The Astros tied the Nationals 5-5. What's their record so far this Spring? It doesn't matter. Yuli Gurriel was 2x2 with a (gasp) walk. Garrett Stubbs was 1x1 with a walk and a stolen base. Cristian Javier threw 2IP, 1H/1ER, 4K:2BB.
*Justin Verlander threw a simulated game, instead of starting against the Nationals, due to groin discomfort. Verlander:
(I) maybe noticed it just a little bit, but once I got on the mound and just kind of tried to pitch - not worry about it so much - it felt good and didn't feel it after that. Probably best case scenario today.
*Yordan Alvarez played all of 2019 with knee pain. Yordan:
I just worked hard every day to make sure I warmed up my lower body properly and just went out and played. I tried to manage it as best I could that way.
*Check out this Chandler Rome profile on Chas McCormick:
And Chas McCormick still remembers the Astros calling him in 2016, promising he'd be their 25th Round draft selection and get a $50,000 signing bonus, something almost unheard of for a player from Division II Millersville University...The follow-up call never came.
*Jake Kaplan: Cristian Javier and the "Invisiball" that has him on the verge of the Majors.
*Bryan Abreu has the filthiest secondary stuff among Astros prospects.
Sign-Stealing Stuff
*Vanderbilt's John Vrooman: What's that sound?
*LA Times: Did the Astros win the 2017 World Series because of cheating? The numbers say no.
*Tom Verducci: The Astros should be more concerned with the "mental toll" of 2020 rather than the HBPs.
*Jon Heyman tweeted that the Astros "seem sad."
Other Stuff
*SI: Inside the All-Star Cafe Baseball Card Heist.
*NY Times: My ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend is Lady Gaga.
*I prepared for everything, but not Coronavirus on a cruise ship.
*Three Republicans, including Louie Gohmert, and an Independent voted against an Anti-Lynching bill. (Gohmert said the penalty wasn't harsh enough.)
*ESPN: A week in Manila with Manny Pacquiao.
*Panera is offering an unlimited coffee plan for $8.99/month.
*A Musical Selection:
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
Friday, February 28, 2020
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Thursday Morning Hot Links
Split-Squad Day! Shoutout to the whiplash of getting notifications that the Astros both won and lost in the same 30 minutes.
Let's do the highlights, I guess. May I remind you that the Winner of Spring Training is whoever is not hurt at the end.
-The Cardinals beat the Astros, 7-5. Myles Straw had an inside-the-park home run, and a regular home run. Bregman went yard. Jose Urquidy threw 1.1IP, 2H/2ER, 1K:1BB. Forrest Whitley threw 1.2IP, 2H/3ER, 1K:1BB. Both hits were singles, and two runs scored because of the next guy (I already closed that tab, and I'm running late).
Alex Bregman got plunked, but it was by a 25-year old guy who hasn't made it above Double-A. Zero intent.
-The Astros beat the Mets, 4-2. Michael Brantley was 2x2, Springer 1x3. Austin Pruitt threw 3IP, 1H/0ER, 0K:0BB. Joe Biagini threw 2IP, 4H/2ER, 1K:0BB.
*Justin Verlander was scratched with groin discomfort. We also find:
-Brent Strom told Forrest Whitley to go back to how he delivered in high school
-Brad Peacock is getting closer to returning, and will likely be in the bullpen
*Josh Reddick could make his debut this weekend.
*Game 4 Hero Jose Urquidy went from a luxury to a necessity for the Astros.
*Jared Hughes' sprints to the mound changed his career. Hughes:
I was out of breath. I was worried about it, and then I started grunting and throwing as hard as I could. Even though I was in the low 90s, it was just way different and it felt good.
*SI: Even without Luis Severino, the Yankees are AL favorites.
*How to prepare for Coronavirus in the U.S.
*The man who designed the NYC Subway map died.
*How ultrarunners are pushing the human body beyond all limits.
*A Musical Selection:
Let's do the highlights, I guess. May I remind you that the Winner of Spring Training is whoever is not hurt at the end.
-The Cardinals beat the Astros, 7-5. Myles Straw had an inside-the-park home run, and a regular home run. Bregman went yard. Jose Urquidy threw 1.1IP, 2H/2ER, 1K:1BB. Forrest Whitley threw 1.2IP, 2H/3ER, 1K:1BB. Both hits were singles, and two runs scored because of the next guy (I already closed that tab, and I'm running late).
Alex Bregman got plunked, but it was by a 25-year old guy who hasn't made it above Double-A. Zero intent.
