Goin in style, that’s what I’m sayin’ – or rather, that’s Biggio. He announced that he would retire at the end of the year, 99.9% sure, he said. That was just great. He also said that he would like to end his career playing (against the Braves) an inning catching – sort of a going full circle.
And speaking of going full circle, he won the game for Jason Jennings tonight by taking ex-Brave Rudy Seanez deep for the 4th granny of his career and second this year. Good ol Crawford Boxes. And you know, Biggio, old as he is STILL hustles around the bases. (Anyone see Manny Ramirez hit a ball to center in last night’s AL game – he watched the ball take off, jogged down to first and suddenly realized the ball had bounced off the wall and was in play and so he ended up with a single instead of a double? Biggio has NEVER, not ONCE in the past 20 years done something like that. Carlos Lee ought to be taking lessons in hustle from the Old Master.) My favorite Biggio story is one told to me by a fan of another team – he said that Biggio was up with 2 outs in the 9th and the Astros losing by a good 7 or 8 runs and some mopup guy pitching and Biggio hit a routine easy out grounder to short and ran full speed to first, even though he must have known he’d be out by 10-15 feet. He never gave up and he never gave in. And that is the one thing I admire most about Biggio.
Seemed like old times today – of course, the all-righty lineup with 2 of the 4 Most Hated Astros, Ensberg and Lane back together again, facing crummy lefty Mark Hendrickson – the kind of pitcher who usually shuts out the Astros with a 4 hitter, but has a 5 something ERA against the rest of MLB. Jennings had a rough start to the second inning – HR, walk, single, double – all with no out, leading to 3 runs, but then he settled down and retired the remainder of the hitters he faced for the rest of the game. Best he’s pitched since before he went on the DL – he gotta look good for all those other teams want to trade for him AND he wants that nice fat juicy contract at the end of the year.
The guys fielded pretty well – Bruntlett at short and Loretta not at short helped, of course, and Mo-st Hated Astro drove in 2 runs with a patented Biggio double into the LF corner.
So the Astros are no longer last in the NL. We are actually a game ahead of the Reds and Pirates. Goodness gracious.
And last but not least, happy birthday Barry Bonds. 43 years old and he won’t give up and he won’t give in. And he outlasted Bud Selig, who finally gave in and said he’d go watch Barry break the record – unless, of course, it comes during the HOF induction ceremony this weekend. And why am I mentioning Mr. Birthday Boy? Because I am looking forward to watching Biggio and Barry walk into the HOF together in 6 years. Oh yeah, Barry WILL go in.
Tags: Houston Astros
“with 2 of the 4 Most Hated Astros, Ensberg and Lane back together again”
They’re batting .227 and .160, respectively.
So why is it that most people hate them? Because they SUCK.
I get that you like Bonds and will defend him and all that. But connecting him with Biggio? The man who represents all that is good and holy? The man who ALWAYS played the game the right way (whatever the heck that means)? Ouch.
I wonder how many Biggio sycophants will be flooding your inbox with hate mail after that.
Munson (lefty) was in the starting lineup and went 0-4.
people hated ensberg and lane when they DIDN’T suck. a lot of fans really think that not swinging away at ball 4 and taking a walk instead is a terrible thing and the only stat they value is BA.
and foot speed – let’s not forget foot speed
as for barry bonds vs biggio, well, before i agree bonds has to be PUNISHED for doing roids, i think he has to be PROVEN guilty and a gossipy book by a couple of reporters who have got an axe to grind with barry personally just don’t do it for me.
and biggio is not no saint his own self – i am a female and i got a LONG LONG memory (you know how we are) and like barry, biggio has also mellowed some in his old age
Munson plays when Jennings pitches. That’s not a surprise. First time in a LONG time that he has gone 0 fer, too. Pretty well against lefties up until last night.
As for Barry, good for him. I could give a sh!t less about steroids. It doesn’t make you a good ball player. It’s enhances certain things, like strength. But, he’s got one heck of an eye and has had one heck of a career. Bud Selig is a boob.
Much as I hate to admit it, Skip is right. Munson came in with a five-game hitting streak. And when you only start two out of every five games, that makes for an awfully long stretch. Last time he went ohfer was July 5 against the Mets. He’s batting .375 in July with an OPS of 951.
