Dear World,

So it's saturday and we haven't got a post up in awhile. No need to fear, we'll be back tomorrow with pictures and insights from the Astros v. Express game, as well as an throughly well thought out, well researched, article. Until then...toodles.

Love,

Evan and Stephen

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If only it was always this easy

Since all the Astros expected to be on the major league club are leaving tonight to return to Texas for an exhibition game against Round Rock, today marked the last time our boys will be playing in the Sunshine State this spring. The exceptions being Fernando Nieve and Matt Albers, who are scheduled to pitch along side the Astros AA team against Detroit on Thursday. That being said, the Astros finished strong, beating the Yankees 12-2. Possible long relief man Brian Moehler started and looked to be on top of his game, giving up 2 runs on six hits in six innings of work. Our backstops did a good deal of damage, as Humberto Quintero and Eric Munson combined for five hits, five runs and 3 runs batted in. Luke Scott chipped in with a homerun in the fifth inning off of Yankee starter and former Washington National, Darrell Rasner.

I really don’t know what to say about the positive performances from Sampson last night, and Moehler tonight. Hopefully it’s a sign of good things to come, but it, like today’s game itself, should be put in proper perspective. While both men looked solid, Moehler is a career journeyman who at 36, is not an attractive candidate to insert in the starting rotation. As for Sampson, despite the struggles of Wandy, it is my opinion that Garner sees this as his year to break out, much to the detriment of Chris Sampson. However, with the rotation still up in the air, anything can happen.

House Keeping

The Astros made some moves prior to their Wednesday game with the Yankees. The biggest pieces of news seem to be:

-P Brandon Backe and C Hector Gimenez were placed on the 15 day DL
-Charlton Jimerson was granted a release from the team. He had been demoted to AA Corpus Christi, but asked to be released rather than sent down
-Eric Bruntlett and Eric Munson stand out as two of the more familiar Astros on the roster bubble. We expect Bruntlett to granted an outright release if he does not make the squad, and for Munson to stay in AAA if he doesn’t hang on as a C/1B

Everyone keep your fingers crossed that the rain stays away from Round Rock tomorrow night. Stephen and I have tickets 10 rows up on the third base line. Fairly even with third base. If anyone has any suggestions as to words of encouragement to give the boys, we would be happy for ya’ll to send them our way.

Now then, let’s take our tour bus to the Midwest…

AL Central:

Cleveland Indians

2006 Record: 78-84

-After injuring himself in his first start of last season, can C.C. Sabathia be the rock that their starting rotation needs in order to compete for the Division title?

-The Indians paid $14 million for free agent OF’s Trot Nixon and David Dellucci. Will these signings pay off for a team that devoted that much money to 32 and 33 year old players with zero upside?

-Will the additions of closer Joe Borowski and set up man Roberto Hernandez be enough to shore up a leaky Indian bullpen?

Chicago White Sox

2006 Record: 90-72

-Aging outfielder Scott Podsednik saw his numbers across the board decline in 2006. Will he be able to regain the form that helped the Sox win it all in ’05?

-Will Jermaine Dye and Mark Buehrle come through in their contract seasons?

-How will the team generate runs, other than by the home run, which accounted for 42 percent of their total runs scored? (source: SI)

Detroit Tigers

2006 Record: 95-67

-Injury prone regulars, Carlos Guillen, Magglio Ordonez and Placido Polanco need to stay healthy this year for the Tigers to contend in the deep AL Central. Will they?

-After throwing 186 innings in his rookie year and closing August and September with a 5.88 ERA, can Justin Verlander avoid the injury bug as well and build on his 17 win season?

-Will the combination of Gary Sheffield and Jim Leyland bring a title to the Motor City, like they did in Florida a decade ago?

Minnesota Twins

2006 Record: 96-66

-Who will step up for the Twinkies as a viable number two starter behind Johan Santana? Boof Bonser showed promise in short stints last season, and rookie Matt Garza can touch 100 mph with his fast-ball but can they find the consistency needed to produce?

-The entire starting lineup should be the same come opening day. How close do they come to reproducing a season in which they led the majors in hitting at a .287 clip?

-Can Michael Cuddyer break through this season, and join Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau as stars? With this pitching staff, the pressure will be on.

Kansas City Royals

2006 Record: 62-100

-Will the $13 million upgrade in payroll help the team improve? Along those same lines, can Gil Meche live up to his $55 million deal?

-SS Alex Gordon is one of the true phenoms of the game. How will he react to big league pitching?

-Zach Greinke is an ace in waiting. With Meche taking the brunt of the publicity, can he thrive outside of the limelight?

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Vindicated -- and other business

Alright, this is a rather multi-faceted post, but we promise that it will leave you satisfied.

First and foremost, Vindicated:

After singing his praises for two weeks, Chris Sampson gave the Dome Doggers reason to cheer on Tuesday, pitching five solid innings and recording the win in a 8-7 win over Cleveland. He allowed three hits and a run over those five innings, while pitching the kind of efficient baseball that is needed to fill out the backend of the rotation. Of his 61 pitches thrown, 38 were for strikes, resulting in seven ground ball and only four fly ball outs. Chad Qualls continued a strong spring pitching a perfect sixth inning. On the same day former ‘Stro Wade Miller was named the Cubs fifth starter, Phil Garner has remained mum on the subject of who will fill out the Astros starting rotation. However, retiring 10 straight Indians at one point Tuesday could not have hurt his cause.

This glorious news (well glorious if you aren't Wandy or Matt Albers) was also accompanied by an interesting line-up which leads to the next section...

Shufflin' Around

the batting order for the game on Tuesday? It looked a little different than the one that Astros fans have come to expect from Phil Garner:

1. Biggio
2. Ensberg
3. Berkman
4. Lee
5. Scott
6. Burke
7. Everett
8. Ausmus

I for one am in favor of a lineup like this. Morgan Ensberg may not be the hitter for average like Chris Burke can be, but his .398 batting average last year was astounding, considering he hit a paltry .235. Lance has always wanted a .400 OBP guy to hit in front of him, and now he may get that chance. Couple that with having some much needed protection behind him, and the effect on the Astros offense may be significant. Also, I wouldn’t worry about having Chris Burke bat in the six hole either. His fairly high OBP of .347 bodes well for getting on consistently enough to have the turnstiles move at the bottom of the lineup. As we have all come to know, the 7-8-9 hitters on this team have been cakewalks for pitchers in the recent past. Now, with Burke hitting in front of them, they at least have a chance to do some damage, while also using the tools that they excel at (situational hitting, bunting).