-The Astros beat the Mets, 4-2. Michael Brantley was 2x2, Springer 1x3. Austin Pruitt threw 3IP, 1H/0ER, 0K:0BB. Joe Biagini threw 2IP, 4H/2ER, 1K:0BB.
*Justin Verlander was scratched with groin discomfort. We also find:
-Brent Strom told Forrest Whitley to go back to how he delivered in high school
-Brad Peacock is getting closer to returning, and will likely be in the bullpen
*Josh Reddick could make his debut this weekend.
*Game 4 Hero Jose Urquidy went from a luxury to a necessity for the Astros.
*Jared Hughes' sprints to the mound changed his career. Hughes:
I was out of breath. I was worried about it, and then I started grunting and throwing as hard as I could. Even though I was in the low 90s, it was just way different and it felt good.
*SI: Even without Luis Severino, the Yankees are AL favorites.
*How to prepare for Coronavirus in the U.S.
*The man who designed the NYC Subway map died.
*How ultrarunners are pushing the human body beyond all limits.
*A Musical Selection:
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Astros Top 30 Prospect Evaluations
My evaluation of the Astros' top 30 prospects is that they're all very talented and extremely good young men. Thank you.
Wednesday Morning Hot Links
Short one today - I'm exhausted.
*The Astros lost 7-4 to the Marlins. Chas McCormick (21st Round - 2017) hit a grand slam. Taylor Jones, Jeremy Pena, and Drew Ferguson had the other hits. Chris Devenski and Jared Hughes saw their first action of the Spring and combined for 2IP, 3H/0ER, 1K:0BB.
*Chris Devenski dropped 20 pounds this offseason and is looking to return to his All-Star form. Devenski:
I worked this offseason on getting my fastball right, getting my command right and spinning the ball out of my hand the right way. I went back and did a bunch of drills on that. I think everything for me is mental. I know the way my body feels and when I'm in the shape I'm in right now.
*In this McTaggart piece, we find:
-Dusty Baker really likes the young pitchers.
-Dustin Garneau is settling into the analytics side of being an Astros catcher.
*Myles Straw is among the fastest players in MLB. Straw:
(Astros Strength & Conditioning Coach Brendan) Verner would wear me out about it last year and kind of pushed me and motivated me. I'll probably work with him a lot this year and try to be the quickest in the league.
*Abraham Toro was supposed to start on Tuesday but was scratched with an eye irritation.
*The Astros play a split-squad game against the Mets and the Cardinals. Jose Urquidy and Forrest Whitley will be on various mounds, George Springer and Michael Brantley will play. I'm sure Boos are coming.
Sign-Stealing Stuff
*The Ringer: The Astros' Trash-Can Cheating Scheme is a Window Onto Human Nature.
Other Stuff
*Texas Southern beat #6 Mississippi State in Starkville.
*A Red Sox prospect arrived at Spring Training from Taiwan...and was immediately quarantined.
*The New Yorker: Survivor's Guilt in the Mountains.
*Esquire: How a former mechanic became one of America's best bread wizards.
*A Musical Selection:
*The Astros lost 7-4 to the Marlins. Chas McCormick (21st Round - 2017) hit a grand slam. Taylor Jones, Jeremy Pena, and Drew Ferguson had the other hits. Chris Devenski and Jared Hughes saw their first action of the Spring and combined for 2IP, 3H/0ER, 1K:0BB.
*Chris Devenski dropped 20 pounds this offseason and is looking to return to his All-Star form. Devenski:
I worked this offseason on getting my fastball right, getting my command right and spinning the ball out of my hand the right way. I went back and did a bunch of drills on that. I think everything for me is mental. I know the way my body feels and when I'm in the shape I'm in right now.
*In this McTaggart piece, we find:
-Dusty Baker really likes the young pitchers.
-Dustin Garneau is settling into the analytics side of being an Astros catcher.
*Myles Straw is among the fastest players in MLB. Straw:
(Astros Strength & Conditioning Coach Brendan) Verner would wear me out about it last year and kind of pushed me and motivated me. I'll probably work with him a lot this year and try to be the quickest in the league.
*Abraham Toro was supposed to start on Tuesday but was scratched with an eye irritation.
*The Astros play a split-squad game against the Mets and the Cardinals. Jose Urquidy and Forrest Whitley will be on various mounds, George Springer and Michael Brantley will play. I'm sure Boos are coming.
Sign-Stealing Stuff
*The Ringer: The Astros' Trash-Can Cheating Scheme is a Window Onto Human Nature.
Other Stuff
*Texas Southern beat #6 Mississippi State in Starkville.
