The Houston Chromicle reports a Dominican Winter League team released Brett Wallace after 20 games. Brett was batting .173 (9-for-52) with two home runs and nine RBIs. Being released this quickly has got to be a bad sign. I thought he needed to spend the winter changing his swing to use his thighs and butt more instead of being an arms and shoulder swinger. Maybe he can still work on that over the winter. But there must be something really wrong if he can't stick with a Winter League team for a full month.

It struck me that MLB still hadn't acted on the Astros sale. Since the World Series ended long ago, I thought maybe the owners should have acted by now. Researching, I found this tidbit announced today: NEW YORK — The proposed sale of the Houston Astros from Drayton McLane to Jim Crane is on the agenda for approval when baseball owners meet next week, The Associated Press has learned. Two people familiar with the negotiations say McLane, Crane and Major League Baseball have reached an understanding on how a possible shift of the franchise to the American League in 2013 would take place. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because MLB had made no announcements.

Yankees place Lance Berkman on 15 day DL. This must be the most frustrating month of Berkman's professional life. Word is he will return in September but that the Yankees did not want to play one man short  while Lance healed. Here's the gist of the anouncement:

Lance Berkman has been placed on the disabled list because of his ankle injury.

“It hadn’t progressed quite as quickly as we wanted it to,” Joe Girardi said

Lance Berkman took out Alex Rodriguez  in battng practice today (Saturday August 7).  This will not endear Lance to the Yankees faithful.

Lance was extensively interviewed about it. Said Lance, "I had a great view of it."

 

Jeter tried to make light of it.

 

But apparently A-Rod was in a lot of  pain.

 

Berkman batting right handed hit  a line drive that caught A-Rod on the lower part of a shin and bruised it . Tests are being taken to be sure it is nothing worse. A-Rod was taken out of today's line up.

 

Here's a link to the story: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100807&content_id=13149108&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Former Astros and Orioles All Star Mike Cuellar died

Here's the Chronilce Link:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bb/6942015.html

 

Here's how the report begins:

Mike Cuellar, a crafty left-hander from Cuba whose darting screwball made him a World Series champion and Cy Young winner with the Baltimore Orioles, died Friday. He was 72.

The Orioles confirmed Cuellar’s death, but did not release other details.

Cuellar spent four seasons with the Astros. After a stint with the Reds and a season with the Cardinals, Cuellar pitched for the Astros from 1965-1968. Cuellar was named to his first All-Star Game in his third season with the Astros.

This bears only the slightest of relevance to the Astros  but I got a chuckle out of it . . .

I listen to old Jean Shepherd radio programs. In passing in one of his 60's shows on spitting Jean Shepherd said the greatest spitter of all time in baseball was Nellie Fox. According to Jean Shepherd, Nellie Fox, a feisty second baseman  known for stuffing his mouth with chewing tobacco,  could spray an opponent sliding into THIRD base from his position at second base. He was known (according to Shepherd)  for spitting toabcco on baserunners sliding into second: Nellie would  catch the ball at second, lace the incoming baserunner with chaw juice, and throw out the runner at first for the double play. Shepherd didn't mention this, but I'm sure baserunners thought twice about stealing second. Shepherd said in one memorable play, Nellie Fox spewed tobacco juice along the part in Bobby Richardson's hair.

 

I don't know how truthful that is, but I do recall a story about how  Nellie Fox stained the Astroturf in the Astrodome when he coached for the Astros.

 

That's it  - Now we can return to the 2010 Houston Astros prospects. 

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.

 

I'm surprised there's no thread for today's game against the Mets.

It's a TV broadcast on MLB.com from Mets network

I joined the game in the second with Mets loading the bases  against Wandy with two outs and one run in.

Wild pitch and Wandy missing a toss that would have got the runner at home led to one run instead of getting the Astros out of the inning.

A double and two errors  (one by Tejada) later the Mets lead 5-0

 and are still batting in the second.

Mets announcers referring to Astros using words like "disastrous" and  "comedy of errors." 

All five runs so far are unearned.  Ten  Mets batted in the inning, one making the first and last out.

 

***HLP Edit***: A sad day for sure, and obviously the most important thing is Aaron Boone's health. He's known about his condition since college, and seems rather calm about it.

On the baseball side of things, what does this mean for the Astros? Does Chris Johnson get a shot? What about Drew Sutton? Blum doesn't seem able to hit lefties anymore, so I think a platoon would still be in order.

What does everyone think?

********************************************************

Wow  - What a shocker!  The important announcement was that Aaron Boone will undergo open heart surgery to repair a "bicuspid aortic valve." I never saw that coming.

If I researched this properly bicuspid aortic valve is a heart defect that around 2 % of the population has (born with) (especially males).  Its symptons take many forms, only some of whch need surgery to correct.  

It is not unusual for athletes to have the problem and it is not unusual for people with this conditin to require surgery in their 30s.  It is a dangerous conditon, exasperated by other medical conditions. 

Aaron Boone will leave the Astros. His career may be over, but that is not a big concern to him now.  

My prayers for Aaron Boone.

An unhappy day.

USA started the second round of the WBC by losing 11-1 to Puerto Rico.  The game was stopped in the bottom of the seventh under the Mercy Rule. Jake Peavy started for USA. Puerto Rico led 6-0 after two innings. Pudge Rodriguez went 3 for 4 for Puerto   Rico. Carlos Beltran had a good night too (3 for 3 with homerun).   

It was like watching an Astros game.

Next up is the Netherlands, which lost to Venezuela, in an elimination game. 

Maybe because was younger than I am, or because I remember him in his prime, Dave Smith's death  is shocking and depressing  to me. May he rest in peace. Here's the basic information:

Dave Smith, a former All-Star closer who holds the Houston Astros record for games pitched, died Wednesday. He was 53. 

