Fine, they finished strong. Now comes the hangover, when the Astros wake up to an organization that's creaky and devoid of prospects ... We all expected more from Hunter Pence this year, but he's still only 25 on Opening Day 2009 ... I don't care how scrappily they stepped up in 2008. If Mark Loretta, Geoff Blum, Brad Ausmus or Darin Erstad are on the Houston roster next season, the government ought to intervene.
09/23/2008
15
9
If you didn't catch the mea-culpa ad that Bud Selig took out in the Houston Chronicle explaining MLB's decision to shift the Cubs-Astros games to Milwaukee, here's what you missed: 'Duuh! Derrr! Nooop! (scratches self)' ... Lance Berkman's 0-for-22 disappearance might've contributed just a bit to last week's implosion ... Now that the playoff flirtation has ended, we can soberly reflect on the Astros' unlikely resurgence. My theory on how the Astros kept winning after Carlos Lee went down: they got absurdly lucky. Over the course of the season, they've been outscored by 34 runs. The Braves, who have been outscored by 35, currently sit at 69-88.
09/16/2008
9
11
So, aside from the single hit in 18 innings, how did you enjoy your visit to Milwaukee, Mr. Cooper? ... Obviously this is a piddling concern in the greater scheme of things -- get well soon, Texas -- but the 'Stros got royally screwed by the scheduling adjustments that Hurricane Ike necessitated. Please explain to me how a team in a pennant race can be forced to fly halfway across the country to play a pair of "home" games in front of 25,000 fans of the "away" team. ... I'm on record with my concerns about the wisdom of Houston's roster-construction efforts, but here's hoping the team's play over the next two weeks gives its hometown a much-needed lift.
09/09/2008
11
11
If you're wagering on any kinda-sorta-out-of-it team to make a late run, the Astros might be your best bet. With the exception of three games against the Cubs -- who the Astros dumped last week with great prejudice -- they play nobodies the rest of the way. ... Roy Oswalt since returning from the DL on July 28: 7-1, 47 hits allowed and 50 K's in 65 innings, 2.20 ERA. ... Random spooky-dooky coincidence of the day: Only hours after younger brother Matt was called in to sub for injured Golden God of Sport Tom Brady, Jack Cassel entered the game way early in place of oblique-impaired hurler Wandy Rodriguez. Eerie!
09/02/2008
11
16
A 21-9 mark in August and a six-game winning streak, including a sweep of the team at which they're looking up in the standings, all forged with key contributions from players like Geoff Blum, Darin Erstad and Mark Loretta. I don't understand it, either ... The organization might be a Mariners waiting to happen, but you can't argue with the on-field product right now ... Ty Wigginton presented a solid case for most-awesomest-of-the-month honors with his 12 home runs, but every performance and inspiration-related award for August is destined to land in CC Sabathia's expansive lap.
08/26/2008
16
15
Hunter Pence and Lance Berkman apparently need refresher courses in running on contact when stationed at third base. Both made that inexcusable gaffe during the last week ... I'd like a congressional investigation into the events of the 10th inning of Sunday's game, in which batless retreads Brad Ausmus and Darin Erstad both connected for home runs. The odds of this happening -- they had three dingers total in 2008 before it -- were roughly equal to the odds of an unanticipated visit by Halley's Comet. The fix was in.
08/19/2008
15
17
Nice week for Ty Wigginton: 16-for-28, four dingers, 11 RBI. ... Hey, Roy Oswalt's looking dominant for the first time in 2008. That slow curve dropped in at, like, 36 mph against the D-Backs on Sunday, which rendered his 92-ish fastball unhittable. ... This week's Milwaukee/New York road trip should give us some clue as to whether the 'Stros surge was a fluke. Given the team's negative-40 run differential, I'm not optimistic.
08/12/2008
17
18
They kinda snuck up on .500, didn't they? The Carlos Lee injury ensures they won't climb too far up the mountain, though. ... Barry Bonds as a short-term rental makes more sense than the Astros' other recent personnel brainstorms, so bank on it not happening. Because who needs a .475 on-base percentage when you have Darin Erstad (.692 OPS in '08) and his daring feats of defense? ... Lance Berkman's home run Sunday was his first since June 30, and I hadn't noticed. Shame on me.
08/05/2008
18
25
I'm so disgusted by the team's front-office incompetence –- they paid something more than nothing for two months of LaTroy Hawkins -– that I sometimes forget the present-day team can play a little. In the weekend sweep of the Mets, the bullpen didn't allow nuthin' to nobody. ... They've also claimed series against the Cubbies and Brewers within the past month, for whatever that's worth.
07/29/2008
25
23
The seven-games-under-.500 Astros are actually trying to add players before the deadline. This franchise's capacity for self-delusion is matched only by your average junkie's. They're the fat girl who looks in the mirror and sees a prom queen. ... Whenever I despair, I just look at the Houston box score. Upon seeing Brad Ausmus' name etched into the eight-hole, as it has been for several eternities, I think to myself "there are other people out there who have it much, much worse than I do." Then I leave a phonetically imprecise barb on one of the 'Stros boards ("u suk like a vakume") and go to bed.
Preseason Power Rankings
Date
Ranking
Previous
02/28/2008
17
-
That is a tremendous lineup with the addition of Miguel Tejada and a first full season of Hunter Pence, adding to the already strong bats of Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman. The problem is Roy Oswalt is pretty lonely in the rotation. If the young pitching develops quickly, they could compete to win the division.
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