*A Red Sox prospect arrived at Spring Training from Taiwan...and was immediately quarantined.
*The New Yorker: Survivor's Guilt in the Mountains.
*Esquire: How a former mechanic became one of America's best bread wizards.
*A Musical Selection:
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Tuesday Morning Hot Links
The Astros won 11-1. Clear Brook HS and UH alum Corey Julks (8th Round - 2017) hit a grand slam. Jake Adams (6th Round - 2017) hit a 3-run home run. Garrett Stubbs and Myles Straw added homers, with Stubbs hitting the first Houston homer of 2020. If you had Garrett Stubbs in your pool, kindly come to the window and ye shall be burned for witchcraft. Bryan Abreu looked good. Everyone got booed. Altuve got hit by a pitch (in the foot, by a breaking ball. Chill out).
*The Astros played their first true road game of the Spring, in Lakeland against the Tigers, and hooboy did they hear some boos. Chandler Rome:
(Altuve, Correa, Gurriel, Bregman) were heckled heavily in the five innings they played. The reception was nasty. The individualized insults were audible through a small, otherwise quiet ballpark. The crowd made no louder noise than when it directed dismay at the Astros.
Dusty:
You knew it was going to happen. Every day (it's going to happen) until we just start winning and beating on the ball. It's no problem.
Correa, on the "reaction" from the crowd:
What reaction? I didn't hear anything.
*Bryan Abreu got the start and threw two perfect innings, striking out four batters, including Miguel Cabrera. Remember, Spring Training stats don't matter, unless you want them to. Dusty, on Abreu:
He's not being ignored. He's a guy that's definitely on our radar. I didn't know him before this. He was up last year. He throws the ball well. He had a good demeanor and good tempo. We like him.
*Chandler Rome has a good profile about the offseason work put in by Ronnie Dawson (2nd Round - 2016). Dawson, year-by-year:
2017: .278/.363/.437, 110K:59BB in 562 PAs.
2018: .258/.333/.428, 130K:45BB in 499 PAs
2019: .207/.313/.385, 152K:50BB in 498 PAs.
Dawson:
I hit the ball really well. I hit the ball really hard. I just missed a lot of pitches. If I cleaned up that, the strikeouts go down and my hard hits go up - I have more home runs and have more doubles.
*The outfield starters are likely playing today.
*Over at The Athletic, Keith Law dropped his Top 100 Prospects list. The Astros' contingent, in full:
#14: Forrest Whitley. C'est tout. Law, on Whitley:
His upside is unchanged - a No. 1 starter who can give you 200 innings - and we'll see shortly if the mechanical tweaks he's made this winter get his delivery to where it needs to be.
Jake Kaplan: The three keys for this to be The Year of Forrest (Whitley).
Sign Stealing Stuff
*The Astros have started responding to the various (seven, apparently) lawsuits brought about by the sign-stealing scandal. Among those who have sued the Astros: daily fantasy sports players, season-ticket holders, Mike Bolsinger, etc. The Astros:
It is well established...that attendees or viewers at sporting events have no express or implied right to an event free of penalties, undisclosed injuries, rules violations, cheating, or similar conduct, and claims asserting such a right have been repeatedly dismissed. Even accepting the Complaint's allegations as true, the alleged sign-stealing does not in itself render false any statement about the team's strengths and successes...If there is any implied understanding of fans, it is that rule infractions will occur during the games.
I'm no lawyer, but I did take the LSAT hungover in 2002. One outcome, I would assume, is that if the suit continues and the Astros are found liable, anyone with any kind of vested interest in the game could sue a team over...say...pine tar or a foreign, sticky substance on the arm of the pitcher. Is that the same as using a live camera feed to transmit pitches to hitters? No, but the team's legal counsel apparently got on Baseball-Reference and used the stats that showed the Astros' offense was more potent on the road than it was at home. And the Spygate defense utilized by the New England Patriots in Mayer v. Belichick, which the Patriots won.
*Miguel Cabrera has Altuve's back on the Sign Stealing. Cabrera:
We knew (the sign-stealing methods) from a long time ago. Two years ago, we knew. So, when I asked him again this offseason, it was the same conversation we had two years ago...He told me he didn't do it and I believe him. People made fun of him about the tattoo, but that's real. It's real...I believe he didn't do it because he (said) that to my face. He looked me in the eye and said he didn't do it. I believe him.
So the Tigers knew, the A's knew, Jonathan Lucroy knew...I'm starting to wonder if Aaron Judge and the Yankees' melodrama about the whole thing is (gasp) simply for PR?
