Friday Morning Hot Links

The Houston MF Astros were down 3-0 thanks to Ramon Laureano before scoring 11 of the next 14 runs to take the ALDS against the Oakland Athletics. Houston is now 6-8 against Oakland in 2020 and they won't have a chance to even that season series up. Such a shame. Houston is now 34-32 on the season. The Astros averaged 2.5 runs in the regular season against Oakland, and then averaged 8.25 runs against them in the ALDS. The Astros will face the winner of the Yankees/Rays series in the ALCS, which begins on Sunday in San Diego on TBS. It's the only game that day, so the lights might actually need to be on, which would be a change. I might have to stay up past 9:30pm, and I'm not so sure how I feel about that.

Since the League Championship Series was introduced in 1969, five franchises have made it to the LCS at least four years in a row:

2017-2020 Houston Astros

2011-2014 St. Louis Cardinals

1998-2001 New York Yankees

1995-1999 Atlanta Braves 

1971-1975 Oakland Athletics

Professional Mourner Jon Heyman:

The Astros beat the A's and are back in the ALCS. Everybody is happy for Dusty, nobody outside of Houston is happy about anything else about this.

10 out 10 hoes are, in fact, mad.

*A's manager Bob Melvin:

We just couldn't do enough on the pitching end to hold them down. And then you start to press a little bit, even though our guys had a good attitude every inning - even going into the ninth and getting some guys on. We battled to the end, as you would expect, but just not enough.

Since last winning the World Series in 1990, the A's are 2-12 in postseason series. 

*The alphabetical 14-man pitching staff of the Oakland's ALDS roster, with innings pitched/pitches thrown in this particular series:

Chris Bassitt: 4.0IP, 73 pitches

Jake Diekman: 3.0IP, 53 pitches

Mike Fiers: 0.0IP, 0 pitches

Liam Hendriks: 3.0IP, 37 pitches

Jesus Luzardo: 4.1IP, 73 pitches

Sean Manaea: 4.1IP, 65 pitches

T.J. McFarland: 2.0IP, 32 pitches

Mike Minor: 3.2IP, 52 pitches

Frankie Montas: 3.2IP, 71 pitches

Yusmeiro Petit: 2.0IP, 26 pitches

Joakim Soria: 2.0IP, 36 pitches

Lou Trivino: 2.0IP, 31 pitches

Jordan Weems: 0.0IP, 12 pitches

J.B. Wendelken: 1.0IP, 34 pitches

Mike Fiers is the No Pitches All Bitches winner of the ALDS.

*Liam Hendriks, September 25:

For us, it doesn't really matter who we play obviously. As a vindictive kind of thing, we want to take out the Astros, but I don't care who we play as long as we beat them - that's our biggest goal.

I'll say this for the A's: that's a good team with a lot of good, young players, and a good front office. The next few years are really going to draw out this little brewing rivalry with the Astros. 

*2020 ALDS Game 4 was the first game the Astros won as the home team since 2019 ALCS Game 6, a span of 12 games (H/T to my dude Steve for that one).

*ESPN's Alden Gonzalez:

The Astros scored 33 runs in 35 innings and slashed .322/.388/.594 at Dodger Stadium - the site where they secured a World Series championship many now consider tainted. Correa, Altuve, Bregman and Springer - a foursome that went from celebrated to vilified with one investigation - batted a combined .419 with eight home runs.

*Houston home runs in the 4-game ALDS: 12. Oakland's home runs in the 4-game ALDS: 12. It's the most combined home runs in a Division Series ever. 

Houston solo home runs: 6

Houston multi-run home runs: 6

Oakland solo home runs: 9

Oakland multi-run home runs: 3

Given that the run differential was Houston +13, this seems important.

*The top six in the lineup from Game 4 had a batting average of at least .368

*Michael Brantley: 3x5, 2HR, 3RBI. Michael Brantley had hit exactly one postseason home run prior to Game 4, 31 postseason games. He hit two. He had nine career postseason RsBI prior to Game 4 (and eight of those were with Houston), and he had three yesterday. You will have to wind your way through all the statues to get to your gate at Minute Maid Park within ten years. And Cleveland didn't want to pay him! Brantley:

I don't know if we made any certain statement, but I know we played great baseball, and that's the most important thing. We played a great team over there, and we played a competitive, clean series, and we got the win today.

More Brantley:

This is a special team that has been here before. We have young guys that are leaning on the veterans and the veterans are taking care of them right now. No one guy has to carry this team when you have so many special players in the locker room like we do.

*Jose Altuve: 1x3, HR, 2BB, 2RBI. He had never had a line like that in a postseason game before.

*Carlos Correa: 3x4, HR, BB, 5RBI. It was Correa's 3rd 5RBI game of his MLB career. He has hit 4 home runs this postseason, with 12 RsBI. Correa now has 15 career postseason home runs, five behind JEETS for most all-time by a shortstop. Litos has 102 postseason games to hit five home runs to catch the Marlins' slimy owner and the one who sullied Lyla Garrity. 

Correa's Game 4 was the 78th postseason instance of a player driving in five runs. It's the third time in franchise history an Astros player had 5RBI (Bregman 2019 World Series Game 4, Morgan Ensberg 2005 NLDS Game 1) Correa:

We're motivated because we want to win, we want to be able to bring another championship to the city of Houston. We know what it feels like, so we want to be able to have that feeling once again...We're one step closer.

*Kyle Tucker was 3x5: Tucker:

I mean, this is just our normal offense. We didn't show this too much during the season, but this lineup can do this every night. We were doing that this series. This lineup, one through nine, can produce at any moment, and we were doing it this entire series.

Kyle Tucker's 2019 postseason (15 PAs): .167/.333/.167, 0XBH, 7K:2BB

Kyle Tucker's 2020 postseason (26 PAs): .400/.400/.400, 0XBH, 1K:0BB

*On the opposite end of the spectrum, Yuli Gurriel: 2x23, 1K:1BB in the 2020 postseason. Gurriel hasn't had an extra-base hit since he homered against the A's on September 9. That's...that's not sustainable.

*Josh Reddick robbed hisself a homer and it was v good.

*Zack Greinke: 4.2IP, 5H/4ER, 4K:1BB, 2HR. All earned runs and home runs were courtesy of Ramon Laureano. Greinke said his arm felt better in Game 4:

If it feels how it felt today then there will be no issues.

Greinke's first five starts (through August 18): 29.1IP, 22H/6ER, 25K:4BB (1.84 ERA / 0.99 WHIP)

Greinke since (August 23-Game 4): 46IP, 52H/29ER, 47K:9BB (5.67 ERA / 1.33 WHIP)

Did Greinke signal his pitch when Ramon Laureano launched a short-lived 3-run home run? Former Astros Great Ramon Laureano said he didn't pick it up, if he did.

*Dusty Baker is now 6-17 in series-clinching/elimination games as a manager. Dusty:

I'm glad for the city of Houston and (thankful to) Jim Crane for trusting me with the leadership of this team and I'm glad for the whole Astros organization and the players.

More Dusty:

It's been a long, tough road, but we're halfway there. I'm thankful and happy, but I've still got some happiness left to get.

Even More Dusty:

I've been a villain most of my life, you know what I mean? So I might as well join the rest of the group.

*Richard Justice: Five ways the Astros pulled off the near-impossible.

