*The Astros couldn't figure out Jason Vargas (!) last night in the series opener against Kansas City, losing 5-1. Mike Fiers threw 6IP, 5H/2R (1ER), 3K:3BB in his first start of the season. Tony Sipp allowed a hit and a walk while recording one out. Jandel Gustave struggled, allowing 3R (2ER), on a four hits and a walk in 1.2IP. Brad Peacock walked one in the 9th. Jose Altuve's five-day struggles continued with an 0x4, 2K 2GIDP night, and the Astros were 0x5 w/RISP.
*Astros starters, one time through the rotation: 1.80 ERA.
*The Astros offense has struggled this week, outside of George Springer's best Tyler White impression, hitting just .217 over the first five games. Hinch:
I don't think there's a definitive answer (as to why they've struggled). We faced a little bit of lefthanded pitching, so I don't know if it's the soft stuff from some of the lefties, the overswinging and anxiousness that some of our hitters have had. A pretty small sample size when you talk about five games.
*Evan Gattis got himself a passed ball and an error on catcher's interference in last night's game.
*Carlos Beltran tied Joe DiMaggio's 1,537 RBIs for 49th all-time in baseball history.
*Collin McHugh left his rehab start on Thursday in Fresno with elbow and bicep tightness.
*The return of Dallas Keuchel's changeup is a good sign.
*David Barron notes that as many people have watched the Astros take on the Mariners this week on Root Sports than watched - on average - seven weeks worth of Astros games on CSN Houston in 2013.
*Jon Heyman has the Astros missing the playoffs this year. Heyman also hasn't heard anything from the Astros about switching Correa and Bregman at SS.
*The County Mountie took a look at the best backup player in Astros' history.
On The Farm
Fresno beat Reno 6-1. Brady Rodgers threw 6IP, 4H/1ER, 4K:0BB; Derek Fisher hit his 2nd homer of the season and Tony Kemp had two hits and a stolen base.
Corpus lost to Arkansas 6-1. Kent Emmanuel threw 4IP, allowing 6H/4ER, 5K:1BB; Jon Singleton was 1x3 with a double and a walk,
Quad Cities lost to Wisconson 1-0. Dustin Hunt threw 3IP, 4H/1ER, 5K:1BB in the loss after starter Carson LaRue threw 5IP, 3H/0ER, 4K:2BB; Stephen Wrenn and Chuckie Robinson had two hits each to account for four of the River Bandits' five hits.
Buies Creek beat Winston-Salem 5-3, trading three runs each in the 8th inning. Alex Winkelman threw 5IP, 1H/0ER, 9K:1BB as the BCA struck out 17 Winston-Salem batters; Dexture McCall was 1x3 with a 2-run triple and a walk.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
Saturday, April 8, 2017
Friday, April 7, 2017
Who is the best backup player in Astros history?
This all started when I wondered to myself, "Is Marwin Gonzalez the best backup the Houston Astros have ever had?".
I decided to go to the wonderful www.baseball-reference.com to find out. I started at Marwin Gonzalez and looked at his games and plate appearances. Last year was the first year he had over 500 plate appearances. A lot of that due to the fact that the Astros could not find a regular first basemen. Marwin has been with the Astros for 6 seasons and 519 games. I started to look for Astros' players with similar years and games played. I then went and looked at their WAR on Baseball Reference and compared it the number of years they played.
I decided to go to the wonderful www.baseball-reference.com to find out. I started at Marwin Gonzalez and looked at his games and plate appearances. Last year was the first year he had over 500 plate appearances. A lot of that due to the fact that the Astros could not find a regular first basemen. Marwin has been with the Astros for 6 seasons and 519 games. I started to look for Astros' players with similar years and games played. I then went and looked at their WAR on Baseball Reference and compared it the number of years they played.
Top five
Cliff Johnson spent 6 seasons with the Astros and produced 5.8 WAR. He was atrocious in the field and mainly contributed as a pinch hitter. His 9 offensive WAR (oWAR) and -3.3 defensive WAR (dWAR) proves that.
Marwin Gonzalez has 5.2 WAR in his 5+ seasons with the Astros. I was a bit surprised by that when I saw the numbers. He has a 91 OPS+ for his career. One would assume that the Astros gain from his defensive value. That is not the case. His 4 oWAR is higher than his 1.8 dWAR. In 2014 Marwin played at every position except catcher, pitcher, and center field. Last year the only position he didn't play was catcher, pitcher, and right field.
Jake Marisnick Yes, swoon (as the Astros ladies like to call him) to this point has been a good contributor off the bench. If I was surprised by Marwin's numbers, I was blown away by Marisnick's numbers. I mean he's essentially a defensive substitute. That's exactly what he's done in four seasons with the Astros. His dWAR is at 4.9 and his oWAR is at .5 giving him a total of 5.2 WAR.
Denny Walling should probably be below Jake based on averages. The dude played 13 seasons with the Astros and put up a 14.1 WAR. I have to take into consideration the longevity. All of his value is in his 13.4 oWAR. His dWAR is -1.8. Which is weird because the math doesn't add up. This is why people have a hard time taking WAR, seriously (Explanation on WAR in comments. TL;DR I'm dumb).
Bill Spiers, as I recall, was a utility infield. I had to get confirmation, though. 8.2 WAR in six years is pretty good. His bat produced a lot of that value 8.5 oWAR compared to a .4 dWAR. Looking at his positions he played all over the field. In 1999 the only position he didn't play was catcher and pitcher.
Honorable mentions
Geoff Blum and Casey Candaele. Blum was a pure infield utility player while Candaele played a some outfield. They both spent five years in Houston. Blum accumulated a 2.5 WAR. Candaele accumulated 3.2 WAR.Final thoughts
It's entirely possible that I missed someone. I would love to hear of other players you think could be in the top five. Maybe you think WAR is stupid (I see why). I love that two of the best are playing for the Astros in 2017. Jake might have a shot at toping Spiers in the WAR category before it's all said and done. I'd love to see Marwin stick around longer than Walling.
Thursday, April 6, 2017
Flick's Reflections - Nori, Jake, and Charles Morton (4/5/17)
Hey guys, Flick here. Astros County told me months ago that I was allowed to throw some words up on his blog many months ago and thanks to our Astros, they finally gave me something to talk about. Flick's Reflections is something that I am going to start doing on a regular basis throughout the 2017 season, which is basically just a collection of thoughts that I have our game the night before. My points will be posted either on my Twitter (@FlickNickmStros) or right here on astroscounty.com, depending on how insane the game is. So if you like what you read today, feel free to drop a follow and get more of content along with my pure ridiculousness that I seem to tweet often.
But enough intro, let's get into the meat of this article.
I actually want to start off and hit some of my content in the first Flick Reflection I posted on Twitter about Opening Day in a little more detail. I posted 3 things:
1. Keuchel was amazing - Not only did he look like a 2015 version of Keuchel, but his web gems out in the field Monday probably helped you throw out any doubt you may have had about him winning yet another Gold Glove. But you know the drill, "Wow his command! Wow his velocity!" Wow the break on his pitches"! Going on about this topic would just be redundant at this point.
2. Yuli at 1B went swimmingly - Even though Yuli hasn't typically been known as a first baseman, he did make some great plays out there in the field (and if you watched, he definitely got his work in over there). I was going into the 2017 season assuming that Yuli could just "manage" over there, while Marwin would be the primary "defensive 1B" until Reed comes back up. However, they seemed pretty comparable with the 3 game sample size that we currently have.
3. Nori Aoki is just the best. Everything about him is the best. I love his super fidgety batting stance, how he starts falling away from the plate and starts to run as he swings. I love how he's always smiling. I love how he's super fast so he covers a lot of ground in left that Beltran can't. And I love how he squeaks out singles, beats shifts, and gets on base however he possibly can. He is just a fun guy to have on the team and I hope that he gets the majority of looks in the LF or DH spot down the line this year.
I wasn't able to catch the game Tuesday night. I have no thoughts here, except Marwin Gonzalez continues to be a Houston Astros legend (if you don't know me by now, I love Marwin. I own a shirt that says If I Die Today, Tell Marwin Gonzalez I Loved Him). But hey, we won. Yay.
Now unto Game 3.
1. The major topic that I want to highlight is this; Springer can do absolutely everything Marisnick can in centerfield and much more. Now if you know me, you would know me and Jake don't get along too well. However, I have never believed he is completely useless. I have had no problem with him coming into a game in the 8th inning for defense, and I feel like this is his role on the team. However, something happened in the 10th inning that essentially changed my outlook on how Jake is used.
If you recall, the first batter in the top of the 10th inning for Seattle flew out to Reddick in right field. A ball that Kalas initially thought was going to be caught by Springer, but it drifted too far to right field to do so. But the way Springer tracked the ball and including how fast he was moving, it really did not seem much different than the alternative.
So where does that leave me with Jake? I don't think he is entirely useless, but the way that Springer played in center last night sure lessened the value that he had. Yes, Jake might be slightly better out there, but I simply do not see why losing a slight advantage in center for a much better bat is a better play. Even in the 10th inning. Consider an outfield alignment of Aoki, Springer, and Reddick in the 9th inning. With the speed of Aoki and Springer, it lessens the room Reddick has to cover out in right, so we can keep his bat in the lineup, thus creating hardly any downside on paper. So the question I pose to you is, if you substitute Jake into center and Springer into right for defensive purposes going into extra innings, is it worth having a super outfield out there with one "auto-out", or a great outfield with no holes in the lineup? Obviously, this is a pretty situational question, and you can probably argue a decent point both ways with, but I'll let you form your own opinions on this one.
2. I have no doubts about the offense. This should probably go without saying, but Altuve and Bregman didn't forget how to hit. Altuve started 4-21 last season (.190) and Bregman was 7-48 (.196) when they started their seasons last year. You also need to remember, Bregman didn't have much of an offseason because Leyland seems to have a personal vendetta against him for the WBC. This is just statistically how these two have played, and they are two of the top hitters in baseball. Let's just relax, especially since we've played 3 games and won them all ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
3. Stop FORCING Aoki to bunt. One of the most annoying things of last night was when Aoki essentially gave himself up "for the good of the team" to advance the guy 90 feet by bunting. #1 - We brought Aoki to get on base. His whole appeal revolves around singles and walks. #2 - Aoki played in Japan. Asian baseball almost sees bunting as an art form instead of a strategy. They hold bunting competitions over there for crying out loud. Forcing Aoki into a situation in which you are telling him "you have to bunt here" limits his value. Aoki will get on base. He has some of the most consistent batting averages over the last few years and I feel like Hinch should let him play his game.