In the spirit of projected lineups, we have prepared our 25 man rosters too:

C- Brad Ausmus
C- Humberto Quintero
1B- Lance Berkman
2B- Craig Biggio
2B- Mark Loretta
3B- Morgan Ensberg
3B- Mike Lamb
SS- Adamn Everett
LF- Carlos Lee
CF- Chris Burke
CF- Orlando Palmerio
RF- Luke Scott
RF- Jason Lane

SP- Roy Oswalt
SP- Jason Jennings
SP- Woody Williams
SP- Fernado Nieve
SP- Wandy Rodriguez
SP- Matt Albers
RP- Chris Sampson
RP- Dave Borkowski
RP- Trevor Miller
RP- Chad Qualls
RP- Dan Wheeler
RP- Brad Lidge

25 Man Roster (with 11 pitchers)

C- Brad Ausmus
C- Humberto Quintero
1B- Lance Berkman
2B- Craig Biggio
2B- Mark Loretta
3B- Morgan Ensberg
3B- Mike Lamb
SS- Adamn Everett
SS- Eric Bruntlett
LF- Carlos Lee
CF- Chris Burke
CF- Orlando Palmerio
RF- Luke Scott
RF- Jason Lane

SP- Roy Oswalt
SP- Jason Jennings
SP- Woody Williams
SP- Fernado Nieve
SP- Matt Albers
RP- Chris Sampson
RP- Dave Borkowski
RP- Trevor Miller
RP- Chad Qualls
RP- Dan Wheeler
RP- Brad Lidge

Phil said that the 11 man pitching staff is a real possibility to start the season. The pitchers can be rotated around a first with options up and down – i.e. last season. This would keep them getting plenty of inning, but would put some hurt on Roy O et. al to take less time off early in the season, which could be detrimental. Also, there is no sense to hold onto Bruntlett if we have Loretta. Of course the omission of Wandy is our fervent hope and dream, but it's our blog and we do what we want.

Finally, we need to tie up some loose ends and continue our road trippin':

After careful deliberation, it has been determined that for the sake of timeliness, we are not going to write previews for every single MLB team. Instead, we thought it would be more prudent to ask the three most important questions for each team. It’s more concise, efficient, and if you don’t agree that it’s either of these things, tear into us for it (through the medium of comments…not with axes).

AL East Continued:

Boston Red Sox:

2006 Record: 86-76

-How will Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett react to frustrating years in 2006?

-With mainstay (and Southwestern University Alumnus) Mike Timlin starting the season on the disabled list, can Joel Pinero and Brendan Donnelly hold down the bullpen until his return?

-How will new additions J.D. Drew, Julio Lugo and rookie second baseman Dustin Pedroia react to playing in the AL East?

Baltimore Orioles:

2006 Record: 70-92

-Will their much improved bullpen (they added Danys Baez and Chad Bradford) be able to counteract their troubling mix of age (Steve Trachsel and Jaret Wright) and youth (Adam Loewen and Daniel Cabrera) of their starting staff?

-Can Aubrey Huff offer the lineup protection from the five spot that Miguel Tejada and Nick Markakis need in order for this team to contend?

-This team needs repeat good seasons from CF Corey Patterson, and C Ramon Hernandez. Is that in the cards?

Tampa Bay Devil Rays:

2006 Record: 61-101

-In his third full season in the majors, can Cy-Falls product Scott Kazmir stay healthy enough to fulfill his billing as one of baseball’s top young arms?

-Will the next generation of Devil Ray outfielders- Rocco Baldelli, Carl Crawford and rookie Delmon Young turn into the type of 1-2-3 hitters that this hapless franchise can build around?

-The team did little to nothing to improve one of baseball’s worst bullpens. Despite the emergence of James Shields as a viable second starter, how much will lack of bullpen depth hurt this team’s chances?

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Roadtrip!

As per a request by a reader, Stephen and I will outline who we think will end up on the Astros 25 man roster this upcoming season. Phil Garner isn’t sure if he is going to opt to have 11 or 12 pitchers on the roster, so we will include a roster for each option. Expect this on Tuesday. For the time being, however, with six days remaining before the MLB season opens on Sunday, and with Spring Training closing out for most clubs on Wednesday, we figure it’s as good a time as ever to take a look at the divisional races around the league. And, showing our obvious east coast bias, we’ll start with two AL East teams: the Yankees and Blue Jays.

New York Yankees:

2006: 93-69 Record

This organization exemplifies the win at all costs attitude of American professional sports. Only the Yankees would consider a six year World Series drought a failure. Oh, and did we mention that they made it to the Fall Classic in 2001 and 2003? They may have lost, but they were there, that’s a still something to hang your hat on (ask any Astros fan). Well this year has seen the Bronx Bombers make a concerted effort to return to the formula that helped them win four World Series titles in five years. Petulant slugger Gary Sheffield was traded to the Detroit Tigers for a couple minor league prospects. After many offers, the Yankees resisted trading rising star Phillip Hughes. In addition, that tall lefty…Randy Johnson?, yea that’s his name, is gone as well, traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for more minor leaguers from one of baseball’s best farm systems. GM Brian Cashman was not able to land Dice-K, bu the was able to land another Japanese import, Kei Igawa for a more “modest” $46 million dollars.

But let’s not fool ourselves- youth is just a concept at this point for the Yankees. The season will hinge on a starting pitching staff featuring a 19 game winner whose K/9 rate makes the majority of baseball prognosticators wary (Chien-Ming Wang), Andy Pettitte, a man whose story needs not be retold to any Astros fan. The one stable force on their starting rotation is Mike Mussina. The Moose has been a perennial 15 games plus winner, while missing few starts in his four seasons wearing pinstripes. We’ve already talked a bit about Igawa, a man who will be asked to perform on baseball’s biggest stage in his first year in the majors (the American majors, that is). However, the most questions remain with Carl Pavano. Pavano has made the back-page of more New York papers than anyone outside of Madonna. After signing a huge contract before the 2006 season, Pavano was only able to get 10 decisions this past season, compiling a 4-6 record. Between Pavano and Igawa, these are the men whose performances will determine whether or not the Yankees will be parading down a borough near you come October.

Toronto Blue Jays:

2006: 87-75 Record

When prompted this spring about what it will take to break their post-season drought, catcher Gregg Zaun was rather matter of fact in his response. “If Doc [pitcher Roy Halladay] and A.J. [Burnett] are both five games over .500, which we expect, and the rest of our guys pitch .500 ball, that should get us to around 92 wins,” he said. “That ought to be good enough for the playoffs.” It ought to be, Gregg. But as we all know, nothing in life is fair, and such is life for the Blue Jays. They boast a top tier starter (Roy Halladay), hitters who can mash with the best of them (Lyle Overbay, Vernon Wells, Troy Glaus and Frank Thomas to name a few), and a rising closer in B.J. Ryan who had as successful a year as any in the game in 2006, sorry Mariano. The team was not able to re-sign 3rd starter Ted Lilly, who signed with the Cubs, nor was it able to come to terms with Gil Meche, who eventually landed with the Royals. However, General Manager J.P. Riccardi plucked DH Frank Thomas from mentor Billy Bean in Oakland, and signed starting pitchers John Thomson and Tomo Ohka to close out the backend of their rotation.
It is here, though, that the Jays biggest deficiency comes to the forefront. Despite the popular thought that the AL East is all about the bats, it’s the discrepancy in starting pitching that is the difference between the three teams expect to challenge for the crown in the division. Sure, Halladay and the oft-injured A.J. Burnett can hold their own against any 1-2 in the game, but after that, well…..

Yankees: Mussina, Pavano, Igawa
Red Sox: Dice-K, Tim Wakefield, Julian Tavarez
Blue Jays: Gustavo Chacin, Thomson, Ohka

The Jays do not stack up against this group. Notice the All Star games, playoff appearances, and World Series victories for the Yanks and Sox at the backs of their rotations. As much as I want to root for a team like Toronto, objectively, they just don’t have the tools to overtake either of these teams. They did manage to finish second last year (overtaking the Red Sox), but with the additions and probably improved health of both of those teams, the frustrations of Jays fans will be as high as a chopper off of the Rogers Centre Astroturf.

