There are a few things you can count on with baseball. The grass will be green, they will play almost everyday, and they are not going to tell you anything. Over and over the same words come from the same mouths. And then the same words will come from some other mouth. You all know the boiler plate statements about the day to day games. To me, that is understandable. If you are a good player the same question may come up a few thousand times a year. The irritating rhetoric for me comes from the management and front office types.

What is your opinion about the honesty between the team and fans of the team?

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This is simply my breakdown of the skills possessed by Delino Deshields Jr. It is all IMHO.

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The season is underway but the Stros have one more day til their challenge begins. Spring training was up and down for the Astros and they say it doesn't mean much. Just to tune up and get ready. This year it was a bit costly for the brick red team as potential breakout candidate Jason Castro and veteran starter Clint Barmes didn't make it out unscathed. The already thin roster has now been remade and as the games start tomorrow the cards are laid and the roster is set.

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It is the appropriate time in spring where the stats should start to be somewhat meaningful. Or at least the performances can be judged with some credibility. Some cuts have been made and players are honing in on timing or their arms are warming to pitching routinely. This is what I have seen from Lyles and my judgment of what he should do this year.

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Is anyone going to the festivities tomorrow. I think I am going to attend.

I am watching Ken Burns Baseball right now. It is an account of the history of baseball in a 10 disc 20hr  dvd set. I guess it was made for PBS. Anyway it is pretty informative. I recommend  watching it if you can find it somehow. So many things about baseball I didn't know.

I also found this over at minorleagueball.com. Pretty cool Bob Feller interview about him trying to change the players rights in baseball when he retired.

http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/multimedia/video/2008/wallace/feller_bob.html

What a nightmare for the pitchers. Every flyball was an adventure and 8 HRs total was pretty crazy. The only HR that was truly impressive was Pence's.

The good news:

Bourn is looking excellent. Having GREAT ABs and putting great contact on the ball. He is also amazing in CF. Anything close to this production and he will give the Astros the best leadoff hitter since Biggs of 8 years ago.

Pence is giving a mixed bag but good for the most part. His patience at the plate is worrisome to me but he has so much power he can get away with it more than most. If he was more selective no telling what he could accomplish this year.

Lee and Berkman both look like they should right now and that is always good.

Backe looks really good to me. He has had some good and not so good outings. I think he will put it together for a real solid campaign this year.

Roy Oswalt. Will win the Cy Young and most wins in 20 years or so.

Valverde is the only RP that has looked really good though they have enough arms to have a solid relief core.

The Bad:

Woody has been the pits this spring. Everyone is questioning if he will even make the team. Nothing he is doing seems to work this spring. JD(announcer) suggests he throws backwards like he did at the end of his career or like Jamie Moyer does now. Mainly throw junk and limit his 84 mph FB under 20 times per game.

Tejada has butchered SS all spring and though I am not that worried about his swing he hasn't done anything to relax the critics that think he is declining rapidly. I think he will be fine.

All the nagging injuries. The whole Paulino thing is very strange. Never heard of it until yesterday. Someone said he had a family friend in the Phillies organization with the same kind of problem and after a while they eventually removed part of a rib(I know this is crazy) and he was better in weeks. He had pain for a long time and post surgery he gained 4mph on his stuff.

Towles, Valverde, Matsui, and Wandy will all play big rolls on the club but haven't played in a while. Not a great thing.

What they might do:

It looks like Wright has the stuff to be on the roster and probably has the inside track right now. Sampson will likely get a spot in the rotation now and for sure if Woody continues to stumble. With Matsui out for the fist week or two Q might make the team and might even get traded in May. Abercrombie has come on strong lately but I don't think he makes the team over Cruz who is probably the Spring MVP.

That is all I can think of right now but if anyone hasn't seen or heard the Stros much ask a question and having seen or heard all the games available I will answer if I know something.