*Ramon Laureano did most of the damage to the Astros in Game 4, hitting two home runs for 4RBI. As a reminder, the Astros traded Laureano to Oakland in November 2017 for Brandon Bailey after deciding to protect Dean Deetz instead. As a reward, Dean Deetz almost got stabbed by Reymin Guduan and tested positive for a PED while Ramon Laureano has hit .270/.343/.475 for the A's in the regular season since he got called up in August 2018. 

*Gerrit Cole will pitch on short rest tonight to try to send his mercenaries to the ALCS, where he would face his old buddies. Less than a year ago Carrot Goal wore a Boras hat after Houston lost Game 7 to show that he was Way More Pissed than anyone else in the clubhouse. Joel Sherman, quoting Former Astros Great Aaron Boone:

To be able to hand the ball to probably the best pitcher in the game, there is some comfort in that. I am excited to see him go compete, like he always does.

*I called a Cleveland/Houston ALCS with Cleveland winning. "Never try to predict anything" is the lesson.

*A German goalkeeper was banned for eight years for attacking a referee. I mean, I'd like to see the video.

*Discover Magazine: The quantum internet will blow your mind - here's what it'll look like.

*Wired: The True Story of the Antifa Invasion of Forks, Washington.

*A Musical Selection:

Sunday Morning Hot Links

Sorry for the no Hot Links yesterday, sort of. I did a Simulated Hot Links instead. It went well, felt good. The Astros lost 2-1 to the Fightin' Tebows. Framber threw 2.2IP, 2H/0ER, 4K:2BB. Both Mets runs came in the 9th off of Ralph Garza. Taylor Jones was 2x2 with a triple. Springer had a hit. Myles Straw was 0x3 but with two walks. Kyle Tucker has started Spring Training 2020 with an 0x12, 1K:1BB line.

*Lance McCullers makes his 2020 debut today. It has been 502 days since he last appeared in an Astros game. Dusty:
The main thing is we've got to calm him down. He'll probably be begging or lobby for more than one [inning].

Dusty knows. Also in that link, we find that Dusty told Framber to channel Fernando Valenzuela when he gets into a jam. It's crazy to think that Dusty Baker and Fernando Valenzuela were teammates. I love A.J. Hinch, but I love Dusty Baker, too.

*Substitute Teacher Cy Sneed is a key for the Astros. Sneed, on Houston:
I tell everybody it's a heck of a lot better than sitting in Triple-A all year. We got to know the road between Houston and Round Rock pretty well.

*Brian McTaggart has an inbox. Tags has no chill. Peep his opener:
The Astros aren't sad. They're not getting hit by pitches on purpose in Spring Training. And I have no idea when, or if, they are going to extend George Springer. 

Read it to find out about Bryan Abreu's role, Myles Straw, Garrett Stubbs, Josh James, and Lance McCullers.

*Zack Greinke is getting more comfortable with the Astros.

*Josh James is preparing like a starter.

*Collin McHugh has been cleared to throw, and the Astros need to sign him ASAP. There is no reason not to, and the Astros are stupid if they don't. There are plenty of teams with pitching questions, and the Astros are one of them, and it makes zero sense to let one of the smartest pitchers in baseball answer those questions for a different team.

Sign-Stealing Stuff

*The NY Post quoted Karl Ravech, regarding a meeting between Former Yankees Managerial Great Joe Torre and the 2018 Astros and Red Sox, prior to the ALCS:
Torre basically said to the teams, both of them and those people and anyone else in the room, look, if you're inclined or have gotten away with or are doing anything that would violate the rules that you all are aware of of, you're gonna have to understand at some point, there's going to be a player, or players or a front office person that's going to leave your team, go to another team and basically rat you guys out. Basically tell the dirty secrets.

*Chandler Rome: Dusty Baker's mission is to guide the Astros through this freaking mess. Dusty:
Hopefully one time through, maybe it will be over. How long can people talk about the same things? Behind this whole thing, you kind of see a mean spirit a little bit. I'm hoping we all change our spirit.

GUESS WHAT. THEY WON'T.

This society feeds off of hate now. Don't get me wrong, the Astros deserve some to a lot of whatever is coming, but the self-righteous indignation is going to get old. I actually kind of can't wait for it.

Dusty:
I was booed in (LA) every day my first year there. I was booed in Chicago my last couple months there. That was tough. But, hey, I survived it. I'm still here. There's some people in Chicago, when I go back there and talk to people, now they're all like, 'Oh, we love you,' and I'm like, 'Wait, not all of you.'

*Tom Verducci: Baseball's fight to regain its soul.

Scout in spring: “I can’t imagine the 1st game Astros play in NY. You r literally going to have to bring in Riot Teams, SWAT, etc. It is bad w/2K fans and 3/4 are 90+ years. Continuous booing, cheaters, every pitch something. No idea how these guys can block it out during season”

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 29, 2020

This is porn, to Jon Heyman. Also, the "1st game Astros play in NY" in 2020 is September 21. Yankees fans can't keep up the bodega cocaine habit until September 21.

Other Stuff

*No, MLB players can't inject have pot.

*19-year old goalkeeper Illan Messier led Leeds United to a 4-0 win over Hull City after the regular GK Kiko Casilla was banned for eight games for being a racist piece of crap. Leeds have a 5-point lead on Fulham for the 2nd automatic promotion spot, and FiveThirtyEight has Leeds at a 64% chance of winning the Championship and a 96% chance of getting promoted to the Premier League.

One more time, with the ROAR of the crowd #VamosLeones https://t.co/tJ3EHSH62z pic.twitter.com/tdUDKzJpnx

— Waco High Soccer (@WacoHighSoccer) February 29, 2020

*The Strange Case of the Man With No Name. Good luck with this.

*Texas Monthly: The Desk on Hancock Hill.

*A Musical Selection:

Friday Morning Hot Links

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:

Thursday Morning Hot Links

My kingdom for Jim Crane to come and introduce the new Astros manager as "Busty Daker." Dusty Baker is the 24th manager in Astros' history (Baker is currently one game behind Salty Parker in "Career Astros Games Managed". By the end of May, Baker will rank 19th in Games Managed in Astros History. He signed a 1-year guaranteed deal with a club option or a buyout. Jim Crane:
He's a winner, and more importantly, a strong leader who has earned the respect of not only his players, but of virtually everyone that he has touched in baseball.

Whether you believe Jim Crane or not, the hiring of Dusty Baker is about regaining legitimacy.

Baker:
I'm extremely thankful for this opportunity. This is a great ballclub with outstanding players that know how to win. I applaud Jim Crane for the leadership he has shown in recent weeks and look forward to working with him and the players to bring a championship to the city of Houston. 

Dusty Baker is just 137 wins from becoming the 12th manager to reach 2,000 wins. With this roster, he could do it by September.

As I mentioned on Twitter, and on the Lima Time Time live show on Tuesday night, there is a certain perspective in which Dusty Baker makes sense:

1. They need someone who is well-respected (by the media and General Baseball People, anyway - your complaints were heard loud and clear)...
2. They need someone who has managed in a variety of situations...
3. They need someone who can handle A Circus.

Dusty Baker checks all of those boxes. He managed Barry Bonds for ten years, including Bonds' 2001 73HR season. He has managed in nine separate postseasons, won 95+ games six times, and 103 games once (in his rookie managerial year, when the Giants famously won that many games and didn't even get into the postseason). Baker has managed in San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington, so he has dealt with Bonds, Prior/Wood, Harper, Scherzer, etc. Would I have been equally fine with Buck Showalter? Maybe! Do I wish Espada had gotten the job? Sure!