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Everybody's Working for the Weekend

This past weekend, Stephen went home to Houston (mmmm drink it in) for a crawfish boil, and had a good time by all accounts. My girlfriend’s sorority had their Spring Formal on Saturday, and I got to dance on a boat to a GREAT 80’s cover band. So with these events in mind, plus the lack of pertinent Astros related action, we decided to not post anything yesterday. That being said, I did manage to go out to a local retailer on Saturday and purchase myself and Stephen two brand-spanking new Astros Batting Practice caps. Let me be the first to beseech everyone who reads this post to go out immediately, disregarding life and other obligations and purchase one of these caps. Not only are they stylish, but they feel so damn good whilst on your head. Seriously though. I cannot get this thing off of my head. Well, I can, but why would I want to? This week NewERA ™ will release the regular season caps in addition to continuing to sell the batting practice caps that have been selling quite well. These hats are an upgrade over the old authentic caps because they have a new polyester lining, as opposed to the wool that constituted one hundred percent of the old hats.

Stephen managed to catch Saturday’s game against Detroit, which was a roller-coaster ride. Thus, he reports:

Saturday was the first time I’ve had the opportunity to see Jason Jennings dawn the Astros uniform, and I must say, I liked the way it looked. Outside of that, I can’t say all that much. Jennings looked good for most of his work, but left a few too many balls up for my liking. But, it’s Spring Training still and Jennings is by all accounts still just tweaking his stuff, so I won’t be to critical.

It was also my first opportunity to view Carlos Lee in the uniform and I was highly impressed with…his defense!! He and Craig both moved well on the field for two guys slated to be defensive voids on the field because of their lack of range. While Carlos didn’t make any spectacular plays that I witnessed in the first six innings I viewed before I went off to gorge myself on crawfish, he demonstrated an exceptional amount of range in comparison to what I had him pegged for. Combined with two extraordinary plays (for Craig) that I saw Craig make, I was filled with a warm sense of relief, in that I feel our defense might not be as terrible I fear.

Now, Evan and I are giddy with excitement for our double date to the Astros v. The Express exhibition game on Thursday. We have secured for ourselves some very choice 3rd base line seats and we’ll even have pictures to show you guys. We’re not sure how much we will really have for you guys this week as far as substance, but after Thursday we should start rolling. We are T-minus one week!!!

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It's All About the Money, ball

Hometown Hero and soon to official baseball legend, Craig Biggio, has been asked by MLB officials to remove the Sunshine Kids (a charity which provides for children with cancer) pin from his ball cap. Biggio has, for years, worn this cap during batting practice and Spring Training in order to make
photo-ops and bubble gum baseball cards all the more memorable for the charity he has raised over $1.8 million . So I think that the rest of the world is truly curious to know…WHY? Honestly, to boil it down to the most simple description possible, MLB doesn’t support kids with cancer.

While we sure hope that this isn’t the case and that there is a legit reason for Craig being ordered not to wear a tinny yellow pin in his hat during BP and Spring Training games (we sure can’t think of one), it’s hard to have to many feel good feelings about MLB lately. What other professional sports league has had the federal government on its' case for everything from steroids to collective bargaining?

People wonder why baseball is America’s Pastime in name only. Much of the reason is that baseball does a terrible job of marketing. Why have the NBA and NFL exploded in popularity? These leagues know how to put themselves in the best positions to gain viewership. From not having their championships end after midnight, to promoting their stars, these leagues do it right.

The recent decision to have Direct TV be the sole distributor of “MLB Extra Innings” is yet another example of how Major League Baseball fails to connect with the average fan. The facts remain that only 300,000 households currently have access to this kind of television . Perhaps Selig and his cronies believe that the traditional hierarchy of American sports cannot be altered. However, with NASCAR, the X Games and even soccer becoming more and more part of the mainstream in this country, competition is steep for the attention of the American viewing public. Major League Baseball is a great product, and its’ supporters are among the most loyal in the world. Complacency and outright stupidity threaten this, and if those in the league office don’t come to this realization sooner rather than later, they may have more than just David Beckham to worry about.

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Sampson Struggles; and other understatements

Ok. There comes a time in every fan’s life when he or she must take inventory of their team. Access their strengths and weaknesses and evaluate which aspects of their club cause optimism and which ones cause concern. That being said, the Astros lost to the Washington Nationals 16-2 on Thursday. Some highlights…er….maybe just lights, were our boys committing three errors, two of which being committed by Dome Dog favorites Jason Lane and Morgan Ensberg and collecting a grand total of five hits. However, the worst piece of news is most certainly the performance of Chris Sampson. In his first start of the spring, Sampson provided us with an effort that one could only dream about. This is, if one dreams about going to the dentist. Sampson gave up 12 hits, 10 runs (6 earned), and walked a batter in 2.1 innings of “work”. He failed to strike out a National, but may have whiffed as far as making the Astros starting staff.

Now, we realize that it’s just the spring. Be that as it may, Woody Williams and Chris Sampson have pitched two consecutive dreadful starts for this team. We all went into February thinking that the last two spots in the rotation were going to be question marks. Sure, Woody is past his prime, but he could still put up respectable numbers, while stabilizing the middle of the rotation. I am not giving up on Woody, because one start..or two…or three…in the spring -- yeah, that works! -- does NOT a season make. For my sanity, though, I would like to see these two get through more than three innings of work, while giving up a number of runs that you can count on one hand. And I’m not talking about Armando Benitez’ hands either.

Our deepest fears having been aired (i.e. we will have as dismal if not worse starting rotation than we did for the first half of last year; with even less of a hope of rebounding in the second half) perhaps all of this should be taken with a grain of salt – yes here comes a fan’s eternal optimism (a highly necessary ingredient to be any Houston sports fan). Last year, when Chris Sampson first bounced onto the scene, it was to attempt to stave off further damage than Wandy Rodriguez has already allowed in the first 1.1 innings of June 2 game against the Reds. Sampson left much to be desired giving up 3 runs (earned too), one of them a long ball on six hits in 5.1 innings. Sampson’s ground ball to fly ball ratio was 8:4; note that Lamb had 3B, Bruntlett SS, and Taveras CF. Just five days later, a different Chris Sampson took the mound and delivered 5 innings of hitless baseball, only giving up one in 7 innings of scoreless baseball against the Cubs. In this start Sampson’s GB to FB ratio was 16:5, this time around, Ensberg manned 3B, Everett was back at SS, and Chris Burke held down CF – both are home games. One has to assume that given the different make up of position players and an increased ratio of GB to FB, that Sampson had an extremely low BABIP. Indeed Chris Sampson’s sterling 2.12 ERA over 34 innings of pitching in 2006 were accompanied by a BABIP of .212!!

Tonight’s start featured 3 defensive errors, 1 on Ensberg and 1 on Lane out in CF. While we cannot obtain Sampson’s ground ball to fly ball ratio, one must assume that it was ground ball heavy being that his ground to fly out ratio was 7:0. Thus, any error (especially an infield) most assuredly did not help Sampson, which is evident in his 10 runs allowed with only 6 being earned. That being said, 12 hits is 12 hits, Sampson either needs to improve his command of the strike zone or else the signing of Adam LaRoche to the Pirates becomes much more important…Spring is a time when young people tend to think about true love. The Dome Dog staff find themselves thinking more like a mother than like Don Juan: our love must be unconditional, and not centered on aesthetic beauty. We’ll love this team no matter who pitches in the bottom of the rotation. Woody, Wandy, Chris, Fernando, or Matt. We’ll support them and the team in any and all regard. But much like a mother, we would much rather our child win a World Series, than be out of a job.