4. If healthy, Morton could end up being extremely valuable. Maybe I am getting too excited about the addition of Mr. Charles Alfred Morton IV, but with the spring that he had and the first start that he just threw, I have my cautious optimism to hold onto. Sure, he has never started 30+ games in his entire career and his velocity and top speed is increasing, which typically leads to arm problems down the line when you aren't used to throwing quite that hard, but let's ride him to he falls apart (which is hopefully never. All Hail Charlie Morton).
5. When Gattis generates a deep flyout, we need to start saying "Almost-o Blanco". You can always make a few friends off of a well-placed pun.
So to conclude my first article #onhere, I would just like to let you know that I am grateful that you took the time of your day to read this article. Any criticism (constructive or not who cares) would be great. I've never done something like this before and I'm learning how to blog, so I'd like to get as much feedback as I can. Thanks for reading. Go Astros.
But enough intro, let's get into the meat of this article.
I actually want to start off and hit some of my content in the first Flick Reflection I posted on Twitter about Opening Day in a little more detail. I posted 3 things:
1. Keuchel was amazing - Not only did he look like a 2015 version of Keuchel, but his web gems out in the field Monday probably helped you throw out any doubt you may have had about him winning yet another Gold Glove. But you know the drill, "Wow his command! Wow his velocity!" Wow the break on his pitches"! Going on about this topic would just be redundant at this point.
2. Yuli at 1B went swimmingly - Even though Yuli hasn't typically been known as a first baseman, he did make some great plays out there in the field (and if you watched, he definitely got his work in over there). I was going into the 2017 season assuming that Yuli could just "manage" over there, while Marwin would be the primary "defensive 1B" until Reed comes back up. However, they seemed pretty comparable with the 3 game sample size that we currently have.
3. Nori Aoki is just the best. Everything about him is the best. I love his super fidgety batting stance, how he starts falling away from the plate and starts to run as he swings. I love how he's always smiling. I love how he's super fast so he covers a lot of ground in left that Beltran can't. And I love how he squeaks out singles, beats shifts, and gets on base however he possibly can. He is just a fun guy to have on the team and I hope that he gets the majority of looks in the LF or DH spot down the line this year.
I wasn't able to catch the game Tuesday night. I have no thoughts here, except Marwin Gonzalez continues to be a Houston Astros legend (if you don't know me by now, I love Marwin. I own a shirt that says If I Die Today, Tell Marwin Gonzalez I Loved Him). But hey, we won. Yay.
Now unto Game 3.
1. The major topic that I want to highlight is this; Springer can do absolutely everything Marisnick can in centerfield and much more. Now if you know me, you would know me and Jake don't get along too well. However, I have never believed he is completely useless. I have had no problem with him coming into a game in the 8th inning for defense, and I feel like this is his role on the team. However, something happened in the 10th inning that essentially changed my outlook on how Jake is used.
If you recall, the first batter in the top of the 10th inning for Seattle flew out to Reddick in right field. A ball that Kalas initially thought was going to be caught by Springer, but it drifted too far to right field to do so. But the way Springer tracked the ball and including how fast he was moving, it really did not seem much different than the alternative.
So where does that leave me with Jake? I don't think he is entirely useless, but the way that Springer played in center last night sure lessened the value that he had. Yes, Jake might be slightly better out there, but I simply do not see why losing a slight advantage in center for a much better bat is a better play. Even in the 10th inning. Consider an outfield alignment of Aoki, Springer, and Reddick in the 9th inning. With the speed of Aoki and Springer, it lessens the room Reddick has to cover out in right, so we can keep his bat in the lineup, thus creating hardly any downside on paper. So the question I pose to you is, if you substitute Jake into center and Springer into right for defensive purposes going into extra innings, is it worth having a super outfield out there with one "auto-out", or a great outfield with no holes in the lineup? Obviously, this is a pretty situational question, and you can probably argue a decent point both ways with, but I'll let you form your own opinions on this one.
2. I have no doubts about the offense. This should probably go without saying, but Altuve and Bregman didn't forget how to hit. Altuve started 4-21 last season (.190) and Bregman was 7-48 (.196) when they started their seasons last year. You also need to remember, Bregman didn't have much of an offseason because Leyland seems to have a personal vendetta against him for the WBC. This is just statistically how these two have played, and they are two of the top hitters in baseball. Let's just relax, especially since we've played 3 games and won them all ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
3. Stop FORCING Aoki to bunt. One of the most annoying things of last night was when Aoki essentially gave himself up "for the good of the team" to advance the guy 90 feet by bunting. #1 - We brought Aoki to get on base. His whole appeal revolves around singles and walks. #2 - Aoki played in Japan. Asian baseball almost sees bunting as an art form instead of a strategy. They hold bunting competitions over there for crying out loud. Forcing Aoki into a situation in which you are telling him "you have to bunt here" limits his value. Aoki will get on base. He has some of the most consistent batting averages over the last few years and I feel like Hinch should let him play his game.
4. If healthy, Morton could end up being extremely valuable. Maybe I am getting too excited about the addition of Mr. Charles Alfred Morton IV, but with the spring that he had and the first start that he just threw, I have my cautious optimism to hold onto. Sure, he has never started 30+ games in his entire career and his velocity and top speed is increasing, which typically leads to arm problems down the line when you aren't used to throwing quite that hard, but let's ride him to he falls apart (which is hopefully never. All Hail Charlie Morton).
5. When Gattis generates a deep flyout, we need to start saying "Almost-o Blanco". You can always make a few friends off of a well-placed pun.
So to conclude my first article #onhere, I would just like to let you know that I am grateful that you took the time of your day to read this article. Any criticism (constructive or not who cares) would be great. I've never done something like this before and I'm learning how to blog, so I'd like to get as much feedback as I can. Thanks for reading. Go Astros.
Thursday Morning Hot Links
*Don't miss the Masked Marvel's recap of last night's dramatic extra-innings win over the Mariners.
*For the first time since 2001, the Astros are 3-0.
*Brian McCann is trying to hit the ball the other way.
*ESPN: The most fun-to-watch team in 2017
*David Martinez, who pitched in the organization from 2005-2014 (with terrible stints in Houston in 2013 and 2014) has signed a minor-league deal and will report to Fresno.
*DO NOT MISS the investigative journalism that The Batguy and about 15 other Astros Twitter heroes did this week. Woodward and Bernstein-level ish, man.
I gotta go.
*For the first time since 2001, the Astros are 3-0.
*Brian McCann is trying to hit the ball the other way.
*ESPN: The most fun-to-watch team in 2017
*David Martinez, who pitched in the organization from 2005-2014 (with terrible stints in Houston in 2013 and 2014) has signed a minor-league deal and will report to Fresno.
*DO NOT MISS the investigative journalism that The Batguy and about 15 other Astros Twitter heroes did this week. Woodward and Bernstein-level ish, man.
I gotta go.
From the Office of the County Clerk - G3: Astros versus Mariners
Charlie Morton versus James Paxton
The thing about power is that sometimes us fans think that it can be all about how far you hit the ball. Power, in a batter, is certainly a valuable commodity. Having Giancarlo Stanton-types hit the ball 500-odd feet is one of the most amazing sights in sports, after all. Hitting it out 40-odd times per year is pretty awesome, too.
I guess on of the less often-thought-about aspects of power is what happens when you slightly mis-hit the ball. Having power is great, but importantly, one would think that a batter with more power may be able to muscle a few more home runs out when they don't quite connect. Which is what George Springer did to a middle-middle, 3-2 hung slider from Chase De Jong, the last man out of the Mariners 'pen. Chase De Jong was also making his ML debut, and after inheriting a one-run lead (more on that below), retiring Yuli Gurriel on 2 pitches, then walking Evan Gattis, then getting Josh Reddick to pop up, he was probably hoping his ML debut was also going to result in his first ML save.
But Nori Aoki - on a 1-2 count, slashed a single to LF, moving Gattis to second. Then Springer took a full-count hung slider, and made reasonable contact with it. Truthfully, I wondered whether he popped it up a little, or perhaps was a wee bit out in front of it (or both!), but the contact was decent and better than anything I could manage (for the purposes of comparison). Also, on a 3-2 count with 2 outs, Gattis and Aoki are off-and-running. So Springer didn't hit it 450ft, like he can and sometimes does, but he got enough of it to give it a chance, and the ball snuck out, right in the CF side of the Crawford Boxes, first row. A yard to the right and it is caught. A little shorter and the Astros probably still win (because the runners would have got a head start and the ball would have hit the scoreboard), but much less than that, and Jarrod Dyson gloves it and closes the game out for the Mariners.
Around the same time:
Not only do the Astros subject (perhaps) their main division rivals to an 0-3 start, but the Ramgers also suffer the same 0-3 ignominy. Franciso Lindor takes Sam Dyson deep in the ninth with the bases loaded, facing a one-run deficit. The Angels sit at 2-1, but I doubt they have the depth to compete over 162 games, and the A's sit at 1-2. Things have rarely been this sweet for Astros fans in the last decade - it is early, but they are off to a nice wee flyer.
A bit earlier than that:
The Mariners took a one-run lead into the bottom of the 13th when the Astros' sixth pitcher of the night, Jandel Gustave, walked the bases loaded without recording an out. 17 pitches, 5 strikes. Goodness. Brad Peacock relieved Gustave, and he walked home a run, before enticing Danny Valencia into a flyout into shallow CF, then striking out Mike Zunino and Jarrod Dyson to limit the damage to 1.
A bit earlier:
Chris Devenski continued his excellent work out of the bullpen. Four innings pitched, no hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts. The 60 pitches that it took him, however, will probably mean that he won't pitch again until Sunday, I would think. But, wow. He is impressive. His slider looks good, and his changeup, as ever, is devastating.
A bit earlier (pitching-wise):
Charlie Morton and his power-sinker looked good. His final line was 6IP, 5 hits, 2 R/ER, 2BB, 4K. Solid effort, just a 2-run home run to Jean Segura (who had a big year last year) to spoil the line.
A bit earlier (hitting-wise):
The Astros tied the game at two on a George Springer double down the LF line in the seventh inning. Yuli Gurriel opened the frame with an infield hit to third base, the Evan Gattis drove one to LF what was nicely corralled by Mr Dyson to keep it to a single,. Dyson is one a trio of defensively-awesome Mariners outfielders. Reddick lined out for the first out, then MarGo slashed a single into shallow left to load the bases. Springer doubled, scoring two, but Bregman and Altuve both recorded outs without advancing either runner, and the inning (plus the chance to take a lead) was done.
Speaking of blowing chances, the Astros were 3-17 with RISP and left 12 on base. Non-Springer Astros were 1-15 with RISP, and that one was the aforementioned MarGo single into left. The Mariners, as it happens, are slightly worse, but this leads nicely to the...