But this is an extraordinary time for the Astros. They're coming off one of the biggest scandals in recent baseball memory (however common it may have been throughout literally all of baseball history). It's certainly the largest baseball scandal of the Twitter Era, which makes it that much more insufferable. And the fact that Yankee and Dodger Fan is the most aggrieved, it's just a God-awful time. If you're enjoying this era of Astros Baseball, well, you're a psychopath. Every city to which the Astros travel is going to be that city's sports story of the day...Kind of like Bonds was in 2001. Baker managed through that and made it to Game 7 of the World Series in 2002....when the Giants had a 3-2 lead before losing both Games 6 & 7 to Anaheim (and, to be fair, both of those games were in Anaheim).

Columnists across [puts hand across forehead] the land are going to love it because their hand-wringing, and bringing blood out of a turnip, will easily provide that week's Column. But then they have to deal with Dusty Baker, whom pretty much everyone loves except for you, who gets their narrative from FanGraphs. Their hearts will melt. It's an organizational rehab assignment, for a year, and the best-case scenario is that the Astros (and by that I of course mean Us) and Dusty Baker gets their ring in 2020. Winning a World Series like this, in this year, with this much hate, would be delicious, and the scrutiny would cleanse it. Yankee and Dodger Fan would move the goalposts, to be sure. But it would be sweeter than the first (I think).

And for everyone who busts on Baker's postseason record, let's look at it more closely:

1997: Lost in the NLDS 3-0 to the eventual WS Champion Marlins.
2000: Lost in the NLDS 3-1 to the eventual NL Pennant-Winning Mets. Two of those games went to extra innings.
2002: Lost in the World Series 4-3 to Anaheim
2003: Lost in the NLCS 4-3 to the eventual WS Champion Marlins. This is the Bartman series.
2010: Lost in the NLDS 3-0 to Philadelphia. Roy Halladay threw a no-hitter in Game 1. Cole Hamels threw a CGSHO in Game 3.
2012: Lost in the NLDS 3-0 to the eventual WS Champion Giants
2013: Lost in the Wild Card Game to the [squints] Pirates
2016: Lost in the NLDS 3-2 to the Dodgers, who won the Pennant in 2017...
2017: Lost in the NLDS 3-2 to the Cubs, who won the World Series in 2016. Max Scherzer allowed four runs in the 5th Inning of Game 5.

Five-game series are a crapshoot. We almost got to see that firsthand in 2019 against Tampa. Anyhow, Dusty Baker's record in postseason games when facing elimination is 5-9. A.J. Hinch's record in postseason games when facing elimination was 7-3 (I'm willing to admit my math could be fuzzy here). But I'm not busting on A.J. Hinch! Hinch is/was the greatest manager in Astros history, and I'm sad that he's gone, I wish he would come back! I wish he hadn't been fired!

Anyhow, no matter how you feel about it, the 2020 Astros, who won 107 games in 2019 and lost the World Series by going 0-4 at home - something that HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS HISTORY I THINK - but is returning every major player except for Gerrit Cole and Robinson Chirinos. Expect a dip, but I - literally me - could absolutely manage this team to 90 wins. They're that good. Now they have Dusty Baker, who will have Joe Espada as his Bench Coach, to help out.

Crane:
We're in a spot where we've had some unfortunate things happen and we've owned up to it. We need a strong leader that's been in a lot of different situations and has experience.

Chandler Rome: Dusty Baker gives the Astros a stabilizing presence. Rome:
The team is sullied by scandal but still set to contend for a title. Its image and reputation remain in ruins. Players will endure eight months of invective from opposing crowds and players. Baker arrives as a slice of serenity amid acrimony, a man who Crane hopes can galvanize an Astros clubhouse still searching for a way forward.

Rome talked to Ralph Garr: Houstonian, 1974 NL Batting Champ, and former teammate of Dusty:
He's the right man for the job. It's not going to be easy for those players. They're going to have to have somebody to lean on. He knows how to treat people, and he cares about his players. He can make adjustments, and he can help the Astros stay competitive.

The press conference to introduce Baker will be at 2pm Central.

Check out Dave Sheinin's 2016 profile of Dusty Baker. It's worth your time.

Inside Dusty Baker's life in baseball. Jerome Solomon says it's a good hire. So does Lance Berkman, if "Lance" "Berkman" is your cup of tea.  Buster Olney says "there's no better choice" than Dusty Baker to Houston. The Athletic's Britt Ghiroli has an excellent piece about what Dusty could mean for Houston, and what Houston could mean for Dusty.

If Dusty's the manager, Houston got better.
-Nationals GM Mike Rizzo.

Dusty Baker will manage the AL All-Star Team...in Dodger Stadium...against Washington's Dave Martinez. Should the 2020 Astros make the postseason he'll be the first manager to take five different teams to the postseason.

Ken Rosenthal notes that you can expect Baker to hire Chris Speier, who has been on a number of his staffs.

Predictably, Jon Heyman isn't a fan of...how the Astros told the other candidates.

*Anyway, other stuff:

Astros Fan Tony Adams listened to every single freaking pitch from the 2017 Astros season to try to detect trash-can banging and built a website based on what he found. It's impressive, and you should give it a look. Check out The Athletic's Marc Carig, on Tony's story.

Tampa Bay's VP of Baseball Operations James Click interviewed for the vacant GM gig on Wednesday. Kansas City's Director of Pro Scouting Gene Watson has also interviewed for the GM spot. So has MLB Senior VP Peter Woodfork.

Woodfork was mentioned in an early-December 2019 Bob Nightengale column wondering why people of color were getting left out of GM interviews.

*The Astros win the prestigious Offseason Best Outfield In The AL West Award from MLB.com.

*MLB.com predicted the 2020 Astros' rotation would go Verlander-Greinke-McCullers-Urquidy-Peacock.

*The Astros have just one player - Forrest Whitley - on the MLB Pipeline Top 100 Prospects list for the first time since 2012. But Bregs, Yordan, and Kyle Tucker are still awfully young so...

*Former Astros Great Gregorio Petit will be Corpus' manager, his first stint at the head of a team. Former Astros Great Wladimir Sutil will manage a team for the first time, at Tri-City.

*Former Astros Great Scott Kazmir is attempting a comeback.

*The Hardball Times' Chris Bouton: To Forgive Is Baseball - Armando Galarraga and Jim Joyce.

*This small crew makes every Super Bowl football by hand.

*NPR: The thinking behind China's Quarantines and (Illegal) Village Blockades.

*A Musical Selection:

Friday Morning Hot Links

Astros' off-day reading last night: Four Days in November by Vincent Bugliosi. I'm about 40% of the way through this 700-page minute-by-minute retelling of the JFK assassination which, as a reminder, did not take place in Houston. Bugliosi is best-remembered as Charles Manson's prosecuting attorney and this is basically how a prosecutor would pin JFK's assassination on Lee Harvey Oswald. So far it's convincing, though I still believe Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. had a lot to do with it. Four Days in November is riveting. I wanted to watch Back to the Future again last night, but couldn't put this book down. Looka what I'm doing: I'm entertaining a theory that does not align with my own theory, and I'M GOING TO LET THE GUY FINISH HIS POINT. What a concept. Also, Jack Ruby was the weirdest of cats.

