Can you feel it?
Pitchers and catchers report in less than a month. The World Baseball Classic is upon us.
Can you feel it?
Many of the mega contracts have been finalized, while a handful of others are still in the works.
Houston Astros
16 January 2009
12 January 2009
For seven years, a familiar voice has resonated across a baseball diamond in Madison, South Dakota. It is a voice that has found inspiration in so many places….a voice that was fifty years in the making. It belongs to Keith Bundy, a minister, husband and father of three from a small town near St. Louis. Keith grew up listening to baseball and a highlight of his youth was the opportunity to meet Hall of Fame Cubs broadcaster Harry Carey when he was eleven years old. He met his wife, Peggy, at the University of Evansville and they settled in Madison and raised their three sons.
Posted by Jeff Norris | No comments yet
5 January 2009
Following the release of Ty Wigginton, the Astros are scrambling to replace the productive third-sacker. So far, the best option that they have been able to come up with is the light-hitting, rapidly aging Aaron Boone. Boone is best remembered for his postseason heroics with the Yankees, but last season saw him hit just .241 with the Nationals. The platoon of Boone and Blum will be a far cry from the .285 average and 23 home runs of Wigginton, but there are a few young players in the Astros system worth keeping an eye on.
Continue reading "Houston Astros in Search of a Third Baseman"
Posted by Jeff Norris | No comments yet
After a lackluster session at the winter meetings, it is becoming clear to Astros fans that GM Ed Wade has no concerns with the current roster. With no blockbuster deal looming on the horizon, we may have to finally bite the bullet and evaluate the potential opening day lineup. My biggest concern with this team is...well, everything. For a team that barely missed the postseason, the Astros really did not perform well in any statistical category. They ranked 11th in the National League in runs scored, 11th in on-base percentage, 7th in slugging and 6th in team batting average. Houston was next to last in runs and OBP after the 6th inning.
Posted by Jeff Norris | No comments yet
3 November 2008
It's obvious that the Astros need some extra help both on the hitting and pitching side. With Michael Bourne as a bust and no true catcher the stros will need to find some help on the free agent marke
Posted by Matt Howard | No comments yet
30 September 2008
With the MLB playoffs set to begin, there is a subtle difference in the air compared to start of any other postseason. In the NHL, fans can potentially look forward to a great Canadians/Bruins series that is not only exciting, but has a historical kick to it. Likewise basketball fans always have the chance to see if the Suns can finally get past the Spurs and football fans love seeing the rivalry of the Eagles Vs the City of Philadelphia when the Eagles so much as get tackled for a loss.
Posted by Karol Kudyba | No comments yet
11 August 2008
So, by now every Astros fan has had a chance to process the injury to Carlos Lee and what it means for the rest of the 2008 season. While many have written the season off and don't care what the Astros do to fill the void in left field (or more importantly, the no. 4 hole in the lineup), there have been some, including ESPN.com, which have suggested the Astros should sign Barry Bonds (a FA) to fill in for Lee. Now, I must admit, my initial feelings about Bonds joining the Astros were not favorable, but, after some time to think it over and analyze the Astros situation, I say, "why not?"
Posted by William P. Hayes | 1 comment
10 August 2008
So, it's the middle of August, the Astros are 8.5 games out the wildcard with multiple teams to pass, and it looks like they just lost, arguably their best hitter, Carlos Lee for the rest of the season. Sounds like a great time to create my own blog focused on the Astros. Because, after all, this is going to be an exhilirating last month and a half of the season for Astros fans!
Posted by William P. Hayes | No comments yet
30 July 2008
There's two reasons for making a deal at the deadline, or around it:
1. You're in contention, and you need to add a player.
2. You're out of contention, and you need to add prospects.
The reasoning is simple: Are you looking for short-term or long-term gain? That is, do you need one more piece to put together a contending team (and hence are willing to sacrifice the future to get it), or are you looking to build for the future? You might take a few chances on some marginal guys if you're in contention, the way the Yanks did on signing Sidney Ponson or Richie Sexson. Otherwise you either stand pat or collect prospects from the guys who are itching for that last piece.
Posted by Street Reporter | No comments yet
15 July 2008
One of the All-Star Break traditions: Reassessing our predictions from the first half of the season. Some of mine have changed, some have stayed the same—and some were just damn wrong. Living in the West, I will take the contrarian position and roll from west to east in my choices.
Posted by Street Reporter | 3 comments
26 June 2008
Shawn Chacon has been indefinitely suspended from the Astros and will likely be released or traded as soon as possible--that is, if any team is willing to take him on. This all comes after a clubhouse incident where Chacon knocked down his GM ED Wade, jumped on top of him and began choking him.
Posted by Street Reporter | 1 comment
4 June 2008
Facing the second batter in last night's game against the Giants, Randy Johnson tied Roger Clemens at #2 on the all-time strikeouts list. With the third batter, he gained sole possession of the second spot, a place he should hold for a very, very long time.
Posted by Street Reporter | 2 comments
21 May 2008
HOUSTON DEFEATS CUBS 5-3 ON A CARLOS LEE HOME RUN AS HOUSTON TAKES SERIES
After the Cubs went 8-2 on their latest home stand which made their record at home 19-8, it seems as if they forgot how to play anywhere else. After losing to the Astros 5-3 and losing the series, the Cubs find themselves 9-11 away from the friendly Confines. If a team wants to find themselves in the post-season, they need to win the big games on the road. In a series that had playoff atmosphere, both teams were out to make statements. The Astros were louder than the Cubs according to Shawn Chaccon, who got the decision in the victory. "One message the Cubs might get out of it is, 'We're here. We're here to compete. We're going to battle,'" Chacon said. "'It's not the team it was last year. Basically, it's going to be a tough team to beat the whole year.'"
Posted by Ryan Neiman | No comments yet
1 May 2008
For many baseball fans, last night wasn't a great night to watch baseball, as blowouts predominated early on. But, because of the beautiful game that is baseball, only three of them continued in their lopsided fashion, with the best of them highlighted by a homer from Micah Owings, the best-hitting pitcher in baseball, whom teammate Conor Jackson said had the "best pop" of anyone on the team. And all of them showed something about the winning and losing teams, proving that any baseball game is worth watching, even when it doesn't seem exciting.
Posted by Street Reporter | No comments yet
19 March 2008
ballgames, which is a real possibility outside of Harang and Arroyo, the Reds will be in trouble.
Houston Astros
Can Miguel Tejada return to form?
After posting 150 RBI in a monster 2004 season for the Orioles, Tejada has not had more than 100 RBI in a season and his home run total has dropped each year. Additionally, his range at the shortstop position has decreased dramatically, so much so that teams interested in trading for him in the past inquired about moving him to third base. Tejada, whose dropoff in production coincides with Major League Baseball’s stricter steroid testing policy, is also a central figure in the Mitchell Report and under federal investigation for perjury. A fresh start in Houston seems to be just what he needs.
Posted by Joe Sauer | No comments yet
29 February 2008
ns was at top of his game. It was his first year in the National League while playing for the Houston Astros. He ended up going 18-4 and eventually went on to win the National League Cy Young Award. How quickly can things can fall from grace. In December 13, 2007, Clemens name was listed in the Mitchell Report, which alleged that he had used steroids and HGH during the 1998-2001 seasons. Ever since those allegations, Clemens has been saying he was falsely accused with his lawyer Rusty Hardin backing him up. Even under oath in front of federal investigators and the Supreme Court, he kept to his story that he never did take HGH or steroids. What a horrible decision that would later be for him.
Posted by Ryan Neiman | No comments yet