*Gerrit Cole:
I'm going to miss those guys. They're under scrutiny right now. So many people are coming after them. I anticipate them bunkering down. I think they are going to play really hard, and really well this year. Hopefully if they do that, maybe they can quiet it down a little bit, proving this will be a fresh slate for them. But I'm telling you, we played fair and square last year. I didn't see anything in 2018 either. I really didn't. But no one wants to hear it now.
*Jeets says the Sign Stealing Scandal is a black eye for Baseball. Jeets:
It's like a slow drip of responses coming out from everyone. You hope at some point people can just move on. But, look, it's unfortunate. It's a black eye for the sport.
This is the most Substance that Jeets has ever contributed to a baseball discussion.
*MLBPA President Tony Clark sees a direct correlation between market inefficiencies, technology, metrics, service time manipulation, and the trash can scheme.
Other Stuff
*RIP, Katherine Johnson. From Vox: The math that made Katherine Johnson a legend.
*The Atlantic: You're probably going to get Coronavirus. You're probably not going to die.
The disease (known as COVID-19) seems to have a fatality rate of less than 2 percent - exponentially lower than most outbreaks that make global news. The virus has raised alarm not despite that low fatality rate, but because of it.
*Look, I'm not a Chuck Schumer fan but getting riled up because he spent $8,600 on cheesecake over seven years is not smart. $8,600 over seven years is $102/month, or about $25.50 a week, or about one cheesecake every two weeks from Junior's.
*A Musical Selection:
*The Astros played their first true road game of the Spring, in Lakeland against the Tigers, and hooboy did they hear some boos. Chandler Rome:
(Altuve, Correa, Gurriel, Bregman) were heckled heavily in the five innings they played. The reception was nasty. The individualized insults were audible through a small, otherwise quiet ballpark. The crowd made no louder noise than when it directed dismay at the Astros.
Dusty:
You knew it was going to happen. Every day (it's going to happen) until we just start winning and beating on the ball. It's no problem.
Correa, on the "reaction" from the crowd:
What reaction? I didn't hear anything.
*Bryan Abreu got the start and threw two perfect innings, striking out four batters, including Miguel Cabrera. Remember, Spring Training stats don't matter, unless you want them to. Dusty, on Abreu:
He's not being ignored. He's a guy that's definitely on our radar. I didn't know him before this. He was up last year. He throws the ball well. He had a good demeanor and good tempo. We like him.
*Chandler Rome has a good profile about the offseason work put in by Ronnie Dawson (2nd Round - 2016). Dawson, year-by-year:
2017: .278/.363/.437, 110K:59BB in 562 PAs.
2018: .258/.333/.428, 130K:45BB in 499 PAs
2019: .207/.313/.385, 152K:50BB in 498 PAs.
Dawson:
I hit the ball really well. I hit the ball really hard. I just missed a lot of pitches. If I cleaned up that, the strikeouts go down and my hard hits go up - I have more home runs and have more doubles.
*The outfield starters are likely playing today.
*Over at The Athletic, Keith Law dropped his Top 100 Prospects list. The Astros' contingent, in full:
#14: Forrest Whitley. C'est tout. Law, on Whitley:
His upside is unchanged - a No. 1 starter who can give you 200 innings - and we'll see shortly if the mechanical tweaks he's made this winter get his delivery to where it needs to be.
Jake Kaplan: The three keys for this to be The Year of Forrest (Whitley).
Sign Stealing Stuff
*The Astros have started responding to the various (seven, apparently) lawsuits brought about by the sign-stealing scandal. Among those who have sued the Astros: daily fantasy sports players, season-ticket holders, Mike Bolsinger, etc. The Astros:
It is well established...that attendees or viewers at sporting events have no express or implied right to an event free of penalties, undisclosed injuries, rules violations, cheating, or similar conduct, and claims asserting such a right have been repeatedly dismissed. Even accepting the Complaint's allegations as true, the alleged sign-stealing does not in itself render false any statement about the team's strengths and successes...If there is any implied understanding of fans, it is that rule infractions will occur during the games.
I'm no lawyer, but I did take the LSAT hungover in 2002. One outcome, I would assume, is that if the suit continues and the Astros are found liable, anyone with any kind of vested interest in the game could sue a team over...say...pine tar or a foreign, sticky substance on the arm of the pitcher. Is that the same as using a live camera feed to transmit pitches to hitters? No, but the team's legal counsel apparently got on Baseball-Reference and used the stats that showed the Astros' offense was more potent on the road than it was at home. And the Spygate defense utilized by the New England Patriots in Mayer v. Belichick, which the Patriots won.
