Astros FanFest 2012: Kool-Aid Edition

As I wandered around MMP early Saturday morning, one thought kept sticking out at me "Why does the scoreboard show the AstBros losing 9-7?"

I know that we are a long ways from Opening Day (April 6th) but this can't be a good omen for the upcoming season. Is this just an unfortunate reminder of the final home game of last season? Was anyone even there to see the end of our boys last game?

After some quick checking, they did lose that last game 13-6 to the Cards. So whats the deal? Well...

The Astros finish up their Winter Caravan by pulling into Union Station and trying to obliviate all memories of 2011. There are new faces on the side of the building and new faces on the dais.

I sat down in the first talking baseball session of the morning, fans were greeted by 63 year vet, Milo Hamilton. Milo is a strange cat. He seems to be reinvigorated by the long offseason and is talking three more years. I'm actually surprised my man can still find the stadium, but more power to him. Brett and Dave will be herding cats trying to keep him on topic.

Next to Milo was George Postolos, Jim Cranes right hand man. This is when the Astros started pouring my Kool-Aid. GP came out blasting with his accomplishments, and I think that was the right move. He has a resume most of us dream of, and connections that a man his age should not be able to have. I like knowing the Houston 9 are being led by a guy at his professional peak, not a guy sailing off into the sunset. He still has more to prove and the experience to pull the trigger without peeps questioning him.

GP went on to make some fine points about why Mr. Crane chose to pursue the AstBros instead of other options. The immaculate condition of MMP was a big selling point. It may be weird and have some non-traditional playing conditions but I'll be damned if it doesn't even need touch-up paint. The TV deal that's in place with the HouRox, is only going to get better next year and Houston's economy is in pretty good shape compared to most places.

The main point GP wanted to leave fans with is he wants to invest in becoming the best organization with the best talent. And the first step was identifying a new GM. He looked under every rock, in every cave, went to palm readings and got recommendations from his barber. All roads led to the same guy, Jeff Luhnow, formerly of the Redbirds. Mr. Luhnow was the architect of the Championship team last year, drafting and scouting almost the entire roster and building a pipeline of MiLB talent that gives Baseball Americas pants a rise.
The next step in packing the Juicebox with rabid fans is to find ways to have fun at the ballpark. Everything from free family friendly initiatives to $5 beers and a wine bar, there will be affordable ways to get your Shooting Star swerve on. Side note: I brought my first bottle of water in and used it to wash down a protein bar from home. This made my day. No hot dog and soda in this temple.

When the topic of the dreaded name change came up, GP made it clear that every option in making the fan experience is on the table, and the openness of Mr. Crane to all possibilities and the press needing a good headline combined to make a throw away comment a national news story. In effect, they accomplished a huge objective by gaining attention for all the real iniatives being put in place. How you like them apples?

Next up was the club's 1st choice for leading our organiztion's player evaluation and acquisitions, Mr. Luhnow. Who will be forever pegged the GQGM by Brad Mills after Jeff took a friendly jab at Brad's lack of follicular prowess. My Kool-aid glass is nearly half full at this point. GQGM's resume was already exalted by GP so he dove right into his plans. He'll be in Dominican tomorrow to help out our Latin team and then head onto Kissimmee after that for Spring Training. Did you know he speaks Spanish? Maybe he can tell Carlos to put down the fork in a way he'll understand (At least Dierker agrees with me on that. If you witnessed his diatribe about Carlos, you will not forget it.) GQGM went on to let fans know that 9 players have already reported and doors were opened on Feb. 1st for players to fire it up if so inclined. the caravan was a huge success this year from the standpoint of getting to meet fans and take in all their ideas (Hey guy that want's to abolish the closer role, shut up). Fan interaction is a big objective for the new front office and GQGM is at the front of that wave, using twitter and good old fashioned handshaking. When Mr. Crane returns from Pebble Beach, you can expect the same from him as well. It is a new day.

Mr. Luhnow then went on to promise that the one thing the organization can control from the players is effort. We're going to see guys busting their proverbial tails night in and night out. This is how you win Houston fans hearts, and he really saw that first hand at the Texans playoff game this year. We adore our blue collar guys, and that's what he expects from his players and coaches. We're going to out work and out hustle everyone else.
With 21 rookies last year there were a lot of chances to learn about themselves according to Brad Mills. Losing took its toll on the group and he wants all the guys to remember how it felt to get bent over a barrel repeatedly, learn from history and all that.