I loved this guy. I was very very high on him. Some due to the fact that I always disliked AE because he was the worst hitter in baseball every year but two. Zobrist has had arguably the best plate discipline minor league-wide since he signed in 04. With a BB/K of 1.33/1 and a BB--rate almost double an average player 234BB in 1251ABs he never had an OBP less than .400(avg 428) and only once hit less than .300(avg 316). He was always 2 years older than competition of the league and never got credit until the trade to Tampa. He bombed in his first trial last year in 97ABs after destroying spring training. When he was sent down he again killed AAA as a 26 year old. He is a slick fielder able to play the most premium position in baseball. I still think that he has a chance to play in the majors because plate discipline is one of the true skills that doesn't lie to you.

This is how I got the bulpen

Valverde
Brocail
Villareal
Borkowski
McLemore
Geary
Wright/Paronto

Then I expect Estrada to get called up sometime as someone gets hurt or is released.

I got home and found a UPS parcel. Inside was my 2008 Baseball Prospect Book from Sickels. Then I fired up the internet to see that the Astros TV schedule has been released.

http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20080207&content_id=2367 688&vkey=pr_hou&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou

I am going to get the MLB package again this year so I can watch any game from my computer, but it is great to know that I will be watching a real broadcast in less than a month. On March 3rd at noon the Stros face the Yanks and hopefully JD, B Brown, and Lucas are in fine form. It has been a long time coming and the wait is almost over.

As much as I hate what has become of my beloved Astros over the last 2 1/2 years the feeling I have today makes me realize that I will be a Stros fan forever and I really have a problem with my love of baseball.

CF Bourn
RF Pence
1B Berkman
LF Lee
SS Tejada
3B Wiggy
2B Matsui
C  Towles

C  Ausmus
IF Lorreta
IF Blum
OF Abercrombie/Cruz/Ramirez/FA
OF Abercrombie/Cruz/Ramirez/FA

SP Oswalt
SP Backe
SP Rodrigez
SP Sampson
SP Williams(maybe he retires)

CL Valverde
RP Brocail     RP Villareal      RP Borkowski
RP Geary       RP McLemore       RP Wright/Estrada/Paulino/FA

That OF bench is really weak. I wouldn't mind picking up Lane and my second choice would be Mench. They both will have to settle on bench roles this year. Man do I hate that rotation. As the team is now it is going to drive me crazy. I have said how I think that a well-pitched game is beautiful and looking at this I will only get one a week. Roy may win 25 games this year though. I am not kidding.

Suggestions/thoughts? What a crazy offseason

Are issuing statements right now.

Roger denies the allegations in the report and says it was made up by a "troubled" man that was faced with Federal Prison. He says the report is slander.

This was issued by Clemens attorney.

Pettitte has not issued any statement under advisement of the Hendricks brothers, as he is an active player.

I don't know where the statement was made. Parts of it was read over ESPN790 in Houston.

Looks like Clemens won't take his fate. Where do yall see this going?

Edit: The 2 statements were issued directly to ESPN790 by the Hendricks brother. The statement they read for Roger was written by his team of lawyers following the official report. It appears following the report Clemens called together his lawyers to start clearing him.

Astros get: Tejada, that's it

Orioles get: Albers, Scott, Sarfate, Costanzo, Patton

That is quite the haul for the O's. I will have to think about this.

My initial reaction is that Scott will outhit Tejada next year.

Ok, so after a minute of thought I hate it. The Astros trade 5 assets(some small though) for one asset. Miggy is a bargain in his current deal for the next 2 years. Patton is under control for 6 years. Costanzo 6 years. Albers 5 years. Scott 4 years. Sarfate 6 years. That is 27 years of controlled salary for 2. Even if the O's get half of those years at even league average production they win huge.

