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9/5/12: Blogs, Kevin Goldstein And Me. And, Of Course, Wandy

Wednesday, September 5th, 2012

First things first: I welcome all comments (except for politics and religion and swear words) from anyone and everyone. But I absolutely insist that any poster who does not want to post his/her own name NOT use the name of an actual Famous Person, such as a ballplayer, manager, well known FO person, scout, agent, etc. Misspell or change the name, please.

Second, I apologise to Kevin Goldstein for mentally adding him to Steven Goldman (who blogs about the Yankees and other topics) and calling him Steven Goldstein. I know very well who Kevin is, and it was one of those late night, I’m beyond tired, didn’t edit properly things. Didn’t mean to seem like I was thinkin of him as a Yankee fan.

I know that Kevin is a prospect evaluator, and I’ve been reading his stuff since at least 02 or 03. I know he is well thought of and well known. I know that he has many sources throughout the scouting world. I know that besides writing for Baseball Prospectus, he does radio and podcasts, and have absolutely no idea whether or not he had an additional paying job. I doubt BPro made him rich, or paid him like a columnist for a newspaper. Very VERY few people who write exclusively for internet publications and/or books like BPro annual and/or do radio/podcasts make enough money to live on, assuming they aren’t in they mama basement.

But as far as I’m concerned, Kevin is a blogger. Just because he is famous, has multiple well placed sources and is well respected by the scouting and baseball establishment, doesn’t mean he isn’t a blogger. I am not Buzz Bissinger/journalist/TV personality with a lawn kids need to get offn. A writer who writes exclusively for internet, who is not a novelist, a media journalist/reporter or a TV person is, far as I’m concerned, a blogger. In MY OWN OPINION, a writer stops being a blogger when he/she writes for the internet part of a large TV media site – say, Craig Calcaterra. Or Joe Posnanski (at least when he wrote for NBC/Sports Illustrated – not sure exactly what Sports On Earth is or who that site is connected to.)

For those of all yall that asked – well what do YOU think Kevin Goldstein is going to do for the Astros as Pro Scouting Director? Answer is, I can only guess because I know generally how scouting is done in most ML teams, and who knows WHAT the Astros are going to do in the future. My understanding is that there is a team which evaluates the other teams’ major league players in advance of games or to assess tradable talent. There is a team which evaluates minor leaguers. There is a team which evaluates ballplayers who can be drafted before the draft. There is a team which evaluates foreign ballplayers who are not draft eligible. And there is usually a person who is supposed to be head of all those teams. Best I understand, Kevin will be in charge of receiving all reports from all teams. I don’t know if Kevin is going to assemble people, numbers or both. Teams aren’t exactly completely honest about stuff like that, you know. I would ask, but I wouldn’t know how to evaluate the accuracy of any answer I would get.

All I actually DO know is that MLB, in an effort to increase profits for the owners, have severely capped draft spending, which prevents lousy or lower income teams from building through the draft by paying more for better young players. I DO know that Jim Crane has made it more than clear that he is not spending money on the ML team and is not signing free agents (I mean, FA who are actually worth much more than minimum wage/ 1-2 mill a year at most with a 1 year contract.) Maybe Kevin has some new/better way to evaluate pre-draft players or to determine who, from all the minor leaguers foreign and domestic, are better than other people think.

But, no disrespect to Kevin, I kind of doubt it. Otherwise, a richer team would have hired him and paid him more. Money talks.

As for me and the Astros and blogging after the divorce is final on Oct 4, 2012, well, it’s like this: I won’t be following the Astros any more closely than I do the Tigers or other AL team because I don’t  believe that DH ball is actually baseball, but is a different and similar game and I prefer the real thing. I don’t know if, like my Mama, I am going to pick another actual team to root for, come hell or high water. The Cardinals were her girlhood team, and it wasn’t really difficult for her to go back to her lost love, especially with TLR gone.

I asked Husband if I should stop blogging after the divorce. Well, after the WS following the divorce. He got That Look that men get when their woman asks them a question they really REALLY don’t know the correct answer to and really REALLY don’t wanna hear, FINNNNNNNNNNNEEEEE!!!!

He said – any of your gf care about/watch baseball? Are you gonna be happy only talkin baseball to your Mama and her friends, AND are you gonna give up Primer (baseballthinkfactory.org) for good?

My turn to not know what the answer is. After all, I AM a grrrl and I can’t shut up any more than my daddy’s Siamese cat can (no, he didn’t never find the “real owners” not that he looked, mind…) So the answer is that I will almost surely keep writing, knowing me. I guess I’ll get a mlb.tv subscription, yes I know it costs $$$ to watch whatever game I happen to want to watch, if I have time, and I won’t be doing game play by plays most of the time. But truth is, I like saying what I think and I don’t think I am really ready to give up baseball.

And like Joan Jett sez, (she’s badass, I’d don’t care if she’s old enough to be my mama)

I don’t give a damn ’bout my bad reputation 
A girl can do what she wants to do and that’s 
What I’m gonna do 
An’ I don’t give a damn ‘ bout my bad reputation 

An’ I’m only doin’ good 
When I’m havin’ fun 
An’ I don’t have to please no one 
An’ I don’t give a damn 
‘Bout my bad reputation 

An’ I don’t really care 
If ya think I’m strange 
I ain’t gonna change 
An’ I’m never gonna care 
‘Bout my bad reputation 

Oh no, not me 
No no, not me 

Now – sorry about no post last night, was too tired after the game was over.

Question of the night: why, WHY??? in the name of the Church of Baseball is Matt Swearwords Downs playing?? Let alone playing RF?? Seriously, WTF is it about this guy? It ain’t an all righty lineup, so there is no, NO reason to play Downs, let alone in right. Jeezus Gawd. Sometimes, I just am not capable of understanding why an Organization has this inexplicable LUUUUVVVVV for a crappy player (who is not a catcher) just as often as they have this inexplicable hate for a guy who appears to be a very GOOD player. And Matt Downs is there right along with Jason Michaels.