This group of guys has a couple all-stars waiting to break out and with the addition of select free agents and the #1 overall draft pick , there will be an influx of talent and open competition at almost every spot. While having the top spot in the draft is a blessing this year GQGM does not want it to ever happen again. they'll be spending more than every other team on the draft and trying to keep up in international signings. All these pieces will give us the ability to trade for established talent when the time comes. My glass is getting full.

Coach Brad Mills was the last guy on the stage to get a turn at the mic, and he used it to talk about the competitions going into this season. There are 61 Bros headed to camp and a few extra MiLB catchers to spell the 4 ML invites. (I spied Chris Snyder signing today, that's a big dude. Looks like a masher.) Coach Mills is excited to add some proven ML players like Jack Cust, Zach Duke and Livan Hernandez but the name that came up all day from everyone was Jed Lowrie. They are expecting huge things from him and Mills also believes we have a unscratched lotto ticket with Fernando Martinez. I love the optimism this time of year.

Some final notes from the day:

-We will be teaching winning at every level. the expectation is to develop talent while winning. Will effect player choices in free agency and the draft.

-Brad Mills reads Jerry Maxwell books on leadership.

-CBA changes this offseason are positive for Astros

-GQGM is off the market ladies. He recently got hitched. Congrats

-The first Astroline guest (of February) will be Jim Crane. I'll be listening for sure.

-Altuve got 900 AB's between all the leagues last year. Had to get him to take a short break before spring.

-Coaches have been given player capsules that contain Bio's, Headshots, Video and career stats for their meetings Feb. 18-19.

-Expect CJ, Bogusevic and Wallace to get every chance to win jobs outright.

-Bud Norris has matured into a staff leader, and has my vote to be the Opening Day starter. Used this offseason to mentor young gun Jarred Cosart. That's time well spent Bud.

-Bud wants to be a lifelong Astro, loves Houston

-Bud is inspired by Roy O and how he evolved as a pitcher throughout his career, and hopes to emulate his success.

-Bud also had a great line of pitching coaches coming up and credits each one for maximizing his current skill set.

-JD Martinez feels lucky to be at ML already. Once he got his confidence it was only a matter of time before he hit his way to Houston.

-JD's mom is the President of his fan club and keeps him humble while getting him interactions with fans.

-JD's unique batting stance is a product of evolution over many years. It is not an imitation of anyone as most believe.

-Larry Dierker's fondest baseball memory was the ceremony for the all-Astrodome team before the final game in 1999. 30 minutes of baseball heaven.

-LD is excited about a uniform change and mentioned all former designs are being considered, even the navy and gold.

-John McMullen's wife hates the color orange. That was the reason we abandoned the Rainbow look. Crazy.

-Flashback Friday's guarantee throwbacks including batting helmets and hats all season. There will be 2 jersy giveaways and the rest will be available for purchase.

-The Walk of Fame will be opened this year honoring all players with their numbers retired and Milo and Gene Elston as well. Plaques will be placed outside MMP.

Play ball kids! $15 for 5 swings on the field was a great way to raise money for the Urban Youth Academy. But not having kids bats was a huge mistake. I saw a 40 pound girl try and swing a 34 inch piece of maple out of necessity.

So about that losing scoreboard. It was probably an omen after its all said and done, but I'll be happy to see us go down swinging. It feels like 1962 or 1991 in Houston right now and thats not a bad thing.

Before I walked back to truck, I slammed that glass of Kool-aid down, and it was good. Baseball season is here and I'm ready to live-blog. Who's coming with me?

Crawfish Boxes are mad as hell at Gene Coleman

And it makes sense as to why.

Apparently, Gene Coleman has the Astros doing squats on the machine, and not with free weights. If I was even in the 10th percentile of being in shape, this might mean something to me. But the outrage displayed by David Coleman sounds right to me.

And Deputy Jason, who is the closest thing we have to a centaur on earth, says:
Free weight squats are the one exercize all of our players should be doing. There is no better full body lift, period.

Bad form (get it?) by the Astros.

G51 Preview Nats v. Astros

In the first game of a four game set against the Nats, The Astros will attempt to build on the late inning heroics by Lance Berkman and strong pitching performance by Felipe Paulino yesterday in a 2-0 win against the Reds.

The Nats have some exciting young players and are a serious contender in the Roy O sweepstakes. So everyone put on your fake scout caps and start making out your shopping list of Nats players (Put Zimmerman on the top of mine please). The past years of crappiness have produced alot of 1st round, elite-level talent and they are in need of a veteran ace like Oswalt if they are going to make a real playoff push.

