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Would You Root For The San Antonio Astros Or The Houston Blue Jays/Athletics?

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

Everyone knows by now that since Nolan Ryan bought the Rangers, that he plans to claim the Austin/mid-Texas region as Rangers territory by putting the Rangers AAA franchise at RoundRock and casting Draytie-poo to the winds. We can keep Corpus for our AA team – not that there is much of any population there, you know. The Astros will end up in either Oklahoma City – which is mostly filled with Cardinals fans and a few Rangers fans, or Nashville, which is apparently so awful that Milwaukee wants out.

Isn’t THAT peachy.

Forget Portland – the Beavers are no more, as the baseball stadium is now the home of a soccer team and Portland is not about to give one dollar of public money for any sports stadium.

Not sure if Drayton even tried to renew the player development contract BEFORE the Rangers had known money troubles, but we’re in BIG trouble now.

You might could say – what about San Antonio, but they already have a AA club and the owner has NO interest in selling and they have a nice secure contract with the Marlins.

And Drayton is trying like heck to sell the team (don’t guess that either he wants to sell to Mark Cuban or that Mark Cuban wants to buy the Astros) and since Jim Crane of Houston changed his mind, Drayton has to find someone else. And so I hear tell, the someone else Drayton has found is some guys who want to move the team to – get this – San Antonio (I guess the AA guy would get paid off or Selig would force him to leave somehow, not sure how).

As you know, San Antonio has no major league stadium, so the public would have to be screwed into coughing one up or, even worse, the new Astros owners would have to (gasp, shudder) build their own as the Giants and Cardinals did. And if any of all yall remember, the Marlins tried to use San Antonio to blackmail Miami-Dade into giving them billions, and it didn’t work. San Antonio has a large population, but most of them are not exactly the sort who happily cough up hundreds of bucks to trot off to a baseball game. And there is no large corporate base, neither.

So the point of moving the team there would be???

The fan base would be, like, who? They can’t even fill the AA stadium. OK, it’s not in the north (rich) part of town, where I hear tell the New Guys would want the stadium (here and I thought stadiums were supposed to be these magic things that “revitalized” a downtown and brought in $$$).

But I hear tell that Bud Selig wants 3 ML teams in Texas and really wants to get the Blue Jays out of Canada – so much for globalization of baseball, eh? Or punish Oakland for not being richer and not forking over billions to the billionaires for new public transportation lines and a stadium (because God Forbid that he gives San Jose back to the Athletics who had it until 1992).

We have a lot of MILES here in Texas, but support for THREE major league teams? Heck, there’s barely enough support for 2 – and the only reason that the Rangers are getting as popular as they are is because Nolan Ryan is there and people are nuts about HIM – don’t give me the stuff about the winning team – there was barely ANY interest in the late 90s when the Rangers were winning big – they were around 1000x more interested in which Dallas Cowboy belched and when, even in the offoffoff season.

Who in Houston would shrug and say – Astros/ Jay-A’s – whazza diffrunce? Not me, that is fer SHER. I know that all the kids school groups/church groups/business groups would still come all right because they don’t know the difference between a baseball and a basketball anyway. But actual FANS? Please.

It would, of course, make more sense to put a team where the population and $$$ is – namely Brooklyn or NJ – but there is absolutely NO way that MLB would do anything to take either money or attention away from the Yankees – they WANT the Yankees to win every year and have these gigantic payrolls – it makes money to have the globetrotters/generals. And Bud couldn’t care less about what happens in some unimportant part of the country – unless of course, that part of the country won’t force its taxpayers to be blackmailed by (censored) politicians into forking over huge amounts of $$$ to billionaires.

And of course you know that due to blackout rules, couldn’t none of us follow the Astros if they moved to San Antonio and naturally, FoxSports would show the new team.

So tell me, WOULD anyone shrug and cheer for the new team? Would anyone go to see the new team in San Antonio?

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In Which The Astros Run Out Of Relievers Who Can Get Guys Out Or Not Walk Them And Lose To Mets In 14 Innings

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

The hitters had a really tough time with RA Dickey’s knuckleball – but I’m not throwing stones, because so does the rest of the ML. After all, the guy has already thrown two 1-hit games this year.