Former big leaguer Tim Flannery said Smith apparently died of a heart attack, but the official cause of death wasn't known.

"He's gone. My tears are the rain," Flannery, the San Francisco Giants third base coach, told The Associated Press.

Dave Smith was an All-Star with Houston in 1986 and 1990, and had 216 saves in a 13-year career. He played with Houston from 1980-90 before finishing his career with two seasons with the Chicago Cubs.

His 563 outings with the Astros is tops on the club's list, and his 199 saves ranks second.

Former Astros playing a role:

Eric Bruntlett batting for Phillies

Trever Miller struck out Howard

Dan Wheeler pitching to Eric Bruntlett

Cut shots to Brad Lidge warming up in the bullpen

(and though he hasn't done anything yet it the ninth, Ben Zobrist started the game in right field for the Rays  - second time he's played right since little league or something like that)

I liked the Astros connection in the top of the ninth

Doesn't seem right for some reason.

Dodgers fell apart, especially in the final game. Phillies leadoff home run (Rollins). Errors by Shortstop Furcal (3 of them in this game!) . Hitting into double plays (DeWitt hit into 2). Starting pitcher (Billingsley) not making it out of the third inning. 

GM Pat Gillick (not Charlie Manuel as I wrote originally)  credited Ed Wade twice in the post-game locker room interview.  Interesting development, that.

I picked the Dodgers  to win this series but Phillies dominated.  I don't know how they will do against the AL champions, but they seem to have the tools to be competitive.

From the Houston Chronincle:

The Astros cleared space on their 40-man roster Wednesday by outrighting four players to Class AAA Round Rock: righthanders Dave Borkowski, Jack Cassel and Ryan Houston and infielder Jose Castillo.

Borkowski and Castillo have the right to refuse the outright assignment and become free agents, while Cassel and Houston automatically become minor league free agents based on their minor league service time.

The Astros’ 40-man roster stands at 36.

 

Big fight at a party in Galveston (He should have been watching the playoff games). Here's part of the Chronicle's report:

Police tasered two people and also used pepper spray on one of them, documents said. One man was was taken by helicopter to a Houston hospital.

During the fight, Backe was told by police to back away. He refused and police tried to handcuff him, the report said.

Backe struggled with officers. In the report, one officer said he hit Backe twice in the face before handcuffing him. The officer also said Backe smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot eyes.

Both the officer and Backe had bloodied faces after the fight, according to the police report.

Backe was arrested, accused of resisting arrest, search and transportation by using force against an officer. He was released on $1,500 bail.

 

I missed most of the game.  Ex-Astro Octavio Dotel pitched to one Rays batter (B J Upton) in the bottom of the 8th with the bases loaded. After starting 2-0, he threw three straight strikes to get out of the inning.

Closing for the Rays was ex-Astros Dan Wheeler. First batter he faced, Paul Konerko,  hit a homerun.  Wheeler gets the next three batters and the Rays take game 1 by a  6-4 score.

Jon Lester and the Red Sox dominated the Angels in Game 1.

Jason Bay homered and doubled to lead the Sox offense.  I wonder what Pirates fans are thinking tonight.

I picked Angels to win this series. To me, Angels are the best team in baseball. It  looks like I over-estimated the Angels or under-estimated the Red Sox. That's what I get for not paying much attention to the American League during the season.

More games manana.

 

Homerun derby.

Manny Ramirez hit an impossible homerun, but the game changer was a grand slam homerun following three walks.

Pretty cool to see Greg Maddux close the game considering his history with theCubs. I bet many a Cubs fan had mixed emotions seeing him out there.

Game was much more interesting  than the Brewers-Phillies game.

Since I'm picking Dodgers to make it to the World Series, I was relieved to see the Dodgers win the game.

Also I'm still peeved some Cubs fan in our predictions thread said only people who were jealous of the Cubs  would pick the Dodgers. Hurt my feelings. (I'm sensitive).

At work I had only the radio and had the luck to hear Vin Scully calling the game. What a treat.

TBS is blacked out on MLB.TV.  I'm listening to radio on MLB.com.   Does this mean all playoff games will be blacked out  or only those on TBS (for those living in the Braves television area)?

Will TCB have playoff games threads.?

Phillies lead 3-0 in the fourth innnig, scoring all three runs in the third.

Cole Hamels has pitched a  perfect game through four innings, with four strikeouts (total of 44 pitches in 4 innings).

The Astros had a day off in this recent winning streak (a travel day). They lost the first game after the day off (to the Rockies). Cecil Cooper said part of  the reason was that a team on a roll loses that momentum when they have a day off.   The Astros got the momentum back quick enough.

Astros have cancelled Friday's  game. Saturday may be postponed also. That means at least two days  woithout playing. It also means make-up games. One could be on Monday, with the Astros playing the next day in Florida (I think).  

I wonder how this affects the Astros. Will a hurricane break the momentum that no baseball team could break.  Will playing on Monday affect the team's play on Tuesday in Florida?  Will this mean a one game at the end of the season against Cubs for all the marbles?

Is the delay all bad? Could  it help the players to recover from the many bumps and bruises suffrered by key  players?

What's your call? Game postponements caused  by Hurricane Ike : factor or nonfactor in Astros late season charge?

The broken finger may end Carlos Lee's season. He was the hottest hitter in the league the past few weeks.  It'll be interesting to see if Tejada or someone else  picks it up to replace Lee.

Here's the first paragraph from the Chronicle:

CINCINNATI -- Astros slugger Carlos Lee is likely out for the rest of the season after breaking his left pinky finger in tonight’s 3-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.