IMO, the most amazing piece of the whole scenario is that it is even a freaking possibility. The Nats are competitive, they have money to spend and they have an abundance of prospects and major leaguers they are willing to move. It just feels strange.

So with all the talk of Roy O, it only makes sense that he takes the mound today against the Nats. He has had a fantastic season throwing quality starts in every start so far this year. If not for his fickle teammates, he'd have a more impressive win-loss record than his current 3-6. He sports a sparkly 2.35 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP.

The Nats counter with rookie righthander, Luis Atilano, who hasn't done anything impressive this season except be the beneficiary of excellent run support. He is the anti-Oswalt in that he gives up runs, doesn't strike anyone out, yet continues to get wins. He is a very lucky 4-1 so far.

Predictions

WP: Roy Oswalt
LP: Atilano

HRs: Lance, Zimmerman
SB: Pence, N. Morgan

Score: Hou 7 Wash 2

My gut instinct says that during the game today, Nats fans cheer wildly for Roy O, making everyone uncomfortable. Especially, Atilano, who will be out of a job if Roy is acquired.

Preview G50 Astros v Reds

The AstBros take on the Reds in a day game to finish up a 3 game set. So far the Reds have treated their guest as rudely as Jeffery Dahmer in beating the AstBros 15-6 and 12-2. If things don't change dramatically in this final game, this will be the low point in the season without a doubt. I will look back at this weekend 10 years from now and say, "Damn, at least we're not that bad."

Predictions:

WP: Paulino gets his first
LP: Leake gets his first

HR: geez, how about Stubbs, Votto and Berkman
SB: Bourn, Pence

I feel like the game will be delayed by Locusts today as we are surely at the end of days. There is no other explanation for the juxtaposistion between our two clubs.

Happy Memorial Day weekend and don't forget to look for the special gameday hats tomorrow.

twitter.com/txnpwrlifter

G49 Preview Astros v Reds

Today is the 2nd game in a 3 game series in Cincy featuring the AstBros and the Redstockings. It'll be B-Mo squaring off with Lurch.

Moehler hasn't stared a game this season for a reason, he is teh suck. So good luck to him.

Harang has been up and down this year but has a career winning record against us (10-9).

So hopefully this turns into another slugfest because lord knows its fun to see your backup catcher take the mound in the late innings. And speaking of Kevin Cash, did anyone else think "Who the hell is that?". I literally had no idea who was pitching for about 5 minutes, but that knuckleball was dancing like crazy. I approve.

Predictions:

WP: Lyons
LP: Harang

HR: Rolen, Quintero

SB: Bourn, Phillips

I have a weird feeling that the game will be delayed by a natural disaster of some kind. Like a tornado filled with flying cows and street signs. Possibly resulting in a decapitation of a radio announcer.

Score: Hou 5 Cin 4

Don't forget to follow me on twitter during the game for updates and redactions. twitter.com/txnpwrlifter

G48 Astros v Reds Preview

Hey kids, the Redstockings of Cincinnati welcome the AstBros back to Great American Ballpark today at 6 pm CST. Make sure to tune in because the Reds are fielding a competitive team this season for the first time in 15 years. They are the Halley's comet of the National League Central and you might not get another opportunity in your lifetime to see them in this form.

The Reds will pitch former UT Longhorn Sam LeCure, who will be making his major league debut. I'd like to wish him luck in his new career, but I hope that he leaves the mound tonight crying like a bitch (can I say that here?).

The AstBros will send Magic Wandy out to throw Valtrex balls at the Reds. Look for alot of quick movements by Reds hitters looking to avoid contact with the crafty lefty.

Predictions:
WP: Wandy
LP: LeCure
SV: Lindstrom

HR: Lance, Tommy M, J Gomes
SB: Hunter

Ruptured Anus: Scott Rolen - I know this is a long shot but I have a good feeling on this one.

Score : Hou 5 Cin 3


Follow me on Twitter to see my in game witticisms twitter.com/txnpwrlifter

Deputy Jason: Astros now 28.6% whiter

The following is courtesy of Deputy Jason

Remember 2005, The Bros went to the Series and everyone loved everything about our team? Remember 2006, when the Astros were losing a lot of games with the same dudes?



That losing season begat accusations of being a racist organization by some media peeps from around the Houston. We weren't going to win without diversity in the workplace. Hell, for a while, we had the fewest black players of any team this side of Jasper High school. So the Bros went out and added a couple of ethnically diverse players/coaches and boosted their street cred considerably.