But Michael Bourn got on base immediately with a single up the middle and I thought – well, at least we won’t get no-hit. Then Angel Sanchez hit what looked as if it could have been another single up the middle, except it hit Dickey’s glove and deflected straight to the second baseman, who then had an easy 1-4-3 DP. Pence walked, Clank hit a dribbler to third that couldn’t be fielded, but CJ, who had his second in a row hitless/no reaching base/no driving in runs game. He also GIDP in the 4th with El Perezoso on first – I liked the way that he didn’t even bother to try to run to second to even think of trying to break up the DP but just peeled off for the dugout about half way down…

GASB!!!
I guess it’s time to put Feliz back in, hunh Ed? (yeah, sar-chasm…)

It was also a very, uh, er, INteresting (ahem) game as it was Cowboy Joe West, the Ultimo Prima Donna of Lousy Umpires behind home plate – and his strike zone, as usual, was both nebulous and unpredictable – both Astros and Mets pitchers and hitters – uh, um, “asked” where the pitch was more than a few times.

Astros FINALLY managed to get enough hits to string together to get a run in the 8th – Q singled, pinch hitter Michaels singled, Bourn sac-bunted, then Angel Sanchez hit a single up the middle hard enough for Castro, pinch running for Q to score, but Michaels, unfortunately, had to be held at third, as he doesn’t exactly run like Bourn/Pence. And neither Pence nor Clank could get him home.

Blum hit his first home run of this year to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th and Jerry Manuel IMMEDIATELY pulled him. (Over ONE flat knuckleball??? The guy looked as if he could stay out there and throw another hundred pitches. But I digress….)

And then it became the Battle Of The Relievers for both sides.

And I would like to know why Mills is so allergic to having his relievers pitch multiple innings if they cruise through one with a lowe pitch count (yes, I know that Lyon blew up the other day after 1 quick inning, but really, that is ONE guy, ONE inning…)

So Melancon pitched a 1,2,3 quick 8th with 11 pitches, then Byrdak pitched a quick 1,2,3 9th – ok, 17 pitches there, then Lyon came on for the 10th and ran into trouble. You note he is having trouble getting 1,2,3 out lately, right?

Anyway, Reyes singled, Pagan bunt-singled (a perfect one, too,  just past the pitcher’s mound on the 3B side and no one could get to it in time – and someone needs to tell CJ that he comes in too far when he goes to field bunts.) Wright was up and I thought – oh noooooooo, but he flew out to shallow left (the boy is in a bit of a slump over the past few weeks and the NY media, who for some reason hates him, is screaming about how the team needs to trade him and get A Real “Leader” who, naturally Knows How To Win – or something.) Then, with Jackal at the plate on a 3-1 count, Reyes and Pagan pull off a double steal. Quintero is steaming.

Out comes Arnesberg, and they put the Jackal on. I usually don’t like intentional walks, but Lyon was having more than a bit of trouble finding any umpire’s strike zone and Arnesberg knows only too well how much the Jackal likes hitting in this here park. And I hate bases loaded, only 1 out, because unless there is a popup in the infield or a K or an EASY GB, usually at least 1 run scores. But lefty Davis hit the ball down the 1B line and Wallace, very smartly, instead of going for the DP, fired the ball home to get Reyes for a FC. Then Francoeur flied out. And believe it or not, that was only 20 pitches.

Lyon, by the way, has already thrown 56 innings, and he usually throws about 70/year and we haven’t even hit September. He’s thrown 11 innings this month 0ver 11 appearances and he usually throws 12-13 innings per MONTH and here we are only at August 19. So I can go along with not overusing him right about now.

Lopez came in and threw 2 quick and easy 1,2,3 innings – except for giving up a seeing eye single to David Wright, who hurt his leg or back swinging – I think – and was removed for pinch runner Mike Hessman - with 20 pitches. Fulchino pitched the 13th, giving up a single and a walk. With Lindstrom unavailable, the only reliever remaining was Gustavo Chacin, who coughed it up.

Walk to Reyes, sac-bunt. Steal of 3rd, walk to Mike Hessman, hitting less than MY weight (this is bad, BTW), then an intentional walk to the Jackal to load the bases. With 1 out, again. I hate this, ESPECIALLY when the pitcher is having trouble throwing strikes in the first place.  I know they are hoping from a GIDP from Ike Davis, but Chacin hasn’t done anything but walk hitters and give up a sac-bunt. So Davis naturally hits a sac-fly and there goes the ball game.

The Astros managed exactly ONE hit off 6 innings worth of Mets relievers and if you can’t hit Manny Acosta and Elmer Dessens – not good.

Am I allowed to say, at this point, that I am seriously doubting the ability of Jason Castro to hit ML pitching? And yes I most certainly DO want to give him the rest of the year.