Conclusion:
If you are like me, you may have arrived at the conclusion that the Astros' shiny 3-0 start (the first since 2001, when the Astros started 4-0) is a product of the following:
The thing about power is that sometimes us fans think that it can be all about how far you hit the ball. Power, in a batter, is certainly a valuable commodity. Having Giancarlo Stanton-types hit the ball 500-odd feet is one of the most amazing sights in sports, after all. Hitting it out 40-odd times per year is pretty awesome, too.
I guess on of the less often-thought-about aspects of power is what happens when you slightly mis-hit the ball. Having power is great, but importantly, one would think that a batter with more power may be able to muscle a few more home runs out when they don't quite connect. Which is what George Springer did to a middle-middle, 3-2 hung slider from Chase De Jong, the last man out of the Mariners 'pen. Chase De Jong was also making his ML debut, and after inheriting a one-run lead (more on that below), retiring Yuli Gurriel on 2 pitches, then walking Evan Gattis, then getting Josh Reddick to pop up, he was probably hoping his ML debut was also going to result in his first ML save.
But Nori Aoki - on a 1-2 count, slashed a single to LF, moving Gattis to second. Then Springer took a full-count hung slider, and made reasonable contact with it. Truthfully, I wondered whether he popped it up a little, or perhaps was a wee bit out in front of it (or both!), but the contact was decent and better than anything I could manage (for the purposes of comparison). Also, on a 3-2 count with 2 outs, Gattis and Aoki are off-and-running. So Springer didn't hit it 450ft, like he can and sometimes does, but he got enough of it to give it a chance, and the ball snuck out, right in the CF side of the Crawford Boxes, first row. A yard to the right and it is caught. A little shorter and the Astros probably still win (because the runners would have got a head start and the ball would have hit the scoreboard), but much less than that, and Jarrod Dyson gloves it and closes the game out for the Mariners.
Around the same time:
Not only do the Astros subject (perhaps) their main division rivals to an 0-3 start, but the Ramgers also suffer the same 0-3 ignominy. Franciso Lindor takes Sam Dyson deep in the ninth with the bases loaded, facing a one-run deficit. The Angels sit at 2-1, but I doubt they have the depth to compete over 162 games, and the A's sit at 1-2. Things have rarely been this sweet for Astros fans in the last decade - it is early, but they are off to a nice wee flyer.
A bit earlier than that:
The Mariners took a one-run lead into the bottom of the 13th when the Astros' sixth pitcher of the night, Jandel Gustave, walked the bases loaded without recording an out. 17 pitches, 5 strikes. Goodness. Brad Peacock relieved Gustave, and he walked home a run, before enticing Danny Valencia into a flyout into shallow CF, then striking out Mike Zunino and Jarrod Dyson to limit the damage to 1.
A bit earlier:
Chris Devenski continued his excellent work out of the bullpen. Four innings pitched, no hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts. The 60 pitches that it took him, however, will probably mean that he won't pitch again until Sunday, I would think. But, wow. He is impressive. His slider looks good, and his changeup, as ever, is devastating.
A bit earlier (pitching-wise):
Charlie Morton and his power-sinker looked good. His final line was 6IP, 5 hits, 2 R/ER, 2BB, 4K. Solid effort, just a 2-run home run to Jean Segura (who had a big year last year) to spoil the line.
A bit earlier (hitting-wise):
The Astros tied the game at two on a George Springer double down the LF line in the seventh inning. Yuli Gurriel opened the frame with an infield hit to third base, the Evan Gattis drove one to LF what was nicely corralled by Mr Dyson to keep it to a single,. Dyson is one a trio of defensively-awesome Mariners outfielders. Reddick lined out for the first out, then MarGo slashed a single into shallow left to load the bases. Springer doubled, scoring two, but Bregman and Altuve both recorded outs without advancing either runner, and the inning (plus the chance to take a lead) was done.
Speaking of blowing chances, the Astros were 3-17 with RISP and left 12 on base. Non-Springer Astros were 1-15 with RISP, and that one was the aforementioned MarGo single into left. The Mariners, as it happens, are slightly worse, but this leads nicely to the...
Conclusion:
If you are like me, you may have arrived at the conclusion that the Astros' shiny 3-0 start (the first since 2001, when the Astros started 4-0) is a product of the following:
- clutch starting pitching
- occasional power hitting
- luck
They haven't looked good at the plate except for the fact that they are putting the ball in play (18 strikeouts in 29 innings so far). Particularly suck-y are a collection of guys who are unlikely to stay suck-y: Bregman (.167), Altuve (.154), Beltrán (.167) and Gurriel (.111). Things will even out, but it is certainly nice to bank early wins in close games against important division rivals.
So the Astros have got themselves off to a nice start, despite not hitting that well. I'll take it!
On the Morrow:
Another evening game (8 Eastern, 7 Central)
Ariel Miranda versus Joe Musgrove
Miranda is the second of four LH starters the Astros expect to face in a row (Paxton, Miranda, Jason Vargas and Danny Duffy)
Swwweeeeeppppp!
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Catfishing: A Public Service Announcement
I know that not all of our readers are on Twitter, but the below post is good information for everyone. Those of you who do follow us on Twitter may have already heard about some of what is detailed below. You may see this cross-posted to a few blogs as we attempt to raise as much awareness as possible. I am not the author of this. This information is the result of several people working together to try to make our group of fandom a little safer.
Opening day brought a little more excitement than Astros Twitter was expecting. Outside the excitement of a new Astros season, you may have missed that another #AstrosCatfish emerged, and this one is big enough to feed a family of 50.
PSA
Before this story gets told, please remember that there are
very real dangers on the internet. The Astros Twitter
community is, in my opinion, a great place to make friends, talk about the
Stros, and have a good laugh. Unfortunately, it is also another place where you
can’t completely let your guard down. As we reflect on some of this, please
take these few tips to protect yourself and others in the community:
- · If someone raises a red flag about someone else, listen to them;
- · Be suspicious of someone who is too friendly too quickly;
- · Unless you know the person, be wary of new, especially anonymous, accounts;
- · If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is;
- · If you agree to meet someone, do it in a public place;
- · If someone keeps giving excuses as to why they can’t meet, be even more suspicious;
- · Trust your gut.
In general, just lookout for other people and try to keep
this environment a good one for everyone.
Let’s Go Catfishing
First, let’s reflect on what has brought us here. Many of
you may be familiar with the Twitter account, @McCullersManiac. Some of you may
have seen this person as an online friend or a foe during the recent
#AstrosTwitterMadness and #AstrosTwitterNIT. These contests are actually where
the unraveling began so we’ll start from there.
During #AstrosTwitterMadness, @McCullersManiac was very
vocal in his solicitation for votes. He offered prizes such as a signed ball
from Lance McCullers and tickets to opening day. The “winner” of the opening
day tickets turned out to be Julia DeBerry (@jbvdeberry – go follow her, she’s
cool). When her husband, Dustin (@dkdeberry – follow at your own risk), went to
arrange for the tickets to be picked up, he was met with:
And then on Monday, Opening Day…
Well, this is odd. Telling someone they won tickets and then
completely sketching out on them. Not unheard of, but deleting your account as
well? That seems excessive. Why take such extreme measures just for
overpromising?
Once this was posted, the floodgates seemed to open up about
this character. Just some of the claims made by this person include:
·
offering these same tickets to other people
within Astros Twitter;
·
offering suite access;
·
claiming to be a season ticket holder;
·
making excuses multiple times when people have
tried to meet up with him; and
·
claiming his house burned down.
Although sketchy, none of this really warrants more than
just ignoring someone and moving on. As things started to progress throughout
the day, some more disturbing claims began to trickle out.
Interactions with the person behind @McCullersManiac were
exposed by multiple people, mostly female, within the Astros Twitter community.
Some of these interactions included attempts to manipulate women, becoming
prematurely intimate through text and DM’s, arranging dates then “ghosting,” and
solicitation of nude pictures.
Here’s where things started to take a distinctly weird turn.
While discussing these interactions, it was noted that @McCullersManiac was a
late 20’s male and presented the following pictures as himself:
Good looking dude, amirite? Well, someone is but it isn’t
@McCullersManiac. A reverse image search of these images shows that they were
used in a previous dating website scam. The original source of these images
hasn’t been discovered, but there is a pretty high confidence level that it
isn’t him.
Also, @McCullersManiac has been many accounts before. There
may be more out there, but here is a list of the Twitter Accounts that have
been connected to this person:
- · McCullersManiac
- · AstrosTwittaNIT
- · WinAstrosWin
- · CrushCityDoc
- · Seasonticketguy
- · ChrisRyanComedy
- · ChrisBiggio
Now you’re probably wondering at this point, who is
@McCullersManiac? And that is a good question. He told multiple people that his
name was “Chris,” some that it was “Mike,” and others that it was “Shane.”
@McCullersManiac is actually a mid-40’s male that lives in
SE Texas named Chris S. (The decision was
made not to publish his last name, but we’ve independently verified the
information we found with information he provided himself, and a matching
Facebook profile was found.)
So where do we go from here and what do we do with this
information? Well, for starters, we need to be on the lookout for any future
accounts this individual may try to create. He has been active in Astros and
other Houston sports related Twitter communities for at least 2 years. In general, it’s good to be cautious of any
followers that are familiar with inside jokes despite being a new account and
anyone that claims to be highly connected with tickets or inside access.
It should also be noted that everyone involved feels like
we’ve only scratched the surface of this individual’s actions. Please don’t
hesitate to share your experiences and shine a light on this person.
In conclusion:
To Chris: Stop doing this. You’re playing with fire and it
wasn’t hard to figure out who you are.
To Astros and Houston Sports Twitter: Let’s take care of
each other. We’ve come together around teams that we love on a platform that
allows us to interact freely and openly. Let’s be vigilant but not let one
idiot ruin it.
Wednesday Morning Hot Links
*The Astros won 2-1 behind an excellent start from Lance McCullers and solo homers from Brian McCann and Marwin Gonzalez (the #8 and #9 hitters, respectively). McCullers utilized a large number of curveballs in holding the Mariners to 5H/1ER, 7K:2BB on 88 pitches. Hinch, on those curveballs:
They know it's coming, he knows it's coming, and he still finds a way to beat them.
Three of the Mariners' five hits were infield hits.
*Lance McCullers: Sleeper Cy Young contender.
*Ken Giles is the 3rd Astros pitcher (joining Billy Wagner in 1997 and Dave Smith in 1987) to record two saves in the first two games of the season.
*George Springer was thrown out trying to steal 2B twice!
*The Fun Police Chief Brian McCann is quickly in sync with Astros pitchers, forcing them to do their homework and wash behind their ears.
*Jeff Blogwell makes a triumphant return to Astros County and warns you, stop trying to throw inside to Carlos Correa.
*Hinch's go-to late-inning defensive alignment: Reddick-Marisnick-Springer.
*Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto is trying to thread the needle between rebuilding like the Astros did, and rebuilding on the fly. Dipoto:
Part of the reason the Astros have the type of team they have now, they bit the bullet and they really hit. You have to be both wise in your planning and fortunate in the outcome to hit in the short term.
*Garrett Stubbs is now the 10th-best catching prospect in baseball.
*Astros 17th-ranked prospect SS Jonathan Arauz, who came to the Astros in the Ken Giles trade, was suspended for 50 games after testing positive for the banned stimulant methamphetamine.
*Corpus' J.D. Davis found his time in Spring Training extremely valuable.
*Akeem Bostick will be the Opening Day starter for the Buies Creek Astros, tomorrow night at 7pm Eastern. Meanwhile, the soon-to-be Fayetteville club got more than 1400 suggestions in the Name The Team contest.
*Quad Cities' roster features seven of the Astros' Top 30 prospects, including last year's 1st Round pick Forrest Whitley.
*The Cardinals' Stephen Piscotty had a hilarious trip around the bases last night.
*Philadelphia's Brock Stassi has a great backstory.
They know it's coming, he knows it's coming, and he still finds a way to beat them.
Three of the Mariners' five hits were infield hits.
*Lance McCullers: Sleeper Cy Young contender.
*Ken Giles is the 3rd Astros pitcher (joining Billy Wagner in 1997 and Dave Smith in 1987) to record two saves in the first two games of the season.
*George Springer was thrown out trying to steal 2B twice!
*The Fun Police Chief Brian McCann is quickly in sync with Astros pitchers, forcing them to do their homework and wash behind their ears.
*Jeff Blogwell makes a triumphant return to Astros County and warns you, stop trying to throw inside to Carlos Correa.
*Hinch's go-to late-inning defensive alignment: Reddick-Marisnick-Springer.
*Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto is trying to thread the needle between rebuilding like the Astros did, and rebuilding on the fly. Dipoto:
Part of the reason the Astros have the type of team they have now, they bit the bullet and they really hit. You have to be both wise in your planning and fortunate in the outcome to hit in the short term.
*Garrett Stubbs is now the 10th-best catching prospect in baseball.
*Astros 17th-ranked prospect SS Jonathan Arauz, who came to the Astros in the Ken Giles trade, was suspended for 50 games after testing positive for the banned stimulant methamphetamine.
*Corpus' J.D. Davis found his time in Spring Training extremely valuable.
*Akeem Bostick will be the Opening Day starter for the Buies Creek Astros, tomorrow night at 7pm Eastern. Meanwhile, the soon-to-be Fayetteville club got more than 1400 suggestions in the Name The Team contest.
*Quad Cities' roster features seven of the Astros' Top 30 prospects, including last year's 1st Round pick Forrest Whitley.
*The Cardinals' Stephen Piscotty had a hilarious trip around the bases last night.
*Philadelphia's Brock Stassi has a great backstory.
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Stop Trying To Throw Inside To Carlos Correa
An Open Letter To Major League Pitchers,
I get it; you like to live dangerously. You’re a major-league pitcher, a better athlete than anyone your hometown has ever seen. You’re confident and you should be.
I get it; you like to live dangerously. You’re a major-league pitcher, a better athlete than anyone your hometown has ever seen. You’re confident and you should be.
Conventional wisdom says when you see six-foot-four tanned Hercules
at the plate you should probably pitch him inside so he can’t hurt you with his
tree trunk arms. You’ve probably gotten a lot of great hitters out in your
career this way. But can I offer you some different conventional wisdom? Unless
you really enjoy giving up dingers, stop pitching inside to Carlos Correa.
It’s not like he didn’t try to warn you when he first
arrived in the big leagues. Zach Duke attempted to tie up Correa with an inside
slider. It wasn’t a terrible pitch to a 20-year-old playing in his second career game. Probably not where Duke wanted it to go.
Definitely not where Duke wanted it to land.
One week later, Kyle Kendrick thought he found the solution.
See, Duke just didn’t get his pitch far enough inside. Kendrick had Correa in
an 0-2 hole and aimed his two-seamer at Correa’s right thigh. It was a foot off the plate. Way too close to the body for anyone to do anything other than break their bat
or whiff completely. But Carlos Correa doesn’t play by your silly rules. Instead,
he magically put the barrel to the ball and launched it into the Denver sky.
But, hey, that was 2015. I’m sure you guys adjusted your
plans to include the fact that somehow Correa has the strength of Mr.
Incredible and the flexibility of Elastigirl, right? Nope. In the opening
series of 2016, Michael Pineda threw a change-up down-and-in which Correa
promptly relocated 462 feet away from where Pineda was trying to put it.
Seven more times in 2016, one of you tried to throw a pitch
on the inner-third before you watched Correa circle the bases. I know you guys are trying your best, but I’m not sure your best is
going to be good enough here.
Surely, surely former Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez would
show you guys how to make excellent pitching decisions to start off 2017, though
maybe not excellent neck tattoo decisions.
Nope.
Below you will find a chart of every home run Correa has ever hit. You will see that there are larger numbers on the inside part of the plate than there are on the outside of the plate. That is because the train to Dingerville departs roughly six inches away from the center of the plate.
I can’t tell you what to do. I’m just trying to help. Don’t become just another statistic. Don’t challenge Carlos Correa inside.
Sincerely,
Jeff Blogwell
I can’t tell you what to do. I’m just trying to help. Don’t become just another statistic. Don’t challenge Carlos Correa inside.
Sincerely,
Jeff Blogwell
Tuesday Morning Hot Links
*Make sure you check out the Masked Marvel's G1 recap.
*Brian McCann will not be surprised with whatever success Dallas Keuchel has this season:
When you get behind the scenes, you see him be there at 5 in the morning in Spring Training working out. His preparation is off the charts. You know why he's a Cy Young Award winner. He's incredible.
Hinch, on Keuchel:
He's a perfectionist. He demands a lot out of himself. He doesn't accept mediocrity and doesn't accept less than his best. I think he's stubborn that way, and I love that characteristic.
*George Springer joins Terry Puhl as the only Astros to hit a leadoff homer on Opening Day.
*Hinch, on Correa:
Correa is maturing right in front of our eyes. He's taking steps forward in every aspect of the game...It shouldn't surprise any of us when he has nights like tonight.
*Collin McHugh will be Fresno's Opening Day starter on Thursday as part of his rehab starter. McHugh:
I feel like my arm's there. I feel like it's ready to go. It's just a matter of getting the pitches in. Moving forward I don't feel any lingering effects, which is solid.
*Jon Singleton will begin the 2017 season in Corpus Christi in an effort to get him ABs, according to Luhnow.
*Root Sports has reached an agreement with MLB to stream Astros games in-market. How does this affect you cord-cutters? The service, which will apparently start next month, is only available to authenticated users. So you'll likely need someone's username/password to see the games if you don't have cable.
*Jim Crane said the Astros are "middle-market." Matt Hammond took issue.
*If you want the other side of last night's game, check out SoDo Mojo's thoughts.
*Brian McCann will not be surprised with whatever success Dallas Keuchel has this season:
When you get behind the scenes, you see him be there at 5 in the morning in Spring Training working out. His preparation is off the charts. You know why he's a Cy Young Award winner. He's incredible.
Hinch, on Keuchel:
He's a perfectionist. He demands a lot out of himself. He doesn't accept mediocrity and doesn't accept less than his best. I think he's stubborn that way, and I love that characteristic.
*George Springer joins Terry Puhl as the only Astros to hit a leadoff homer on Opening Day.
*Hinch, on Correa:
Correa is maturing right in front of our eyes. He's taking steps forward in every aspect of the game...It shouldn't surprise any of us when he has nights like tonight.
*Collin McHugh will be Fresno's Opening Day starter on Thursday as part of his rehab starter. McHugh:
I feel like my arm's there. I feel like it's ready to go. It's just a matter of getting the pitches in. Moving forward I don't feel any lingering effects, which is solid.
*Jon Singleton will begin the 2017 season in Corpus Christi in an effort to get him ABs, according to Luhnow.
*Root Sports has reached an agreement with MLB to stream Astros games in-market. How does this affect you cord-cutters? The service, which will apparently start next month, is only available to authenticated users. So you'll likely need someone's username/password to see the games if you don't have cable.
*Jim Crane said the Astros are "middle-market." Matt Hammond took issue.
*If you want the other side of last night's game, check out SoDo Mojo's thoughts.
Monday, April 3, 2017
Opening Day in the Office of the County Clerk - G1: Astros versus Mariners
Dallas Keuchel (bunch of zeros) versus Felix Hernandez (ditto)
Here in the Office of the County Clerk, we will be covering as many games as we can in this exciting 2017 season. At least until the Astros open the season 1-10, then we will lost enthusiasm quickly. I would have written 0-10, but they can't, open the season 0-10, because the "1" was earned on Opening Day, against the Mariners, with a 3-0 win. That takes the Astros' AL Opening Day record to a perfect 5-0, so yeah, this AL thing works out pretty well for at least one game into the season.
This game was everything the fretting Astros fan could have asked for. Dallas Keuchel looks like he is back, baby. The bullpen managed a scoreless night, but not before allowing a few palpitations - it wouldn't be an Astros bullpen without a little bit of drama. The offense was impressive, with the Astros' homerless streak lasting a total of zero outs in the 2017 season. Plus a general improvement in at-bats and plate discipline was noted. But the MoTM, somewhat controversially, was awarded to the collective team defence, which was impeccable. The Astros' glovework meant that when the Mariners did threaten, they were unable to score. Read on for details.
On the Mound
Dallas Keuchel was impressive, yielding an overall line of 7IP, 2 hits, 2 walks and 4 strikeouts. More impressive was the way in which he kept the ball down, worked both sides of the plate, and hit McCann's glove constantly. He tended to run the ball in on lefties and righties, managing to work his fastball inside on both when needed. Both breaking and offspeed pitches tended to exhibit late life, meaning they looked like strikes until late in their journeys to the plate.
Keuchel started the season by allowing a single from Jean Segura, before he retired the next nine in order. The last of those nine was Jean Segura again, who laid a perfect bunt just onto the infield grass to the 3B side of home plate. But Keuchel's fielding off the mound continues to be impressive, and he hit Gurriel's glove with a strike just before Segura touched the first base bag for an impressive forceout. Similar work post-bunt with another barehanded fielding play saw Leonys Martín retired in the seventh - the last out of the night for Keuchel.
The only inning that Keuchel was really in trouble was the fourth. Robinson Canó singled on an 0-2 breaking ball with one out. Nelson Cruz walked after being 2-0 and 3-1 up in the count. Kyle Seager went down looking on a 2-2 fastball down and away. The dangerous Danny Valencia walked to load the bases (Keuchel wanted no part of him), then Leonys Martín grounded routinely to Altuve on the first pitch of his at-bat to end the frame.