Well, damn. That obviously didn't work. The Bros have struggled to win half their games over the past 3 years using a melting pot approach. We Houston fans are a fickle bunch, we'll only go watch winning teams no matter what flavor.



With LaHawk's and Valverde hitting the bricks this week, combined with the addition of new relievers Matty Lindstom and Brandon Lyons, the bullpen has become 28.6% whiter (and 14.3% mormon-er). This blatant ethnic cleansing is not even relegated to the bullpen. Miggy was told peace out, Pudge was given a one way ticket out, and Wandy Rodriguez was made to change his name to Chuck Goldstein.



Losing for three years straight has raised some hard questions within the front office. Why are we trying to be diverse for the sake of being diverse? Why are we trying to be MTV's Real World when we can be Jersey Shore?



Ratings gold = Tickets sold.

Deputy Jason: Brad Mills, Value or Just Cheap?

Deputy Jason has been laying low lately, and has chosen now for the time to strike with his thoughts on the hiring of Brad Mills:

What do we know about Mr. Brad Mills? Not much. We can reasonably deduce that he is going to be very similar in personality and style to Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona, whom Astros GM Ed Wade has a serious man crush on. (Side Note: Up front this seems like EZ Eddie did a real sell job on this hire to Drayton McLane. Drayton I’m sure would have liked a little more major league managing experience but he wanted to let his baseball people make the baseball decisions.) Francona is widely considered to be a good game manager and a favorite of the players. Hopefully, Brad was taking mental pictures, because while it's one thing to ride the team bus; it’s another to honk the horn.

The training wheels are now off for Coach Brad. The fans will likely focus on how he brings along the young guys and how he gets the vets to buy into his philosophies. We do know that the stern guidance of Cecil Cooper did not mesh well with our teams collective personality, so seemingly going the other direction might just be the best fit (fingers crossed). Brad has some legitimate All Star level major leaguers at his disposal, so success will no doubt be expected again this season by fans and ownership alike.

To that end, his coaching staff will be important in his transition to Chief AstBro. Most new managers tend to have a seasoned managing veteran on their staff, and ours likely will be no different. He’ll need someone that can give them the heads up on the daily nuances of his new job. Whether that’s dealing with the media, using the bullpen or making a lineup card with no DH. Bringing in a Don Zimmer type is what I’m envisioning.

The business side of this decision no doubt played a large role in picking Brad. If he’d asked for 3 years like Manny Acta, we wouldn’t be talking about him today. Drayton got a man who is a baseball lifer, coming from a top organization and on the cheap. Either this move will pay off by getting a good guy for very reasonable salary, or it will go bad. In that case Ed Wade signed his own ticket out of town by hitching his wagon to this horse. Only time will tell, so here’s hoping the baseball guys made the best baseball decision.

E-mail exchange, part two

For Part One, click here:

TC: So back to you, of the impending free agents, who should Ed Wade keep, and who should Ed Wade drop like 3rd period French?

DJ: Slogan for next season "Dummyball Fever, Catch it!" Easy Eddie has his tiny, manicured hands full this offseason. Does he now subscribe to popular theory that any good reliever or average starter can be made a closer? We'll see what he thinks about overpaying AGAIN for a guy who only throws 50-75 innings. It seems to me, Eddie wants to keep his label as a good judge of talent, particularly through the draft. The best way for that to happen, is to get some of his drafted players up to the bigs ASAP (Jason Castro, Ross Seaton, Jordan Lyles, C-Lo). If that means letting guys walk, so be it. I'm looking at you Pudge, Erstad, Valverde.

While Pudge's eventual replacement is foreseen in the tea leaves, when it will happen is not as clear. I am leaning towards this offseason because of the pricetag that Pudge will command next year. Probs $1M which Eddie can use on signing draft picks and 16 year old Dominicans. Erstad just doesn't cut it any longer as a major leaguer. In fact, were he released, would anyone even sign him? We have enough vets to fill the leadership void, so filling his roster spot with an younger, more athletic utility man would be ideal (ex: Bill Hall). And Valverde. It's not that I don't like him as a closer, I just happen to believe that a $35M closer is a luxury the Bros cannot afford. They are going to let him walk, get 2 draft picks as compensation and have tryouts in the spring. Which I'm cool with. Totally. Lahawk can fill that spot for a season if needed while C-Lo gets his feet wet as a setup guy. Arias will figure into the mix as well. I'd go ahead and add Mike Hampton to this list but I do not think he'll make it to the offseason (If he does, it'll be on the DL).