Matt Lindstrom was put on the DL to rest his back – WHYYYYYYYYYYY can’t they do this in the first place???? as it seems to still be bothering him – DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH – and called up lefty Fernando Abad, who has so far this year thrown 6 good innings at AAA over 5 appearances. He also threw 39.2 innings at AA with a 2.50 ERA (including 4 games started) and a 1.36 WHIP – low BB/9, 7.5 K/9, 10.9 hits/9.

Tonight it is Bud Norris. It ain’t the Pirates he’s facing, but I’m still hoping to see that filthy stuff he threw, just so I can say he threws filthy stuff, not just that he gets Pirates out, just like everyone else in the league.

He faces lefty Pat Misch, who was drafted in the 5th round of the 02 draft by the Astros (who prolly lowballed him because he didn’t sign – what a surprise) – then signed after being drafted by the Giants in the 7th round in 03. He was called up in 06, has been a swingman/long reliever/spot starter with a career 4.67 ERA/ 1.46 WHIP.

The Mets picked him up on waivers June 09 and he filled the same role – reliever, spot starter, and threw 59 innings of 101 ERA+ ball with a 4.12 ERA/ 1.37 WHIP. His numbers are slightly better as a reliever than a starter, which is pretty much true with almost every pitcher.  This year, he has spent mostly in AAA and has thrown one start, 6 innings, given up 1 ER.

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8/7/10: Astros Outhit Brewers And Lose

Saturday, August 7th, 2010

Randy Wolf is a lefty, so naturally, Brad Mills posted an all-righty lineup. He is seriously into platooning – not sure how Wallace or Bourn are going to learn to hit ML leftys if they are benched in favor of heavy hitters like Pedro Feliz.

Anyway, Bourgeois was playing center, and he’s a very good OF, but he is not Michael Bourn. So Rickie Weeks hits the 3rd pitch of the game, a FB right down the middle, off the top of the CF wall. Bourgeois jumps for it, misses, the ball caroms off and by the time he gets to it, Weeks has long since crossed home plate – and he didn’t even really turn on the jets until he was almost at second. Then Corey Hart hit the very next pitch to the gap in left for a double.

I thought – this is a BAD omen.

I was right.

And it wasn’t just plays not made or errors, but runners not driven in – the 6th and the 9th were the only 1,2,3 innings:

Pence and Clank left 1 on in the 1st, 2 on in the 3rd; CJ and Q left 1 on in the 2nd; in the 4th, Feliz left 1 on and Q and the pitcher left 2 on; in the 5th, Clank and Kepp stranded runners on first and third; in the 7th, Bourgeois singled with 1 out, then Mills had Sanchez use up a precious out by bunting him over – the guy is hitting 300 fer chrissakes!!! then Pence and Lee doubled and Kepp stranded Clank (Kepp did a lot of stranding today too); in the 8th, Blum pinch hit and grounded out, then CJ doubled off the top of the wall, then PH Castro struck out against a LOOGY, then pinch hitter Michaels grounded out.

Bagwell needs to work some kind of magic on Q – since the ASB, he’s 3 fer 27 with 3 singles and a walk.

And tomorrow, it’s the littlest lefty, Wesley Wright trying to beat ace Yovani Gallardo; we faced him on June 29 and somehow managed to get 4 runs off him, but he beat us anyway, as usual. Let’s hope that Wesley can keep up that lefty magic (and that Lindstrom doesn’t go out there and pitch BP again…)

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Three Astros Minor Leaguers Busted For (Supposed) PEDs

Saturday, August 7th, 2010

I was checking up on the stats of Danny Meszaros, our 48th round pick in 08, who has inexplicably against all odds, especially in THIS Organization, made it to AAA as a relief pitcher. I saw that he was on the inactive/suspended list and was shocked, wondered why, then found out that he, along with AA players SS Marcos Cabral and Catcher Jonathan Fixler tested positive on a drug test for a substance called methylhexanamine. (Rehabbing pitcher Chris Blazek was suspended last week without any public explanation – as of yet).

I was wondering why on earth guys are being picked up for this stuff – as a LOT of guys have been suspended for this substance this year, and one of the Oakland Athletics’ minor leaguers is formally protesting, as he states that this substance is apparently part of legal, OTC supplements and its name is not listed as an ingredient.