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Don't You Have a Crystal Ball Too?

So what if the 2007 has yet to begin? If ESPN can put previews for the NFL draft on in December, then I Remember Dome Dogs can look ahead to the 2008 free agent class. Especially given the fact that a good deal of our team are free agents. If we Astros fans think the team looks different from 2006, get a load of the potential changes that could occur this off-season. I consider myself as big of an Astros fan as anyone, but I had no clue that there were this many of the Good Guys could be somewhere else fairly soon. While the free agent markets are impossible to predict, as far as the demands of players/their agents, who will re-sign during the season, who will get traded at the break, etc., but these names jumped off the page to us. Some are former Astros, former Astro farmhands, or just make sense. Given the Astros history of making deals, or at least getting involved in the market, just about anything is a legitimate possibility. I do not think it would be realistic to see Carlos Zambrano, Joe Nathan or Andrew Jones shaking Tim Purpura’s hand in December of this year, but there are certainly possibilities out there.

2008 Astros Free Agents
Jason Jennings p
2 years/$7M (2005-06), plus $5.5M 2007 option
Brad Lidge p
1 year/$5.35M (2007)
Craig Biggio 2b
1 year/$5.15M (2007)
Morgan Ensberg 3b
1 year/$4.35M (2007)
Brad Ausmus c
2 years/$7.5M (2006-07)
Adam Everett ss
1 year/$2.8M (2007)
Mike Lamb 3b
1 year/$2.7M (2007)
Mark Loretta inf
1 year/$2.5M (2007)
Dan Wheeler p
1 year/$2.1M (2007)
Trever Miller p
1 year/$1.3M (2006), plus $1.3M 2007 mutual option
Jason Lane of
1 year/$1.05M (2007)
Orlando Palmiero of
2 years/$1.9M (2006-07)
Brandon Backe p
1 year/$0.545M (2007)
Chad Qualls p
1 year/$0.441M (2007)
Chris Burke inf
1 year (2007)
Luke Scott of
1 year/$0.382M (2007)


2008 Free Agent Class (expanded list at end of my contribution)
1. John Smoltz (41)
2. Carlos Zambrano (27)
3. Joe Nathan (33)
4. Mariano Rivera (38)
5. Jorge Posada (36)
6. Curt Schilling (41)
7. Bobby Abreu (34)
8. Ichiro Suzuki (34)
9. Andruw Jones (31)
10. Carlos Guillen (32)
11. Jeff Kent (40)
12. Mike Lowell (34)
13. Jason Jennings (29)
14. Jake Westbrook (30)
15. Ivan Rodriguez (36)
16. Freddy Garcia (32)
17. Kenny Rogers (43)
18. Torii Hunter (32)
19. Jason Isringhausen (35)
20. Omar Vizquel (41)
21. Marcus Giles (30)
22. Eric Byrnes (32)
23. Paul Lo Duca (36)
24. Bob Wickman (39)
25. Corey Patterson (28)
26. Adam Dunn (28)
27. Scott Linebrink (31)
28. Michael Barrett (31)
29. Milton Bradley (30)
30. Jon Lieber (38)
31. David Eckstein (33)
32. Aaron Rowand (30)
33. Juan Uribe (29)
34. Bartolo Colon (35)
Source: Mlbtraderumors.com

What the Astros need (the most) :

Catcher (who can hit. “handling the pitching staff” is less of a qualification)

Possible solution(s):

Humberto Quintero; the Astros will not pay for Lo Duca or Posada. Unless they take pay-cuts. Which I doubt catchers from New York will. Options seem limited and would require over paying in general…However, if we’re going to over pay for a offensively gifted catcher, my money is on Barrett, PECOTA projects a solid 2008 season for him. Hopefully the Cubs financial burden incline them to let him go.

Shortstop:

Solution(s):

Uribe. Guillen. Evertt returns.

Juan Uribe - Has struggled the past three seasons. And with his legal troubles, he may be willing to take a pay cut in order to get a starting job

Carlos Guillen - At 33 one of the older short stops, but still a consistent hitter, when healthy. Wouldn’t it be nice to bring him back to Houston?

Adam Everett - A solid citizen, has a little pop and is the most underrated defensive shortstop in either league. How he plays this year will determine a lot for his future with the Astros.

Pitching: (starting and bullpen)

Solutions (no doubt there need to be multiple):
Re-Sign Jennings, Lidge, Wheeler, Qualls.
Sign: Jake Westbrook, Scott Linebrink

The most obvious solution is usually the best. I have confidence that Jennings will come in and pitch well enough that the Astros will want to sign him to a long term deal. Those back three guys are a special group. Wheeler and Qualls will probably want to test the market, as they are not making all that much, even for relief pitchers. Lidge is a lot like Everett. How he does this year will go a long way in deciding his fate. Westbrook is a solid AL pitcher who has done his work in a small market. Without Roger, Craig and Company weighing down the payroll, there should be enough money to offer a 3 year deal to a guy of his caliber. I just put Linebrink on for the same reason as Guillen, a guy who would fit in well because he used to play here. A “Houston” kind of guy. Would be a good replacement for Wheeler if they don’t resign him. Similar skills.

Others to Consider:

Eric Byrnes OF-

A fourth outfielder type, but seems to find his way onto contending clubs (Oakland, Arizona this year). Plays with tremendous toughness, spark. Like the Centerfield version of Craig, minus a lot of talent. Would Make a good corner outfielder if Lane/Scott don’t work out. Which is very likely.

Adam Dunn OF-

The Dunn to the Astros trade rumors have been going on for a couple summers in a row. Has the power that they sorely need. Batting average is shaky (that’s the best way to put it), but his batting eye is amongst the best in baseball. Makes in home in Porter, Texas. Seems to be the kind of guy to take a home-town discount.

Freddy Garcia SP-

Would be a very good number three for the Astros. White Sox GM Kenny Williams will not overpay for him. Had strong second half of 2006. He will probably ask for too much, but with the abundance of starting pitching talent on the 2008 market, who knows.



Care to comment or predict the future, here is a list, by position of free agents for 2008:

First Basemen
Sean Casey DET
Tony Clark ARZ
Jeff Conine PHI
Julio Franco NYM
Matt LeCroy WAS
Kevin Millar * BAL
Olmedo Saenz LAD
Mark Sweeney SF
Mike Sweeney KC

Second Basemen
Marlon Anderson LAA
Craig Biggio HOU
Luis Castillo MIN
Damion Easley NYM
Mark Ellis * OAK
Marcus Giles ATL
Mark Grudzielanek* KC
D'Angelo Jimenez OAK
Jeff Kent * LAD
Luis Rivas TB
Jose Valentin NYM

Shortstops
David Eckstein STL
Carlos Guillen DET
Cesar Izturis * CHC
Ramon E Martinez* LAD
John McDonald TOR
Neifi Perez DET
Juan Uribe * CHW
Omar Vizquel SF
Michael Young * TEX

Third Basemen
Russell Branyan SD
Corey Koskie * MIL
Mike Lamb HOU
Mike Lowell BOS
Greg Norton * TB
Abraham O. Nunez PHI
Alex Rodriguez NYY (may void after 2007)

