an ERA of 4.78/WHIP 1.48 over 85 IP. He started 09 in the ML, but uck-sayed and was sent down to Portland, where he did very well, starting 17 games and relieving in 6 over 125 IP with an ERA of 3.46/1.25 WHIP.
In the majors, he has been a bit homeriffic – 1.5 HR/9, and his K/9 only 4.5. He had much better minor league numbers, 1.1HR/9, 1.5 BB/9 and 7.5 K/9.
He was picked up by the Astros as a minor league FA and so far this year at Round Rock, he has thrown 15 games over 97 IP (6.1 IP/ GS) with a 2.97 ERA (but has allowed 8 UER – if they were all earned, ERA would be 3.97) with a 1.20 WHIP, 1.1 HR/9, 8.5 H/9, 2.2 BB/9 and 3.15 K/9 (yes, I know that is terrible and only Chien Ming Wang has been able to do this in the ML and succeed.)
Wish the poor boy the best of luck cuz he gonna need it. At least he is used to pitching in the heat.
Bud Norris was on the Astros bench yesterday, in uniform. He is supposedly close to being ready to come off the DL and last I read, he is going to pitch Monday. He had one OK start and 1 vile start at AAA. We’ll have to see. I guess Banks will go back down – Chacin is actually valuable. Unlike everyone else in that pen.
But I digress…
And last but not least, the Astros traded forTommy Everidge, a minor league 1B from the Mariners for “future considerations” – which I hope means J.R. Towles, as the Mariners are incredibly short of anyone who can actually catch. I hope the boy gets a new start and tears the cover offn the ball.
But back to Tommy Everidge: he’s 27, drafted by Oakland in the 10th round of the 04 draft and has been killing the baseball at Sacramento. Guess they didn’t like him, for some reason, in spite of his 1.060 OPS in 09, because they let him go, seeing as how all their 1B were killing the ball at the ML level. Seattle signed him as a 6 year minor league FA – and he has suffered in Portland. Maybe Billy Beane really IS a GEEEEENYUSSSS. All his numbers have tanked and he has a .690 OPS over 279 PA this year. Not sure what the Astros plan to do with him as they already have Lead Glove Shelton at AAA and Koby Clemens – still killing the baseball – at AA.