I never heard of it, didn’t sound like any sort of steroid, so I checked the Wiki. This stuff is a nasal decongestent (like Afrin). Seriously. It apparently is a naturally occurring substance in geraniums. Geranium oil, or “flower oil” is, at this time, apparently considered a natural supplement/food and is added to OTC supplements. It is supposed to be some sort of minor stimulant – not up to ephedrine – and apparently looks something like some other sort of banned stimulant. It is part of News Zealand “party pills”, apparently – which may or may not, uh, enhance (ahem) athletic performance.

I have a very hard time with this adding absolutely ANYTHING which has any resemblance whatsoever to some other sort of banned substance to a banned list, ESPECIALLY if it is not ever listed on the ingredient list of legal OTC supplements OR any list handed out to any player in any level of pro baseball. This silliness is most likely a consequence of the infamous THG, which was actually not labeled or identified as a “steroid” at the time it was (supposedly) administered to Barry Lamar, The Most Evil Man In The World, who spoke the truth when he said he never took a steroid – at the time he (supposedly) took it, it was NOT legally labeled as a “steroid.”

I will note that this “slippery slope” stuff with steroids stops at pregnenolone and progesterone, both of which are direct precursors of testosterone, for the simple reason that neither has any sort of anabolic effect on any muscle besides the uterus. Just as no male is going to take a uterus-growing chemical to improve HIS baseball performance, no baseball player is going to take a “party pill” to improve his, either. You will notice that caffeine, taken in ANY quantity, has not been banned from OB. It is reasonable to demand that any substance which could be called a “stimulant” be proven to be at LEAST as stimulating as caffeine. Unless, of course, it is banned because its side effects are toxic – that is, more toxic that caffeine.

Personally, I think that the overhysteria about “supplements” is an extension of the BITGOD (back in the good old days) Syndrome – translation – well, Lou Gehrig and Stan Da Man didn’t work out or drink or smoke or chew tobacco or eat/swallow anything but food that every other person ate and nothing should change whatsoever since that time.  Of course, these people have no trouble with ballplayers having career saving surgery or lasix on their eyes to improve their baseline vision - instead of having to stop playing baseball as they did BITGOD.

It is bad enough that steroids can no longer be used UNDER A TEAM PHYSICIAN’S SUPERVISION (meaning that they are administered by them and levels monitored) to heal injuries and speed up recovery time FROM INJURIES, as these are well documented MEDICAL uses of those chemicals. It is bad enough that asthma medications, used by people with long standing asthma, are banned from some sports. But insisting that any substance with any sort of passing resemblance to some other banned substance also be banned without first having to demonstrate that that substance has any effect WHATSOEVER, is ridiculous. ESPECIALLY if it is concealed in a naturally occuring product which is neither on the nono list or specifically labeled as such.

These guys are now permanently labeled as Bad Guys who “cheated” and this is not right.

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7/31/10: Astros Trade Deadline Passes

Saturday, July 31st, 2010

I know that done deals can be announced later, but Fast Eddie has turned down multiple offers for the ol Wifebeater and for Brandon Lyon (so much for he can’t be moved) and for Pence.

So far it is just Roy and Lance, who was traded for Mark Melancon, a AAA pitcher, who apparently Fast Eddie thinks is the reincarnation of Brad Lidge 04/08 – not sure why he thinks that seeing as how if he is this closer material NOW, why on earth the Yankees didn’t call him up to be The Bridge To The Mariano (now that Joba has failed and they have no obvious 8th inning nail it down guy) and 21 year old Jimmy Paredes, an A-ball second baseman/SS.

Let’s take a look:

Mark Melancon, a 25 year old righty, was drafted in the 9th round of the 06 draft by the Yankees. He rose like a rocket and was in AAA 2 years later, where he threw 20 innings of 2.70 ERA ball with a HR of 0.5/9, BB 1.3/9 and K 9.9/9 IP.

He essentially duplicated those numbers last year over 53 innings and had a brief callup to the ML club last year in which he threw 16.1 innings over 13 games, with a 3.86 ERA with 7.2 H/9, 5.5 WALKS/9 and 5.5 K/9.

Trouble is that this year, those humongous high walk numbers have persisted in AAA: 3.69 ERA, 1.69 WHIP!!!!! over 56.1 IP, and his hits/9 have increased 75% from his career numbers to 10.1/9, his walk rate is 5.0/9, although his K rate is unchanged at 9.3/9 IP.

It’s the hits and walks I’m worried about – and if AAA hitters won’t swing at stuff off the plate, ML hitters aren’t gonna, fer SHER.

I don’t see Brad Lidge, I see Stephen Randolph with more walks.