*Miguel Cabrera has Altuve's back on the Sign Stealing. Cabrera:
We knew (the sign-stealing methods) from a long time ago. Two years ago, we knew. So, when I asked him again this offseason, it was the same conversation we had two years ago...He told me he didn't do it and I believe him. People made fun of him about the tattoo, but that's real. It's real...I believe he didn't do it because he (said) that to my face. He looked me in the eye and said he didn't do it. I believe him.
So the Tigers knew, the A's knew, Jonathan Lucroy knew...I'm starting to wonder if Aaron Judge and the Yankees' melodrama about the whole thing is (gasp) simply for PR?
*Gerrit Cole:
I'm going to miss those guys. They're under scrutiny right now. So many people are coming after them. I anticipate them bunkering down. I think they are going to play really hard, and really well this year. Hopefully if they do that, maybe they can quiet it down a little bit, proving this will be a fresh slate for them. But I'm telling you, we played fair and square last year. I didn't see anything in 2018 either. I really didn't. But no one wants to hear it now.
*Jeets says the Sign Stealing Scandal is a black eye for Baseball. Jeets:
It's like a slow drip of responses coming out from everyone. You hope at some point people can just move on. But, look, it's unfortunate. It's a black eye for the sport.
This is the most Substance that Jeets has ever contributed to a baseball discussion.
*MLBPA President Tony Clark sees a direct correlation between market inefficiencies, technology, metrics, service time manipulation, and the trash can scheme.
Other Stuff
*RIP, Katherine Johnson. From Vox: The math that made Katherine Johnson a legend.
*The Atlantic: You're probably going to get Coronavirus. You're probably not going to die.
The disease (known as COVID-19) seems to have a fatality rate of less than 2 percent - exponentially lower than most outbreaks that make global news. The virus has raised alarm not despite that low fatality rate, but because of it.
*Look, I'm not a Chuck Schumer fan but getting riled up because he spent $8,600 on cheesecake over seven years is not smart. $8,600 over seven years is $102/month, or about $25.50 a week, or about one cheesecake every two weeks from Junior's.
*A Musical Selection:
Monday, February 24, 2020
Monday Morning Hot Links
The Astros lost their first official Spring Training game of the season, 2-1, not that it really matters.
-Framber Valdez threw 2IP, 0H/0ER, 3K:1BB, and got up to 95mph.
-Kyle Tucker was 0x3 with 1K.
-Alex De Goti (Italian for "Alex of Goti") was 1x1 with a double and a walk.
-Drew Ferguson (RBI) and Nick Tanielu had the other extra-base hits.
*Dusty plans to leave George Springer in the leadoff spot. Dusty:
If it's not broke, don't fix it.
Altuve, Bregman, Gurriel, and Correa will be in Lakeland for Monday's game against the Tigers - their Spring debuts. That's almost three hours on a bus each way. Sounds fun. Bryan Abreu will start against Future Astros Great Matthew Boyd.
*You really need to read this McTaggart piece on Dusty Baker and his literally-one-time player Adam Greenberg.
*Dusty, on Kyle Tucker:
The sky's the limit on what he can do. Sometimes you either have to wait for your opportunity or take your opportunity. That's the position he's in now.
*The Astros are expecting more out of Zack Greinke in 2020.
Greinke, on getting pulled in favor of Will Harris in Game 7, noted that was pretty much how he'd been used all season:
I just (pitched) my five innings, six innings, and let the bullpen do the rest. That's kind of how I was being used. It was kind of expected.
*Chandler Rome on new relievers Blake Taylor (Jake Marisnick trade) and Andre Scrubb (Tyler White trade).
Sign-Stealing Stuff
*The Astros did not confiscate the signs from Saturday's Grapefruit League opener. It is the policy of FITTEAM WHATEVER IT'S CALLED STADIUM to not allow signs into the stadium.
*Mike Fiers was cheered by fans before making his 2020 Spring debut.
*I updated the Sign-Stealing Timeline to include a Buster Olney report from September 6, 2017 that the Red Sox had evidence the Yankees were using a YES Network camera trained on Boston's bench coach in order to steal signs. You can read the whole timeline in its entirety here.
*"He let the Astros players slide. Now he's paying for it." From the NY Times: The Trials of Rob Manfred.
Other Stuff
*Madison Bumgarner has been competing in rodeos under a fake name.
*Is Houston's Jonny Rhodes the most subversive chef in the country?
*Wired: Wikipedia is the last best place on the internet.