Wandy pitched great – 7 innings – 4 singles, 1 walk, 7 K. The curve was a thing of beauty. Not sure why he was pulled after the 7th as he didn’t look even a little tired and was at only 89 pitches and was throwing a shutout. Sad to note that this is only his 10th W – he hasn’t tended to get more run support as a Pirate than he did as an Astro.

Yes I wore my Wandy shirt. Yes I will keep wearing my Wandy shirt. No, I’ve never seen any other person wearing a Wandy shirt. I like being innovative.

Jordan Lyles wasn’t terrible, but Tyler Greene allowed 3 runs to score – one was a dead easy groundball hit right to him in the first that was, for some reason I don’t get, scored a “hit” and the other was in the 5th, when Froddy was called in to face a lefty???!!! yes, you read that right, and got an inning ending easy pop fly to short that Greene let drop and new third baseman Brandon Laird (yet another Yankees reject) almost got too near – 2 runs scored. Not that it mattered because Wandy was nails and Lyles let 3 other runs score his own self and that would have been enough.

So we’re staying nicely behind in the race to the bottom. Or is it ahead – and those stupid Cubs are refusing to Win, now that the Rox have finally gotten it together with their new “starting” rotation in which every guy gets 75 pitches, then is pulled. If it works for them, I’m for it – this way, they stay away from our record. And hopefully, a prospect/prospects better than Mark Appel and his Boras fueled demands will magically appear before Draft Day.

 

 

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Posted in Wandy Rodriguez | 4 Comments »

7/28/12: Armando Galaragga Doesn’t Lose, But Fernando Rodriguez And The Astros Do

Saturday, July 28th, 2012

Fernando Abad was sent down today. Enerio Del Rosario and Aneury Rodriguez (who has a 6+ ERA at AAA) were taken off the 40 man and are now just playing at AAA. No one else wants em, for good reason. Not sure why we do. We added one of the Cards triple A rejects, Chuckie Fick, RHP age 26, and his 4.68 ERA/1.49 WHIP and 4.25 K/9 rate to the ML roster. Luhnow picked him up because he drafted him when he was with the Cards. This is like Ed Wade with the Phils/Phil Garner with the Tigers. Geez.

The place is almost full – guess it’s say goodbye to Wandy – night. Nah. Most people are here for the after game concert. Most Astros fans have absolutely no idea how good he was and for how long. He won’t be missed, except by me.

1st – Armando Galarraga trots to the mound wearing Happ-less’s old uni #30 and I hope it isn’t a bad omen. Sterling Marte Ks. Alex Presley hits an upper deck homer on the second pitch. McCutchen pops up, Garrett Jones hits a FB down the middle 420+ feet, Maxwell runs it down onto the Hill, catches it and then drops the ball as he trips over his feet (I absolutely HATE that damm Hill) and it goes for a triple. Jones hit the ball even further than Pressley did. Walker flies out to the LF bullpen.

Pirates 1 Stros 0

Wandy walks onto the mound in a Pirates uni.

I thought I would cry, but I don’t. But that’s like me. I haven’t cried at funerals, ever – somehow, even though I’m saying goodbye, it takes me a while to realize that they’re really gone and gone forever. I’m sure it will hit me and hit me hard sometime this winter that my favorite players have gone and my baseball team is dead. Hating the murderers doesn’t do anything because dead is dead. Revenge is a dish best tasted cold, as my daddy sez and Nolan Ryan proved, but even the pleasure of watching Nolan’s sour face as ex-Stro Lance Berkman beat his Rangers out of a WS didn’t do anything to cut the pain.

Astros go 1,2, walk to CJ, 3

2nd – Mondie?? Rahggie? finds a slider and gets flyout, then 2 swinging Ks. Wandy walks Maxwell. Still not sure what to call him – Maxie? Then Bennie Francie walks, too. Bixie, playing SS (uhoh) sac bunts em over. Corporan better squeeze. But no, RBI single men on first and third. Mondie gonna squeeze? I don’t think so – looks like he doesn’t know how to bunt. And he Ks swinging on 2 curves. Altuve strands em.

Stros 1 Bucs 1

3rd: Wandy grounds out, Sterling Marte hits a ball to shallow center that Maxie-poo makes a great running catch on. Remembering the 05 team and how Willy-T absolutely couldn’t make a play like that – could NOT come forward. You know that the pennant winning 05 team got shutout EIGHTEEN times?!  Pressley walks. McCutchen grounds to CJ.

Downsie-doo flies out (hope it’s him that Steven Pearce is replacing. Remember when Pearce was gonna be the Next Big Star for the Pirates? Didn’t work out real too good but he can play first or corner OF and Downs is teh sukc.) CJ hits a solid liner right at Neil Walker. Julio Daniel walks, Justie-poo lines out to short.

I was wondering why we aren’t calling up any actual young players, then realized that – hey, we can’t do that until September because otherwise we’d have to pay them, so it’s Old Guy retreads for us.

4th: Mondie hangs a slider and Neil Walker hits an upper deck homer. Otherwise, it’s 2 grounders and a K.

Pirates 2 Stros 1

Wandy gives up walk #5 but that’s it.

5th: Mondie gives up a single but strands him. 75 pitches. He better pitch all 9 he wants to be sure.

Astros have 5 walks, ONE hit so far. So Altuve singles, Downsie-doo gets an IF single to short. CJ flies out to center, Altuve on 3rd. Julio Daniel pops up to short right. Justie hits a fly ball to the corner of the RF bullpen that Pressley doesn’t get – 5 more feet and it woulda gone out and it’s a 2 run triple. Francie grounds out.

Stros 3 Bucs 2

6th: McCutchen singles. Millsie-poo out, but Mondie stays. Garrett Jones grounds to Downsie-doo, who tries to make a cute throw from his knees and his throw hits McCutchen in the back so no outs, men on first and second. Good bye Mondie. Well, you know this bullpen, so there goes the game and most likely, those runs gonna score. Wandy isn’t dumb – he knew all he had to do was hold on until bullpen time.

Wesley Wright out. Neil Walker hit by 0-2 pitch, bases loaded, nobody out. Alvarez chops one in front of the plate for a DP – out at home and first. He’s left (hahaha) in to face righty Barajas and first pitch hits Corporan on the hand – passed ball (JD says he was expecting a breaker and Wesley threw a FB). Tie score. Too bad Corporan hadn’t thrown to 3rd for that DP out. But he pops up to short right and Altuve makes a great sliding catch to end it.