Sometimes you have to make hard decisions, and having good people makes those decisions harder. There is not one guy on the team I think is a douche, but the Turk doesn't care if you are the world's greatest philanthropist. It's just business. Aside from those three, we are in danger of seeing the same group again next season barring a significant trade. You think there are empty seats now? Wait till we're out of the race next year.

So that bring me to my question, TC. If a significant trade is going to be made to get intrest in the team moving in a positive direction, who do you see Eddie moving?

TC: You're spot on with Eddie wanting to be known as a good talent judge. I read somewhere earlier this season that the Astros are going to be more aggressive in promoting players, because in a negotiation, the target is going to be thinking, "Hey, Player X was the first rounder three years ago, and he's still at Double-A." I would like to see Castro on the squad next year, and I'd like to see Lyles, Seaton, Dydalewicz - basically that whole core of pitchers at Lexington - skip Lancaster and start the season in Corpus next year. If they can't cut it, well, it's a game of chance. I can't imagine there's a huge step from A-ball to Double-A, and why go through them risking losing their confidence playing on the moon in the California League?

Richard Justice mentioned briefly Drayton saying he was interested in bringing Pudge back. I'm okay with this, but for the sole purpose of mentoring Castro. It's been years since the Astros got any kind of production out of the catcher's spot in the lineup, but if Pudge is playing below replacement level, he's worth $1-2 million to be the catching coach. I'm guessing that Castro is on the OD10 roster, and I'm way more comfortable with a Pudge/Castro platoon than Quintero/Castro. I agree on the overpriced closer, and it's not like Valverde is blowing batters away. Every game is interesting.

I looked this up: Valverde has pitched in 34 games this season (NOTE: this was as of Thursday), he has had a perfect outing of 2 outs or more in exactly six of those games. He's allowed a hit in 22 appearances. If he had 50Ks in 40IP, I could see wanting to bring him back, but you don't exactly settle down when he comes in to the game, because there is a pretty good chance the game is about to get interesting. His K/9 ratio is lower this season than ever before, and his K/BB ratio is at its lowest since 2004. Valverde can go, and we'll take the draft picks. I'd like to think Matsui can go, but he's under contract through next season, too, though his price is at a fairly-low $5.5 million.

I can't imagine anyone taking a chance on Erstad after this season, but I also didn't think Russ Ortiz would get signed, either, so you never know.

As far as trading any of the Astros core players, I have no idea who they might let go? Carlos Lee's contract is too huge, Bourn's here to stay, as is Pence. The guys with value would be Berkman and Oswalt - and I just don't see Drayton signing off on it. I looked this up, too, but no one who has received a bulldozer for winning a playoff game has ever been traded in the history of the Major Leagues. I don't think Lance has ever played a home game outside of the state of Texas, and he's basically the face of the Astros now, a True Astro. I think you're right, we're going to see the same thing next year, except with Norris/Bazardo in the SP3/SP4 spot. The bullpen will probably look different, but that's where the youth of the organization is now. Position players are blocked, especially in the outfield, by silly contracts. The future of the Astros probably isn't at Triple-A, and if Bill Hall comes on and we trade anyone below Triple-A, I'm going to be pissed.

Look for Part III tomorrow!

E-mail Exchange, part one

So Deputy Jason and I (your loyal, God-fearing Constable) traded some e-mails over the last couple of days about our chosen team. Right now it stands at three parts. Here's part one.

TC: We came into the season worried about the Astros' starting rotation and feeling solid about the bullpen, which I once described as being "among the best in baseball." Is the problem the rotation, or what?

DJ: Have you ever used the term "You get what you pay for?" There has never been a more truthful statement made about our staff going into the season. We had an Ace, a solid #2, a solid #4 and two has-beens. With a rotation of Roy, Magic Wandy, Bud Norris, BMo and Hampy we now have two Aces, a solid #3 and #4 and only one has-been at this point in the season. After Hampy's next outing, we may be having open auditions for the 5th spot, so things are better now than when we started the season. So no, I don't see our rotation as being the biggest question mark any longer.

Watching this team nightly, there are consistently three things we do not do well. One is catch the ball when at the limits of our range. Miggy simply does not cover enough ground, nor does Carlos. While both men, deserve a spot in the lineup for their bat skills, neither does much to help our pitchers get extra outs by making a spectacular play here and there.

