The Astros Houston'd it up and the bullpen crapped the bed on national TV, allowing the Angels to actually win a game, like that's a thing, or something. And not to be pessimistic, but that probably does it for the best record in the American League, seeing as how the Indians - wait for it - yes, won another game. The Astros are 95-60, 2.5 back of Cleveland, with seven to play.
*The Indians are 98-58. If the Indians go 3-3 in their final six games, Houston would have to go 7-0 to retake the best overall record. And don't look now but Boston has won six in a row, so the Astros are four games up on the Red Sox. Hinch:
We've got seven games left to win as many games as we can. We set out this season to win the division. Checkmark that box in September. I said we're going to continue to compete and play and win as many games as we can. That's going to continue. Whatever the total is at the end is great, and then the real season begins in the postseason.
*The Astros led last night's game 4-1 before McCullers - more on him in a minute - allowed a Brandon Phillips home run to make it 4-2. Then Francis Martes and James Hoyt decided it's a good idea to each walk in a run to tie the game in the 5th. A Luis Valbuena double off Chris Devenski scored two runs to put the game just out of reach.
*McCullers: 3.1IP, 4H/2ER, 4K:1BB. 39 of his 63 pitches were for strikes. Hinch:
It was good to see him compete. It was good to see him have adversity a little bit, to work and compete and tax himself a little bit.
*McCullers:
I felt really good...my body feels the best I could expected to feel.
*More McCullers:
I think when I'm healthy, I have top-of-the-line stuff.
*Francis Martes: 1IP, 2H/2ER, 1K:2BB. In September Martes has allowed 9H/11ER, 6K:6BB in 5.2IP - a 17.47 ERA. Since the All-Star Break Martes has allowed 27H/21ER, 39K:19BB in 27IP - a 7.00 ERA. It would be okay if we didn't see him again until February.
*Luke Gregerson gave up Upton's solo homer. Gregerson's last six games: 5.1IP, 6H/7ER, 4K:1BB, 3HR.
*Jose Altuve was 2x3 with a walk, giving him 198 hits on the season - two shy of his 4th straight 200-hit season.
*Hinch got tossed (for the 2nd time in three games) in the 7th inning arguing an Evan Gattis check-swing to end the inning. Hinch:
There was really no reason to throw me out. I didn't curse at him. I didn't go over the top. It just ended up being he wins when he's the boss on the field.
*The Astros don't miss Tal's Hill.
*No one on the Astros or Angels took a knee.
*Puerto Rico is in serious trouble, and barely anyone is talking about it.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
Showing posts with label Tal's Hill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tal's Hill. Show all posts
Monday, September 25, 2017
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Tuesday Morning Hot Links
*Yesterday I ranked the 15 losses to the Rangers in 2016 based on evidence of witchcraft.
*The Giants beat the Cubs in 13 innings to force a Game 4. The Red Sox join the Rangers in "AL teams to not win a 2016 postseason game." Washington has a 2-1 lead over the Dodgers.
*The $19m renovation project to remove Tal's Hill and add more CF seats began yesterday. Center field will now be 409' away from home plate, instead of 436' but Reid Ryan said this:
There was really no communal gathering spot inside the ballpark. We need to figure out as an industry how to continue to grow our fan base for the millennials, and we think this is a step in the right direction where they want TVs, they want craft beer, they want food choices, they want an experience where they can come out and visit and watch the game and stay after and come early.
That may be true. I think the ballpark should be a place people *want* to go. I don't necessarily think that wanting your home park to be a destination for entertainment is limited to "Millennials." I think most generations want to go to a game and have different food and drink options. But I also think that just about every generation of Astros fan would prefer playing in October to the choice of $12.50 beer.
*MLBTR projects that George Springer will be a Super Two player, meaning he gets four spins through arbitration, not just three. (That's good for George Springer).
*Alex Bregman and Joe Musgrove got MLBPipeline's Astros Prospects of the Year awards. Musgrove:
Getting a chance to get up here and kind of earn the respect of some of the guys and show the guys that I'm able to compete at this level was important to me. Getting out there and going through a little bit of failure and learning the adjustments I needed to make, I feel I ended on a good note this year...and knowing what I need to work on. I'm ready to go for next year.
*The Arizona Fall League action starts today, and the Glendale Desert Dogs are the team to watch for Astros prospects with pitchers Rogelio Armenteros, Jacob Dorris, Francis Martes, David Paulino; Catcher Garrett Stubbs; Infielder Nick Tanielu; Outfielders Ramon Laureano and Jason Martin on the roster.