*Deadspin: The Astros can pitch now, and look invincible. Shawn Cooke:
Peak Verlander is Peak Verlander, but the Astros' rotation also does this sort of thing on a weekly basis by now. There's something greedy about a great team improving upon its only shortcomings immediately after winning a championship, especially given that they might well have entered the season as the default favorite to win it all over again even without going to all that trouble.

*SI's Jon Tayler: The Reinvigorated and Brilliant Justin Verlander

*Verlander's trophy case is filling up so much he might get himself a calligrapher.

*From the legendary Paul Hoynes, where do the Indians stand as they come to Houston? It depends on what you're looking at. Hoynes:
Just how one views the Indians depends on their line of sight. From outside the walls that every team builds around itself when things aren't going well this is an under-performing team playing in a weak division with one of the worst bullpens in the big leagues.

Yeah, I cherry-picked that. Click the link for the other side of that opinion.

Cleveland is 21-21 and leading the AL Central, a division in which there's not a team above .500. They're 5-10 in 1-run games. They're 0-4 in extra innings. They're 5-8 against the AL West.

*Check Lance McCullers' appearance on SportsRadio 610 yesterday. McCullers:
The game is not as clean as people think.

*MLB.com's Jane Lee: Analyzing the AL West, 1/4 of the way through the season.

*Here's an interesting piece from Joe Lemire about the modern baseball coach's job description: Knowing SQL.

*God. Jon Heyman's Inside Baseball column is absolutely useless for Astros fans. To recap, in layman's terms:
a) Wow Charlie Morton is good! Here's something we wrote a few weeks ago about free agency!
b) A scout, the group to whom Heyman exclusively speaks, has a fun nickname for the rotation
c) Verlander is a Hall of Famer
d) Wow haha Derek Fisher is struggling
e) Houston hopes Marisnick figures something out

Good column, bro.

*Scott Miller: Baseball headliners debate pine-tar.

*Around the AL West: Angels lost, Mariners lost, A's won, Rangers lost.

Off-Day Playoff Odds Check:
FanGraphs (101-61): 94.9% to win AL West, 35.5% to win AL Pennant, 26.1% to win the World Series
FiveThirtyEight (100-62): 77% to win AL West, 18% to win the World Series
Baseball Prospectus (96-66): 89.7% to win AL West, 17.3% to win the World Series (updated Thursday morning)

*The plan to make J.D. Davis feel so slighted that, when he eventually gets called up, he literally destroys a baseball seems to be working. On the night after Tony Kemp got his first MLB hit of 2018, J.D. Davis (wink) hit for the cycle in a 9-7 at El Paso, going 4x4 with 5RBI and a walk. Jake Marisnick made his Triple-A debut and went 0x4 with 2Ks. But he did draw a walk!

*Corpus Christi Caller-Times: Myles Straw is just showing off at this point. Hinch apparently told Straw in Spring Training that they almost called him up for the playoffs to run the bases. I love Myles Straw, and A.J. Hinch. 30 more steals and Straw breaks Arlington's Delino DeShields' Corpus record.  Straw, the Astros' 2015 12th Round pick, wants to steal 100 bases this season. Go get it, kid.

Straw went 2x4 with two more stolen bases last night in a 4-0 Corpus win, giving him 25 on the season through 40 games. Josh Rojas was 3x4 with 2SB. Ryan Hartman (9th Round, 2016) threw 6.1IP, 4H/0ER, 11K:1BB. In 35.1IP this season, Hartman has allowed 31H/6ER, 42K:6BB.

Yordan Alvarez (hand) hasn't played since May 6.

*ESPN: Mike Trout is on pace for the best season in MLB history.

*Angels closer Keynan Middleton will have Tommy John surgery.

*FanGraphs' Rian Watt has a very fun read on the rarest sight in baseball: a pitcher swinging on a 3-0 count.

*This is bullcrap, and I hate college baseball:

Can confirm @Heininsports' report that Temple College will be the @NJCAARegion5 representative in the JUCO World Series. Here's video of the incident that led to a double forfeiture between MCC & Cisco. pic.twitter.com/HdD1cNSqzL

— Tyler Bouldin (@tylerbouldin) May 15, 2018

*Yeah alright:

Friday Morning Hot Links

39 years ago yesterday, Dr. John McMullen bought the Astros.

The Astros were off. The Nashville Predators are my hockey team until Uncle Billionz brings an NHL franchise to The H, and they...crapped the bed against the Jets. FACT: I used to really be into hockey. Ya boy once wore a Houston Aeros jersey to picture day. It filled the baseball offseason. Then, I just wasn't into hockey anymore. I lived in Nashville about a year before I realized that goaltender Pekka Rinne wasn't an Italian goaltender whose last name was "Pecoriné."

*Jose Altuve gave an interview to USA Today's Jorge L. Ortiz about 3000 hits, and it's pretty great. Altuve:
I'm coming off the best year of my career, a season when I won the MVP and we won the World Series, and maybe at one point I thought, 'Maybe now that I have some experience everything will be easier.' But I come in this year and it's the same...You might hit the ball well and the right fielder makes a great play on you, or the shortstop. What I mean by this is I don't much believe in projections, because baseball is so hard.

So let's parse this out a little bit. Altuve has 1302 hits in 4485 Plate Appearances. If he is able - and that's a huge If, given the potential for injuries and general aging - to maintain that pace of a hit every 3.45 PAs, then he would reach 3000 hits with another 5849 PAs. Let's take out the 2018 season and his call-up season in 2011 and get an average number of full-season PAs. Through the magic of Math, I can tell you Altuve got 1189 hits in 4077 PAs, or a hit every 3.43 PAs, averaging 198.1 hits and 679.5 PAs from 2012-2017. At that pace he needs to replicate his 2012-2017 pace for another 8.5 seasons in order to reach 3000 hits. That's Altuve's Age 36 or 37 season. If you really want to project - and this is now officially an academic exercise - at that pace Altuve would break Pete Rose's hit record in his Age 43 season, but that's based on Altuve replicating his 2012-2017 through 2032. I think that says more about Cheatin Ass Pete Rose than it does Altuve.

*Max Stassi is one of MLB.com's AL West Unsung Heroes.

*Jon Heyman posted his weekly Inside Baseball column, so let's see what he found on Baseball-Reference and which pissed-off scout he talked to:
One scout says he's sure the Astros should make Lance McCullers Jr. the closer. That scout says McCullers' "demeanor and motor" better fit the closer role. He also suggested his stature (he's about 6 feet) makes it tough to be a starter long-term. That scout suggested Brad Peacock should move to the rotation instead.

As soon as we book McCullers on Lima Time Time, this is Question #1.

*A.J. Hinch's former college teammate was a Silicon Valley guy who now does something with motivational speaking and did something with a book about clubhouse chemistry and I guess Hinch is in it and he thought Springer's homer in Game 5 was cool and showed something important about life.

*J.D. Davis' 12-game hitting streak came to an end, though Tony Kemp got a single in the 6th to extend his hitting streak to 16 games. Fresno (21-14) dropped a 3-2 decision to Las Vegas.

*Corpus (18-15) beat Midland 9-2. Cionel Perez threw 5IP, 3H/0ER, 7K:1BB. In his last five starts Perez has thrown 20.1IP, 19H/1ER, 22K:8BB. Riley Ferrell walked four batters in 0.2IP.

Hooks outfielder @mylesstraw leads @MiLB in stolen bases. Want to know how he does it?@SammyLev went to the field to talk with Myles about his approach and what he looks for when he's ready to run!

