Jose de Jesus Ortiz wrote that Milo Hamilton is battling cancer:

"[T]he legendary Milo Hamilton, a four-time Hall of Famer who is fighting cancer, will land in New York tonight in anticipation of calling the Astros' weekend series at new Citi Field."

I had not heard this before, and I could not find a corroborating source.

(As I say almost weekly) I take what I read by JJO with a grain of salt because he is wrong so often; but this  came out of the blue.

Anyone have any information  about Milo and cancer? 

Chip Bailey  in the Houston Chronicle blog today talks about Astros outfielders of the the future. Astros seem set with Lee, Bourn and Pence. Chip Bailey says Astros have three outfielders biting at the bit in Brian Bogusevic, Collin Delome, and Andrew Locke. I'm sure we could add one or two more outfielders to the list.

I was wondering how difficult it would be for  three of the six to move to the infield  (short, second and third). If they carry the bats they are supposed to have ,that would improve Astros batting.

I know Cardinals moved an outfielder to second, with decent results, this year. Astros' own Craig Biggio made Allstar appearances at second after coming up as a catcher. Bogusevic himself has already switched from pitcher to outfielder. How many times have I heard this year of a player who started as pitcher becoming a fielder (infield or outfielder) or started as  position player and switched to pitcher,

Instead of trading these guys, or making them career AAA players, would it be realistic to turn them into infielders?

JJO in the Chronicle reports that Lance Berkman is on the 15 day DL with that calf strain. Apparently it was not as "mild" as first reported, When I researched Type II Strain, the material said recovery time is measured in weeks (not days).  So while I am  a litte surprised to read this announcement, it is not a shock. Since Berkman pinch hit last night,  the 15 days must start today. Any way you look at it, he'll miss the Mets, Cubs, Cardinals and Giants series.

While he will be missed for sure, losing Lance is easier to take seeing how well Coste has played in Berkman's absence and seeing how well the team has responded this week.

Edwin Maysonet is back. Hopefully he will get an opportunity to play; but unless Matsui needs off days to recover from his bumps and bruises,  I  don't seeing much playing time for him. Still it's nice to have him back. I wish it were under different circumstances.

Here's the Chronicle link: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bb/6543923.html

via upload.wikimedia.org

Wandy Rodriguez vs. Padres' Kevin Correia

Game is underway. Astros have loaded the bases with one out in the first inning.

Micheal Bourn walked

Miguel Tejada popped up to first.

Bourn stole second

Lance Bekman walked

Carlos Lee INFIELD single

Geoff Blum singled to right  plating Bourn for the first run of the game 

Close up picture of batters shows attractive woman in green halter top in stands

Hunter Pence grounded to shortstop. Pence  beats relay throw to first . Blum out at second.

Lance Berkman scored.

2-0 Astros

Kazuo Matsui flied to left to end the inning

A stunning trade. Pirates get three prize prospects but lose a key player. McLouth becomes the starting center fielder for Atlanta. Pirates making serious bid to have a winning season in the next few years.  Here's the basics:

The Braves have acquired All-Star outfielder Nate McLouth from the Pirates in exchange for three highly regarded Minor League prospects.

A Major League source confirmed that the Pirates will send McLouth to the Braves in exchange for right-handed pitcher Charlie Morton, left-handed pitcher Jeff Locke and outfielder Gorkys Hernandez.

Trailing Army 10-6 in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Longhorns scored EIGHT runs, including the last four on a grand slam homerun to win the game  (and the regional) 14-10.

The Longhorns trailed most of the game (they lead 3-2 briefly after two innings).

 Preston Clark hit the walk -off grand slam. He'll remember that for  long long time. He was 2 for  6 with 5 RBIs and scored 3 runs. Brandon Loy doubled to drive in 3 runs earlier in the ninth.

Longhorns used five pitchers in the game 

Nice honor diluted tremendously by his two errors yesterday and the Astros dismal win-loss record last week. Here's the information:

Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada's league-leading .522 average last week helped him earn the honor of being the National League Player of the Week presented by Bank of America for the period through Sunday.

Tejada also topped the loop with his 12 hits, a 1.043 slugging percentage and 24 total bases.

Revisiting the American League temporarily during weekend Interleague Play pumped up Tejada -- and his numbers. In Houston's three-game series against the Texas Rangers, he batted .583 (7-for-12), including a 4-for-4 performance on Sunday, his second four-hit game of the season.

This is old hat to Tejada, who has earned the weekly award under each cap he has worn during his 13-year career -- twice with the A's and three times with the Orioles prior to this latest recognition, his first in the NL.

We join the game in the second inning. Moehler has struck out three of the six batters he faced (all retired in order).

All four Astros batters to bat  so far have made outs too.

I missed te first inning when I took a shower. The only fielding play of any merit  was a nice recovery by Bourn in center to make a catch that sunk on him  a the last second.

Tejada  just singled for the first hit of  the game.

Berkman is not playing again  (Bad left wrist). Darin Erstad playing first.

Astros do not score in the second.

I've not followed Zack Greinke of Kansas CIty Royals . For the rest of you who also know nothing about him, here's the beginning of the game story on his outing last night. If I was a pitcher, this is how I would plan to start  my year too.

KANSAS CITY -- Zack Greinke wasn't quite perfect but plenty good enough.

Greinke actually gave up two earned runs but still upgraded his record to 5-0 -- becoming the first pitcher in the Majors to five wins -- as he pitched the Royals to an 11-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium. His ERA went from 0.00 to 0.50.

His string of 43 consecutive innings without giving up an earned run ended in the first inning.

Washington Nationals lead the Astros 2-1 after two innings.

Astros scored first when Michael Bourn singled home Kaz Matsui (who singled and stole second).

Nationals scored on two weak singles followed by a triple to right field.

Jose Capellan is today's Astros pitcher (and batter - he just singled to start the third).

Pudge Rodriguez and Lance Berkman are not in the lineup today. 

Erstad playing first, Johnson on third, and Quintero catching.  All others are the expected starers.

Now in the top of the third Astros have two runners on with one out, and Hunter Pence  batting. Pence singled to left to load the bases.

Carlos Lee batting.

Ground ball to shortstop, who drops the ball, his second error of the INNING. Capellan scored.

Michael Bourn scored on a sac fly to right.

Astros lead 3-2, two outs.

Chris Johnson  grounded to third to end the inning.