Stros 3 Bucs 3

Wandy back out. Groundout, K. PH Scott Moore in – he’s a LEFTY (no righty PH) and he hits an IF single to second that Walker can’t make a clean play on. Jose singles to center. Men on first and second, 2 out. Pirates manager doesn’t even think about pulling Wandy because he knows that Downsie-doo sucks and sure enough, he pops up.

Thank goodness there are 3 more innings left to play because we haven’t won an extra inning tie game this YEAR.

7th: Chuckie Fick in to pitch. Could he possibly be worse than Rhiner Cruz/Enerio Del Rosario? We’ll see. Barmes singles. Wandy sac bunts. Then nice sliding catch by Maxwell. Then a groundout.

Well, Wandy won’t win, but he won’t lose neither.

RHP Chris Resop and he gets 1,2,3.

8th: Fickie back out. Since he’s already Chuckie, is he Fickie anyway? McCutchen walks. Single to right and it’s first and 3rd, none out. Millsie-poo out. Chuckie out. So much for him being a 2-3 inning long reliever. Froddy coming in. Walker pops up. Alvarez Ks. Barajas lines a single to left, McCutchen scores the winning run and Garrett Jones is out at 3rd on a 7-6-5.

Pirates 4 Stros 3

Froddy gets another blown save and goes to 1-9. At least I’m assuming he will, because the Astros are highly unlikely to come back against Brad Lincoln.

Bennie Frannie pops up. Bogusevic in to PH and he Ks. Corporan hits a bloop single to center and Schafer pinch runs – which really is bout all he is any good for. Scott Moore up and Schafer steals on the first pitch. Moore pops up.

9th: Wilton-ie Lopez in – should we call him Tunnie? He gets 1,2,3 out.

Jason Grilli in to close because Hanrahan is unavailable. Doesn’t matter – he gets 1,2,3 out.

Twelfth loss in a row and we are almost halfway to the ML record of 23 straight losses (since 1900).

sigh

Altuve gets his 36th multi hit game, Astros make 3 really nice defensive plays and also don’t get shut out.

Oh yeah – Chuckie Fick is not better than the guys he replaced.

Tomorrow, it’s Lucas Harrell, now the staff ace, vs James McDonald. Lucky 13.

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Posted in Fernando Rodriguez, Wandy Rodriguez | 5 Comments »

7/25/12: Lucas Harrell Is Excellent, Coco Cordero Sucks And Astros Lose

Tuesday, July 24th, 2012

Just found out that the Astros are paying the Pirates 12 mill to take Wandy. Jeezus – that’s next year’s salary. For the Pirates’ 8th ranked prospect – the AA OF, not center fielder. And the 2 A ball leftys. 12 effing million.

Well, they’ll have a payroll made up of pre-arb guys next year.

Yeah, I know – ooooooh, all the A ball prospects who are gonna be on the team in September. We already GOT a team full of A ballers. Yeah, I know – these are YOUNGER A ballers.

Jose Altuve had his 38th multi hit game. We should get tons of A ball guys when we trade him and then we can have Jimmy Paredes. Yeah, I keep hearing that Altuve is high up on the trade list. Right next to, believe it or not, Chris Johnson. Of course, Altuve also got CS and failed to turn a 5-4-3 DP, which led to a run scoring. But he’s the best player we got left on the team. Jeez.

Marwin Gonzalez didn’t have a good night neither – getting thrown out at third on CJ’s bloop popup to CF, hitting into a 3-6-3 DP.

CJ had 2 lucky singles – that bloop pop into center and an infield squibber off Aroldis Chapman that wasn’t fielded well. Sometimes you’re good, sometimes you’re lucky.

Justin Maxwell hit a 2 run homer into the Crawford Boxes and reached on error – but he’s certainly better than Jordan Schafer, whose time really REALLY has gone. Couldn’t even lay down the bunt. He’s hitting his ML averages in BA/OBP/SLG, his SB% is 74 and he’s not a particularly good fielder. He’s striking out 95/325 PA. Cmon – at least Bogu can field really well. And run bases better. And don’t bring up Michael Bourn (who, by the way, is 11th in the entire NL in offensive WAR) and his first year and low BA because Michael stole more bases and was a Gold Glove out there – he NEVER dogged plays the way that Mary Jane does.

sigh

As for Coco Cordero – please. He can’t close his eyes. We faced him for like 3 YEARS before we ever beat him. I know who he WAS. And who he IS is cooked. 1 run lead – long flyout, single, 2 run homer = BS/L, groundout??!!, walk, WP (and yeah, it really was and not another passed ball the umps blame the pitcher for), another walk, RBI single. Crappy stuff, crappy location – and it wasn’t the ump (except for one ball 1 that shoulda been strike 1). Call up one of those million dollar A ball pitchers we just traded for.

Bud Norris goes tomorrow. He better pray that he gets a 15 run lead.

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Posted in Jose Altuve, Wandy Rodriguez | 5 Comments »

7/24/12: BREAKING NEWS: Wandy Has Been Traded

Tuesday, July 24th, 2012

Brownie and Deshaeis just announced it – they think it’s to the Pirates.

I knew it was coming, and it hurts just the same.

Further news as I hear it.

UPDATE: for a Robbie Grossman from Cy-Fair, a AA outfielder hitting .262 and 2 A ball LHP, Colton Kane  and somebody Owens.

sigh

I’m just numb.

Wonder who is gonna replace Wandy – Brownie and JD are talkin bout Armando Galarrhaga, who hasn’t pitched even as well as Lyles in 3 or 4 years. This means Wandy will be pitching against US next weekend.

ANOTHER UPDATE: on BBTN, they spent 10 minutes talking about how Greinke MIGHT get traded, then something else, then 20 seconds on Wandy getting traded, then back to speculation that Hamels MIGHT get traded. I hate BBTN. They avoided talking about the Astros when we were good.

We now have a baseball team without any major leaguers. Maybe Lucas Harrell. He left the 7th leading 2-1. The probability the bullpen won’t blow it?