Second, our handling of the bullpen has been horrific. Wesley Wright, Doug Brocail, Latroy Hawkins, Jose Valverde and Chris Sampson have all had run-ins with Cooper this season about their workload. Specifically, letting guys with injuries take the mound is just unacceptable and borderline retarded. (And we're about to do it again! Hampy will be his next sacrificial lamb)

The third thing we do not do well is baserunnning. Speed can make up for mistakes, but there are only 3 guys on this club who can outrun bad judgement. Couple a low OB% and a knack for getting thrown out when they do get there, and we are the opposite of Moneyball.

Two of the three can be attributed to coaching, so I see this being the AstBros biggest question mark for the remaining year.

So, I pose the question to you, "Do you make a coaching change now, or finish out the season?"

TC: Could the "Opposite of Moneyball" officially be coined "Dummyball?"

Totally agree on the Three-fold Sucking. When one player complains about the lack of communication with Cooper, you take it for what it's worth. When five or six guys have run-ins with the Manager, you look for the common denominator. Off the top of my head, I can think of six different instances in which a player publicly questioned Cooper. You can look at the overworking of the bullpen as an extension of the problems with the rotation - either injuries or not going deep enough in a game to spell them - but there comes a point where it's a managerial problem. Which leads me to your question on making a coaching change now or later? And I like the fact that your question implies that it's going to happen at some point.

It's a decision I go back-and-forth on. This has been a strange season, and not always in a good way. The handling of the bullpen has been atrocious, but it hasn't been helped by the likes of Russ Ortiz and Mike Hampton. That said, when you let Wesley Wright throw so much that he has to be rushed to the hospital with dehydration (and with him currently on the DL with arm fatigue), you have to look at the manager. Before Cooper got his extension in April, my feelings were that he should have a chance to do something with this team. I can't think of any games this season that a brilliant managerial decision won a game, I can certainly think of a few where a managerial decision lost the game, and more than a few where a managerial decision landed someone on the DL. You can't fire the players, but you can fire the manager.

On the other hand, he was put in a situation where he wasn't working with a whole lot on the pitching side of the roster, but I don't think anyone thought that the Astros would be only two games under .500 on August 12. The Astros have won about 49% of their games, and it's important to remember that Baseball Prospectus pegged the Astros at winning just north of 40%. However, Colorado is an example of how a coaching change can ignite a team, and there's every indication that the catalyst in 2004 was the firing of Jimy Williams. Coop keeps saying the team is a win streak away from being back in it, but maybe he's the one holding that win streak up. One of my arguments against firing Cooper earlier this season was, "Who in the hell would replace him?" Well, there are some more options now. Every day that passes is a day that Manny Acta is inexplicably unemployed.

My Night at the MMPark

Last night, I had the oppurtunity to go watch the Bud Norris face off with the Brewers in real life. My impressions of our cocky young fireballer went as such:
1. Holy smoke, he throws hard. He has a short, compact delivery making his release point pretty far back compared to the taller pitchers. That being said, the ball gets to the plate deceptively quick and gives the pitches longer breaks. Hence, a great riding fastball.
2. The Brews were struggling to make adjustments and looked slow to react on the slider. Braun locked in on his in the first, and smashed it. Besides that, there were no good hacks on his #2 pitch.
3. He is effectively wild. Yes, he walked a few guys (Counsell twice? Unacceptable) right in front of the big hitters, but luckily went unharmed. He throws enough balls, that batters are not being aggressive.
4. He is basically a 2 pitch guy at this point. I only remember one good change all night.
5. INSIDE DIRT: During Spring Training, the vets wanted to strangle him for acting like a real life Ebby Calvin Nuke LaLoosh. Its funny to hear a guy got sent out because he was being a conceited d!ck. He's been better since being called up evidently.

So for his early sucess to continue, he needs (IMO) to keep working on his change, keep working quick, and listen to and copy every freaking thing RoyO says and does. He has the goods to be a #1 or #2 guy for a long time. I hope he doesn't take sucess for granted, because his book is being put together every time he takes the hill. He'd better understand Prince Fielder will have a better idea next time he sees him.

Jason

Astros County's Mid-Season Awards

Deputy Jason and I traded e-mails and came up with our Astro-centric Mid-Season Awards:

MVP
Deputy Jason: Michael Bourn
Constable: Michael Bourn

Cy Young
Deputy Jason: Magic Wandy
Constable: Wandy

Fireman
Deputy Jason: LaHawk
Constable: Arias

Noob
Deputy Jason: Arias
Constable: Maysonet

Gold Glove
Deputy Jason: Bourn
Constable: Bourn

Deputy Jason's Mid-Season Grades

Winning half your games is not much of an accomplishment for most teams. The Astros, however, are not most teams. For those of you who come here to get your Astros daily fix, you are probably aware that I am an optimist when it comes to the AstBros, and even I would not have predicted that we’d be 3 ½ out at this point. So how’d we get here? Let’s take a quick look at each player individually and then we’ll give out some grades and awards.