Keuchel benefitted from some impressive defense. He made two great plays on bunts to the 3B side where he showed off his barehanded abilities, his ability to change direction quickly, and his arm strength and accuracy. George Springer made a great warning-track catch retreating in CF on a 114mph line-drive off the bat of Nelson Cruz to end the sixth. Yuli Gurriel made a bunch of great scoops on low throws, including throws from Correa and Altuve at important times. Correa and Altuve both made plays that would be to the slightly difficult side of "routine". Also, Correa has an impressive arm.
Keuchel gave way to Gregerson to open the eighth after 85 pitches. It was business-as-usual for Gregerson for the first two batters from the frame with a groundout and a strikeout. Then Jean Segura hit a high chopper that bounced miles over the head of Bregman, and Correa fielded it deep in the hole. No play could be made. Mitch Haniger followed with a full-count walk. Then Robinson Canó worked the count to 3-1 (and the runners advanced on a pitch in the dirt) before he hammered a line drive that Springer tracked down in RF, again retreating, but this time more slowly. While this did not require an impressive play from Springer to corral, 20ft either side, or a better launch angle, and at least two runs would have scored. The Mariners, truthfully, were perhaps a little unlucky here.
Ken Giles was asked to take the ball for the ninth. He seemed to lose the handle on a couple of pitches, overthrowing a few times. He hit 99 on the gun relatively easily, and struck out the side while walking only Kyle Seager on a 3-1 count. Giles looked good - perhaps even dominant - and there is clearly room for improvement going forward for him if he improves his command. Extra opening-night adrenaline may not have helped him.
At the Plate:
The Astros were fairly impressive in this domain as well. The runs were scored on a Springer lead off home run (on the fourth pitch that Astros hitters saw this year), an impressive Correa home run (inside fastball that Correa turned on, and managed to keep fair) and a Correa sac-fly with runners on the corners. Three was all it needed. Overall, the Astros had seven baserunners (6 hits, 1 walk), but only struck out six times (although King Felix isn't really a strikeout machine any more).
Correa's home run was impressive - Hernandez tried to run a fastball up and in, and Correa was expecting it (as he said in the post-game interview). He drew his hands in, and I think hit it over the train tracks behind the LF foul-pole. Bregman also had a great at-bat against Nick Vincent leading off the sixth - he worked an 11 pitch walk, then went to third on Altuve's first hit of the season (a single into the LF-CF gap), scoring on Correa's fly out to CF.
McCann, Gurriel and Beltrán all went hitless. Everyone else had one hit, except Bregman who managed a hit and a walk.
Turning Point(s):
Two great escapes: Keuchel escaped a jam in the fourth by getting Leonys Martín to ground out to second base for a relatively routine force out. Luke Gregerson managed to bring the tying run to the plate, then found himself behind in the count to Robinson Canó (who has killed him in the past). Gregerson tried "the old fastball down the middle" trick, but had George Springer perfectly positioned in RF to glove Canó's smash.
Man of the Match:
The lazy answer would be one of Keuchel, Correa or Springer. But I think that the most vital component of this win is actually the defense (with Keuchel, Correa and Springer all contributing to that as well!!) Keuchel vacuumed up two pretty well executed bunts for force outs, and started a DP on a grounder back to the mound. Yuli Gurriel made a bunch of excellent scoops at first, showing he has good hands for that position. Springer caught the two hardest-hit balls of the night, one while retreating towardTal's Hill the new restaurant in CF. Correa and Altuve were both faultless in the middle infield. The defense was impressive, overall, which bodes well for the ground ballers.
On the Morrow
A treat!! More baseball tomorrow!!
Hisashi Iwakuma versus Lance McCullers.
8 Eastern, 7 Central. Tune in for more awesome defense!
Here in the Office of the County Clerk, we will be covering as many games as we can in this exciting 2017 season. At least until the Astros open the season 1-10, then we will lost enthusiasm quickly. I would have written 0-10, but they can't, open the season 0-10, because the "1" was earned on Opening Day, against the Mariners, with a 3-0 win. That takes the Astros' AL Opening Day record to a perfect 5-0, so yeah, this AL thing works out pretty well for at least one game into the season.
This game was everything the fretting Astros fan could have asked for. Dallas Keuchel looks like he is back, baby. The bullpen managed a scoreless night, but not before allowing a few palpitations - it wouldn't be an Astros bullpen without a little bit of drama. The offense was impressive, with the Astros' homerless streak lasting a total of zero outs in the 2017 season. Plus a general improvement in at-bats and plate discipline was noted. But the MoTM, somewhat controversially, was awarded to the collective team defence, which was impeccable. The Astros' glovework meant that when the Mariners did threaten, they were unable to score. Read on for details.
On the Mound
Dallas Keuchel was impressive, yielding an overall line of 7IP, 2 hits, 2 walks and 4 strikeouts. More impressive was the way in which he kept the ball down, worked both sides of the plate, and hit McCann's glove constantly. He tended to run the ball in on lefties and righties, managing to work his fastball inside on both when needed. Both breaking and offspeed pitches tended to exhibit late life, meaning they looked like strikes until late in their journeys to the plate.
Keuchel started the season by allowing a single from Jean Segura, before he retired the next nine in order. The last of those nine was Jean Segura again, who laid a perfect bunt just onto the infield grass to the 3B side of home plate. But Keuchel's fielding off the mound continues to be impressive, and he hit Gurriel's glove with a strike just before Segura touched the first base bag for an impressive forceout. Similar work post-bunt with another barehanded fielding play saw Leonys Martín retired in the seventh - the last out of the night for Keuchel.
The only inning that Keuchel was really in trouble was the fourth. Robinson Canó singled on an 0-2 breaking ball with one out. Nelson Cruz walked after being 2-0 and 3-1 up in the count. Kyle Seager went down looking on a 2-2 fastball down and away. The dangerous Danny Valencia walked to load the bases (Keuchel wanted no part of him), then Leonys Martín grounded routinely to Altuve on the first pitch of his at-bat to end the frame.
Keuchel benefitted from some impressive defense. He made two great plays on bunts to the 3B side where he showed off his barehanded abilities, his ability to change direction quickly, and his arm strength and accuracy. George Springer made a great warning-track catch retreating in CF on a 114mph line-drive off the bat of Nelson Cruz to end the sixth. Yuli Gurriel made a bunch of great scoops on low throws, including throws from Correa and Altuve at important times. Correa and Altuve both made plays that would be to the slightly difficult side of "routine". Also, Correa has an impressive arm.
Keuchel gave way to Gregerson to open the eighth after 85 pitches. It was business-as-usual for Gregerson for the first two batters from the frame with a groundout and a strikeout. Then Jean Segura hit a high chopper that bounced miles over the head of Bregman, and Correa fielded it deep in the hole. No play could be made. Mitch Haniger followed with a full-count walk. Then Robinson Canó worked the count to 3-1 (and the runners advanced on a pitch in the dirt) before he hammered a line drive that Springer tracked down in RF, again retreating, but this time more slowly. While this did not require an impressive play from Springer to corral, 20ft either side, or a better launch angle, and at least two runs would have scored. The Mariners, truthfully, were perhaps a little unlucky here.
Ken Giles was asked to take the ball for the ninth. He seemed to lose the handle on a couple of pitches, overthrowing a few times. He hit 99 on the gun relatively easily, and struck out the side while walking only Kyle Seager on a 3-1 count. Giles looked good - perhaps even dominant - and there is clearly room for improvement going forward for him if he improves his command. Extra opening-night adrenaline may not have helped him.
At the Plate:
The Astros were fairly impressive in this domain as well. The runs were scored on a Springer lead off home run (on the fourth pitch that Astros hitters saw this year), an impressive Correa home run (inside fastball that Correa turned on, and managed to keep fair) and a Correa sac-fly with runners on the corners. Three was all it needed. Overall, the Astros had seven baserunners (6 hits, 1 walk), but only struck out six times (although King Felix isn't really a strikeout machine any more).
Correa's home run was impressive - Hernandez tried to run a fastball up and in, and Correa was expecting it (as he said in the post-game interview). He drew his hands in, and I think hit it over the train tracks behind the LF foul-pole. Bregman also had a great at-bat against Nick Vincent leading off the sixth - he worked an 11 pitch walk, then went to third on Altuve's first hit of the season (a single into the LF-CF gap), scoring on Correa's fly out to CF.
McCann, Gurriel and Beltrán all went hitless. Everyone else had one hit, except Bregman who managed a hit and a walk.
Turning Point(s):
Two great escapes: Keuchel escaped a jam in the fourth by getting Leonys Martín to ground out to second base for a relatively routine force out. Luke Gregerson managed to bring the tying run to the plate, then found himself behind in the count to Robinson Canó (who has killed him in the past). Gregerson tried "the old fastball down the middle" trick, but had George Springer perfectly positioned in RF to glove Canó's smash.
Man of the Match:
The lazy answer would be one of Keuchel, Correa or Springer. But I think that the most vital component of this win is actually the defense (with Keuchel, Correa and Springer all contributing to that as well!!) Keuchel vacuumed up two pretty well executed bunts for force outs, and started a DP on a grounder back to the mound. Yuli Gurriel made a bunch of excellent scoops at first, showing he has good hands for that position. Springer caught the two hardest-hit balls of the night, one while retreating toward
On the Morrow
A treat!! More baseball tomorrow!!
Hisashi Iwakuma versus Lance McCullers.
8 Eastern, 7 Central. Tune in for more awesome defense!
Astros County Roundtable Season Preview
Here at AstrosCounty.com, we occasionally all get together in our oversized boardroom to offer our opinions of all things Astros...
Welcome, team. Let me know your thoughts heading into a promising-looking season.
Let's start by critiquing the Astros' offseason...
MM: I think the Astros largely did what the needed to do. They had a plan - go out and get two lefty hitters (McCann and Reddick) and solidify the DH position somewhat. As you may have heard, they didn't trade for pitching, preferring to get an under-the-radar guy who may be a late bloomer. I think it was a solid offseason, and they kept their core intact, which is what matters.
Joel: Lots of activity at the outset, and then all was quiet on the western front the rest of the way. The Astros absolutely need another starter, and another left-handed relief option, but their lineup is so deep, so versatile, and so well-balanced, that they could conceivably lose Correa AND Altuve for a stretch of time and be okay (I'll knock on four different kinds of wood right now). I'd give the offseason a solid B+.
MM: That said, I don't think anyone saw the offseason collapse like it did. EE saw his value dive, anyone could have had Joey Bats for 2-years-for-40MM, and Mark Trumbo looked like he could have been unemployed for the 2017 season. Angel Pagan is still unsigned. So who knows what would have happened if the 'stros had waited. They clearly had a list, and they got it done, but perhaps they would have been better waiting.