That doesn’t mean I’m ready to jump on the Munson bandwagon. He’s gotta show me just a little more than a solid 24-at-bat stretch. But, he’s definitely swinging a hot stick for now.
However, I also must say that I find it vaguely amusing that, due to battery matchups, Munson is the only lefty on the team that gets consistent playing time against left-handed pitching. 26% of his at-bats have been against lefties. Meanwhile, just 17% of Lamb’s ABs have been against lefties, and just a pathetic 14% for Scott. This despite that fact that both Scott and Lamb have put up prolific numbers against lefty pitching.
I’m not saying Garner should screw with the battery matchups, because I think that’s more important than lefty-righty matchups. Just something to consider, when the only lefty getting consistent playing time against lefties is the one putting up the worst numbers (if you exclude switch-hitting Berkman, who is just .258 with 1 HR and 12 RBI against lefties).
I love the idea of Bonds and Biggio going in to the HOF in the same class… Two amazing baseball players who couldn’t have been more different in a lot of ways, except for the fact that they both busted their a%$ for 20+ years to earn the right to be honored as being among the best to ever play the game.
Hallelujah Austin – my man. Thank you. I know that was difficult. Ha. Thanks for the number support on that. Don’t expect you to turn the other side YET. LOL. And, we do agree on more than you think. Just a few differences of opinion here and there. No biggy.
I could definitely see the argument for Lamb and Scott to see some more lefties. Why the heck not at this point.
Haha…no problem, Skip. But I should clarify that it wasn’t difficult to admit you were right because it was YOU. It was difficult to admit you were right because it was about MUNSON. I got no problem supporting the people I’ve disagreed with in the past. That’s not tough at all.
hgh will make you a better player, regardless of the strength it gives you. it does improve your vision, concentration and it gives you a feeling of much improved health and age.
i don’t know this because of scientific fact. i know this because my parents took hgh as a health supplement.
Roids are different than HGH. I would take HGH if I could. Keep me good looking longer.
Ensberg is hitting .302 for July.
Lane’s OBP was .500 yesterday, and the first walk is critical — if he makes an out, Biggio never comes up that inning and the Slam never happens — the score would still be tied.
Munson not only went 0-4, every out was a pathetic infield pop up. All four. Three times with runners on, twice with runners in scoring position — and WHO WAS THAT RUNNER IN SCORING POSITION BOTH TIMES? Why, Jason Lane. Hmmm.
“Goin in style, that
“people hated ensberg and lane when they DIDN
That would be cool if he’s the catcher for at least the end of his final game.
BGO had me up on my feet yellin and hollarn at the TV like it was back in the day. That was so cool. Why yesterday though? Why decide to say he is retiring yesterday?
ben
exactamundo. no matter is bonds got bad manners, no matter if he did drugs like a WHOLE lot of other guys did, even with his incredible talent, he worked his butt off his entire life – at everything – hitting, throwing, fielding, not just conditioning.
joel b,
there is exactly ZERO scientific evidence anywhere that HGH injected into a young healthy man improves anything, including eyesight or muscles or concentration. HGH is a prescription injection that costs about 50 grand a YEAR. it is not a supplement. and actually it does not improve eyesight in the elderly neither. there is NO evidence that it makes a person a better ballplayer. heck, there is NO evidence steroids make a ballplayer better.
ok
now to jason lane. has anyone looked up his stats? please do so. 2006 is the ONLY year where he didn’t do well (i mean before the platoon thingy this year) and in fact, fans were SKREEEEEEMING for like 3 years – free jason lane because all he did was hammer the baseball. and steve, if jason lane got into scoring position, he did it because he (shudder) WALKED and that makes him a Very Bad Ballplayer unlike the guys who grounded out to advance him. you need to go larn your own self bout What Is Really Important In Baseball so you might could get a grip on why it is much better to be “scrappy” and “aggressive” and swing away at any old pitch so the opposing pitcher only needs 8 or 9 pitches to get thru the inning. it makes the game go faster and that is What Matters.
as for mo ensberg – last year, low BA and all, he still had an OPS over 800 and had 16 RCAA – more than Carlos Lee will get this entire YEAR. fans might hate players who walk but it does not mean that walks are not valuable. i STILL hope the guy gets traded because the fans hate him so bad that no matter HOW he does they are gonna boo him if he walks or takes a pitch, strike or ball. time for the guy to get a new start.