Starting Bros

Magic Wandy
Wandy brought the funk the last time out getting 11K’s and shutting out some team from Pittsburg (Yes, they have a MLB team). Magic has been a little inconsistent but has been good enough to lead the staff in most pitching stats (8 wins, 2.98 ERA, 106 K’s) He has really turned the corner and his maturity as a dude overall has made his pitching that much better. Now, if he can just get that cold sore thing under control. Yikes!
Grade: A

Roy O
Roy started off slow (trend alert!) with only one win in his first 11 starts. He seemed to have really lost some of his command, aggressiveness and effectiveness and had people questioning his ability to be an ace-type. Whoops. Roy O then seemed to find something in July. He talked recently of finding a better release point and pushing off to the plate further. Whatever it was, he returned to his dominant self throwing two CG and winning 4 of his next 7. His quest to become more efficient made him kinda wimpy, so getting back to striking peeps out helped drop his ERA down under 3.00 for the June/July split and 3.85 for the season.
Grade: B+

Hampy
Wow! Innings eater has not been used to describe Mike Hamton since ‘Nam. But, screw it! 15 starts and only 8 long balls given up.
Grade: C+

B-Mo
Moehler looked to be the odd man out when everyone was healthy, but has stayed the course after a horrendous April and provided the AstBros with some high quality starts. I’m predicting 2nd half success based on his last 6 starts and his mastery of the mock turtleneck (4-1, 2.78).
Grade: C-

Russ Ortiz
Durability was a concern. Dude has been rubber armed so far, taking the bump from the rotation and the pen (10 starts, 10 reliefs). He walks more oppo-Bros than anyone else but manages not to get beat up too badly in the process. Just a stop gap until someone better comes along, as he is evidently not Coop’s style. Aw, did he hurt your feelings?
Grade: C-

Felipe Paulino
He is horribly inconsistent and might be the worst reliever ever. He can throw a ball through a brick wall but not through bats evidently. Can’t wait for him to take a spot in the rotation and run with it.
Grade: D-

Relief Bros

Arias
1.17 WHIP, 1.57 ERA, 8.48 K/9, 0 Losses. This has been an amazing year for Arias. Yet, I still have no idea what his first name is, or where he came from.
Grade: A+

LaHawk
38 App., 10/13 saves, 2.38 ERA, 29 K. LaHawk is the man in the pen.
Grade: A-

Sampson
Chris leads the squad in games (41), and IP (47.2). He has become a reliable late inning guy and shown to be pretty durable. Doesn’t miss many bats, however. (5.4 K/9)
Grade: B

Jose V
Has been good when healthy, and it’s an encouraging sign that other teams in contention want this guy on their team. 11.14 K/9 is great, 4.33 BB/9 is not. Hoser has only saved 8 of 12.
Grade: B-

Fulchino
You Rang. Jeff could be a Pro Wrestler if the pitching thing doesn’t work out. Fortunately for him, it will because he has been good more often than not. I’d be scared to say anything different anyways.
Grade: C

Byrdak
Timmy is consistent. Consistently average. Timmy always K’s one oppo-Bro and lets one get on. And every third time out, one dude scores. (Grade: C+)
WW – Double Dub has been a K machine (11.4 K/9). Unfortunately, he also gives up an OPS of .828. Not good. Wright has gotta get some ground balls to become a major leaguer permanently.
Grade: D+

Geary and Backe
It was nice to see you, so nice.
Grade: F

Brocail
OldBro got hurt covering first in between episodes of Matlock and Golden Girls.
Grade: I

Lineup Bros

Bourn
Mikey is quickly becoming a favorite among fans with his spectacular fielding, arm and speed on the basepaths. His hitting has improved to the point where he has solidified his spot in the lineup for the foreseeable future. Going the other way and watching more pitches has made him a dangerous man.
Grade: B+

Miggy
Miggy has been better than expected as a hitter, as bad as a fielder and fantastic as a leader. He’s hitting .329, 7 HR, 49 RBI and .830 OPS. If it’s hit at him, he can still fire it over, but if its not then he has the worst chance of making the play of all NL SS’s. Miggy still made his 6th All Star team. Take that, Congress.
Grade: B