FULL VIDEO: https://t.co/aZZ8G9ctXG pic.twitter.com/144HOtB13F

— Corpus Christi Hooks (@cchooks) May 10, 2018

*Buies Creek (21-13) overcame a 4-0 1st inning deficit with a 6-run 6th inning to beat Myrtle Beach 8-5. Ronnie Dawson and Osvaldo Duarte each went 3x5. JJ Matijevic went 2x4 for his first hits at High-A. Ronel Blanco and Brandon Bielak combined for 8.1IP, 4H/1ER, 12K:1BB.

*Quad Cities (18-14) lost to Lake County 2-1, the pitching staff allowed four hits but eight walks. Corey Julks went 1x2 with a walk, two stolen bases, and an outfield assist.

*Jeff Sullivan: A bad day at work.

*You were impressed by Kris Medlen's perseverance? Let The Athletic's Rustin Dodd tell you about Jason Adam.

*Scott Miller on the painful story of Troy Tulowitzki, the "best player, like, ever."

*Dan Jennings discussed passing on Pujols in the draft.

*The Austin American-Statesman has an interesting read on what we now know about the serial Austin bomber.

*Richard Overton, 112 years old, lives in Austin and smokes 12 cigars a day.

*Pitchfork published their staff's favorite moments in songs. Here are four of my favorites, in no particular order:

3:03 of "Children of Children" by Jason Isbell. It's the moment that album went from Really Good to Transcendent, for me.

4:14 of "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" by Wilco.

2:52 of "In Bloom" by Nirvana, because it's what Kurt Cobain's soul sounds like.

1:42 of "Like A Friend" by Pulp.

Friday Morning Hot Links

I got nothin', man. I didn't get to see the game (because I'm a dummy and I left a job where I could take in day games), so I was only tangentially aware that the Astros did actually score runs - plural. I don't have any HAWTTAKEZ on who's to blame. Sorry.

*The Astros went 28 innings played between runs. They went 4-6 on the homestand. The Astros still have not won a game in which they trailed by 2+ runs. Houston is tied with Anaheim for 1st place in the AL West.

*Lance McCullers retired 14 of the last 15 batters he faced.

*Bottom of the 9th, 2 on, 2 out: Chapman vs Altuve. Boone:
I said, 'This is pretty good, isn't it?' This is great. This is what you live for, right? This is our best against the reigning MVP, a game on the line. Embrace that, love it. And our guys do.

Astros relievers posted a 6.23 ERA in 21 2/3 innings during the 10-game homestand, allowing 21 hits and 15 runs. Three saves were blown.

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) May 3, 2018

Let's dive into this a little further, shall we? Here's each reliever's performance this homestand:

Brad Peacock: 2IP, 0H/0ER, 2K:1BB
Ken Giles: 3.1IP, 4H/4ER, 5K:0BB
Collin McHugh: 3.1IP, 1H/0ER, 5K:0BB
Chris Devenski: 3.1IP, 2H/0ER, 6K:0BB
Joe Smith: 2.2IP, 7H/7ER, 4K:1BB
Will Harris: 2IP, 3H/3ER, 2K:1BB
Hector Rondon: 2.2IP, 3H/1ER, 1K:3BB
Tony Sipp: 1.1IP, 0H/0ER, 1K:0BB

I'm missing an inning somewhere. Probably doesn't matter, maybe it does. I literally don't care. But I guess the logical conclusion is that we need more Tony Sipp. You can point to Hinch pulling Devenski after 12 pitches in favor of Will Harris but Hinch has been on record saying that he's going to limit Devenski's innings earlier in the season in favor of keeping him fresh come September and October and Will Harris had allowed two earned runs coming into tonight so...bad day to have a bad day.

But let's be real here: if you take out Joe Smith (again, I know you can't do that, but still, it's a thought exercise) then the Astros bullpen threw 19IP, 14H/8ER - a 3.79 ERA - and that's INCLUDING Giles' awful no good very bad horrible day. Let's take out Joe Smith.

*Giles was magnanimous in how the bullpen situation played out yesterday.

*The Astros only had one extra-base hit - Correa's home run in the 8th. Houston has 33 home runs through 33 games. At the same point in 2017 they had 45 home runs.

*Jose Altuve was 0x5 with 2Ks. You have to go back all the way to April 24 to find his last 0x5 game - the last time he was held hitless in a game. In between he was 10x27. The most concerning thing - if you're looking for something to be concerned about - is that Altuve has five doubles and two home runs all season. He's gone five games without an extra-base hit. Altuve has five extra-base hits in his last 21 games.

*Yankees play-by-play guy Michael Kay: The Astros are the team to beat. And the Yankees did, three times out of four.

*Boone, on a potential post-season matchup:
We think we're a really good team, we know they're a great team and any time, here or [in New York], we know we have to be at our best to beat them. And I think that was the case here.

*Here we go again. Arizona, who is 21-10, just hosted the Dodgers and split a four-game series. Now here come the Astros, making Arizona the first team in MLB history to host the previous year's World Series participants in consecutive series. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo:
I think what our mindset here is that we love challenges. We accept challenges. We have the L.A. Dodgers within our division and right behind them we have the World Series champs. What better situation could you walk into to evaluate yourself individually and then collectively. This is how we are stacking up...It will be a good gauge for us, and I think that is something this entire group embraces.

Back in March I wrote a Thing saying that there's nothing that statistically to indicate a World Series Hangover. I still think I'm right. But what I did not entertain was the idea - and I've alluded to this before in this space - that, when you're the defending champs, every team plays their absolute best because they're measuring themselves against you. Don't get me wrong, I think every Major League Baseball player, and Bartolo Colon, tries their hardest most of the time. I think there's a grind involved with the travel and the wear and tear of playing 162 games in 180 days that we, as fans under-appreciate. But there has to be a difference between playing those 162 games against MLB teams, and then playing 162 games against MLB teams that are using you as a measuring stick. Hitters are more locked in, pitchers have a little extra life on their stuff.

*This is going to be a fun narrative all season. North Jersey newspaper The Record asked if Lance McCullers had some sticky substance on his cleats. Lance responded (if you're at work, maybe throw your earbuds in; if you're at home, maybe wait until The Kids are brushing their teeth):

Y’all ass. Let me wear my cleats in peace. pic.twitter.com/X43TqqgA5d

— Lance McCullers Jr. (@LMcCullers43) May 4, 2018

*Why are the Astros hitting so much better on the road? Hinch:
I remember answering these questions in 2015, and 2016 was the opposite - it's gone back and forth with this group. I don't know if it's subconsciously we see the [short left-field] porch, the Crawford Boxes, and try to hit the ball out of the ballpark. It's weird, it's very unusual.

*Tags ranks McCullers' curve as one of the best pitches in the AL West.

*A.J. Hinch would totally play an international series.

*Patrick Dubuque wrote an essay in Baseball Prospectus about Ken Giles, self-harm, fatherhood, and forgiveness.

*Welcome to Double-A, Corbin Martin. Martin was making his Hooks debut in Midland last night and threw 0.1IP, 5H/6ER, 0K:1BB in a 12-6 loss. To be fair, four of the five hits were singles and one inherited runner for Chris Nunn scored. Nunn allowed two doubles, a triple, and a home run.