*A Musical Selection:
-Framber Valdez threw 2IP, 0H/0ER, 3K:1BB, and got up to 95mph.
-Kyle Tucker was 0x3 with 1K.
-Alex De Goti (Italian for "Alex of Goti") was 1x1 with a double and a walk.
-Drew Ferguson (RBI) and Nick Tanielu had the other extra-base hits.
*Dusty plans to leave George Springer in the leadoff spot. Dusty:
If it's not broke, don't fix it.
Altuve, Bregman, Gurriel, and Correa will be in Lakeland for Monday's game against the Tigers - their Spring debuts. That's almost three hours on a bus each way. Sounds fun. Bryan Abreu will start against Future Astros Great Matthew Boyd.
*You really need to read this McTaggart piece on Dusty Baker and his literally-one-time player Adam Greenberg.
*Dusty, on Kyle Tucker:
The sky's the limit on what he can do. Sometimes you either have to wait for your opportunity or take your opportunity. That's the position he's in now.
*The Astros are expecting more out of Zack Greinke in 2020.
Greinke, on getting pulled in favor of Will Harris in Game 7, noted that was pretty much how he'd been used all season:
I just (pitched) my five innings, six innings, and let the bullpen do the rest. That's kind of how I was being used. It was kind of expected.
*Chandler Rome on new relievers Blake Taylor (Jake Marisnick trade) and Andre Scrubb (Tyler White trade).
Sign-Stealing Stuff
*The Astros did not confiscate the signs from Saturday's Grapefruit League opener. It is the policy of FITTEAM WHATEVER IT'S CALLED STADIUM to not allow signs into the stadium.
*Mike Fiers was cheered by fans before making his 2020 Spring debut.
*I updated the Sign-Stealing Timeline to include a Buster Olney report from September 6, 2017 that the Red Sox had evidence the Yankees were using a YES Network camera trained on Boston's bench coach in order to steal signs. You can read the whole timeline in its entirety here.
*"He let the Astros players slide. Now he's paying for it." From the NY Times: The Trials of Rob Manfred.
Other Stuff
*Madison Bumgarner has been competing in rodeos under a fake name.
*Is Houston's Jonny Rhodes the most subversive chef in the country?
*Wired: Wikipedia is the last best place on the internet.
*A Musical Selection:
Sunday, February 23, 2020
Sunday Morning Hot Links
New Stuff:
*Game 8 was canceled due to rain. The Astros, featuring a lineup with virtually no regulars, got booed mercilessly by a Spring Training crowd. The Astrosstole confiscated the signs of the people who brought signs about sign-stealing. Orbit got booed. Who boos the mascot? Dusty:
You can't control what comes from the stands, you can just control your emotions and what you feel. I'm not worried about anything.
*In the limited innings that were actually played, SP Cristian Javier worked through some nerves, throwing two perfect innings, striking out three of the six batters he faced while he hovered around 93-94mph with a snappy little breaking ball.
*Zack Greinke, an actual hero, only recently found out that the Pitchers & Catchers Report date wasn't mandatory. Greinke:
I just found out we don't have to come those other days. If I had known that 15 years ago, I probably wouldn't have been coming for a while now.
McTaggart: Greinke is looking for consistency in 2020.
*Here's a cool article from Chandler Rome on 6'7" 1B Taylor Jones, the Astros "First Baseman of the Future" who can also play 3B and OF. Jones:
Obviously, being close (to the Majors) and being in Triple-A all last year and playing well, you get excited because the next step is the big leagues. I just have to keep doing the same thing I've been doing and then they make the decisions at the end of the day. If I can just go out and do what I do, the rest will take care of itself.
Jones hit .291/.388/.501 for Round Rock in 2019. In theory, should Yuli Gurriel go on the IL or a spot open up for some reason for a position player, Jones would be in line. And with Yuli being a free agent after this season, this season is likely an audition for Jones for 2021. Espada, on Jones:
Very impressive the first couple of weeks. I'm excited to see more. He's going to get an opportunity to open some eyes here this spring.
*Will Leitch and Mike Petriello ranked the World Series contenders, 1-30. Scroll past the Yankees and Dodgers and check Leitch's note on the Astros.
Sign-Stealing Stuff:
*Jeff Passan: Let's chill out with the death threats.