Hunter Pence
Pence made his 1st All-Star team this year, and it was well deserved. He still busts his ass running down the line, running after foul balls and throwing people out all over the place and fans love him for it. Has become a little more selective at the plate and it has paid off. Hunter batted over .300 most of the year, although he has cooled off recently.
Grade: B

Heavy Lee
Dude needs to mix in a salad. Carlos has continued to defy all logic by being durable, productive and entertaining. Hitting .308, 13 HR, 49 RBI and an .838
OPS will keep you in the lineup. He’d be a much better player in my opinion if he lost 15-20 pounds but as long as he can stave off heart disease, he’ll continue to mash.
Grade: B-

Lance
As Lance goes, so go the AstBros. He’s hitting .326 since June 1st with 8 HR and 26 RBI and the team has been 22-16 during that span. He leads the team in all the power categories and will be back around .300 by the end of August. His slow start was one of the biggest reasons for us having to get out of a big ass hole again. (Grade: B+)
Pudge – Has grounded into 11 DP, has an OBP of .278 and an OPS of .670. Somehow, these are all improvements for an AstBro catcher. Way to go! This was the best one year contract Wade made this season.
Grade: C-

Blum
The blond bomber has come on as a clutch hitter recently with three GW hits. Good thing, because he has been a freaking Judy otherwise with only two HR in 199 AB’s. Blum is keeping his spot warm for a more able player when one comes along. Still a good 3B defensively, hamstring issues have made him a step too slow. On his way back to bench duty soon, where he would be satisfactory.
Grade: D

AzzMat
Sneaky bastard, I had to double take when looking at his numbers. He has gotten his BA up to .252. But with OPS of .651 he is the still the worst starter we have at the plate. Should bat 7th or 8th from now on and will be replaced after the season, hopefully by Maysonet. Anal Fissures must be worse than previously reported.
Grade: D-

Bench Bros

Kep
5th on the team in OPS (.769) 1st in weird facial hair.
Grade: C+

Maysonet
Edwin is a single ray of sunshine from Round Rock. He would be playing 2nd everyday if not for Azzmat’s bloated paycheck, and apparent unwillingness to blow Coop.
Grade: C

Q
BA .246, OPS .578 and 4 XBH in 79 PA. Not good enough to be a back up by himself. Now the 3rd catcher.
Grade: F+

Erstad
BA .165, OPS .561 and 6 XBH in 95 PA.
Grade: F

JMike
BA .176, OPS .580 and 8 XBH in 82 PA. Gawd awful outfielder.
Grade: F

Kata and Smitty
Just painfully bad, worse than watching the WNBA.
Grade F-

Feel free to argue any of my grades, but know this, I am right and you are not. Ring it up.

-Deputy Jason

Rangers v. Astros G62 LiveBlog!!!!!!!

Live Blog Tonight!

Join Deputy Jason as he guides you through G62 (that's right, three rhyming words, right in a row) in a Live Blog starting this evening. It's been a little slow lately, so please do make plans to join Astros County this evening.

Wed. Night LiveBlog!

Astros County has ears everywhere

Deputy Jason heard tell on a radio interview with Coop today that...

1) Kaz will play less when/if he gets healthy - Keppinger will get more starts

2) Changes in the rotation are on their way. Does that mean Backe/Norris/Bazardo (who was lights out last night)? Stay tuned.

Brewers v. Astros LIVE BLOG

Notes for the Rockies series

Series upcoming with the Rockies tonight - in which Deputy Jason will lead a live blog for Tuesday night's game!

There are some notes to report:

Berkman is "likely to play" this series. Taking some swings in the cage, Berkman reported his wrist felt fine. The march to Mendoza continues...

Quintero will be activated from the DL today, meaning J.R. Towles will be making his way to Round Rock.

Hitting coach Sean Berry was released from the hospital yesterday, and released the following statement:

“Thank you for all the messages of support. I would like to especially thank Dr. James Muntz and Dr. James Goldfarb and everyone at The Methodist Hospital for their expertise and professionalism. I also greatly appreciate the understanding and first-class actions by the Astros organization in helping myself and my family through this difficult time. I will be back soon.”

Auto Pilot: ON

Hey Kids! I'll be your substitute bloggerman for the weekend series with the Atlanta Braves. I will make sure to hit the high points, the low points and keep churning out the Anal Fissure jokes at a Hall-of-Fame clip.