I have to bring up my thought about the Stros not being able to win again. Going into the off season I wanted the Stros to sign Wolf and Linebrink, thats it. Since then they have made many trades, signed a below-average 2nd Baseman, and amassed tons of RPs. They still have a joke of a rotation; I mean a real real joke. They now have sevaeral superstars(Berkman, Tejada, Oswalt, Lee) all over 30 wasting there prime years on a losing team.

The hedgehog looked at Houston and predicted a long winter; I predict 5 more years of losing baseball. I can only imagine the Stros will sign 2 crappy pitchers for like 25mil a year. SCREW ME SIDEWAYS

Story

ESPN 790 is reporting that a Tejada trade is now likely and the Astros are both optimistic it will happen and satisfied in what they are giving up. They haven't said who they would give up in the deal. They also say it might not even be announced today. The ball is in Baltimore's court (like the last 3 years?).

I don't think they would mention it if they didn't think it was going down.

All I want is to keep Pence. I hope both Bourn and Scott are not in the deal, who plays OF,(will make Stros sign an expensive FA CFer). I hope Wandy is in the deal(I think his value is higher perceptionaly).

I will have more thoughts

MLBTR is saying the principle players would be Everett, Burke and a pitcher. Like I said, I really hope that is Wandy and not Patton. But with the other players being so light on value I would have to think it is Patton.

I guess the Astros are shopping Burke and Scott, with everyone else to a lesser extent. No more RP Wade. The rumors about him were true. He is insane about RPs.

The latest I have heard is the Rox want Burke but they don't like him straight up for Fuentes. I don't like Fuentes. Not enough "stuff for a closer", his off nights make Lidge's off nights look good.

Also, the Padres want Scott. I wouldn't trade Scott unless it is in a deal for a GOOD pitcher. Scott gets out of bed and slugs 500.

I will update

I love baseball. All aspects of the game, coaching, sabermetrics, watching. In the last 5 years the Stros have gone from the ideal organization into the bottom 3. I blame Drayton for letting go of the great GM and letting Fat Purp take over. Since the exclusion of the fat one I now blame Drayton. His inability to realize this team has no chance for next year(the last 2 years) will devastate this team for the future.

My PROBLEM: I think I know more about this kind of stuff than anybody. I don't know how I can change that. Maybe if I was wrong more than 20% of the time. So it frustrates me to no end when I see something I know will not be good. I don't know what to think about that except that my resources are being wasted following the Stros.

My projections suck for the Stros because I always see the best. But projecting outside players I have always been good at and I think this Matsui signing will be a real bad one. I was real upset when they traded for JJ and see how that turned out.

I don't know what to say else except that I don't like what Wade has done and his player evaluation is not as good as mine. Personally I don't think any of these GM's do any time looking at players. They hear names and respond so they can save their job for one more year,

1. JR Towles
   
2. Troy Patton
   
3. Felipe Paulino
   
4. Mike Costanzo
   
5. Juan Gutierrez
   
6. Paul Estrada
   
7. Bud Norris
   
8. Mitch Einertson
   
9. Brad James
   
10. Max Sapp
    
11. Josh Flores
    
12. Sam Gervacio
    
13. Mark McLemore
    
14. Chance Douglass
    
15. Eli Iorg
    
16. Dennis Sarfate
    
17. Koby Clemens
    
18. Jordan Parraz
    
19. Jonny Ash
    
20. Tommy Manzella

Also, if you want any explanations or other info I will answer. I didn't want to waste time since so few people care, but if you do I will.

The Dynamo won the MLS title today. The only game I watched this year. I have a deal with sports teams not named the Astros in Houston, if they are in a championship game I will watch and if they win I will buy some kind of merchandise with their name on it. So looks like I will be buying a hat or shirt.

Texans looked really good today. And Bush looked real bad. I don't really care about that situation but if you listen to as much radio as I do you would want Bush and Vince to play bad against the Texans. Just to shut all the fanatics up.

Last night got to watch some damn good fights in the UFC. I love that stuff. I also picked all the winners but 1. No bets last night though.