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7/21/10: Relievers Manage To Hold On Long Enough To Sqeeze By C*bs

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

It was a pitching duel for 11 innings with the score tied 1-1.

Berkman/Clank/Pence all went ofer – as in didn’t even reach base, didn’t score any runs, didn’t drive in any. A sorry performance. And Clank did his usual lollygagging after a ball to left and did such a terrible job of getting it and throwing it back that Ted Lilly, the PITCHER, scored from 1B. Clank’s gone from 2 tool to no-tool, as someone said.

Bourn didn’t start (lefty), and Bourgeois went 1 fer 3 with a SB. Angel Sanchez stayed in the 2-hole and again went 3 fer 6 – and it can’t be because Berkman is exactly “protecting” him. Sanchez is now hitting over .300 and Tommy Manzella just might not get his job back – except that Sanchez isn’t really much of a glove man and I’m tired of guys playing short who are crappy fielders. Yeah, I know, everyone else is sick of anyone playing SS who doesn’t hit .300.

Quintero had a lousy day – ofer and a passed ball.

Kepp went 2 fer 5 (still in the 6-hole) and CJ went 1 fer 4 with a run scored.

Lindstrom came in to relieve in the 8th inning – gave up a single, but got 3 outs. He came back for the 9th (stunned shock – imagine a reliever, especially a CLOSER pitching more than 1 inning!!!!! Chaos!!! Cats and dogs living together!!!!!) So naturally, he made it, uh, interesting in the 9th. Gave up a single, got a K, then another single, then a flyout. And then, with men on second and third, Mills pulled him – no I am not kidding, brought in Byrdak, who got the lefty out.

Mills pulls his CLOSER because he doesn’t think he can get a lefty out as well as a lefty reliever.

Should I mention, at this point, that Lindstrom, Lyon and Byrdak ALL have WHIPs over 1.50?

Anyway, Lyon comes in for the 10th and immediately makes things, uh, Interesting (ahem) – gives up a double, a FO, an IBB, a walk, a K, then a FO. In the 11th, a single, a sac-bunt, an IBB and 2 FO.

After the Stros score 3 in the top of the 12th (Jason Michaels drives in the go-ahead 2 runs with a double, then Angel Sanchez drives him with what turns out to be the winning single) Chacin comes in to try to nail down a 3 run save (Majewski already being returned to AAA after his 4 run inning last night) and immediately makes things, uh, INteresting. Yes, this IS a recurring pattern…

He gets 2 quick outs, then gives up a walk, then a homer. He gots 1 run left to go and an empty bullpen. So naturally, he can’t just get the last out – nooooooo. He gives up a single (and out trots Arnesberg, reminding him that he can join his bud Majewski ANYtime he wants, or he can get this last out here. So he gives up a 6 pitch walk, then the last blessed flyout.

Man, the C*bs are as bad as we are this year.

Tomorrow, a blessed day off.

Oh yeah – Fast Eddie picked up 2 guys off the scrap heap – Nelson Figueroa, a righty pitcher who pitched some for the Phils this year, pitched for the Mets last year, and has been around a LONG time. He’s 36, was drafted by the Mets in the 30th round of the 95 draft. Somehow, he’s only pitched 403 ML innings – and for 5 different teams. He threw 36 innings for the Phils this year – 1 start, 12 games in relief, with a 3.46 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, .220 BAA – which is considerably better than his career numbers of 4.47/1.43/.269.  He’ll be taking the Moehler swingman/long reliever role, I’d guess.

sigh

This year’s bullpen is really missing Alberto Arias and Sammy Gervacio (both hurt) and the 2009 version of Jeff Fulchino. Along with the pre-ASB/pre-injury Sampson.

Also, we now have a new utility infielder, Anderson Hernandez. Oswaldo Navarro was sent back down, which is just as well, seeing as how it was more than obvious that someone didn’t want to play him, for whatever reason. He’s a 27 year old switch-hitting SS, claimed off waivers from Cleveland, where he was hitting .246/.270/.295/.565. He was originally signed by the Tigers out of the DR (and he’s a lil guy, too – they SAY he’s 5-9 which means he’s prolly David Eckstein size) and traded to the Mets in 05 for Vance Wilson.

The Mets gave him 18 AB in 05, 66 AB in 06 and 3 AB in 07, and let’s say he wasn’t really up to ML pitching. He was in AAA in 08 when the Mets traded him to the Nats for Luis Ayala and he hit VERY well in the Nats’ lineup – 81 AB – 10 BB – .333/.407/.383 (I mean very well for HIM, don’t be picky here) and returned to earth in 09 – 281 AB, .252/.310/.322 – and in August, was traded back to the Mets for a minor leaguer. He posted virtually the same numbers in 135 AB.