Look, I know that a lot of you don't like Passan. Same with Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal. They've been the ones whose name have been on the reports all off-season, breaking some new level of fresh hell seemingly every day and adding to a winter of discontent at the end of a decade of discontent that peaked on November 1, 2017 only for the finest moment in franchise history to be...if not tainted, then ultimately disappointing, at best. Let's recap the decade in one line:
2010: Berkman hit .245; Staff Ace Brett Myers
2011: 106 losses
2012: 107 losses; CF Jordan Schaefer
2013: It can't get worse right? Oh wait DH Carlos Pena and 111 losses.
2014: Jon Singleton hit .168
2015: HOPE and then Game 4
2016: We do not speak of 2016
2017: Everyone in Houston was underwater, Astros get Verlander, win the World Series, bunch of trash can shenanigans.
2018: Lost four straight to Boston because baseball is stupid.
2019: Lost every single home game in the World Series then everything went to hell.
I'm not going to carry water for reporters. And this sentiment does not extend to all reporters across the board [side-eyes Jon Heyman], but I've read pretty much every word Passan (and Drellich and Rosenthal) wrote this off-season. Then last night, because I quit drinking and I was bored because everyone else in my house was asleep, I went back and read some of the pieces again. There's legitimately no bias in Passan's (and Drellich/Rosenthal's) reporting. It felt like it because it was about the Astros and the news was All Bad, but there was no glee, no pleasure being taken in what was being reported. Again, this isn't true for every journalist who weighed in on the Astros' off-season, but I feel for these dudes, specifically.
We're coming off the heels of the 2018 offseason, which was the most boring offseason in recorded history. Machado and Harper didn't sign until February. Legit nothing was happening. Then in November all hell broke loose and, for the first time in a long time, Baseball was absolutely riveting (if you're not an Astros fan). This offseason gave baseball fans a chance to feel outrage against a team who has dominated the regular season for the last three years. This was the story of the off-season, and it's journalistically irresponsible not to report every new wrinkle that pops up. Jeff Passan is one of the national baseball writers for ESPN. You can't expect him to just skip it because the story sucks. Yes, the Astros are getting death threats because of what broke back in November. No, it's not Passan's fault, it's not Drellich's fault, it's not Rosenthal's fault. It could be Jomboy's fault.
In my little timeline of sign-stealing events there are obviously whispers about other teams doing...well, maybe not the exact same thing...but approaching what the Astros did, and the Astros were more egregious about it, and they got caught. In a lot of those stories about the Dodgers, or Yankees, or Red Sox, Passan's name is on the byline. But you can't expect, in a story about Carlos Correa using the trash can, a random one-off paragraph that says, "But remember, the Dodgers had a coach running in the tunnel from the video room to the dugout in 2018." As satisfying as it would be for it to break that the Dodgers - for all their moral outrage and White Boy Mad - were doing the same thing, we're not going to get that (yet).
I've never met Jeff Passan. I met Evan Drellich once, I think it was in the press box in Arlington. I saw Ken Rosenthal in Cooperstown a few times and, yes, he's very short. But, literally, don't shoot the messenger.
*McTaggart: Under new leadership, the Astros seek redemption.
*Last week, Bob Hilliard filed suit on behalf of season ticket holders against the Astros. Corpus Christi declined to renew their partnership with his law firm.
Other Stuff
*The Men Who Missed the Miracle on Ice.
*Skip Hollandsworth: "I Would Only Rob Banks For My Family..."
*Leeds 1 Reading 0. Leeds are now five points clear of the playoff and firmly in the 2nd automatic promotion spot with 12 games remaining.
*A Musical Selection:
*Game 8 was canceled due to rain. The Astros, featuring a lineup with virtually no regulars, got booed mercilessly by a Spring Training crowd. The Astros
You can't control what comes from the stands, you can just control your emotions and what you feel. I'm not worried about anything.
*In the limited innings that were actually played, SP Cristian Javier worked through some nerves, throwing two perfect innings, striking out three of the six batters he faced while he hovered around 93-94mph with a snappy little breaking ball.
*Zack Greinke, an actual hero, only recently found out that the Pitchers & Catchers Report date wasn't mandatory. Greinke:
I just found out we don't have to come those other days. If I had known that 15 years ago, I probably wouldn't have been coming for a while now.
McTaggart: Greinke is looking for consistency in 2020.
*Here's a cool article from Chandler Rome on 6'7" 1B Taylor Jones, the Astros "First Baseman of the Future" who can also play 3B and OF. Jones:
Obviously, being close (to the Majors) and being in Triple-A all last year and playing well, you get excited because the next step is the big leagues. I just have to keep doing the same thing I've been doing and then they make the decisions at the end of the day. If I can just go out and do what I do, the rest will take care of itself.