Not much higher than zero. Froddy and Wesley are warming up.

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Posted in Wandy Rodriguez | 7 Comments »

7/23/12: Chris Johnson Has A 4 Hit Game AND A WEB GEM

Monday, July 23rd, 2012

We’re 2 fer 15 in July – thought I’d say SOMEthing positive in the headline and trust me on this, there ain’t real too much positive to say.

Wandy didn’t have any decent stuff when he came out for the first, but kept the damage limited. Groundout, single, bloop popup single behind second that naturally nobody managed to catch. Then an RBI single to left and a lineout.

Reds 1 Stros 0

Astros go 1,2,3 in 10 pitches.

2nd: Wandy comes back out – groundout, walk, K, flyout on 15 pitches.

Chris Johnson, leading off, singles to center. Hey, we won’t get no hit!!! Then Ben Francisco, playing LF, singled to center, but right in front of Stubbs and it’s men on first and second, 1 out. Schafer pops up to third. Snyder, batting .175 (and they groused about Towles and Quintero?) Wandy pops up leaving bases loaded. I was hoping for a granny, but hey, the Astros don’t hit for spit with bases loaded so why should Wandy be any different?

3rd: Single, swinging K and a stolen base, Ludwick hits a ball to the LF bullpen, Francisco ambles out to get it – reminding me of Clank and that’s not any sort of compliment. Then K, walk, pitch down the middle for a RBI single, men on first and third. Wandy’s having a tough time throwing strikes, hard to hit strikes and the curve doesn’t look real too good. Hanigan walks on 4 pitches. Jeezus. It’s like it’s 06 again – and it’s not the ump not giving him anything – those pitches are not in the strike zone. He better get the *(^&*#! pitcher out now. And he Ks, leaving bases loaded.

Reds 3 Stros over

Altuve reaches out for a bad pitch, grounds to short. Uck. Marwin and Moore K swinging.

4th: Wandy looks sharper: 3-2K, 2-2K, single, groundout.

Luhnow has joined Brownie and JD, talking about how much they think of the great prospects they got in the trade from the Jays and White Sox and Marlins. He sounds exactly like Ed Wade. These guys all say the exact same thing about how “excited” they are and what a great job their scouts have done. Yeh. The one thing he does say that DOES interest me is that he stated that the Astros have freed up enough money for next year’s payroll that they don’t HAVE to trade Wandy. Keep a guy getting paid 10 mill? Yeah, surrrrrrre…

Back to Brandon Barnes – the Astros drafted him in the 6th round of 05 – he’s one of OURS – putting it all together this year, at age 26. He had a .938 OPS at AA in 14 AB, and a .925 OPS in 184 AB at AAA. He’s the ONLY guy who Luhnow himself started talking about. Brownie brought up Wallace and Paredes and Hessman (34 year old AAA lifer) and Luhnow said – oh yeah, we’ll see them sometime or other this year. Well, I think that tells up plenty bout what they think of Wallace. Why on earth they prefer Downs, I don’t get.

shrug

CJ singles again, this time to right. Jasom Maxwell flies out to almost the exact same place in right. Francisco singles to left again. Schafer grounds out to first, as Luhnow is praising AAA center fielder Brandon Barnes, saying he’s a major leaguer. they IBB Schafer and it’s Wandy with bases loaded 2 outs again. And he pops up again, leaving bases loaded.

I do NOT wanna hear how this is what the DH is for.  The pitcher being a lousy hitter is part of what baseball IS. Just like you don’t have the batting practive guy come in and pitch to guy in a slump in the middle of a game. Or let some LOOGY face the tough lefty then the same pitcher comes back in.

5th: Frazier hits an easy GB to Altuve, who drops it. And after that missed catch from Marwin yesterday (called just an error yesterday which started Lyles on a fast downhill slide into ickiness. I SWEAR I typed this a second before Brownie said exactly that.) Rolen flies out. CJ makes a fantastic diving catch on a liner. Then a groundout.

Altuve singles up the middle. Marwin hits this pop bloop just behind 3rd that spins into the corner and it’s men on second and third no outs. At least today we’re hitting the #)*(@!ing ball.

Latos apparently landed wrong on his left foot, trainer out, he’s going to go back. Just as I’m thinkin he tripped over those stupid long pants, Brownie says it. The guy is reading my mind, TWICE. Scares me.  Moore with a RBI groundout. HEY! We won’t get shutout!!!! We’re the worst hitting team in the majors, but surprisingly, we haven’t been shut out very much. RBI double off the RF bullpen fence for CJ. Maxwell singles to center – it’s a flyball, not a grounder so CJ can’t score and it’s men on first and third, 1 out.

Pitching coach out. Latos tells him to get lost. Francisco Ks swinging as Maxwell steals second. They IBB Mary Jane to get to Snyder. giggle. And Snyder pops up. THIRD time we’ve left bases loaded tonight.

Reds 3 Stros 2

6th: Cairo ROE – CJ bobbles the ball, a sharp bounced ball. 3 easy flyouts. Francisco really reminds me of Clank out there. sigh

Reds have the best bullpen in the NL and second best in the ML. Great. Jose Arredondo, RHP out. Bixler into pinch hit, grounds out. Altuve grounds out. Marwin walks and is then caught stealing. What is this with Marwin? He’s not a base stealer, never has been!

7th – We’ll see how the bullpen does NOW. Wilton Lopez out. Groundout, single thru the 5.5 hole. Rolen doubles him in. Single to center, men on second and third. Groundout to third, Rolen out in a rundown. Jay Bruce up to PH, Wesley Wright in – and he better not let these 2 runs score like he did last night. But he gives up a single and in trots 1 run, men on first and third. Enerio Del Rosario came in, gets a flyout to left – Francisco makes a diving out.

Same ol suckumongous bullpen

Reds 5 Stros 2

Lefty Bill Bray in. Moore grounds out. CJ singles. A FOUR hit game!!! Same LeCure in. Maxwell Ks, Francisco lines out.

8th: Enerio Del Rosario back out. K, double off the scoreboard, steal of 3rd, RBI single.

Jeezus this is tiresome.