He was picked up on waivers by Cleveland in March 2010, and this year, had only 61 AB.

He has a .711 OPS vs rightys and a .586 OPS vs leftys. What is very interesting is that he always hit worst at any home stadium – .386 OPS at Shea, .454 in Cleveland and .565 at Nationals Park.

His career away OPS is .759 over 275 AB.

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Kevin Cash Is Traded To The Red Sox For AAA SS Angel Sanchez

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

Well, I guess that Oswaldo Navarro is headed back downstairs.

 Not that we needed Kevin Cash – will be interesting to see how his limp bat and lousy glove skillz do back in the ALeast. Yes, I know he’s been there before, but he’s older and worser…

But we are going to get Angel Sanchez, a SS who has a couple of crappy ML ABs and has a minor league line this year of .274/.348/.327/.675  over 233 AB. He has a lifetime minor league line of .279/.332/.385/.678 over 9 years and 3187 AB. He’s going straight to the 25 man and is joining the team in San Diego tomorrow.

We’ll see how long this guy lasts. At least Navarro can field.

Here and all yall were complaining about Tommy Manzella…

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6/24/10: Astros DL Manzella And Paulino

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

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.

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6/23/2010 – The Astros FINALLY Beat The Giants

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

Sorry no entry last night – personal stuff happened. Will discuss last night’s and today’s game later.

Let’s hope Wandy gets his stuff going and Oswaldo Navarro is playing short instead of Blum and we FINALLY beat Matt Cain, too.

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Posted in Astros baseball | 9 Comments »

6/17/2010: In Which Umpires Set A Precedent By Deciding To Overturn A Call Based ONLY On The KC Manager’s Protest

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

First, I want to say that Anthony Lerew looked really good (and yes I know who he was facing) and it just might could be that the Braves made a mistake in not sticking with him juuuuust a bit longer. He had had a lot of arm troubles, and hadn’t pitched well for 5 years, and then KC picked him up, had him mostly in AAA last year, and this year, at age 28, he’s good.

He was a little shaky the first inning, gave up 2 runs, but then he found the strike zone and didn’t let go. He gave up a walk and a single to Cash and a very hard hit ball by Michael Bourn which went to the warning track in deep left center, where DeJesus made a Bourn-like running catch. I haven’t really heard real too much about DeJesus from the national media – I guess because he plays in KC, but he is most definitely All-Star quality.

But what I really think was the most amazing thing today is that I saw for the very first time EVER, a manager protest a call and umpires reversed a ruling BECAUSE THE MANAGER PROTESTED.

No, I am not kidding.

Here’s what happened. 5th inning, man on second, 1 out. Batter hits a looper to Blum, playing short (and no, he is no Manzella.) The second base ump ruled it a catch (even though it really DID hit the ground first) and then Blum, seeing the ump clench his fist, walked over to second to double up the runner. LODP, right?

wellllllllll

Ned Yost, the Royals manager, protested, the Royals players refused to leave the field after the Astros walked off, and Tim McClelland, the crew chief, had all the umps confer. The rest of the umps ALL said they hadn’t seen the play well enough to tell, but because Yost said he saw it different from the dugout, the umps decided to change the ruling of the second base umpire.

No, I am NOT kidding.

So they decided that Blum would have thrown to first, not to third, where the runner would have been a dead duck, ands then decided there would be 1 out, not 2.

Now it is true that the second base umpire was wrong and the ball really DID hit the ground before Blum caught it, so I’m not complaining about that. But I am worried that this will set a precedent about umpires reversing calls ONLY based on manager protests, not based on what other umpires did or didn’t see. Are we going to have every close call turn into a complaint to the ump – regardless of whether the call was actually right or wrong? TLR is gonna have a FIELD day and this is NOT going to end up any better than this game did for the Astros.

And no, this reversed play had nothing to do with losing – Mills keeping his starter in too long again until he had thrown so many pitches that he gave up a losing home run to Scott freaking Podsednik – THAT was it.

That and the guys not hitting again. You’d think that the Royals had the best pitching staff and bullpen in the majors…

Back home tomorrow, where Wandy faces the Rangers. At least there is no *(#%@! DH. I hope Wandy gets his stuff together and finds that curve ball again.

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Posted in Astros baseball | 13 Comments »

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