Rosie,
thing is that i think that NO ballplayer ever thinks he is ready to retire. biggio, he has very little left in the tank and he fer SHER can’t hit away from home. i mean, seriously, look at his stats for the past 3 to 4 years. he was truly a great ballplayer and i am glad i got to watch him practically my whole life. but i think all good things come to an end.
i also think he is not really ready to coach/manage. you have to be able to communicate with young guys and that is not exactly something biggio is known for.
andrew,
about barry bonds – i’m with ben. i couldn’t care less if he did drugs. drugs don’t make the ballplayer. they didn’t turn manny alexander into manny ramirez. i am not happy that barry is singled out and that all the guys who did drugs who have been CAUGHT dead to rights don’t get screamed at and booed and the commissioner isn’t out to get them and the government isn’t spending zillions trying to get them thrown in prison. the more they waste taxpayer money trying to get ONE ballplayer, the more i root for barry.
you see, i don’t think the home run is any more “sacred” than the GIDP record or hits+walks+runs given up/IP record.
“heck, there is NO evidence steroids make a ballplayer better.”
Why would so many players risk their careers taking those things if they DIDN’T think they would help improve them?
Though I have nothing better on my side, I think that’s a very ignorant statement.
Either that, or baseball players who used that stuff are really stupid. That kind of stupidity is almost incalculable.
I don’t care if Lane or Ensberg walk. They’re unproductive in 2007, no matter how you look at it. Lane’s OBP is .190 currently. Ensberg’s is .315.
devon,
yeh, i would really like to watch him play an inning of catcher at the end. seeing as how the last game won’t matter this year anyhow. might as well put on a show.
travis,
i think the retirement announcement for yesterday – it’s the homestand for the last 2 months of the year, basically. i personally think it was timed to make sure that the rest of the homestands this year will draw maximum crowds seeing as how the team is terrible and pence is out – the announcement came the day AFTER pence went down too…
andrew,
why do the guys risk their careers/maybe lives/health taking that stuff? well, it fer SHER makes bigger muscles. and with all the talktalktalk about bones and not a freaking word about alex sanchez, guys are hoping that maybe drugs will be the difference between AAAA and ML. i understand why they think that. especially with all the dissing of smaller ballplayers (think eckstein, pedrioa, any pitcher under like 6’2″ 200) and the constant talk about how ballplayers have to get bigger and stronger.
as for ignorant – what was it bouton said – something like if a ballplayer HEARD something would add 5 MPH to his FB but take 10 years off his life he’d do it. people take all KINDS of snake oil, always have.
as for ignorant, let’s look at a list of guys who have been CAUGHT (so there is no argument about did they use or not) and i’d like you to show me how it helped them at all – and we can start with these 6 guys. or any guy in the minors, for that matter
- manny alexander, matt lawton, alex sanchez, matt morse, ryan franklin, jc romero
i wouldn’t say the ballplayers who used it BEFORE testing were stupid. not at all. i honestly think the vast majority of guys are always looking for some edge, any edge and they aren’t really caring what might could happen in 10 years let alone 30. i think the guys who used AFTER testing were more stupid – especially the guys who used stuff that stays in the body for months – like morse did.
i really think that if all the crummy guys who used drugs got all the pub instead of barry bonds, it would do a LOT more to discourage roid use
and one thing i would really love BGO to do is to come out of the closet and admit to his real height which is NOT no 5’11″ – and he can say – you don’t have to be huge to be good. try to do SOMEthing to counter the steve phillips of the world
The reason those six guys didn’t see any improvement is because there wasn’t much there to begin with. They didn’t start out with the prodigious talent of Barry Bonds.
You can’t build something from nothing. That’s just how it goes. So to argue that steroids do nothing for you based on THEM is disingenuous. The reason those people did it is because they personally witnessed people like Canseco and McGwire (allegedly) using and becoming great players as a result.
But those two had something to build on, despite McGwire’s penchant for being injured. They had the talent to be good hitters, and I would argue that the ‘roids just increased that talent.