RBI double off the LF bullpen. This new sidearm delivery ain’t workin. The pitches are either way the heck off the plate, or nicve and fat. Then a K ???!!! then a walk. Enerio out, Abad in.

Hanigan hits a liner to Maxwell in left, now, he gets it, and throws home – he’s got an arm like Juan Pierre – the throw dribbles up to the plate and the run scores. Pathetic.

Reds 8 Stros 2

Le Cure back out. Schafer Ks swinging on a pitch in the dirt. Snyder singles – NOW???!!! Whatever. Bogu walks. Altuve walks. Bases loaded, 4th time tonight.

Lefty Sean Marshall in: Marwin hits into a FC, but the run scores. Hey!! Whaddaya know – we actually managed to get a run in with bases loaded. Miracles happen. Downsie-doo in for Moore. Like that matters – and it takes 9 pitches to get him out, but Downsie he goes. Why he’s still on this team I don’t know.

9th: Abad back out. Cozart singled. K, then a nice diving catch by Francisco in left. Ludwick, a righty is up, so Abad gets pulled, We’re losing 8-3 and we need to waste a pitcher? sigh. In comes Rhiner Cruz. Double to left for Ludwick, men on second and 3rd. Frazier lofs an easy FB to center.

Marshall back out. Cj makes an out forst time today. Maxwell pops up. JD Martinez in to PH. He singles a bloop over short, goes to second on DI. Schafer Ks.

Can we please have an end to the Schafer Experience, the Matt Downs Experience and at least TRY some of the minor league relievers? Like NOW????!!!

Tomorrow, it’s Harrell vs Mike Leake (and who knows which Mike we’re gonna see – the ace or the BP guy? youneverknow)

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Posted in Chris Johnson, Wandy Rodriguez | 16 Comments »

7/7/11: Astros Get Lucky And Break 9 Game Losing Streak

Saturday, July 7th, 2012

First pitch of the game, Schafer hits an easy fly ball to center, CF Carlos Gomez lets it go under his glove as he slides, for some reason, it’s not an error and he ends up on third – and for ONCE, it’s a good thing that Clark threw up the stop sign because Schafer really would have been dead at the plate.

Jose Altuve watches a ball, takes a strike, then hits a dribbler to Hart, Playing first instead of lefty Travis Ishikawa. Hart underhands it to Grienke, who tags first at the exact same second as Altuve who is safe, tie goes to the runner. Greinke has given up 1 pitch on what should have been an error, and if he had been lucky, a 3-1. So he, with his back to first, spikes the ball AWAY from the ump and is instantly tossed. Either Greinke said The Magic Word(s) or the ump really acted like a complete and total ass. Even JD said so. I mean, I could understand if the ball was spiked in the direction of first, but it wasn’t.

You talk about LUCK. A pitcher who absolutely KILLZ the Astros gets tossed after 4 pitches/1 run for expression of frustration. Unbelieveable. In comes Livan Hernandez, mopup man and the guys must have taken it not just like a reprieve from death row, but release from prison,  period.

Stros 1 Crew zip

So Livan kept em from scoring for 2 innings while Wandy lay down the zeroes and then Scott Moore led off the 3rd with another homer, not near as long as the one last night, to the right of the RF bullpen of some sort of 80 MPH “fast”ball – Livan throws a change offn his change offn his change and curves of all speeds. Which was a good thing because he made 2 really REALLY bad fielding errors (and you thought CJ had a problem?). But I’m getting ahead of myself.

So Julio Daniel Martinez singles. (By the way, I’ve noticed that the original JD, Jim Deshaeis, has recently started calling Mr. Martinez “Julio Daniel” – coincidence? I think not.) Jed Lowrie FINALLY sends a fly ball to right that Aoki, the RF can’t catch, Julio Daniel scoresall the way from first, Lowrie is standing on second, no outs. You’ll be sayin – yeah, but we’ve seen this before and there he’ll stay like a sack of cement. But THIS time, CJ hits a fly ball all the way to the RF warning track and Aoki doesn’t have the arm to nail Lowrie at third – accurate, but not hard enough. Jason Castro hits another fly ball all the way to the warning track and Lowrie scores easily – Aoki can’t throw hard enough to throw home, neither. Bout time Astros caught the breaks.

Stros 3 Crew zip

4th inning, Livan is out (guess he can’t go more than 3 – either that or the Brewers manager figures this is still a winnable game and all, seeing as how Wandy has already thrown 58 pitches and he’ll get to get into the lousy bullpen. So Wandy Ks looking, Mary Jane Schafer singles to center, then steals second. Altuve walks – number 17 on the year!!! Talk about luck!!! Moore flies out to the RF wall and Aoki, although he is in good position when he makes the catch, can’t throw hard enough to get Schafer out at third. (I’d better shut up or he’s gonna throw out 3 guys tomorrow.) Jose breaks for second with Julio Daniel up, the Brewers catcher Maldonado (hey, LuCroy has to have SOME off days) throws the ball into center and Schafer scores. Julio Daniel grounds out

Stros 4 Crew 0

Bottom of the 5th, in comes Randy Wolf to relieve – it’s his throwing day, I guess. First relief appearance since 2001 (yes, I looked it up.) Jed Lowrie hits a ball which bounced off the SS’s glove and was, for some reason, NOT called an error. Remember what I said about luck? Then CJ hits a blooper which falls just inside the RF line and it’s men on second and third. Jason Castro hits another flyball to the RF track and Lowrie trots home.

Stros 5 Crew 0

Top of the 6th – Astros make THREE errors. Aoki Ks swinging. Moore pulls a Buckner with Braun’s grounder. Aramis Ramirez singles to left. Castro lets a ball clank off his glove (even JD is now saying this a LOT – it’s not just me) and runners move up. Wandy is trying not to look pissed and Castro goes out to chat. Hart walks, bases loaded. Broakie-poo goes out to the moung, as Froddy is warming up (oh no.) Rickie Weeks hits a PERFECT double play ball bouncer right to Moore at third. He juggles it, can’t step on third, let alone throw to first, and Braun scores. Bases loaded 1 out. And you thought CJ is bad? Jeezus, even he would made THAT one.