Catchers
Brad Ausmus HOU
Paul Bako BAL
Michael Barrett CHC
Gary Bennett * STL
Ramon Castro NYM
Sal Fasano NYY
Wiki Gonzalez WAS
Toby Hall LAD
Jason Kendall OAK
Jason LaRue KC
Paul Lo Duca NYM
Mike Matheny * SF
Damian Miller MIL
Chad Moeller CIN
Jose Molina LAA
Josh Paul TB
Jorge Posada NYY
Ivan Rodriguez * DET
Yorvit Torrealba COL
Javier Valentin * CIN

Outfielders
Bobby Abreu * NYY
Moises Alou * NYM
Milton Bradley OAK
Adrian Brown TEX
Eric Byrnes ARZ
Mike Cameron SD
Roger Cedeno BAL
Brady Clark MIL
Jeff DaVanon ARZ
Adam Dunn * CIN
Jermaine Dye CWS
Luis Gonzalez ARZ
Shawn Green* NYM
Eric Hinske BOS
Torii Hunter MIN
Geoff Jenkins * MIL
Andruw Jones ATL
Bobby Kielty OAK
Rob Mackowiak * CWS
Eli Marrero STL
Luis Matos WAS
Jason Michaels CLE
Orlando Palmeiro HOU
Corey Patterson BAL
Timo Perez STL
Aaron Rowand PHI
Reggie Sanders KC
Ichiro Suzuki SEA
Brad Wilkerson TEX

Starting Pitchers
Kris Benson * BAL
Mark Buerhle CWS
Paul Byrd * CLE
Shawn Chacon PIT
Matt Clement BOS
Bartolo Colon LAA
Scott Elarton KC
Josh Fogg COL
Casey Fossum * TB
Freddy Garcia CWS
Geremi Gonzalez TOR
Livan Hernandez ARZ
Jason Jennings COL
Randy Johnson NYY
Brian Lawrence WAS
Jon Lieber PHI
Kyle Lohse CIN
Wade Miller CHC
Eric Milton CIN
Odalis Perez * KC
Joel Pineiro SEA
Kenny Rogers DET
Curt Schilling BOS
Carlos Silva MIN
John Smoltz * ATL
Brett Tomko * LAD
Kip Wells STL
Jake Westbrook CLE
Randy Wolf * LAD
Jaret Wright BAL
Carlos Zambrano CHC
Victor Zambrano NYM

Relief Pitchers
Jeremy Affeldt COL
Armando Benitez SF
Hector Carrasco * LAA
Francisco Cordero MIL
Rheal Cormier CIN
Vic Darensbourg DET
Doug Davis ARZ
Elmer Dessens LAD
Scott Eyre * CHC
Travis Harper TB
Trevor Hoffman * SD
Jason Isringhausen* STL
Todd Jones DET
Jorge Julio ARZ
Joe Kennedy OAK
Byung-Hyun Kim COL
Scott Linebrink SD
Rodrigo Lopez BAL
Ron Mahay TEX
Dan Miceli TB
Trever Miller HOU
Mike Myers NYY
Joe Nathan * MIN
Chris Reitsma ATL
Ricardo Rincon STL
Mariano Rivera NYY
Glendon Rusch CHC
Rudy Seanez SD
Julian Tavarez * BOS
Mike Timlin BOS
Mike Venafro COL
Luis Vizcaino ARZ
Bob Wickman ATL
Scott Williamson BAL
Jay Witasick * OAK
Kerry Wood CHC
Tim Worrell SF

Source: http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2000/04/2007-free-agents.html

Well, go on, think...discuss...comment.

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Now for something different

As the Astros got a rare break from the monotony of spring, there is not all that much to report on. However, we here at I Remember Dome Dogs refuse to leave our readers with nothing to distract/entertain themselves with.

Stephen and I engaged in our fantasy league draft on Sunday. It was a typical live, yahoo draft. Eleven guys from Southwestern University, Notre Dame and Southwest Baptist participated and the results went something like this. The league is a 6x6 format. The offensive catagories are HR, RBI, BA, SB, OPS and Runs. Pitching catagories are Wins, Saves, ERA, WHIP, K/9 and K's. When an owner leads in a particular catagory, they gain 11 points (11 guys in the league), second gets 10, etc. It would be our pleasure if you all would lend some comments to our strategies, or most likely our lack thereof.

Tomorrow’s post will include an update on Chris Sampson’s start against the Nationals at home in Kissimmee. There has been a good deal of clamoring on the home front for his getting the opportunity to pitch in the starting rotation. Will he continue this debate with a strong effort? Can Chris Burke snap out of his nearly month-long slump and regain the stroke that earned him the centerfield spot, thereby placing Hunter Pence baseball purgatory? All these questions will be answered tomorrow.

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Lane helps fry the Fish

Jason Lane may ask Drayton McClane if the Astros can remove the roof to Minute Maid Park. Continuing an already stellar spring, Lane uncorked two home runs in helping the Astros defeat the Florida Marlins 4-2 in Jupiter, Fla. Starting pitcher Fernando Nieve pitched fairly well, giving up a run in four innings of work.

As the Astros play the final third of their Spring Training schedule, it is a time for those straddling the major league/AAA roster line to step their play up. While it is mostly young prospects like Hunter Pence and Troy Patton who must go through this annual rite of spring, this year Lane, a 30 year old veteran outfielder, will feel the pressure as well. While he cannot earn a spot in the starting line-up, he may be able to earn a spot as the right handed half of a platoon with Luke Scott in right field. Scott struggled in his late stint as a starter in 2006, hitting just .244 against left handed pitching.

While Lane sparkled on Monday, Nieve was sort of like cold pizza at 2 am- it does the job, but leaves you unsatisfied. Despite giving up just one run in his four innings, he was forced to work from behind in the count on most occasions.

In brighter news concerning the pitching staff, Chris Sampson will be starting in place of Brian Moehler against the Washington Nationals on Thursday. Despite battling for the Astros fourth or fifth spot in the rotation, Sampson has been given only 8 and 2/3 innings of work this spring. Sampson, though, has retained a positive perspective throughout March, and is prepared for any outcome to the spring. "I'm pretty versatile. Whatever they need me to do, start or if they think it's best for the team that I'm in the bullpen, then I can do either ... I've had success doing both. Whatever [Garner] thinks is what we're going to go with," Sampson said. The writers of "I remember Dome Dogs" wish him as much success as it takes to keep the Astros summer a Wandy-less one.

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Waiting is the Hardest Part

As is his wont, Roger Clemens is spending his 2007 off-season in much the same was as 2006, being coy about his desires to pitch in the major leagues for another season. As a result, there hasn't been this much speculation about a 40-something year old since Teri Hatcher joined "Desperate Housewives". Clemens, 44, commented recently that the ball was in the court of the three teams interested, the Yankees, Red Sox, and Astros. "From what I understand, all three teams want to see where they are as far as their rotation ... and how their pitching lines up," Clemens said while attending the MLB Fan-Fest in Orlando. He also noted that none of those teams were interested in signing the sure-fire Hall of Famer to a full year contract, instead opting for the 4 month rental deal, similar to the one he took with Astros this past season.

While spending time coaching the various Astro minor league teams, Clemens has spent time getting his conditioning in, while keeping an open mind about his prospects for the 2007 season, saying, "it's important to know how much you have to invest, both physically and mentally. I was strong last year and I know what it takes to get back into it full-strength."