*The under-construction Astros/Nationals Spring Training facility - the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches - "dodged a major bullet" last week when Hurricane Matthew passed about 50 miles to the north of the construction site.
*Collin McHugh addressed what "locker room talk" sounds like with the Astros.
*Fresno's Jordan Jankowski will play for Gigantes del Cibao in the Dominican this winter.
*Paul Hoynes addressed his mid-September column about the impending demise of the Indians.
*Boston Globe: Expect a harsh winter in Boston.
*The New York Times published an article that imagines the hurricane that will destroy Houston and be one of the worst natural disasters in American history. So that's nice.
*The Giants beat the Cubs in 13 innings to force a Game 4. The Red Sox join the Rangers in "AL teams to not win a 2016 postseason game." Washington has a 2-1 lead over the Dodgers.
*The $19m renovation project to remove Tal's Hill and add more CF seats began yesterday. Center field will now be 409' away from home plate, instead of 436' but Reid Ryan said this:
There was really no communal gathering spot inside the ballpark. We need to figure out as an industry how to continue to grow our fan base for the millennials, and we think this is a step in the right direction where they want TVs, they want craft beer, they want food choices, they want an experience where they can come out and visit and watch the game and stay after and come early.
That may be true. I think the ballpark should be a place people *want* to go. I don't necessarily think that wanting your home park to be a destination for entertainment is limited to "Millennials." I think most generations want to go to a game and have different food and drink options. But I also think that just about every generation of Astros fan would prefer playing in October to the choice of $12.50 beer.
*MLBTR projects that George Springer will be a Super Two player, meaning he gets four spins through arbitration, not just three. (That's good for George Springer).
*Alex Bregman and Joe Musgrove got MLBPipeline's Astros Prospects of the Year awards. Musgrove:
Getting a chance to get up here and kind of earn the respect of some of the guys and show the guys that I'm able to compete at this level was important to me. Getting out there and going through a little bit of failure and learning the adjustments I needed to make, I feel I ended on a good note this year...and knowing what I need to work on. I'm ready to go for next year.
*The Arizona Fall League action starts today, and the Glendale Desert Dogs are the team to watch for Astros prospects with pitchers Rogelio Armenteros, Jacob Dorris, Francis Martes, David Paulino; Catcher Garrett Stubbs; Infielder Nick Tanielu; Outfielders Ramon Laureano and Jason Martin on the roster.
*The under-construction Astros/Nationals Spring Training facility - the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches - "dodged a major bullet" last week when Hurricane Matthew passed about 50 miles to the north of the construction site.
*Collin McHugh addressed what "locker room talk" sounds like with the Astros.
*Fresno's Jordan Jankowski will play for Gigantes del Cibao in the Dominican this winter.
*Paul Hoynes addressed his mid-September column about the impending demise of the Indians.
*Boston Globe: Expect a harsh winter in Boston.
*The New York Times published an article that imagines the hurricane that will destroy Houston and be one of the worst natural disasters in American history. So that's nice.
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Thursday Morning Hot Links
Well that'll do it. A game that the Astros had to win against the Mariners saw Doug Fister last just 1.1IP, giving up five earned runs in the process as the Mariners beat the Astros 12-4. This seven game home stand went about as poorly as you could draw it up: 2-5, getting outscored 43-29. The Astros allowed 10+ runs in three of the seven games.
*Hinch, on Fister:
Getting into the game was very difficult for him. His command wasn't great. He didn't execute the way he does when he's good.
*Fister:
It's pretty frustrating. I let the team down. These past couple of starts haven't gone what I would call my way at all, but it's not for a lack of effort, lack of work.
Fister was the de facto ace of the rotation for much of the season - a stalwart when Keuchel was struggling before getting shut down. After Fister threw 7IP, 3H/0ER at Pittsburgh on August 22 - his 25th start of the year - his ERA was down to 3.59. In the six starts since: 9.35 ERA.
*So the Astros are 3.5 out with three to play. Since Houston doesn't play today, Baltimore - who has four games left - will eliminate the Astros with their next win. Hinch:
I'm not ready for that. This is not a position that we're happy to be in, but it's a position that we are in.
It's a sad day over at FanGraphs: 0.0%.
*Impending free agent Jason Castro reflected on what could be his last home game at Minute Maid Park. Castro:
It's been a great 6 1/2 years here. It's the only organization I've been with. We'll see what happens, but I've been really thankful for the opportunities the Astros have given me and I enjoyed my time here. I was kind of glad to see that rebuilding through to what we were able to accomplish last year, and what we still could possibly do this year.