(Not Hank): I'm of two minds about the offseason. I love what they did with the offense, and I think they they are set up to have a monstrous season with the bats. I also expected them to add a pitcher. Maybe not an ace, but someone you can plop down in the three spot and count on for 180 plus inning. Musgrove is solid, but has never pitched more than 150 innings in a season, Martes cannot really be counted on this season, I don't think. McCullers' health is a question mark. McHugh is starting the season on the DL. Morton is an enigma, wrapped in a mystery, smothered in secret sauce. I would love to have one more pitcher without these questions. My hope is the bats will be enough to carry the questions long enough to get some answers.
AC: I agree with Not Hank. I think they upgraded at a fair price, and refused to upgrade beyond what their projections reflected. This is the reason why Chris Archer or Jose Quintana won't be starting for the Astros this week.
Let's turn our attention to the future: what is going to be good this year??
Batguy: I think there are two major strengths for this squad. First is the offense. For the first time in a long time (maybe since 2004) the Astros have actual, major league hitters all the way down the lineup. Not only that, but they have a very solid bench as well. The other strength will be the bullpen. Even though there is a huge question mark where a lefty specialist should be, the Astros boast several well above average choices to finish out games this year.
AC: While I think everyone understands that Reddick is an upgrade over Rasmus, McCann/Gattis is an upgrade over Castro/Gattis, Gurriel is an upgrade over 2016 Reed/White, I'll go with the Bullpen. I think the Bullpen is going to be extremely solid, front-to-back. I'm concerned about the adjustment that hitters will make to Devenski, because it always seems to happen the year after the breakout year, and Sipp is a human question mark now, but it's very easy to not throw Sipp. Just let him hang out in the bullpen all year and pay him not to pitch. But Devenski-Feliz-Harris-Gregerson-Giles is going to be filthy, because I think Giles will be closer to what the Astros thought they were getting last year.
MM: I am most interested in the corners - both infield and outfield. I wonder if Bregman will take a while to get going, given he spent his Spring winning gold while warming the Team USA bench. But otherwise, we will have the infield corners populated by Gurriel, with a host of prospects waiting in the wings (mostly White, Reed, Moran and Davis). The outfield corners will be initially populated by some combination of free-agent signee Josh Reddick, Carlos the Jackal, Nori Aoki, Handsome Jake and George Springer, with another bunch of very interesting cats proximal to the big-league club (Preston Tucker, Derek Fisher, Teoscar Hernandez and Ramon Laureano to name a few). For once, there is interest and depth on the corner positions - Astros fans will be used to offensive black holes populating corner positions for most of the last decade, with more offensive black holes waiting to replace them.
Joel: A lot of things will go well for the Astros, but I'd pay particular attention to the team's strikeout rate. In particular, the effect the new guys will have on said rate. Last season, the Astros gambled on the notion that their feast-or-famine lineup in 2015 could overcome the famine again with minimal tinkering. They were wrong. If we add up the strikeouts by departed regulars Jason Castro (123 Ks in 329 ABs), Colby Rasmus (121 Ks in 369 ABs), Carlos Gomez (100 Ks in 295 ABs), and Jake Marisnick (83 Ks in 287 ABs), you total 427 strikeouts in 1,280 at-bats, or, one strikeout every three at-bats.
What are your worries regarding this year??
Batguy: My biggest worry is the rotation. While I think it's more likely that they'll be improved from last season, I recognize that there is a good bit of uncertainty in that prediction. When your top four starters all have the specter of injury hanging over them it's easy to envision the rotation disintegrating along with our playoff hopes.
AC: Yeah, the rotation. I've talked myself into accepting that Keuchel's 2016 was an aberration based on overcorrecting because of his shoulder. I've also talked myself into McCullers making 30 starts, but those could very easily be wrong. While the Astros do have some depth (Peacock, Fiers, and I think we could see Martes sooner than later if one of those top two guys struggle for an extended period), there are more question marks there than anywhere else on the team.
Joel: Like everyone, the rotation bugs me, but pitching always tends to sort itself out. The Astros are not devoid of talent, or even in-house options. If they stay pat and hold onto what they have, someone will jump out and bite the rest of the league. Francis Martes, Chris Devenski, Michael Feliz, or someone else. My big concern is the Astros giving up too much for a quick fix. The Gomez/Fiers trade and the Scott Kazmir deal, both in the 2015 season, backfired. Have Luhnow and company learned a lesson there? This is the challenge with a front office that has to transition from rebuilding to re-tooling. It's not like fire sales, where you dangle the prize for a contending team and they begrudgingly surrender three of their top 10 prospects. The role is reversed and while we can laud the current regime for their organization-building talents, can they perform the kind of maintenance and upkeep that improves the team short-term without sacrificing the long-term. Right now, that's what separates a guy like Luhnow from a guy like Theo Epstein.
MM: My main worry is also probably the team strength. The Astros seem to have some depth (or at least equivalent depth) on the corners, but I think they are relatively exposed up the middle. Which happens when you have a projected 15-or-so WAR concentrated into four positions there. Altuve has two real talents - everything he does on the baseball field, and health. Any change to the latter, and that could spell disaster for the Astros' campaign. Springer has had many health concerns historically. An injury to Brian McCann also means a significant drop off at catcher and policing the league for sass-mouth, and forces Evan Gattis into a role which I am waaaay less comfortable with. Correa is probably real good, but he needs to remain healthy, and guys hanging around the second-base bag can have sudden, unforeseen, catastropic things happen to them. An injury to the middle infield is a little more palatable if Bregman is playing well. An injury to anywhere else up the middle may be a real problem that could cost the Astros their campaign.
(Not Hank): See my first response. The rotation might be fine. It could even be good. I just wish there were fewer questions.
What prospects are y'all keeping your eye on??
MM: Garrett Stubbs is the prospect I am most interested in. We all saw him taking a catchon the outfield grass near the third base bag to end the exhibition game against the Cubbies. He is a catcher who apparently calls a smart game, and he ended the season in Corpus last year, where he slashed .325/.401/.517 in 137 PA's. 2017 is going to be critical in his development - at 24, his time is close, but he has a year or two to sort it out. Brian McCann also has two full seasons to run on his contract - so Stubbs may be seeing significant time with the Astros toward the second half of the season.
Batguy: I agree on Stubbs. I think he's really forced his way into our attention and it will be interesting to see if he continues to impress. I'm also going to be watching Daz Cameron. After his struggles his first two professional seasons he needs to start putting his tools to use.
AC: Time will tell, but I think the Astros made the right call in holding onto Francis Martes this off-season. He can be a productive member of the active roster by July if everything goes right. I'm also interested in this Carlos Correa kid at short. I will be keeping my eye on Kyle Tucker and Derek Fisher. One of those guys could be The Guy in the outfield next season, allowing the Astros to move on from the pipe dream that is Jake Marisnick. I want to see where Framber Valdez opens 2017 and if he can recreate his past 12 months, forcing his way into the bullpen if Sipp struggles.
Joel: Derek Fisher. If Fish can find some consistency at the dish in the early-going at Fresno, he will be the first name Luhnow and Hinch look to after the spring he just had. I do love how Garrett Stubbs made one, insane defensive play, and now everyone is looking at him as the heir apparent to Astros legend, Brian McCann.
MM: Guys - too much agreement here. So I am throwing another name out here, and one to rival the Constable's out-of-left-field pick. Micheal Freeman. One of the only genuine lefty relievers in the Astros' upper minors of note. He is a big unit, listed at 6-8, 235. He is 25, so his time is now-ish. He spent last year getting lit up in Corpus, but the big league club has a huge vacuum, and if he is as good as he was in Quad Cities and Lancaster (36.1IP, 20H, 4ER, 33K, 14BB) then he could really push his case. Sadly, everything since mid-2015 has been suck (58.1IP, 7.10ERA, 30K, 37BB). But... reliever ups and downs and all of that, and the Astros have a large-sized need there at the moment.
(Not Hank): I want to see something from Daz Cameron this year. They basically stole him in the draft, but the tools have not translated yet. Showed some progress in A- but was awful in A ball before his injury. He just turned 20, and has time to figure it out is still a long way away, but this year will be important for his development. I also think Derek Fisher takes a step forward and pushes for the opening day LFer next season. I don't see much room in the outfield for him.
Name one Bold Prediction for Personnel (makeup of the 25 man) that will happen prior to the ASB.
Batguy: Charlie Morton leads the rotation in ERA.
AC: Like Fister did last year? My bold prediction is that Francis Martes will have made one start for the Astros prior to the All-Star Break.
MM: Tony Sipp will no longer be an Astro by the end of June. Released. Anyone in the Astros organisation who can throw strikes with the left hand and has some kind of decent breaking pitch will get a look.
Joel: Both Charlie Morton (due to injury) and Collin McHugh will no longer be in the rotation, and will be replaced by Joe Musgrove (who McHugh supplants in late April) and Francis Martes.
Sum up the Astros in 2017 in 10 or fewer words...
Joel: Ben Reiter was right. Probably.
Batguy: There will be runs. Oh yes, there will be runs.
AC: Don't Go Breaking My Heart.
MM: This "team" is a fake team. Bad!
(Not Hank): We're going to fall for it again, aren't we?
Welcome, team. Let me know your thoughts heading into a promising-looking season.
Let's start by critiquing the Astros' offseason...
MM: I think the Astros largely did what the needed to do. They had a plan - go out and get two lefty hitters (McCann and Reddick) and solidify the DH position somewhat. As you may have heard, they didn't trade for pitching, preferring to get an under-the-radar guy who may be a late bloomer. I think it was a solid offseason, and they kept their core intact, which is what matters.
Joel: Lots of activity at the outset, and then all was quiet on the western front the rest of the way. The Astros absolutely need another starter, and another left-handed relief option, but their lineup is so deep, so versatile, and so well-balanced, that they could conceivably lose Correa AND Altuve for a stretch of time and be okay (I'll knock on four different kinds of wood right now). I'd give the offseason a solid B+.
MM: That said, I don't think anyone saw the offseason collapse like it did. EE saw his value dive, anyone could have had Joey Bats for 2-years-for-40MM, and Mark Trumbo looked like he could have been unemployed for the 2017 season. Angel Pagan is still unsigned. So who knows what would have happened if the 'stros had waited. They clearly had a list, and they got it done, but perhaps they would have been better waiting.
(Not Hank): I'm of two minds about the offseason. I love what they did with the offense, and I think they they are set up to have a monstrous season with the bats. I also expected them to add a pitcher. Maybe not an ace, but someone you can plop down in the three spot and count on for 180 plus inning. Musgrove is solid, but has never pitched more than 150 innings in a season, Martes cannot really be counted on this season, I don't think. McCullers' health is a question mark. McHugh is starting the season on the DL. Morton is an enigma, wrapped in a mystery, smothered in secret sauce. I would love to have one more pitcher without these questions. My hope is the bats will be enough to carry the questions long enough to get some answers.
