1. It's my time to be alone. I'm married, and we have a 4-year old. I need alone time. My wife has insomnia, so that alone time doesn't come at night. I wake up early so I can sit and drink coffee, alone and in the dark like a serial killer.
2. What with my current work schedule, early mornings are about the only time I have to post anything on Astros County.
3. I might work out. Lol.
So Slow Time is a little infuriating because the one morning I'll sleep in - you know, getting up in the middle of the day at 5:30am - that's when the Astros will have done something crazy. Astros County: Always Vigilant.
*Jon Morosi is reporting the Astros have inquired about Tigers' lefty reliever Justin Wilson. Wilson hasn't been able to repeat his breakout 2013 season for Pittsburgh, in which he threw 73.2IP, 50H/17ER, 59K:28BB (2.08 ERA/1.06 WHIP), but he has been a serviceable option. He has played for the Pirates, Yankees, and Tigers in the last three seasons with a combined 3.81 ERA/1.26 WHIP and 192 strikeouts in 179.2IP. Last season he posted a 4.14 ERA, but set career bests in K/9, BB/9, and Groundball%.
*The Astros and the city of Fayetteville, NC signed a 30-year agreement to build a downtown stadium, assisting with a revitalization project. Reid Ryan:
Whatever your expectation level is of this club, I promise you, we are going to exceed it. The transformation of downtown is going to be something to behold.
Work will begin on the stadium, which will be ready for play in time for the 2019 season. For the next two seasons, however, the Astros will play at Campbell University in Buies Creek, between Raleigh and Fayetteville.
*Tibbs updated his HOF Ballot Tracker with new Likely BBWAA Voter info and it seems as though Bagwell will only need to gain 13-14 new votes in order to secure election. Bagwell has appeared on 35 of 39 known ballots - 90% - (expect a glut of ballots to come between Christmas and New Year's, when writers are looking for a story to write, but he has already picked up two votes.
SportsOnEarth's Mark Newman posted his ballot, in which he voted for Bagwell for the first time having apparently lost sleep over not voting for him last year. Newman:
It is less clear to me that we in the media are the best electorate for this process, but I continue to do my part and this year promise to do a better job with the allotted 10 boxes.
*Jose Altuve handed out toys and books to kids at Brookline Elementary in Houston yesterday.
*Former Astros radio guy Brett Dolan writes that the Astros won the off-season.
*Dallas Guy isn't impressed with the Astros' roster additions:
Weren't the Astros primed to ["dethrone the Rangers] last season? And the season before?...The Rangers added a major piece with Lucroy. That pretty much neutralizes the McCann signing. Are we going to act like Reddick is one huge deal? He wasn't that great for the Dodgers. I remember him throwing his helmet a lot when he was with the A's.
Mmmmm. Yes. Thrown Helmets+ metrics...
*Brian McTaggart and Alyson Footer talked about the rotation on McTaggart's podcast.