Stros 5 Crew 1

Wandy is yanked and Froddy comes in. He gets batter #1, then he throws a pitch in the dirt that Castro doesn’t block (JD agrees with me that he should be able to block a pitch like that) and another run scores. Yeah, unearned, but runs are runs, earned or not. But Froddy manages to get that out too when Scott Moore actually manages to catch an easy popup and Astros had better pray the bullpen can hold on to a 4 run lead.

Stros 5 Crew 2

7th inning – Wesley Wright comes in, gives up a single, gets 2 outs, then Brandon Lyon comes in (Moore comes out and 8-Mill comes in for DR) for righty Braun, but gives up a single to him but gets Aramis. He stays in for the 8th, and Corey Hart leads off with a nice bunt single to third that 8-mill can’t get. Weeks get HBP, then Lyon gets the next 2 outs without letting runners advance.

Fernando Abad comes in to face PH Ex-Stro Cody Ransom, who hits a ball down the LF line inside the bag that 8-Mill doesn’t get (not, mind, that I’m faulting him, just pointing out that he sure as heck isn’t making any Brooks Robinson plays, let alone out-fielded CJ.) and Hart trots home.

Stros 6 Crew 3

So naturally Fernando is pulled and naturally Millsie-poo plays musical manager because he can’t trust Abad to pitch to Carlos Freaking Gomez, so he calls in Enerio Del Rosario, RHP, and naturally, Gomez is pulled back and lefty Travis Ishikawa goes in to PH, but pops up to Lowrie.

Hey Millsie-poo, you see that??? A righty got a lefty out!!!! Can you believe it??? Shocked, I’m sure.

The ol WB comes in and gets 1,2,3 out. Guess he DOES want to get traded all right.

What a game – 2 errors by the Brewers called hits for the Astros hitters. 4 errors in one inning for the Astros only lead to 2 runs. And best of all, Greinke tossed before he could kill us as usual. Kind of deflated the Crew.

I’d guess the scouts who came in to check out Greinke – naturally, he’s a big time trade candidate, or at least there sure is a whole lot of talktalktalk about it – are all KINDS of furious. I wonder if he even wants to go to one of the NY teams, or Boston. He’s supposed to be mental, you know, or something, and the media there is not, um, nice.

Then again, they DID get to watch Wandy. I was very pleased that JD pointed out that over the past 3 years, Wandy has the THIRD best ERA in the NL for a lefty, right behind Kershaw and Hamels. I would bet that if he went back 4 years, he’s be in the top 10, if not top 5.

Tomorrow, Jordan Lyles will face RHP Marco Estrada. Marco has had 5 relief appearances but no starts against Houston. He started this year as a reliever, but was moved into the starting rotation mid April, mist most of June, and has now started 8 games and has lasted 5 innings in each, except for the one in which he was hurt. He has a 4.32 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP (homeriffic, not walks.)

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6/26/12: Brandon Lyon Loses It In The 10th And Kip Wells Returns

Tuesday, June 26th, 2012

Yet another game in which Wandy pitches lousy and manages to not lose. 5 runs/6.2 IP  He might could get traded, but he won’t get sent down. I notice that although Wandy isn’t walking many this year, he isn’t striking out many, neither. He went from one of the top 10 to one of the not top 10 – maybe he doesn’t want to get traded.

Bud Norris is DEFINITELY coming back to the team, actually even gonna start, sez the team mouthpiece, but they don’t know who is going to go down. They are going to HAVE to send down SOME pitcher because the bench ALREADY has 2 guys who can barely play because they are not healthy and 1 guy who stinks.

Hmmmmmm, maybe Wandy doesn’t WANT to get traded..

But the interesting news is that the Padres Organization is so short of pitchers that they are starting the likes of Ross Ohlendorf. And tonight, I read that “Wells Returns”, well of course, I thought they meant DAVID Wells, who, like Jamie Moyer is 49, and most likely in significantly worse shape. But no, it’s homeboy Kip Wells, the White Sox first rounder in 1998, traded to the Pirates for Todd Ritchie (one of the Pirates very few trades they won resoundingly – and I don’t mean just dumping salary) as Kip gave them 3 decent years of starting. But he slid down to join the rest of the team in uncaring suckage-hood, and he finally got to cost more than minimum wage and was traded to the Rangers for Jesse Chavez – man that guy has been around a LONG time – but did worse there.

He started 26 games for Saint Looey in 07, but the ol Dave Duncan magic couldn’t revive him and he posted a 5.70 ERA. I had thought that was it for him, after he came to Astros Spring Training and failed to get anywhere, but no, he pitched 37 innings for the Rox and Royals in 08 and 72 innings for the Nats and Reds in 09.

He pitched in the indys last year and this year, signed a minor league contract witht he Pads and he has thrown 7 games over 38 innings with a 4.97 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP. He’s giving up 10.8 hits/9, walking 4.7/9 and striking out only 3.6/9 – which very seldom translates into success in the majors.

The Astros ballclub last faced him in 09 – first vs the Nats in relief – 1 ER/2.2 IP, then vs the Reds at the end of the year – then he started for the Reds in Sept giving up 4 ER/6 IP.

He’s always pitched a little better at the Box than he has in his overall career numbers: 4.56 ERA and a 1.45 ERA over 67 IP – 69 H, 9 HR, 29 BB, 49 K.

I guess we’ll be facing Moyer next.

And before I forget, congrats to Jason Castro for hitting the game tying run (Froddy gave up a 2 run homer in the 8th to someone you’ve never heard of to give the Pads the go-ahead run. Too bad Lyon couldn’t hold it.

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6/14/12: JD Martinez Hits First Career Grand Slam To Help Wandy Beat Giants

Thursday, June 14th, 2012

Wandy wasn’t great, again, but he was good enough to win, especially after Matt Downs (solo homer) and JD Martinez (grand slam) staked him to an early win. I’m not sure exactly what is different about him this year, but he’s striking out a LOT fewer guys, only 6/9 IP down from his career average of 8+ and his walks are way WAY down, to 2/9 IP from his usual 3.1/ 9 IP, and he’s giving up more hits, 9.5 up from his usual 8.5 – not sure why. Seems it started in his game against the Rangers, the best hitting team in baseball – he gave up 10 hits over 6 innings, but lost because the Astros didn’t hit for spit.