AC: I agree with Not Hank. I think they upgraded at a fair price, and refused to upgrade beyond what their projections reflected. This is the reason why Chris Archer or Jose Quintana won't be starting for the Astros this week.
Let's turn our attention to the future: what is going to be good this year??
Batguy: I think there are two major strengths for this squad. First is the offense. For the first time in a long time (maybe since 2004) the Astros have actual, major league hitters all the way down the lineup. Not only that, but they have a very solid bench as well. The other strength will be the bullpen. Even though there is a huge question mark where a lefty specialist should be, the Astros boast several well above average choices to finish out games this year.
AC: While I think everyone understands that Reddick is an upgrade over Rasmus, McCann/Gattis is an upgrade over Castro/Gattis, Gurriel is an upgrade over 2016 Reed/White, I'll go with the Bullpen. I think the Bullpen is going to be extremely solid, front-to-back. I'm concerned about the adjustment that hitters will make to Devenski, because it always seems to happen the year after the breakout year, and Sipp is a human question mark now, but it's very easy to not throw Sipp. Just let him hang out in the bullpen all year and pay him not to pitch. But Devenski-Feliz-Harris-Gregerson-Giles is going to be filthy, because I think Giles will be closer to what the Astros thought they were getting last year.
MM: I am most interested in the corners - both infield and outfield. I wonder if Bregman will take a while to get going, given he spent his Spring winning gold while warming the Team USA bench. But otherwise, we will have the infield corners populated by Gurriel, with a host of prospects waiting in the wings (mostly White, Reed, Moran and Davis). The outfield corners will be initially populated by some combination of free-agent signee Josh Reddick, Carlos the Jackal, Nori Aoki, Handsome Jake and George Springer, with another bunch of very interesting cats proximal to the big-league club (Preston Tucker, Derek Fisher, Teoscar Hernandez and Ramon Laureano to name a few). For once, there is interest and depth on the corner positions - Astros fans will be used to offensive black holes populating corner positions for most of the last decade, with more offensive black holes waiting to replace them.
Joel: A lot of things will go well for the Astros, but I'd pay particular attention to the team's strikeout rate. In particular, the effect the new guys will have on said rate. Last season, the Astros gambled on the notion that their feast-or-famine lineup in 2015 could overcome the famine again with minimal tinkering. They were wrong. If we add up the strikeouts by departed regulars Jason Castro (123 Ks in 329 ABs), Colby Rasmus (121 Ks in 369 ABs), Carlos Gomez (100 Ks in 295 ABs), and Jake Marisnick (83 Ks in 287 ABs), you total 427 strikeouts in 1,280 at-bats, or, one strikeout every three at-bats.
Now, replace those four (with Marisnick in a more defensive sub/pinch runner sort of role) with Nori Aoki (45 Ks in 417 ABs), Carlos Beltran (101 Ks in 552 ABs), Josh Reddick (56 Ks in 398 ABs), and Brian McCann (99 Ks in 429 ABs), what you end up with is 301 strikeouts in 1,796 at-bats, or, one strikeout every SIX at-bats.
Essentially, the Astros have added contact ability, which will lead to more men on base, more chances for opposition error, and, nearly inevitably, more runs. It's not something people are focusing a lot on right now, but the Astros pose a legitimate threat to lead the AL in runs scored, and it may not be close.
(Not Hank): Like everyone else said, the offense. Here are the projected wOBA (from FanGraphs Depth Charts) for the 10 best hitters the Astros have. As a reminder, a .320 wOBA is average.
.357
.355
.351
.333
.333
.330
.328
.326
.314
.312
Notice I said ten. That's a full lineup, plus 1, of average or above hitters. Some will miss low, others will miss high. But based on these projections, FanGraphs thinks the Astros will have the best offense in baseball. It's pretty exciting.
(Not Hank): Like everyone else said, the offense. Here are the projected wOBA (from FanGraphs Depth Charts) for the 10 best hitters the Astros have. As a reminder, a .320 wOBA is average.
.357
.355
.351
.333
.333
.330
.328
.326
.314
.312
Notice I said ten. That's a full lineup, plus 1, of average or above hitters. Some will miss low, others will miss high. But based on these projections, FanGraphs thinks the Astros will have the best offense in baseball. It's pretty exciting.
Batguy: My biggest worry is the rotation. While I think it's more likely that they'll be improved from last season, I recognize that there is a good bit of uncertainty in that prediction. When your top four starters all have the specter of injury hanging over them it's easy to envision the rotation disintegrating along with our playoff hopes.
AC: Yeah, the rotation. I've talked myself into accepting that Keuchel's 2016 was an aberration based on overcorrecting because of his shoulder. I've also talked myself into McCullers making 30 starts, but those could very easily be wrong. While the Astros do have some depth (Peacock, Fiers, and I think we could see Martes sooner than later if one of those top two guys struggle for an extended period), there are more question marks there than anywhere else on the team.
Joel: Like everyone, the rotation bugs me, but pitching always tends to sort itself out. The Astros are not devoid of talent, or even in-house options. If they stay pat and hold onto what they have, someone will jump out and bite the rest of the league. Francis Martes, Chris Devenski, Michael Feliz, or someone else. My big concern is the Astros giving up too much for a quick fix. The Gomez/Fiers trade and the Scott Kazmir deal, both in the 2015 season, backfired. Have Luhnow and company learned a lesson there? This is the challenge with a front office that has to transition from rebuilding to re-tooling. It's not like fire sales, where you dangle the prize for a contending team and they begrudgingly surrender three of their top 10 prospects. The role is reversed and while we can laud the current regime for their organization-building talents, can they perform the kind of maintenance and upkeep that improves the team short-term without sacrificing the long-term. Right now, that's what separates a guy like Luhnow from a guy like Theo Epstein.
MM: My main worry is also probably the team strength. The Astros seem to have some depth (or at least equivalent depth) on the corners, but I think they are relatively exposed up the middle. Which happens when you have a projected 15-or-so WAR concentrated into four positions there. Altuve has two real talents - everything he does on the baseball field, and health. Any change to the latter, and that could spell disaster for the Astros' campaign. Springer has had many health concerns historically. An injury to Brian McCann also means a significant drop off at catcher and policing the league for sass-mouth, and forces Evan Gattis into a role which I am waaaay less comfortable with. Correa is probably real good, but he needs to remain healthy, and guys hanging around the second-base bag can have sudden, unforeseen, catastropic things happen to them. An injury to the middle infield is a little more palatable if Bregman is playing well. An injury to anywhere else up the middle may be a real problem that could cost the Astros their campaign.
(Not Hank): See my first response. The rotation might be fine. It could even be good. I just wish there were fewer questions.
What prospects are y'all keeping your eye on??
MM: Garrett Stubbs is the prospect I am most interested in. We all saw him taking a catch
Batguy: I agree on Stubbs. I think he's really forced his way into our attention and it will be interesting to see if he continues to impress. I'm also going to be watching Daz Cameron. After his struggles his first two professional seasons he needs to start putting his tools to use.
AC: Time will tell, but I think the Astros made the right call in holding onto Francis Martes this off-season. He can be a productive member of the active roster by July if everything goes right. I'm also interested in this Carlos Correa kid at short. I will be keeping my eye on Kyle Tucker and Derek Fisher. One of those guys could be The Guy in the outfield next season, allowing the Astros to move on from the pipe dream that is Jake Marisnick. I want to see where Framber Valdez opens 2017 and if he can recreate his past 12 months, forcing his way into the bullpen if Sipp struggles.
Joel: Derek Fisher. If Fish can find some consistency at the dish in the early-going at Fresno, he will be the first name Luhnow and Hinch look to after the spring he just had. I do love how Garrett Stubbs made one, insane defensive play, and now everyone is looking at him as the heir apparent to Astros legend, Brian McCann.
I kid because I care. Stubbs is another intriguing guy because, unlike Castro, or even Max Stassi, he can actually make contact, take a walk, and just generally be something less than helpless with a stick in his hand. He seems a little small to hold up for an entire season, but he has room to fill out.
MM: Guys - too much agreement here. So I am throwing another name out here, and one to rival the Constable's out-of-left-field pick. Micheal Freeman. One of the only genuine lefty relievers in the Astros' upper minors of note. He is a big unit, listed at 6-8, 235. He is 25, so his time is now-ish. He spent last year getting lit up in Corpus, but the big league club has a huge vacuum, and if he is as good as he was in Quad Cities and Lancaster (36.1IP, 20H, 4ER, 33K, 14BB) then he could really push his case. Sadly, everything since mid-2015 has been suck (58.1IP, 7.10ERA, 30K, 37BB). But... reliever ups and downs and all of that, and the Astros have a large-sized need there at the moment.
(Not Hank): I want to see something from Daz Cameron this year. They basically stole him in the draft, but the tools have not translated yet. Showed some progress in A- but was awful in A ball before his injury. He just turned 20, and has time to figure it out is still a long way away, but this year will be important for his development. I also think Derek Fisher takes a step forward and pushes for the opening day LFer next season. I don't see much room in the outfield for him.
Name one Bold Prediction for Personnel (makeup of the 25 man) that will happen prior to the ASB.
Batguy: Charlie Morton leads the rotation in ERA.
AC: Like Fister did last year? My bold prediction is that Francis Martes will have made one start for the Astros prior to the All-Star Break.
MM: Tony Sipp will no longer be an Astro by the end of June. Released. Anyone in the Astros organisation who can throw strikes with the left hand and has some kind of decent breaking pitch will get a look.
Joel: Both Charlie Morton (due to injury) and Collin McHugh will no longer be in the rotation, and will be replaced by Joe Musgrove (who McHugh supplants in late April) and Francis Martes.
I'll name two because this is a free country. The Astros WILL acquire a starter WITHOUT surrendering Martes, but will definitely surrender Kyle Tucker.
MM: I also live in a free country. And, while Joel is pounding on McHugh, I don't think he finishes the year as an active Astro, either. Probably injured. I am concerned about his ability to get the job done while pumping gas in the high 80's.
(Not Hank): You want BOLD, I'll give you bold. Marisnick hits well enough to force himself into the lineup more often than we are expecting, pushing Beltran to a near every day DH position. Gattis is pushed to a backup catcher position, for which he is ill suited. Something will have to be done about this, and I don't know what.
(Not Hank): You want BOLD, I'll give you bold. Marisnick hits well enough to force himself into the lineup more often than we are expecting, pushing Beltran to a near every day DH position. Gattis is pushed to a backup catcher position, for which he is ill suited. Something will have to be done about this, and I don't know what.
Sum up the Astros in 2017 in 10 or fewer words...
Joel: Ben Reiter was right. Probably.
Batguy: There will be runs. Oh yes, there will be runs.