So, while nobody is quite sure where the Rocket is going to spend his time, few question whether or not he still retains the skill that would warrant a $4 million dollar per month salary. Amongst the “brain-trust” at I Remember Dome Dogs, they’re projecting the following Stat line, assuming Roger in fact returns to the Astros in late June:

10-7 / 2.98 ERA / 9.7 K/9

This is assuming that he can contribute around 20-22 starts after he returns. While it may be unrealistic to expect the same kind of numbers we 'Stros fans are used to seeing out of him, Roger Clemens still brings the same confidence, professionalism and pitching-wisdom that he has the past three years. Couple his coming back with the possible late July arrival of Brandon Backe, and the starting rotation could be as formidable as any in the NL Central. We wouldn't discount the importance of the off-season offensive additions either. Carlos Lee, Mark Loretta, and late 2006 addition Luke Scott haven't foiled Roger is his attempts to add to his already superlative win total. He came back to the Astros following a 2005 season where his 1.87 ERA garnered him a total of 13 wins. He didn't receive much more run support in 2006, so who's to say that he won't see the offensive upgrade as proof that the Astros are trying to build a better all around team?

In addition, Clemens is very close to the players on the Astros, including Brad Ausmus, Craig Biggio, Lance Berkman, and Roy Oswalt. The prospects of Clemens pitching along side another forty something starter, Woody Williams, is another interesting prospect.

In summation- we vote "yay". He is the greatest pitcher of our generation -- possibly any. People may whine about how he draws out his decisions and negotiations, but he is not your everyday mid-season rental. As he has said, at 44 years of age, teams simply do not want to offer him a full year contract. Maybe he would come back in April, if given the chance. We doubt it, given his recent history of nagging leg injuries, and the normal wear and tear of a full 30-35 start season on an arm that has been throwing heat since the first Reagan administration (an average of 1.5 years before either authors birth!!). He is in fact a hard worker, despite the criticism that exists as to whether or not he actually works in between his starts, and that he makes road trips at his discretion and not the Astros. "The thing that's been misconstrued quite a bit is that I have a deal in Houston where I pitch and then don't show up," Clemens recently told reporters. "It's not like I'm pitching and then going home and sitting around." Bringing him on as player would most likely involve a contract that necessitates his further involvement with our minor league clubs. Having Roger Clemens work with a 19 year old pitcher on how to best set up a hitter, or helping a young batter learn the nuances of hitting when behind in the count sounds like even greater return on an initial investment.

If sports has become a business, which it certainly has, Roger Clemens should be thought of, and treated like, a business man. Hopefully Drayton McClane and Tim Purpura will weigh the decision and decide to offer a contract that give the Astros the best chance at landing Roger for a fourth season.

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Biggio a net loss?

A little late on this one, but here is an article written by the Brain Trust at Baseball Prospectus (Yes, it cost money to read, but for $5 month to try it out -- which I can assure you that you'll love it). It essentially suggests that Craig having to be in the line-up at 2nd base to chase his 3000 hit will cost the Astros, at a minimum, 3 wins.

To summarize for those who won't shell out the cash, the argument comes that because you push Burke to CF, which he'll suck at and lose at least a game for us there -- well, he and Craig combined defensively -- and the inability to include Pence in the line-up as a result, cost us 2 games due to offensive short-comings.

The current Astros lineup looks like:

Biggio 2B
Burke CF
Berkman 1B
Lee LF
Ensberg 3B
Everett SS
Scott RF (Garner says he wants him down here so that 7-9 aren't 3 easy outs??)
Ausmus C
Pitcher

An anemic line-up for sure, as OPS is below .700 for 4 hitters there (OBP below .300 too).

According to Baseball Prospectus, the line-up that wins 3 more games is:
Burke 2B
Pence CF
Berkman 1B
Lee LF
Scott RF
Ensberg 3B
Everret SS
Ausmus/Quintero/Munson C
Pitcher.

Here's what we have to say:

Ok, so we’ll start with this: Biggio does create quite the headache in that he is an aged legend who at this point in his career can only play 2B. We concede this, but have to argue a few points that we feel have been over stated in determining a net loss of 3 for the ‘Stros with Bigde in the lineup.

Here is a rough list of the holes we found in the articles reasoning:

1. Brad Ausmus had an OBP of .308 in ’06. It was his dismal slugging percentage and the fact that he managed to ground into 21 double plays that caused the biggest flaming hole in the eighth spot in the line-up. Therefore, we don't have four hitters with OBP's of less than .300. On that note, we need to push this further, using their own patented stat, PECOTA, everyone in the Astros line-up is slated to have an OBP of .300 or more and everyone but Everett and Ausmus an above .700 OPS at their 50th percentile ranking. And Everett is given a favorable prediction to make some improvement due to his relative youth and if he performs at his 60th percentile ranking he hits at a .700 OPS.

2. Chris Burke played CF 38 times in 2006, starting in 36 of those appearances. He maintained a .987 Fielding Percentage which is only .002 points lower than Willy Taveras’ career percentage in CF. So what makes Chris Burke such a terribly bad CFer?

3. Craig Biggio maintained a .989 fielding percentage, which is better than Chris Burke’s .974 in the same position in 2006. Granted Burke made very few starts at 2B and was essentially coming off the bench, still, food for thought.

If you consider the anemic line-up which we posted last year, with the robust line-up we are sending to the plate this year, you have to wonder how we are that much worse of team? We have now Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee, a healthy Morgan Ensberg (who finished 4th in MVP voting in 2005), and Luke Scott. We have essentially added 2.25 hitters to the line-up from last year (Morgan pre-injury and the second half brilliance of Luke Scott had to be factored in).

All of our critiques aside, it is hard to argue with certain facts which are presented in the article, because they are facts. We do have a problem with having someone as talented as Loretta sitting on the bench and someone with as much potential as Pence being forced to stay down in the minors when clearly seems primed to bust on the scene. These are the same arguments that have been made for many Astros’ farm-hands and pine riders such as Burke, Lamb, and Bruntlett. Therefore we are not posting are best possible team yet, the inclusion of Craig Biggio in the line-up for the last two years has not cost us too terrible in performance. Granted an extra 3 wins last year put us in the post season, an extra three wins could have been generated with Lee, Scott, and a healthy Ensberg in the line-up all season long. Of course, the line-up last year survived on the fact that we had much stronger rotation than than year, however, who is to say that Roger doesn’t come back for the second half? Because it certainly isn’t harder to out perform our pitching from the first half of last year. For the first half of the year, look for us to have an ML average rotation anchored by Roy O. By all accounts (here comes our Nieve prediction) Fernando Nieve is primed for a decent season (that being a compliment) his ERA adjusted for the season drops down to a 4.09. Nieve has developed all four of his pitches which he has been throwing in Spring Training with success. Also, he wasn’t over used in his first full year of attempting to start which is good because he doesn’t come with the injury weariness that Verlander and Weaver do. We think Fernando can deliver a 10-8/4.40/170 IP/123 K line in 2007. This gives us a pretty solid enough rotation with a much improved line-up (and there is still a Roger Clemens possibility). By all accounts – Baseball Prospectus’ included – the NL Central is yet again an incredibly mediocre division – which, invariably means that we need to scrape out all the winds possible, but it’s hard to imagine that all the factors cited in contributing to a three game loss are as dire as predicted.

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What's goin' on around the mound: An Astros Pitching Preview

The last three seasons have seen the Astros struggle at the plate, while our pitchers have dominated National League hitters. While our sticks will be much improved, it is the pitching staff that exists as a pretty big question mark.