*Buies Creek's Large Son Brett Adcock (4th Round - 2016) threw 6IP, 2H/0ER, 8K:1BB in a 4-2 BCA win last night. Adcock's last two starts: 10IP, 2H/0ER, 17K:2BB.

*The Houston Chronicle's Joe Holley wrote a book called "Hurricane Season: The Unforgettable Story of the 2017 Houston Astros and the Resilience of a City." Houston Press:
[Holley] brilliantly alters chapters detailing the destruction of Harvey and its aftermath with summaries of each of the Series games. And the latter are written engagingly enough to engage the non-sports fan readers.

Hmmm.

*There is absolutely nothing of value for the Astros' section of Jon Heyman's Inside Baseball column. I envision Heyman trying to call some people in the Astros' front office for some Inside Baseball Tings (sic), getting sent to voicemail, and opening up Baseball-Reference. "Hm!" he audibly allows. "Gerrit Cole is pretty good!" [types furiously at keyboard].

*FanGraphs' Craig Edwards makes the valid point that competitive imbalance is not the same as tanking. Teams can be bad without trying to be bad.

*The Hardball Times' Michael Lopez and Sadie Lewis took a look at how the strike zone varies from umpire to umpire

*Fare thee well, Ichiro.

*Someone was regularly dropping deuces on the high school track. Cops set up a sting (?) and found that it was the superintendent.

Ladies and Gentleman he’s name is @Trent_Thornton1 and believe it or not he’s a really good Pitcher 🦄 pic.twitter.com/KG2gq2Odb5

— Rodney Linares (@RondeyLinares) May 3, 2018

Good Friday Morning Hot Links

The Astros are on pace for a 162-0 season with 162 George Springer home runs. The Astros beat the Balch Springs Rangers 4-1 for their 6th straight Opening Day victory. Last year the Astros won their first game and last game of the season so thumbs up huh?

*For the second consecutive year, George Springer lead off the season with a home run - the first time in MLB history that's ever happened. Springer:
Obviously, it's a big day for everybody and the first day of a long season. There's some Opening Day anxiety, some excitement, so for us to come out and play the way we did and pitch the way we did...It's a good day for us.

Historically, the Astros are 1-0 on winning the World Series when George Springer hits a leadoff home run on Opening Day.

Justin Verlander: 6IP, 4H/0ER, 5K:2BB. It's his 3rd straight Opening Day quality start, and his 6th out of his last ten. It's his fourth Opening Day start with 0ER since 2012. With his 10th Opening Day start, Justin Verlander is one of 18 pitchers in MLB history (joining Felix Hernandez and CC Sabathia as the only active pitchers) to take the ball on G1.

The Astros won despite going 0x6 w/RISP. If they can't tag this through-the-looking-glass rotation for more than six hits and 0x6 w/RISP then they trash. /sarcasm

Houston did draw six walks, four from Cole Hamels. Hamels has walked 4+ batters in 14 starts of his 69 starts (ugh, fine, say "Nice") with the Rangers. He walked 4+ batters in 24 of his 294 starts with the Phillies.

Springer, Bregman, Correa, and Marwin were all on base twice. Jake Marisnick hit his first home run of the year.

If Jake Marisnick is actually a real hitter now then it's time to just declare the Astros invincible.

— Jeff Blogwell (@tylercstafford) March 29, 2018

*George Springer says Verlander is a "Hall of Famer-in-waiting." Just get three rings by the end of 2019.

Bregman:
We have a rotation full of aces. Every day when we wake up, we get to play behind one of the best pitchers in the game, so it's always going to be fun coming to the ballpark.

*Check out the Astros' defensive alignment for Joey Gallo, who went 0x4.

-Chandler Rome went inside the four-man outfield. Reddick:
It feels like you don't have to cover a whole lot of ground. But if they're not going to bunt, I don't see anything going against that. As long as it works I'm happy.

-Joey Gallo says "just bunt" isn't that simple:
I'm sure I'll try to lay one down here and there, but it's not like I've been a master bunter (pause for giggling) all my life. Everyone sees the left side of the infield and says, 'Just bunt it. Just bunt it.' It's not that simple.

-A.J. Hinch told Jake Kaplan in The Athletic:
Look, we're trying to create some coverage. It's a big outfield out there and, obviously, he hits the ball in the air a ton. He's a perfect example of a guy that we want to cover the outfield more than we want to cover the infield. The fact that he hit some fly balls that we were camped under is a pretty good feeling.

*The Astros play the Rangers at home on April 13-15. If the current iteration of the rotation holds up, and they don't skip starts for off-days then the Rangers will face:
March 29: Verlander
March 30: Keuchel
March 31: McCullers
April 1: Cole
April 13: Cole
April 14: Morton
April 15: Verlander

*Yuli Gurriel will avoid the DL (pretty amazing, actually) and started his five-game suspension yesterday. He will not be allowed on the field for the home opener on Monday - the 5th game of the season.

*Texas Monthly talked to some Astros fans (none associated with Astros County) to gauge what they would consider a successful 2018 season.

*Sports Illustrated (who stole a tweet yesterday) has a cool feature in which opposing scouts sized up each AL team. Here's what they said, in part, about the Astros:
A lot of guys had career years last season - but to think there's a drop-off coming is delusional. The scary thing? You go down the roster, and there are guys who will be better this year.

And of the Rangers?
They're going to (be) battling Oakland for (the) cellar. I'm not high on them at all.

*If you look at the moon you just might see it turn to blood, because Jon Heyman picked the Astros to win the World Series again.

*Jim Crane is planning on giving out 900 World Series rings. [Exits Blogger to go check email].

*Check this story of the accountant and rec league goalie who stole the show for the Blackhawks last night.

Friday Morning Hot Links

*Charlie Morton and the Astros got slapped around by the Marlins yesterday 15-7:

Morton threw 3.1IP, 11H/9ER, 1K:3BB.
Yoanys Quiala threw 1.2IP, 4H/4ER, 2K:0BB
Joe Smith, Will Harris, and Ken Giles combined for 3IP, 2H/0ER, 6K:0BB.
Erasmo Pinales allowed the final two runs of the game.

Morton:
I felt like the ball was coming out of my hand well, but everything else was awful...Getting hit around that bad, that's something that gets me going a little bit, which I think is good.

*Chandler Rome writes about how Justin Verlander helped Jose Altuve figure out this whole "massive contract extension" thing.

*Could Tony Kemp unseat Derek Fisher for the Opening Day roster? It's possible. Hinch:
He's putting on a pretty good push late to be an extra bench player for us. He's battling Fisher for the spot in the outfield that I think most people thought coming into camp Fish was the leading candidate, if not the guy to do it. 

*Mike Lupica writes that Brian McCann is playing for the right club at the right time. McCann:
We were all so exhausted by the time Game 7 was over. I honestly think it took a while to take a step back, or two, or three, and fully appreciate what we'd done. But we did appreciate it in the moment. I know I did. I know how many players in this game might play their whole careers and never even make it to the postseason, much less play in a World Series and win one.

*Jon Heyman gives the Astros 7:2 odds to win the World Series again in 2018.

*Heyman, who must be jockeying for election to the National Scouts Hall of Fame, wrote about how the Astros are better this year than they were last year...right after slamming them (again) for getting rid of some scouts.