This game was not particularly impressive – not a single 1,2,3 inning.

Wandy The Average is here and Wandy the Ace hasn’t been seen for a month. But he’s had good luck at avoiding losses in which he gave up 7 and 9 runs because the opponent was just as bad. Ah well, he’d best pick it up if Luhnow is gonna get anything for him at the deadline.

Which reminds me – it will shock me, and I’m tough to shock – if Luhnow ADDS any salary, other than some guy earning minimum, to the roster. Crane still wants to dump the big 3 salaries, you know. The only guy on the ML roster I’ve heard they refuse to trade is Jason Castro. Don’t ask me why him.

Where was I?

I checked out the strike zone last night for Happ vs Cain – a good deal of Happ’s problem is that he couldn’t get any strikes on the outside corner called, and the ump had an Eric Gregg zone for Cain, especially as the game progressed. Yes, really. And this afternoon, Barry Zito ran into that same strike zone problem. He started by trying to get out Altuve by pitching up and away, hit the corner, couldn’t get strikes, so Altuve walks. It shook Zito enough that he couldn’t hit the outside corner AND he couldn’t get the knee high strike either, and he walked Bixler – of all people. Finally, he couldn’t get ANY pitch ANYWHERE near the strike zone with Lowrie, walked him on 4 pitches. So then he decides to try the high inside strike and he gets the call, so he tries again, but it catches too much of the plate and Julio Daniel, in yet another slump (not counting yesterday) hits it out.

And he’s 5 down, and Zito is MAD because very next strike is a called strike on the outside corner. Maxwell is a free swinger, and swings 2 pitches outside the zone for strikeout. Then CJ comes up and flails at 2 pitches, BOTH outside the zone. That’s called getting yourself out. Which put some life back into Zito and he breezed through the next 2 innings, giving up 2 infield singles and no more walks. Oh yeah – and getting the outside strike, too.

Wandy only got one strike on the black and none at the knees. Then again, he actually did throw way too many pitches out of the strike zone. He got 5 outs on pitches out of the zone though, which is good. Not sure what happened to his command he had earlier this year. I always suspect pain.

Tomorrow, it’s stupid interleague again, now at the Hotbox in Arlington. I hope they win, just to see Nolan Ryan’s sour expression. I hate that man beyond words for destroying my baseball team.

Jordan Lyles faces Yu Darvish, who seems to be Matsuzaka v2 – walks a LOT of guys even on low walk teams like Seattle and Oakland and hopefully, our swingin boyz will use some sense. Then again, Jordan is facing the best hitting team in the ML.

Saturday, Jordan Lyles faces a brand new callup from AA named Justin Grimm, a 23 year old righty who was the Rangers’ 5th rounder in 2010. You know how the Astros Organization keeps braggin on our suckage from AA they got in trade?

Check out Grimm’s line (and compare it to, say Oberholzer et al, at your own peril) 13 GS over 77 IP: 65 H, 3 HR, 14 BB, 67 K: 16 ER/20 R: 1.87 ERA/1.17 WHIP. Oh yeah.

Sunday afternoon? It’s Colby Lewis vs Bud Norris, macho man, who threw a bullpen today. Sprained knee? Sprained hip? Cmon, what could happen?

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Astros Homer To Win First Road Series Of 2012

Monday, June 11th, 2012

This team hasn’t won a road series since like a year ago.

Let’s see – 2 out of 3 times, the hitters hit well enough to overcome lousy relief pitching. None of the 3 starters pitched great. Wandy wasn’t the previous 2 games terrible, but he wasn’t the same guy who just shut it DOWN the first 2 months – 3 ER/5.1 IP – 9 hits, 1 walk, NO HR.

Jordan Lyles pitched great for 4 innings, but got go himself so rattled by 2 errors to start off the 5th inning that he just couldn’t – shall we say – get a grip, and with Chris Sale, who by the way, is REALLY good, on the mound, that was the end of the game right then and there – all that was left was for Rhiner Cruz and Wesley Wright to give up lots more runs. We have an 8 man bullpen and they’re all very tired.

I should note that something is very wrong with Rhiner Cruz – he didn’t pitch between May 31 and June 7 – he’d given up runs in 3 of 16 appearances. In his 2 June appearances, he’s given up NINE runs over 1.2 IP. Both games were total blowouts, and he contributed mightily to them. I know that there is some kind of virus going around the team, and maybe he’s sick, but he could hardly throw the ball on Saturday

Lucas Harrell pitched decently yesterday – went out to start the 8th inning (see my previous sentence about tired bullpen) but gave up a single after an out and Wilton Lopez gave up a 2 run homer to let it score.

What was really remarkable was the numbers of homers flying out. I remembered The Cell being the Coors of the AL (next to Rangers’ Ballpark) but 13 homers over 3 games is unbelieveable.
Game 1, Bogusevic, Lowrie and Brett Wallace hit homers. Sox had none.
Game 2, Sox hit 14 singles and a solo homer, 3 walks, 2 ROE and a sac -fly. Lowrie had a solo homer
Game 3, Astros had FOUR homers: Wallace, Maxwell, Altuve and JD martinez. Adam Dunn, Paul Konerko and Orlando Hudson all hit homers, only 1 off Harrell.

Speaking of Brett Wallace – he’s played the very best I can ever remember him playing. This time, he doesn’t seem to be on a short leash – I mean, choke collar. Every other time, seemed that management couldn’t WAIT to bench him against leftys and replace him with Carlos Lee the second he had any struggles. He’s playing better Up Here than he did at AAA. He looks like a different guy and there just might could be life in the guy yet. Only thing he still can’t do is run fast.

I wonder what they’re gonna do with him. We all know they’re DESPERATE to dump Clank and save at least a couple mill, seeing as how the draft basically doesn’t give compensation for other teams signing FA any more. But they have pimpee 1B Jonathan Singleton at AA and you know they don’t want to waste him or trade him.