I also realized that I don't hate the Astros GM. Which was not true a few months ago. I still don't think the Astros can be a winner next year but for a prospect guy like me I would love seeing 15 different SPs next year. It would be much more exciting for me than most though, I guess.

I have been talking about trading Lee some and I have spent a fair amount of time looking into that. The short of it is that it probably won't happen for 3 more years. But here is my "If it happened, this is how it would happen".

Astros trade either Lee and Wiggy, or Lee and Burke for 1) Blalock, Hurley, and another SP prospect or 2) Kinsler, Hurley, and another SP prospect.

Oscar Villareal from the Braves for Josh Anderson.

At least that is what CP is saying right now.

More later.

http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20071116&content_id=2301963&vkey=pr_hou&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou

I like this move. They also picked up another OFer today. Villareal used to be thought of very highly and has had ups and downs with injuries I believe. He is still better than some of the vets like Borks, Moehler.

I never thought Anderson would make a MLB roster all year and I think I might be right on that. He just lacks too many skills for what kind of player he is.

I will do some research on the other guy.

Sarfate: I don't understand why the hell the Brewers would give up on this kid. I know he was bought for cash in the deal but he always performed well for them. He was never the standout prospect but it was clear from the numbers and the scouts that this guy was going to be an asset in the bully as soon as 07.

Sickels has had a sweet spot for him the last 3 years saying that when he saw Sarfate his secondary stuff was better than suggested. BA(who often mixes up secondary pitches) said he had good upside for the bulpen for the last 3 years as well.

My opinion is that Sarfate will be a good reliever next year, making the team, and continue to gain confidence over the next few years to become a set-up or closer barring injury. His FB is damn fine and I have seen a decent curve and below average slider from him. The gravy is that his FB is good enough that if he can get anything off-speed over that he will be fine as a reliever.

Astroline: The first show is tomorrow and as the release says it is in the 740 studios. I normally go to most of the Astrolines when I am in town and if they don"t have public shows I will be very disappointed.

If anyone has any info on why the show will not be public, or if it will be this year, it would be much appreciated.

There is a #2 SP available. If the Stros want to shell out some real bucks next year they can go after Pettitte. He just opted out of his option for next year.

http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071105&content_id=2293339&vkey=news_mlb &fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

And if you think he meant what he said last week I think you are naive.

It's always about the money. If Drayton thinks he needs to show he wants to win GO FOR IT. This might be they best thing he could do with his money this offseason.

Check that......... I am sure that signing Pettitte would be the best option for The Astros in 08..... If they decide they have to make a big move. Otherwise save while it's raining so you can spend when it's sunny.

I thought before the year that he would eventually make it to the bigs and it would be about a 50% chances that he could be an average catcher with significantly more athleticism. He started off like a snail and when Santangello failed a drug test it changed Towles life forever. Since then he has shot up from A+ to 1st string catcher for the month of September. He has played way over his head so far. And he only has about 9% of the at bats as most catchers. But the most interesting thing so far is that he has yet to strike out.

If you have seen him he is also about 9% the size of a normal catcher. Greg "The Rat" Zaun thinks Towles needs to hit the weights.

What do yall think of Towles?

I have stated that Orlando Palmeiro had no business on this team since last offseason. Now the season is almost over and he has been on the roster the entire year. Lets look at how that turned out!

His stats look like this.

.237/.345/.268  23hits with only 3 being xtb hits and 2B at that. And a total of 6RBIs

I will exclaim my trusted WOW! WOW!

I am tempted to question this as the worst performance by any player to ever be on a MLB roster for an entire year!

I said quite a while ago, "I lost a lot of respect for Garner when he said Palmeiro is one of the best hitters he had ever seen."   

I know what he was getting at by a comment like that, But COME ON!

I was right. The Astros were wrong. It is very troubling that this has been the case for about two years now.

I am really frustrated over my beloved Astros. Also, this is not really a rip on Lando. It is not his fault he was paid to be on the team. I would show up for $800,000 too. He just didn't have a place on this team.