Starters:

Roy Oswalt- Call him Roy O, the Wizard of O or whatever you'd like, he has been among the most dominant starting pitchers in either league. With a fastball in the low 90s and a knee buckling curve that is almost 25 mph slower, hitters will have their work cut out for them again in 2006. He is the only pitcher from the Senior Circuit to post an ERA of under 3 (2.98), and as if he needed it, Roy is finally comfortable throwing his change-up to right handed hitters. Mmmm...the better to strike out Soriano with. Look for a slightly higher ERA, but more wins due to a much improved Astros line-up.

2007: 17-9/3.15/215 IP/178 K

Jason Jennings - What?? Is this guy chopped Lone Star Dog, or something? For a man who was voted Rookie of the Year, pitched for five seasons in the ERA graveyard that is Coors Field, and is coming off his most successful season as a pro, no respect has been shown to Mr. Jennings so far this off-season. One of the newest Astros is seen by some as a rental and by others as a sure to be bust. The jury (i.e. myself) is still out as to whether he'll prove to be a better pro than Jason Hirsh (who along with Willy Taveras and Taylor Buckholz was traded for Jennings in December), he is an improving pitcher who is still young enough to learn a thing or two about pitching on baseball's biggest stage. Never a strike out pitcher, he may not be your best fantasy option, but he can (nay, MUST) be a big part of the Astros staff.

2007: 14-11/3.90/205 IP/ 135 K

Woody Williams - Don't rub your eyes too hard, 'Stros fans, that is former Red Bird Woody Williams donning the Astros pinstripes. True he is 42, and yes...he has had a history of injuries the past few years, but now he throws a knuckler! Alright, that isn't all the good news: he is a guy who will add experience and contribute to the Astros' positive clubhouse atmosphere. Let me give you a hypothetical situation that Woody will most likely find himself in this year:

(Matt Albers gives up 7 runs in 2.1 innings of work.)

Woody: Hey, Matt.
Matt: Yea, Woody?
Woody: Keep your head up, stop looking like a sad little vagina.
Matt: Your words of encouragement have given me the confidence to become a future Cy-Young winner. Thanks, Woody.

While this may be an exaggeration, you all get my point. He's got playoff experience coming out of his ears, as well as hundreds of starts within the NL Central. Lidge's slider may be 10 mph faster than his fastball, but he still has enough gas in the tank to provide quality innings and veteran leadership.

2007: 12-8/4.40/165 IP/75 K


Wandy Rodriguez – Though the southpaw has managed to amass 19 wins in his last two seasons, while pitching on an irregular basis. This is not to say that Wandy should be a lock in our rotation. Holding down ERA’s well above 5 in those two efforts Wandy’s stats look worse than that. An abysmal 1.56 K/BB paired with his 6.5K/9 is a testament to his lack of control. Wandy succeeded in the wins column not because he had much to offer from the mound, but because the line-up came through in BIG ways for him. Don’t expect much improvement from Wandy. I don’t expect his peripherals to improve all that much, thus I don’t expect him to make in leaps in ability. My hope is that he isn't on the roster for too long.

2007: 7-9/5.10/100 IP/72 K


Chris Sampson – I fell in love with this guy on June 7, when he hurled five innings of hitless baseball, only allowing 3 hits in 7 innings in our 1-0 win over the Cubs. Sampson saw limited action last year (34 IP), and thus has been under the radar for most to make the rotation. Sampson had a 3.97 K/9 and 3 K/BB, which doesn’t make for lights out pitching. However, he’s a ground ball pitcher who can record the outs. My fear is his BABIP will raise on balls hit to the outfield due the trio out there, however, this is a fear I have for a lot of our pitchers.

2007: 8-6/4.00/100 IP/ 52 K

Dave Borkowski – Borkowski saw an increase in innings last year due to the fact that our young guns needed to be pulled early in several instances. Borkowski is about as unimpressive of a relief pitcher as they come. He held down a 6.59 K/9 rate with a 2.26 K/BB, and I wouldn’t expect much in the way of improvement, especially the way he’s been pitching this spring.

2007: 3-2/4.80/63 IP/41 K

Trever Miller – The lefty reliever had an underrated year as far as what his number show. He had stellar peripherals, sporting a 9.95 K/9 and a 4.3K/BB. For true success, Trever is going to have to keep the ball in play this year. Yet, all in all, Trever should see success in 2007 and hopefully some increased innings.

2007: 2-1/3.10/55 IP/58 K


Chad Qualls - Everybody talks about how Albert Pujols' effect on Brad Lidge. While this is one of the more sexy topics concerning the Astros pitching staff, Qualls had a similar encounter just days later with White Sox slugger Paul Konerko. Remember? Game 2, Astros clinging to a 4-2 lead with the bases loaded? Then: BAM. Next thing you know, Konerko is jogging around the bases, while dirty Southsiders jump for joy. Chad's penchant for giving up the long ball continued into the 2006 season, giving up a total of 10 in 88.2 innings of work (including another grand salami to the White Sox). He did calm down towards the end of the year and proved once again to be one of the premier middle relief guys in all of baseball. With the staff getting younger (with the likes of Sampson, Nieve and Albers getting more time) and older (Woodrow) Qualls will be called upon to step up his production and efficiency this season. I think he will stand and deliver, if he can keep the ball in play.

2007: 9-5/3.40/90 IP/60 K

Dan Wheeler - He is the rock, the glue of our bullpen. Not only is he a jack of all trades, collecting nine bail out saves throughout the 2006 season, but he is the man in charge of keeping the bullpen loose now that Russ Springer has bolted to join the Cardinals. Wheels is often one of the most overlooked Astros, but without his 2.52 ERA and 71.1 innings this past season, the exciting stretch run to catch the Cards would have never happened. Hopefully we won't have to see him closing games this year, but Phil Garner may have no choice. Just call him the Brawny Man, ‘cause he's always cleanin' up messes.

2007: 3-6/2.30/65 IP/55 K

Brad Lidge – If anyone on the Astros can rebound into All-Star form, it is this man. Lidge was still a dominate strike-out man holding down an impressive 12.48 K/9, with a sub-par 2.89 K/BB, and a dismal 1.40 WHIP in 2006. By all accounts, Lidge’s stuff is still nasty and All-Star caliber. A lot of the projections that were looked at call to a return to form. If Brad keeps his slider down and really works his change-up well, then I think we have our closer back.

2007: 4-3/3.20/70 IP/94 K

Sorry for the delay, we will have Nieve and Albers up ASAP, we were just a)lazy and b)struggling to gain consensus and information.

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Burke hits 1.000 on the day and we win again.

More later: Read someone who gets paid's analysis.