The point is, they didn’t get the talent from the bottle. They enhanced their talent because of it.
So what happens if a prodigious, twice-in-a-generation talent like Bonds (allegedly) uses the same substances? You get record-breaking feats that have never been seen or had only been seen once in a generation. I say twice-in-a-generation because I think Ken Griffey Jr. was a better player, before 2000.
To me, it’s just logical that if you’re a no-talent bum, you’re not going to suddenly find talent from taking some supplement, or performance-enhancing substance, or eating more hot dogs and beer. There is no substitute for natural God-given talent. And the only reason Bonds was so good was because he had it. A lot of people will say that he was a surefire Hall of Famer before all this talk about ‘roids. From the stats I’ve looked at and the arguments I’ve heard, I think that’s a logical conclusion.
“The reason those six guys didn
“we got a winner!!!”
Since you were arguing the opposite point, that DOES make me the winner. Heh.
“why only the one HR spike? wasn
BRAAAAAAAAAAAD
last 20 appearances, 22 innings, 1 run, 8 hits, 31Ks.
WHIP = 0.81
ERA = 0.41
12.7 Ks/9 innings
I really want to say he’s not mental. But then he’ll just blow up again.
So I’ll play the cynic.
BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDD
i just luuuvvvvv them mental guys. we could use a few guys as mental as him
your right Lisa i don’t know of any scientific facts, i stated that. coming from a scientific background i also can’t say that one case proves anything.
I am saying what my dad told me he felt as +50 year old man. in fact my mom said she didn’t feel much of a change.
from his experience with it he is certain that it can take u to the next level in performance. ie .280 hitter to .300 etc.
no he didn’t have to pay 50k because he didn’t buy it in the states nor did he use it for that long. but the cost is a problem to be discussed in another blog.
joel b -
1 – the effects of that hormone on a 50+ year old man are not the same as a 25+ year old man. or even a 35 year old man
2 – exactly WHY would injecting that hormone cause a higher BABIP? or even more uncatchable balls?
it might not effect a 25 year old the same as a 50 year old. there isn’t any proof one way or the other.
i didn’t say BABIP. but if it gives you the ability of higher concentration you could hit more balls squarely. that should result in more hits and more home runs. it should improve your defense too by improving reaction times and keeping your head thinking about the right things. if it is keeping you healthy it is increasing your longevity.
that is something else i’ve never heard anyone discussed. about three years ago while in college i took some concerta (a drug designed for kids that can’t study) for an all nighter before a test. once it kicked in i was locked in. it was pretty amazing the level of concentration it gave me.
i think something like that good be an argument for someone getting better grades. hence why its sold for that.
its possible that athletes use that or other drugs with similar properties to get “locked in”/”in the zone”
i think without a doubt in my mind that athletes use drugs to enhance their abilities and that they have benefited from such drug use.
joel -
agree about the concerta and the concentration and this is why i personally believe “greenies” enhance performance and that this fact should be taken very seriously. the guys in the old days took these performance enhancers. just because most fans don’t seem to care if old boy heroes willie, mickey and the duke (and hank too) doesn’t mean these drugs didn’t enhance performance.
in fact, i would think that being able to focus and concentrate would especially enhance performance in baseball – even more than bigger muscles.
but speaking of concentration, there is no published anything i can find (i have had these discussions before) that HGH improved either concentration or eyesight or reaction time of normal people under, say 35. concerta sure as heck does…
i would bet that every serious athlete no matter how great or talented is always looking for some edge. and i understand – really, i do.
“we could use a few guys as mental as him”
Now that you mention it, we DO have a couple just like that.
Their names are Ensberg and Lane.
You mentioned Neifi Perez. He was caught taking greenies, I believe.
well, if ensberg and lane are just as mental as lidge, this would mean they’ll hit like barry lamar 01
and i can handle that
- yeh, neifi was caught taking greenies. and i would bet that a WHOLE lot of other guys been caught too – but your name doesn’t get outed the first time unless, of course, you are barry lamar bonds.
it’s important for MLB to show the ballplayers how much they can be trusted to keep their word
MLB can’t be trusted, and neither can the players, apparently.