WOW! WOW! WOW!

Wow. Really? Wow. Really?

So you didn't have a first or second round pick? And you didn't sign your third or forth round picks?

Do you feel like a big league organization?

Because from the outside here, it really looks like your makin this up as you go along.

This would be my conversation with Drayton or TP.

I am disappointed in this team. Everything is screwed up and it is not on the right track to come back. It is now laughable at the events that have occurred to get to this point.

Al I can think to say is the Astros will continue to go down as a competitive organization with this same leadership at the helm.

Where does Biggio rank among all-time 2nd basemen? Who was better? Who comes close? Who are the hall of famers at 2nd that he is clearly better than? Does Biggio's position changes put him in a different position going into the hall and did his position changes help or hurt his position among the all-time great players?

Where would you put Biggio among the all-time greats for position players? I am sure that many of you know that Bill James said he thought Biggio was the greatest player in baseball for 3(or so) years in a row. And he said Biggio had better intangibles in his game than most anyone ever(HBP/never GDP/top level baserunning/as well as other things).

Opinions would be appreciated.

How crazy has the last 10 or so days been with the Astros? It is exciting scoring 9 runs and kills me to see the bullpen give up 4 in one inning. So the week+ has energized my hopes a little and opened my thoughts.

Garner plays hunches more than most if not all current managers. And over the baseline of this season he has put forth his worst job since coming here. And that is not his biggest problem. The larger and blinding problem is talent evaluation. Either Garner has been looking at different games than I have or he is far too emotionally attached to his "favorite" players. The other possibility is that Garner is forced by TP or Drayton to keep players on the team, or even worse, play guys he doesn't want to. The latter would be the worst and if that is the case the team is in some serious trouble going forward with this front office/management.

The glaring examples of this are Trev Miller and Woody. You can extend that to OP and Biggs leading off as well if you want. Miller and Woody have simply been horrible this year. There is no doubt in my mind that players in the minors could perform much better than them. Basically because it is not that hard to have a WHIP of less than 1.5. Woody would have a hard time or simply wouldn't be able to get out college players right now. OP had a great night yesterday but he those 4 hits are 30% of all the hits he has had all year. He has been horrible and if I hear Gar say "OP is one of the best hitters I have ever seen", again I will simply think he is a liar. That seems like cover-speech to me. And finally Biggs is not a leadoff hitter.

I am having serious trust issues with the management and TP now. And by trust issues I mean I don't trust them to run a ML baseball team, especially my beloved Astros. I would love to see TP go.

Team issues: The biggest issue is attitude. The way I see the Astros right now is too even keel. Their only emotional outbursts are disappointment within themselves. And I think that is a bad thing. They should take out frustrations on their opponents. They really don't have to "do" anything. They just need to take an "us against the world" approach.

Good news: Is it me or does the lineup look like a real professional group of hitters right now? Mark is giving everything you can ask for, Lee is doing his job, Berkman is coming back to form, Scott is good when not injured, and Pence is hands down ROY. Wow, a lineup with 5 good hitters! And then Lamb is tearing it up now. This is not quite the mashers of 04 or 98 but this is the best Houston has seen recently. Once Biggs gets 3000 this might be a pretty good offensive club.

Bad news: All the pitching but Sampson. There are four pitchers on this team that need to think about a career change. Oh wait, why the hell would they do that? The are getting paid a fortune to sling their crap at the plate. I have no doubt they try hard(except for JJ). If JJ was serious about his job there is no way he would be in the condition that he is in. What a joke I think he is.

Lidge got hurt, Moehler is on the team, Biggs is hitting 1st, Ensberg has been put to pasture, and TP is still slothing his way along as GM of the Astros, so all of my thoughts on the team have not happened. Well you can't win them all. Good news is I found 2 new great places to go before going to minute maid. And many people now question Gar and TP.