*While there is much love for Jim Crane here on this weird cul-de-sac of the internet, what the MLB owners did to minor-league players - getting language in the new federal spending bill that exempts minor-leaguers from the Fair Labor Standards Act - is reprehensible and all 30 owners should be ashamed of themselves, if they're even capable of such an emotion. That said, FanGraphs' Nathaniel Grow has a good look at the language in the Save America's Pastime Act:
Rather than entirely excluding minor leaguers from the right to the minimum wage - as had originally been feared - the provision's focus was actually a bit narrower. Instead, it simply provides that minor leaguers are not entitled to overtime benefits when working more than 40 hours in a week, so long as they are otherwise paid a weekly salary compliant with the federal minimum wage (at least during baseball's regular season).

*Yahoo Sports' AL West Preview has a section on how the Astros "could" win the AL West:
The Astros are the best, and possibly deepest, team in baseball. It's possible World Series fatigue is a thing - many of the Cubs' pitchers saw some decline last season - so staving that off will be key. But unless the Angels find a way to clone Mike Trout three times, the Astros are winning the West.

Even though I kinda sorta debunked the idea of the World Series Hangover in The Athletic, let's take a look at the Astros rotation's total IP in 2017, regular season and playoffs, and compare it to the Cubs rotation's total IP in 2016, regular season and playoffs:

2018 Astros' rotation IP in 2017:

Justin Verlander: 242.2
Gerrit Cole: 203
Dallas Keuchel: 173.1
Charlie Morton: 170
Brad Peacock: 144.1
Lance McCullers: 139.1
Collin McHugh: 69.1

2017 Cubs' rotation IP in 2016

Jon Lester: 238.1
Jake Arrieta: 219.2
Kyle Hendricks: 215.1
John Lackey: 201.1

All four of the Cubs' returning starters in 2017 had thrown over 200IP in the previous season. In the Astros' case, Verlander threw a ton of innings (but he's used to throwing a ton of innings: he's averaged 225 regular season IP in his 13-year career). Cole threw 200IP, but super-cautious DL stints for Keuchel, McCullers, Morton, McHugh, and Peacock's transition to and from the bullpen limited the wear on their arms. I'm tired of doing all this work for the media for free.

*Tom Verducci on the launch angle era.

Saturday Morning Hot Links

Note: Things might slow down a little as I've been working on a big ol' Hurricane Harvey/Astros retrospective, similar to the one I did for Hurricane Ike. It's currently about 4000 words and I haven't gotten to the part where (spoiler alert!) Verlander gets traded to Houston.

*Jon Heyman reports that the Astros are looking at the possibility of adding The (M)AAA-rlins' J.T. Realmuto or Jonathan Lucroy (ewww) as part of a long-term solution at catcher. Heyman:
Of course, it is well known the Astros don't like to give up prospects, and Realmuto would cost a ton of prospects.

Man I forgot that the Astros got Justin Verlander for the price of a handful of magic beans and Luhnow's willingness to co-sign on a Toyota Camry lease, and not two Top 100 prospects and a good catcher.

*This is actually from a couple of days ago, but the Astros winning the World Series caused an $11.4m loss in November - the largest baseball loss month in Vegas history. ESPN:
The Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in Game 7 on Nov. 1, sending bettors to the cashier. In addition to any winning wagers on Game 7, futures bets on the Astros to win the World Series that were placed throughout the year and cashed in November added up to the record monthly baseball loss.

I love gambling culture. I don't gamble, because I know my faults and personality, but this story from November about Bettor X and Mattress Mack is well worth your time.

*The Astros winning the World Series is Hardball Talk's top story of 2017.

*Joe Posnanski writes about Carlos Lee's career and draws an...Orlando Cepeda comp?

*The allegations against Minnesota's Miguel Sano are damning. How will MLB respond?

*Willie McCovey comes out in favor of Barry Bonds' Hall of Fame case.

This burn is so sick Levon Helm just came back from the dead in order to finally reconcile with Robbie Robertson. pic.twitter.com/kmoyure6JU

— Steven Hyden (@Steven_Hyden) December 30, 2017

Friday Morning Hot Links

Heading to The H this morning. Hot Links good for Saturday morning, maybe not Sunday morning. We'll see about Christmas Day. #NoDaysOffExceptWhenIOversleep #RiseNGrindCoffeeBeans #JordanSchafer4Lyfe

*The World Series banner will be unveiled on Opening Day, April 2 vs Baltimore (rings the next day). I personally think they should unveil it on March 29, Opening Day at Arlington. Maybe Les Douches would want to trade a home series then.

*Ah man, Larry Dierker's wife Judy recently passed away.

*Jon Heyman's newest "Inside Baseball" edition on the Astros features a note clarified by Tom Verducci and also has some cool Baseball-Reference research on Billy Wagner. So he linked to another article and then looked at Baseball-Reference for ten minutes? I'mma sue for Brand Infringement.

*Now considered one of MLB's "Super Seven" teams, David Schoenfield writes that the Astros should add another left-handed bat.

*Bob Bowman, who led MLB Advanced Media for the last 17 years, is out after years of "troubling workplace behavior." If you don't subscribe to the Wall Street Journal (and I can confirm that I do not), then this MLBTR piece has details. They're not pretty. Glad this scumbag is out and hey Selig it's kinda sorta on you.

*Yankees are probably going to add Gerrit Cole.

*A lot of players will go into the clubhouse between innings and break down video. Darryl Strawberry would go into the clubhouse between innings, but he would not break down video.

*RIP Dick Enberg.

*

Binge out this holiday season with TEN of the best @astros games from this season! Manager @ajhinch joins @JuliaMorales in studio to break down the games! #AstrosPlayback pic.twitter.com/9DIi8UicvX

— AT&T SportsNet SW (@ATTSportsNetSW) December 21, 2017

Before you go:

Whos mans is this?? pic.twitter.com/mWYxaUUeh4

— Whistle Sports (@WhistleSports) December 21, 2017

Friday Morning Hot Links

*The New York Daily News is reporting that Giancarlo Stanton would now only accept a trade to the Dodgers, Yankees, Cubs, or Astros - apparently completely ruling out a trade to the Giants or Cardinals. Two days ago Sirius XM's Craig Mish said the Astros had explored a trade for Stanton, but couldn't really progress on the talks.

Stanton will make $25 million in 2018 and has $295 million left on his contract that includes an opt-out in 2020 and a full no-trade clause. Hell were the Marlins thinking?

*June MVP Mike Fiers has signed a one-year deal with Detroit for $6m. Crasnick, in the 2nd link, notes that the Orioles had offered a two-year deal, but with Fiers eligible for arbitration again following the 2018 season, he may be betting on a better year than 2017. Fiers was projected to make $5.7m in arbitration this year.

It is also more fun to think that the Astros traded Fiers, Franklin Perez, Daz Cameron, and Jake Rogers to Detroit for Justin Verlander and a World Series.

*At the very bottom of this piece on Manny Machado, Noted Astros Lover Jon Heyman amends a statement:
...closer Zach Britton, who was nearly traded to the eventual World Series-champion Houston Astros at the deadline, has also drawn interest. That deal fell through, due to either medical concerns about one of the Astros players returning in the deal or owner Peter Angelos simply getting cold feet.

Heyman wrote on August 3:
The reality is, the Astros didn't help themselves enough. And it's hard to blame it on Angelos or any other rival owner for that.

*Alex Cora went on Boston radio last night and discussed the August 31 outburst at Geoff Blum and A.J. Hinch.