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3/13/07: Hold on to your Horses, We had a BIG inning

No matter what time of year – spring training, regular season or post season, an Astros vs. Braves match-up always makes me pay attention. I think it has a lot to do with my utter disdain for Braves fans. They're like that rich cousin everybody has- they get everything they want, all the time, and don't appreciate it one bit. This is a team that can't even sell out home playoff games. So, this was a game that I had to watch, despite being a Spring Training game. Roy Oswalt and Tim Hudson each gave up 2 runs in 4 innings of work, each one flashing moments of brilliance. Oswalt looked especially dominant at times, striking out Edgar Renteria and Chipper Jones looking in the bottom of the first. As the game reached the top of the ninth with the Braves leading 3-2, the Astros put their construction helmets on and went to work. The Good Guys tomahawk chopped their way to an 11-3 win behind 8 hits and 9 runs in the 9th inning. Hunter Pence had another sterling effort in CF, tracking down very ball hit in his direction and going 1-1 at the plate with 2 RBI's. Richard Hidalgo, Morgan Ensberg, Carlos Lee and Luke Scott all chipped in with hits, and journeyman relief pitcher Trever Miller was credited with the win. It was a solid all around performance from the team, with the only true negatives being Chris Burke's continued struggles at the plate and Brad Lidge giving up another run in an inning of work. Burke has been frustrated with his development as a hitter, but he has shown progress in centerfield. Lidge, despite giving up the run on an RBI single by Chipper Jones, looked to be locating his slider much better. In a post at bat interview, Jones himself commented that Lidge's stuff looked nasty as ever. The two rivals will hook up again today, with Chuck James taking the mound for the Braves and new comer Jason Jennings toeing the rubber the Astros.

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Well here's how we see it:

Well here it is, we've looked into the our collective geniuses (as well as the rotoauthority.com fantasy guide and ESPN the magazine) and given you this:

The Infielders:

C - Should be split between the astoundingly good at his defensive job Brad Ausmus (.250 Avg., 3 HR and no morethan 40 RBI's) and Humberto Quintero (270 Avg., 5 HR and 25 RBI's). All in all Ausmus should continue to be a pretty big drag in the line-up. However, lets not forget that Brad managed to get it out to a hot start early in the year in 2006 so maybe, just maybe he can provide an offensive boost, he is hitting well enough in the spring right now. In addition, he is a solid, if not outstanding at moving runners over and laying down bunts in suicide squeeze situations. Let's all take a deep breath and remember that Bradley has not and will not be expected to contribute heavily with his bat. Anything he can bring to the table offensively will be icing on the cake. Quintero could surprise everyone and provide a boost from the 8 spot in the lineup, but he will definitely be an upgrade regardless. Brad will probably get more playing time as a recent article in the Houston Chronicle indicates, which will benefit Astros pitchers much more than Home Run seekers in the Crawford Boxes. In fact they'll benefit by about 1.2 ERA points, as last season pitchers were 3.80 with Ausmus receiving and 5.00 with out.

1B - Lance Berkman is of course the man who is going to be stationed at the right corner of the infield. Look for yet another MVP caliber season with 40+ HR's a true possibility, especially given his added protection in the lineup. Overall, Lance should provide a .310 batting average, with 130+ RBI's. Lance will be a rock on this team with easily a .950+ OPS.

2B - This should be another rotating position for the 'Stros. Newly acquired utility man Mark Loretta (.280-.300 Avg. depending on regularity of playing time and 40-60 RBI's and maybe 5 HR?) and long-time hometown hero Craig Biggio (.260 Avg., 10-15 HR's, and 40-60 RBI's). The excitement will be witnessing such a glorious man acquire his 3000th hit. The nightmare will be witnessing Craig's defensive prowess continuing to slip with age. Craig should be at 3000 his around the break and perhaps could see drastically reduced playing time. An interesting possibility which has been developing this Spring is the opportunity of Chris Burke acquiring this spot after Biggio reaches 3000 so that Pence gets the center field spot.

3B - Well, we should probably call a spade a spade, there is a lot of uncertainty in the Astros lineup. This is a three way between Morgan Ensberg, Mike Lamb, and Mark Loretta. Ensberg appears to be fully healthy after a 2006 season full of injury (shoulder) and frustration (from me...and I guess Morgan as well). An expert on waiting for just the right pitch, and yanking it to the short porch in left, Ensberg should rebound for a 30 HR, 90 RBI season, while platooning with the lefty hitter extraordinaire, Lamb. Look for Mikey to provide a solid .290-.300 in the average department coming of the bench and 10 HR though possibly more if he gets more time.

SS - No surprises here, Adam Everett will continue to go under the radar for a gold-glove solely because he doesn't have much of a bat -- though Ausmus did shatter that myth. Expect Adam to earn his hole in the line-up by, saving our young-guns lives with defensive prowess that will astound all while holding down a .250/12-15/55 line. Remember for a period of time last year Adam was second on the time in RBI's. Let's hope we don't repeat that this year.

Also, of all the moves all of the MLB clubs made this past winter, has any one been more overlooked than the 'Stros signing of Mark Loretta? I understand that the Astros are universally reviled by the baseball elite (in that they are not from either coast and do not have a spunky Latin manager) but how can the signing of a consistent .280 hitter who can play all over the field be any less talked about. It's not like he was an All Star last year, or anything...

Outfielders...

LF - As far as a new Astros everyone knows about, Carlos Lee is as proven a hitter as exists in the NL Central, and should be on line to hit around .285 and go yard close to 40 times with 120-125 RBI. Also, for a guy who is talked about as if he were George Costanza in pinstripes, homeboy can move on the basepaths. Expect 15 steals. Maybe we'll regret this move in five years, but as long as left field is only 315 feet from home plate, he should be fine.

CF - Chris Burke was anointed the man to platoon the spacious terrain of center field when the Jennings trade went through. However, Burke, a native infielder is only slated to hold this spot of for a single season when Hunter Pence should move up to the majors (however, Spring Training appears to be reworking everyone's thoughts on that). Burke should look like Willy T in only one regard, making some really baffiling errors out there. Other than that expect Burke to provide solid .275/15-20/50-60 numbers for us through out the year -- assuming he keeps his starting role. Though he has posted a dismal .059 Avg. in the Spring which might be cause for concern...

RF - I fell in love with Luke Scott this past July when I saw him hit for the cycle in a loss to the Diamondbacks. His late slump not withstanding, this is another guy, in addition to Chris Burke, who should excel with consistent playing time. An average of around .270 with 20 HR's and 70 RBI's is not out of the question. However, he is well below average out in right field.All in all, expect some head-aches from our outfield defensive this year, because we traded Wily! Who, I ask, can patrol the spacious center field at the Juicebox....

Hunter Pence would like to think he can. After hitting .283 with an .890 OPS in Double-AA last year, he is the reason why Miguel Tejada is not a Houston Astro. All he's done so far this spring is hit close to .652, while playing a sparkling CF. He looks to be the real deal, but how he plays under the lights at Busch stadium and not under the Florida sun, will be the ultimate test. If he can get into 100 games, 15 HRs and 55 RBIs are within his reach.

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Welcome and please a excuse the mess...

Well, this is the inaugural post of the soon to be infamous, for its intelligence and sex appeal, Astros' Blog. Evan and I (Stephen) will try to provide you with daily (though during the school year it might be slightly less) updates and analysis of the exploits of how our boys are performing. Will be there with you for the annual May and June collapse and provide you with soothing words of wisdom to get you through until the 'Stros eventually get their act together and dazzle us with their performance. We will welcome your heartfelt compliments and will indulge your whiny complaints -- thought we feel that there will be few, if any.

Today, will be spent playing around with all the wonderful options which this site provides, thus, we won't have anything of substance for a day or two. However, coming soon will be a preview of how we think the roster will look as well as our concrete and definitive analysis of how the season will play out. Until we have something of worth, continue to debate amongst yourselves whether or not Pence should have a chance as a starter over Burke (*scoff*) -- who is currently 2 for 31 on in the Spring (it's Spring and by all accounts swinging well, just not getting his due). Also, whether Jason Lane should be allowed back in the majors and how will Doggie do? Tonight, enjoy Roy O facing off against Hudson tonight.

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