I would guess that there is a possibility that they would trade Chris Johnson – was gonna say how incredibly much better he has been with the glove this year, and he is, in spite of the 2 errors he made in the last 2 days that led to runs. but that is just because he was felling so sick, right? Anyway, he’s a LOT better than other Ml third basemen out there and there is definitely trade interest. Not sure that Brett Wallace has the glove to play third, but then again, there are more than a few guys at third who don’t have the glove to play third. And please don’t bring up Jimmy Paredes (literally) because he absolutely stinks with the glove.

And while we’re on the subject of stink, someone needs to explain to me why Jonathan Villar is the Astros’ 4th best prospect when he can’t hit and can’t field. And has anyone noticed how we never hear Jio Mier and Junior Deshields being loudly pimped any more?

Day off today, then we’re off to San Fran – I absolutely hate those late start games.

Tues: Bud Norris vs Madison Bumgardner, LHP: faced him twice last year: lost one at the Box – 7 R/6.2 IP and won the other in San Fran with 1 run/6.1 IP. This year he’s pitched 12 games over 80 IP with 74 H, 18 BB, 62 K, 8 HR, 29 ER/33 R, 3.26 ERA. 1.14 WHIP.

Since coming up in 09, Bud has pitched only once vs the Giants, and that was in San Fran 2 ER/7 IP with 3 hits and 1 walk.

Wed: J Happ vs Matt Cain, RHP (one of those great pitchers who Just Doesn’t Know How To Win). Matt was a first rounder in 02 and has been worth every penny he’s ever been paid – he just hasn’t had nearly enough run support. Faced him once last year – great pitchers duel betwen him and Bud – gave up 2 ER/8 IP and their bullpen eventually lost – right after ours almost lost. Faced him twice in 2010: won the first game with 3 ER/6.2 IP and lost the second game with one of his 3 bad games that year – 7 runs/2.2 IP. (By the way, you talk about great post-season pitcher – zero earned runs over 3 games).

This year, he’s pitched 12 games over 86 IP: 65 H, 18 W, 82 K, 7 HR: 23ER/ 27 R: 2.41 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP (!!!!!)

J Happ has pitched 2 games vs the Gaints since being called up in 08. Really. 2 starts, 6 innings each, one at San Fran – 4 H, 4 W, 2 R at Phone Park last August.

Thurs: Wandy vs Barry Zito (who, as usual, is starting off the year well. Well, hadn’t remembered that he missed almost all of last year) so Astros haven’t seen him since 2010 – he won one game with 3 ER/7 IP and lost the other with 5 ER/4 IP) and it will be interesting to see which leftys get to start.

Wandy, believe it or not, has never pitched in San Fran and has only faced the Gaints 4 times since being called up in 05. Really. He’s thrown 4 games over 23.2 IP with 26 H, 12 BB, 18 K,1 HR, 9 ER/16 R. Last faced them last August at home, 5 H, no runs/8 IP. Of their current roster, only Angel Pagan (.215) and Ryan Theriot (.297) have had more than 10 AB against him. Aubrey Huff is 3 fer 7.

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5/29/12: A Day To Un-Remember As Astros Lose Doubleheader To Rox

Tuesday, May 29th, 2012

What is memorable about the twin bill is that it existed in the first place, as doubleheaders are considered by players AND owners to be something bad. And it’s certainly NOT a 2fer 1 the way it was in the OLD days. And me, I would have LOVED it -that is if we were visiting relatives in a location where FSSW shows the Astros. Trouble is that OUR star rookie is Jose Altuve, not Bryce Harper, and Jose Altuve is not going to bring in those eyeballs the way Bryce does until he starts hitting a few more homers. Bryce already gots himself a reputaion as A Guy Who Really Hustles Like Bitgod, which brings on the admiring, fawning media. Jose isn’t any less of a hustler or a take-the-extra-base-when you’d-never-expect-it guy, byt then again, he doesn’t play on the East Coast and wasn’t pimped to the heavens. Then again, Andrew McCutchen DOES play on the East Coast and is just as good a player with just as much hustle, hitting and baserunning skillz and somehow, he’s kind of lost in the shadows. So to speak.

Where was I?

Oh yeah – Wandy had a simply DREADFUL first inning – couldn’t get the ball down, everything was being hit HARD out to the wall, over the wall, and he managed to not walk anyone and to last 5 innings, but that is about the only good thing you can say. He should have thrown a LOT more outside pitches because the HP ump was calling everything 3″ outside the zone as a strike, and naturally, wasn’t nobody hitting that kind of pitch. Either Jason Castro didn’t catch on fast enough, or Wandy couldn’t throw it outside well enough.

Jordan Lyles didn’t do real too much better, and it’s a GOOD thing today is an off day because of course Millsie-poo played revolving relievers both games and those guys must be TIRED – well, not Myers because he only threw 6 pitches before losing.

I would guess that Lyles is staying up because SOMEONE has to pitch on Sunday, but youneverknow, they might could call up Aneury again even though he’s pitching badly at AAA.

Enerio Del Rosario had already been sent back down – he’d been used a lot and wasn’t real too particular good, and David Carpenter was called back up even though he’d only thrown 5.2 innings over 4 games, giving up 2 runs.

Speaking of callups – best I can tell, no one has yet been called up to take the released TJ Steele’s place on the AA roster – last night’s game had one of the two guys who play 3B out there in RF. I wonder if they are going to bring up George Springer, who is OPSing .914 at Lancaster in 194 AB. Only reason I’m wondering is that Lancaster is Hitters Heaven and it is a lot tougher to hit in the Texas League. Or so they say – you should see the ERAs of the Hooks starters – all over 5 now.

Tomorrow, back at Coors, it will be Lucas Harrell, who has been good lately but has never personally experienced the thin air of Denver while trying to get sinkers to sink (ahem) vs Christian Friedrich, the Rox first round pick of 08. He was called up May 9, has started 4 games, going 6,7,5 and 5 innings. He faced Cincy, giving up 7 hits, 3 run in 5 IP; Padres (a BAD team) 5 hits, 1 walk, 2 R in 6 IP; San Fran – 6 H, 1HR, 1 R, 1 W, 10 K in 7 IP. ALL Away games. Only home game, he faced Seattle, another BAD team, gave up 9 H, 4 BB, 8 ER in 5 IP.

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