*In the last 36 hours the Seattle Dipotos have traded three of their top ten prospects for Dee Gordon and more Ohtani money. I'm so glad I'm not a Mariners blogger because I would just stay writing transaction pieces.

*Texas Observer: The strange and sudden demise of the Houston Press.

Saturday Morning Hot Links

*Random 2017 Astros fact:

Cameron Maybin only had 13 hits - including the postseason - for the Astros in 2017. Four of them were home runs.

*The Astros did not tender Mike Fiers a contract. Fiers, who was acquired in the Carlos Gomez trade, made 67 starts plus three appearances in relief for the Astros. Those 67 starts, by IP (Keep in mind I'm not counting the 8+ IP appearance in the 7+ IP appearances):
8+: 1 (the no-hitter against the Dodgers)
7+: 12
6+: 20
5+: 17
4+: 12
3+: 4
2+: 1

Fiers was a fine back-of-the-rotation guy and let's not forget that Fiers stepped up mid-2017 when Keuchel, McCullers, Morton, and McHugh were all on the DL. In ten starts between May 30-July 21 Fiers threw 61IP, 43H/16ER, 69K:21BB, a 2.36 ERA/1.05 WHIP. Despite that 10-game stretch of brilliance, Fiers ended 2017 with a career-worst 5.22 ERA (I'm not counting his eleven games with Milwaukee in 2013). Fiers was inconsistent, at best.

Ultimately, Fiers' final game was ugly: 3.2IP, 10H/8ER, 5K:1BB on September 13 at Anaheim. Luis Valbuena took him deep for a 2-run 1st inning home run, which Valbuena predictably bat-flipped. Next Valbuena plate appearance saw Fiers throw over Valbuena's head (Valbuena would get a double later in the AB), which resulted in a 5-game suspension that Fiers did not appeal. He didn't pitch for the Astros again. On a related note, remember that Brett Oberholtzer threw at A-Rod in June 2015, got ejected, and got sent to Fresno after the game. He made one more start for the Astros and then was traded to Philly for Ken Giles later in the offseason. This has sort of been a theme, albeit with some exceptions - Lance McCullers comes to mind - in which a pitcher who intentionally throws at/near a batter gets (wait for it...hold...HOOOOLLLD) fired.

Fiers with the Astros:
2015: 3.32 ERA / 4.39 FIP; 1.06 WHIP; 110 ERA+
2016: 4.48 ERA / 4.43 FIP; 1.36 WHIP; 88 ERA+
2017: 5.22 ERA / 5.43 FIP; 1.43 WHIP, 76 ERA+

Fiers was projected to make $5.7m in arbitration this season, $800,000 less than Jose Altuve. Fare thee well, Mike Fiers, you held it down when the Astros really needed it.

*40-Man Roster subtractions since the Astros WON THE WORLD SERIES:

Carlos Beltran ($16m)
Juan Centeno ($500K)
Tyler Clippard ($3m-ish)
Mike Fiers ($4m)
Luke Gregerson ($6.25m)
Cameron Maybin ($2m-ish)

So that's about $32m coming off the books for 2018.

*The Astros are planning a "full-court press" for Shohei Ohtani. Jim Crane:
We'd certainly be interested. Based on everything our guys have seen, he's got really good stuff and he could be a top-of-the-rotation pitcher, and he's got a bat. We need a left-handed DH, so there you have it. 

Take a moment to breathe into a paper bag. Reports are that Ohtani is in Los Angeles and could begin interviewing teams next week. The deadline to sign him is December 22.

Jon Paul Morosi reports that Ohtani will be looking for opportunities to pitch and hit. Eno Sarris notes that keeping Ohtani healthy will be a key recruiting point and, even after the Rotation Wreck of 2017, the Astros rank 2nd overall in a composite DL study.

I swear, if Yuli Gurriel's actions in the World Series cost the Astros...

*MLB.com is celebrating "Statcast Star Gary Sanchez." This is how I celebrate Gary Sanchez, and will launch a GoFundMe later today to raise funds erecting a statue outside Minute Maid Park of his greatest Astros moment:

*Jon Heyman's "Inside Baseball" notes consist of hard-hitting insider information regarding Dallas Keuchel switching agents, and organization-wide disappointment after the Not Events of July 31.

*Former Astros Great Aaron Boone is the new manager of the Yankees.

*Former Astros Great Asher Wojciechowski signed a minor-league deal with Baltimore.

*YEAH JEETS: The Marlins fired a hospital-bound scout days after he had surgery for colon cancer and who is also awaiting a kidney transplant.

Thursday Morning Hot Links

*Random 2017 Astros fact:

Jose Altuve, Games with 2+ hits: 59
Jose Altuve, Games with 0 hits: 35

*Justin Verlander got 5th place in the AL Cy Young voting.

*Richard Justice takes a look the MVP races in both leagues. Brian McTaggart writes that Altuve is a worthy MVP choice. The MVP will be revealed at 5pm on MLB Network today. While I feel good about Altuve's chances I'm still nervous that Aaron Judge is going to win because HOMERZ and NOO YORK. I don't know why this matters to me (*actively tries not to apply that last thought to everything about the Houston Astros*).

(American League MVP candidate Aaron Judge)

*Jeff Luhnow still thinks Derek Fisher is ready for left field, but didn't rule out filling that hole in free agency. But Kyle Tucker is coming, so it would be a stop-gap free agent, if necessary.

*Monday is the deadline to put eligible minor-leaguers on the 40-Man Roster in order to protect them from next month's Rule 5 draft. It's been about three years since I've gotten jazzed up about the Rule 5 draft, mainly because the Astros aren't in a position to need to find the next Johan Santana in order to not lose 100 games. Still, guys like Ramon Laureano, Jon Kemmer, and Dean Deetz will either be placed on the 40-Man or run the possibility of getting Delino DeShields'd. Jake Kaplan runs down the decision on Laureano.

*Before you get all steamed up about Jon Heyman's report that the Astros are showing interest in Jonathan Lucroy, please remember all those Inside Baseball columns where his only notes on the Astros were obvious stat cherry-picking from Baseball-Reference or "Huh, Alex Bregman seems pretty good" lines.

*Holdt up. Jim Crane on the possibility of Giancarlo Stanton coming to Houston:
Don't think we haven't thought about how easily the ball would go out in our ballpark...No one thought we'd take on Verlander and we got that one done by the skin of our teeth. There are only four or five teams that can take on that kind of contract at this time and we are one of them.

*Texas Monthly: What Carlos Beltran means to Houstonians.

*Here's an interesting article with a whole bunch of, like, science, and stuff: How the Astros used a new shoulder test to monitor fatigue.
A strength assessment for the shoulder rooted in judo, devised by a soccer physic, tested in rugby and administered with a tool associated with the lower body has been adapted for baseball and used this past season by the World Series champion Houston Astros organization.

My favorite part of this story is this line: "Astros Sport Scientist Jose Fernandez declined comment when contacted by SportTechie, citing club policy."

*MLB will premiere an Astros World Series documentary at UH's Cullen Hall on November 21. Tickets are $25.

*The Twins voided a $3m contract with 16-year old Jelfry Marte, one of the top international prospects coming into this signing period. But please keep bringing up Brady Aiken.

*Grampa Pete is at it again:

Record:Curt Schilling has more Cy Young runner-up finishes, 3, than anyone who never got the award. In 2001-2-4, behind Randy Johnson and Johan Santana, Schilling was 656-19, 3.15, 832-107 K-BB

— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) November 16, 2017