Jones hit .291/.388/.501 for Round Rock in 2019. In theory, should Yuli Gurriel go on the IL or a spot open up for some reason for a position player, Jones would be in line. And with Yuli being a free agent after this season, this season is likely an audition for Jones for 2021. Espada, on Jones:
Very impressive the first couple of weeks. I'm excited to see more. He's going to get an opportunity to open some eyes here this spring.
*Will Leitch and Mike Petriello ranked the World Series contenders, 1-30. Scroll past the Yankees and Dodgers and check Leitch's note on the Astros.
Sign-Stealing Stuff:
*Jeff Passan: Let's chill out with the death threats.
Look, I know that a lot of you don't like Passan. Same with Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal. They've been the ones whose name have been on the reports all off-season, breaking some new level of fresh hell seemingly every day and adding to a winter of discontent at the end of a decade of discontent that peaked on November 1, 2017 only for the finest moment in franchise history to be...if not tainted, then ultimately disappointing, at best. Let's recap the decade in one line:
2010: Berkman hit .245; Staff Ace Brett Myers
2011: 106 losses
2012: 107 losses; CF Jordan Schaefer
2013: It can't get worse right? Oh wait DH Carlos Pena and 111 losses.
2014: Jon Singleton hit .168
2015: HOPE and then Game 4
2016: We do not speak of 2016
2017: Everyone in Houston was underwater, Astros get Verlander, win the World Series, bunch of trash can shenanigans.
2018: Lost four straight to Boston because baseball is stupid.
2019: Lost every single home game in the World Series then everything went to hell.
I'm not going to carry water for reporters. And this sentiment does not extend to all reporters across the board [side-eyes Jon Heyman], but I've read pretty much every word Passan (and Drellich and Rosenthal) wrote this off-season. Then last night, because I quit drinking and I was bored because everyone else in my house was asleep, I went back and read some of the pieces again. There's legitimately no bias in Passan's (and Drellich/Rosenthal's) reporting. It felt like it because it was about the Astros and the news was All Bad, but there was no glee, no pleasure being taken in what was being reported. Again, this isn't true for every journalist who weighed in on the Astros' off-season, but I feel for these dudes, specifically.
I literally don't care what anyone says, Passan did a hell of a job reporting this whole story.— Thickie Don (@AstrosCounty) January 14, 2020
We're coming off the heels of the 2018 offseason, which was the most boring offseason in recorded history. Machado and Harper didn't sign until February. Legit nothing was happening. Then in November all hell broke loose and, for the first time in a long time, Baseball was absolutely riveting (if you're not an Astros fan). This offseason gave baseball fans a chance to feel outrage against a team who has dominated the regular season for the last three years. This was the story of the off-season, and it's journalistically irresponsible not to report every new wrinkle that pops up. Jeff Passan is one of the national baseball writers for ESPN. You can't expect him to just skip it because the story sucks. Yes, the Astros are getting death threats because of what broke back in November. No, it's not Passan's fault, it's not Drellich's fault, it's not Rosenthal's fault. It could be Jomboy's fault.
In my little timeline of sign-stealing events there are obviously whispers about other teams doing...well, maybe not the exact same thing...but approaching what the Astros did, and the Astros were more egregious about it, and they got caught. In a lot of those stories about the Dodgers, or Yankees, or Red Sox, Passan's name is on the byline. But you can't expect, in a story about Carlos Correa using the trash can, a random one-off paragraph that says, "But remember, the Dodgers had a coach running in the tunnel from the video room to the dugout in 2018." As satisfying as it would be for it to break that the Dodgers - for all their moral outrage and White Boy Mad - were doing the same thing, we're not going to get that (yet).
I've never met Jeff Passan. I met Evan Drellich once, I think it was in the press box in Arlington. I saw Ken Rosenthal in Cooperstown a few times and, yes, he's very short. But, literally, don't shoot the messenger.
*McTaggart: Under new leadership, the Astros seek redemption.
From an email Jim Crane sent out to #Astros season ticket holders today. (Yes, I am one). pic.twitter.com/qcG6HdMbuJ— Greg Rajan (@GregRajan) February 22, 2020
*Last week, Bob Hilliard filed suit on behalf of season ticket holders against the Astros. Corpus Christi declined to renew their partnership with his law firm.
Other Stuff
*The Men Who Missed the Miracle on Ice.
*Skip Hollandsworth: "I Would Only Rob Banks For My Family..."
*Leeds 1 Reading 0. Leeds are now five points clear of the playoff and firmly in the 2nd automatic promotion spot with 12 games remaining.
*A Musical Selection:
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