AC: Don't Go Breaking My Heart.
MM: This "team" is a fake team. Bad!
(Not Hank): We're going to fall for it again, aren't we?
Opening Day Moods, recapped
My opinion of the Astros has not evolved much beyond what I hastily put together back on February 17. I have expectations of what the 2017 Astros can do, and I'm terrified that they will not be able to live up to the expectations (AL West, AL Pennant, to start). But I thought about how my expectations of the Astros have evolved since the lone pennant in franchise history. So - as far as I can remember - here is a brief summary of my thoughts on Opening Day over the last 12 years...
2006: Carlos Lee!? Woody Williams!? This season gonna be lit.
2007: Gonna email McTaggart every day to ask him when Hunter Pence is coming up.
2008: Were the Astros the only ones who didn't know Tejada would be in the Mitchell Report? How old is he, anyway?
2009: Hey, maybe Pudge has something left in the tank. At the very least he can mentor Bud Norris and (squints) Mike Hampton.
2010: It's going to be bad before it gets better.
2011: Brett Wallace is The Truth and this rebuild won't take too long, at all.
2012: 2013 should be alright.
2013: At least no one has to watch this
2014: Baseball doesn't love me
2015: Maybe 80 wins is doable!
2016: I think the Pennant is in reach!
2017: I wonder how they're gonna break my heart *this* year
2006: Carlos Lee!? Woody Williams!? This season gonna be lit.
2007: Gonna email McTaggart every day to ask him when Hunter Pence is coming up.
2008: Were the Astros the only ones who didn't know Tejada would be in the Mitchell Report? How old is he, anyway?
2009: Hey, maybe Pudge has something left in the tank. At the very least he can mentor Bud Norris and (squints) Mike Hampton.
2010: It's going to be bad before it gets better.
2011: Brett Wallace is The Truth and this rebuild won't take too long, at all.
2012: 2013 should be alright.
2013: At least no one has to watch this
2014: Baseball doesn't love me
2015: Maybe 80 wins is doable!
2016: I think the Pennant is in reach!
2017: I wonder how they're gonna break my heart *this* year
Opening Day Hot Links
Astros tonight, y'all.
*David Barron: With a revamped roster and stadium, this is the Astros' time
*Dallas Keuchel:
I think the only difference is we've got a better team. I go about my business the same way each and every year, and that's to get myself ready to go nine innings.
*Evan Gattis will use a QB-style card strapped to his wrist when catching.
*Collin McHugh threw 65 pitches in a simulated game. Next stop: Houston for Opening Night, and then rehab start(s).
*David Schoenfield has what to watch for in every game today and I definitely should have taken today off.
*FanGraphs: The five craziest Opening Day games.
*The Hardball Times: The day that sustains us.
*38 of 53 FanGraphs people picked the Astros to win the division. Nine picked the Mariners, five picked the Ramgers, two picked the Angels.
*You can get real time exit velocities, hit probabilities, etc. thanks to Friend of AC Daren Willman.
*Right now the Astros are +$1400 to win the World Series and +$650 to win the AL Pennant.
*Brett Wallace was released by the Padres.
*Congratulations to the brave viewer at home, whose keen eye preserved the integrity of golf and cost Lexi Thompson a major.
*David Barron: With a revamped roster and stadium, this is the Astros' time
*Dallas Keuchel:
I think the only difference is we've got a better team. I go about my business the same way each and every year, and that's to get myself ready to go nine innings.
*Evan Gattis will use a QB-style card strapped to his wrist when catching.
*Collin McHugh threw 65 pitches in a simulated game. Next stop: Houston for Opening Night, and then rehab start(s).
*David Schoenfield has what to watch for in every game today and I definitely should have taken today off.
*FanGraphs: The five craziest Opening Day games.
*The Hardball Times: The day that sustains us.
*38 of 53 FanGraphs people picked the Astros to win the division. Nine picked the Mariners, five picked the Ramgers, two picked the Angels.
*You can get real time exit velocities, hit probabilities, etc. thanks to Friend of AC Daren Willman.
*Right now the Astros are +$1400 to win the World Series and +$650 to win the AL Pennant.
*Brett Wallace was released by the Padres.
*Congratulations to the brave viewer at home, whose keen eye preserved the integrity of golf and cost Lexi Thompson a major.
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Where Did These Guys Come From: Houston Astros
It's one of my favorite posts every year, and we'll do it for every team from the Astros on down to the GCL. So where did the 25 members of the 2017 Opening Day roster come from?
Pitchers
Chris Devenski: Sent to the Astros on August 3, 2012 as the PTBNL trade with the White Sox that sent Brett Myers to Chicago in exchange for Matt Heidenreich and Blair Walters.
Michael Feliz: Signed as an amateur free agent on May 19, 2010 after the A's voided his amateur free agent contract in March 2010.
Mike Fiers: Acquired via trade on July 30, 2015 from Milwaukee with Carlos Gomez in exchange for Josh Hader, Brett Phillips, Adrian Houser, and Domingo Santana
Ken Giles: Acquired via trade with Jonathan Arauz on December 12, 2015 from Philadelphia in exchange for Mark Appel, Vincent Velasquez, Thomas Eshelman, Brett Oberholtzer, and Harold Arauz
Luke Gregerson: Signed as a free agent on December 12, 2014.
Jandel Gustave: Signed as amateur free agent on May 25, 2010. Taken by the Red Sox in the 2014 Rule 5 draft, purchased later that day by the Royals, selected off waivers by the Padres in March 2015, returned to the Astros on April 3, 2015.
Will Harris: Selected off waivers on November 3, 2014 from Arizona.
Dallas Keuchel: Selected in the 7th Round of the 2009 draft.
Lance McCullers: Selected in the 1st Round (41st overall) of the 2012 draft
Charlie Morton: Signed as a free agent on November 16, 2016
Joe Musgrove: Acquired in the July 20, 2012 trade that sent J.A. Happ, Brandon Lyon, and David Carpenter to Toronto in exchange for Francisco Cordero, Ben Francisco, Carlos Perez, David Rollins, Asher Wojciechowski, and Kevin Comer.
Brad Peacock: Acquired in the February 4, 2013 trade that send Jed Lowrie and Fernando Rodriguez to Oakland for Chris Carter and Max Stassi
Tony Sipp: Signed as a free agent on May 1, 2014 after being released by the Padres. Signed as a free agent on December 11, 2015.
Catchers
Evan Gattis: Acquired with James Hoyt in the January 14, 2015 trade that sent Mike Foltynewicz, Rio Ruiz, and Andrew Thurman to Atlanta.
Brian McCann: Acquired in the November 17, 2016 trade that sent Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman to New York.
Infielders
Jose Altuve: Signed as an amateur free agent on March 6, 2007
Alex Bregman: Selected by the Astros in the 1st Round (2nd overall) of the 2015 draft
Carlos Correa: Selected by the Astros in the 1st Round (1st overall) of the 2012 draft
Marwin Gonzalez: Acquired in the December 8, 2011 trade for Marco Duarte with Boston. Both Marwin and Duarte were Rule 5 picks earlier that day.
Yulieski Gurriel: Signed as an amateur free agent on July 16, 2016
Outfielders
Nori Aoki: Selected off waivers the same day the Mariners signed him as a free agent
Jake Marisnick: Acquired in the July 31, 2014 trade that sent Jarred Cosart, Enrique Hernandez, and Austin Wates to Miami for Francis Martes and Colin Moran.
Josh Reddick: Signed as a free agent on November 23, 2016
George Springer: Selected in the 1st Round (11th overall) of the 2011 draft
Designated Hitter
Carlos Beltran: Signed as a free agent on December 5, 2016
Pitchers
Chris Devenski: Sent to the Astros on August 3, 2012 as the PTBNL trade with the White Sox that sent Brett Myers to Chicago in exchange for Matt Heidenreich and Blair Walters.
Michael Feliz: Signed as an amateur free agent on May 19, 2010 after the A's voided his amateur free agent contract in March 2010.
Mike Fiers: Acquired via trade on July 30, 2015 from Milwaukee with Carlos Gomez in exchange for Josh Hader, Brett Phillips, Adrian Houser, and Domingo Santana
Ken Giles: Acquired via trade with Jonathan Arauz on December 12, 2015 from Philadelphia in exchange for Mark Appel, Vincent Velasquez, Thomas Eshelman, Brett Oberholtzer, and Harold Arauz
Luke Gregerson: Signed as a free agent on December 12, 2014.
Jandel Gustave: Signed as amateur free agent on May 25, 2010. Taken by the Red Sox in the 2014 Rule 5 draft, purchased later that day by the Royals, selected off waivers by the Padres in March 2015, returned to the Astros on April 3, 2015.
Will Harris: Selected off waivers on November 3, 2014 from Arizona.
Dallas Keuchel: Selected in the 7th Round of the 2009 draft.
Lance McCullers: Selected in the 1st Round (41st overall) of the 2012 draft
Charlie Morton: Signed as a free agent on November 16, 2016
Joe Musgrove: Acquired in the July 20, 2012 trade that sent J.A. Happ, Brandon Lyon, and David Carpenter to Toronto in exchange for Francisco Cordero, Ben Francisco, Carlos Perez, David Rollins, Asher Wojciechowski, and Kevin Comer.
Brad Peacock: Acquired in the February 4, 2013 trade that send Jed Lowrie and Fernando Rodriguez to Oakland for Chris Carter and Max Stassi
Tony Sipp: Signed as a free agent on May 1, 2014 after being released by the Padres. Signed as a free agent on December 11, 2015.
Catchers
Evan Gattis: Acquired with James Hoyt in the January 14, 2015 trade that sent Mike Foltynewicz, Rio Ruiz, and Andrew Thurman to Atlanta.
Brian McCann: Acquired in the November 17, 2016 trade that sent Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman to New York.
Infielders
Jose Altuve: Signed as an amateur free agent on March 6, 2007
Alex Bregman: Selected by the Astros in the 1st Round (2nd overall) of the 2015 draft
Carlos Correa: Selected by the Astros in the 1st Round (1st overall) of the 2012 draft
Marwin Gonzalez: Acquired in the December 8, 2011 trade for Marco Duarte with Boston. Both Marwin and Duarte were Rule 5 picks earlier that day.
Yulieski Gurriel: Signed as an amateur free agent on July 16, 2016
Outfielders
Nori Aoki: Selected off waivers the same day the Mariners signed him as a free agent
Jake Marisnick: Acquired in the July 31, 2014 trade that sent Jarred Cosart, Enrique Hernandez, and Austin Wates to Miami for Francis Martes and Colin Moran.
Josh Reddick: Signed as a free agent on November 23, 2016
George Springer: Selected in the 1st Round (11th overall) of the 2011 draft
Designated Hitter
Carlos Beltran: Signed as a free agent on December 5, 2016
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