It's worth noting that maybe the only attractive free agent catching option - Washington's Wilson Ramos - tore his ACL this week. We might just see Castro back in 2017.
*The Astros are pushing Bregman to play these last few games, though after the loss yesterday and the all-but-certain mathematical elimination, that may change.
*FanGraphs: Carlos Correa, Playing Through Injury, and True Talent
*The Astros called a team meeting to honor the now-retired Bill Brown, who got a video shout-out from Vin Scully.
*The Astros did have their highest home attendance since 2010: 2,306,623 an average of over 28,000 per game.
*Vice Sports bids farewell to Tal's Hill: "one of the most unnecessarily kind of awesome baseball quirks."
I have mixed feelings about Tal's Hill. I didn't hate it as much as many of you did. It robbed as many opposing homers as it did for the Astros. No one ever got hurt running up Tal's Hill. My joy in Tal's Hill came in how many other teams' fans hated it.
*Is the Astros' success against Felix a sign of his issues to come?
*Hinch, on Fister:
Getting into the game was very difficult for him. His command wasn't great. He didn't execute the way he does when he's good.
*Fister:
It's pretty frustrating. I let the team down. These past couple of starts haven't gone what I would call my way at all, but it's not for a lack of effort, lack of work.
Fister was the de facto ace of the rotation for much of the season - a stalwart when Keuchel was struggling before getting shut down. After Fister threw 7IP, 3H/0ER at Pittsburgh on August 22 - his 25th start of the year - his ERA was down to 3.59. In the six starts since: 9.35 ERA.
*So the Astros are 3.5 out with three to play. Since Houston doesn't play today, Baltimore - who has four games left - will eliminate the Astros with their next win. Hinch:
I'm not ready for that. This is not a position that we're happy to be in, but it's a position that we are in.
It's a sad day over at FanGraphs: 0.0%.
*Impending free agent Jason Castro reflected on what could be his last home game at Minute Maid Park. Castro:
It's been a great 6 1/2 years here. It's the only organization I've been with. We'll see what happens, but I've been really thankful for the opportunities the Astros have given me and I enjoyed my time here. I was kind of glad to see that rebuilding through to what we were able to accomplish last year, and what we still could possibly do this year.
It's worth noting that maybe the only attractive free agent catching option - Washington's Wilson Ramos - tore his ACL this week. We might just see Castro back in 2017.
*The Astros are pushing Bregman to play these last few games, though after the loss yesterday and the all-but-certain mathematical elimination, that may change.
*FanGraphs: Carlos Correa, Playing Through Injury, and True Talent
*The Astros called a team meeting to honor the now-retired Bill Brown, who got a video shout-out from Vin Scully.
*The Astros did have their highest home attendance since 2010: 2,306,623 an average of over 28,000 per game.
*Vice Sports bids farewell to Tal's Hill: "one of the most unnecessarily kind of awesome baseball quirks."
I have mixed feelings about Tal's Hill. I didn't hate it as much as many of you did. It robbed as many opposing homers as it did for the Astros. No one ever got hurt running up Tal's Hill. My joy in Tal's Hill came in how many other teams' fans hated it.
*Is the Astros' success against Felix a sign of his issues to come?
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Wednesday Morning Hot Links
So the Astros want to make this moderately interesting, huh? I mean, okay. Finish strong, I suppose. Alex Bregman made the greatest comeback since Lazarus, coming off the bench and into the game to immediately knock an RBI single off Felix, tying the game in the bottom of the 6th - an inning that saw the Astros score six runs on their way to an 8-4 win over Seattle.
The Astros are 2.5 GB of the WC2 with two teams between them and October. There are four games left. FanGraphs: 2.3%.
Springer:
This team isn't going to quit. We're going to go down fighting.
Wait...
Felix, on that 6th inning:
I was still making good pitches. The curveball was down, and it just blooped. I was fine. They just got lucky.
*Bregman:
I knew that there was a possibility of it, but we weren't certain. When I went up and got loose in the bottom of the fourth inning, it felt good, and Skip asked if I was ready, and I said, 'Yep.' And that's kind of how it happened.
Bregman was headed to Florida for ABs in the Instructional League. That flight has been canceled.
*Jandel Gustave got his first career MLB win. Hinch:
We wanted to squeeze as many outs out of guys as we could, which is dangerous this time of year. A four-run lead feels like a one-run lead this time of year and obviously our bullpen's been beat up a little bit.
*Over the last two games, Yulieski Gurriel has hit into five double plays. Part of this could be Gurriel's adjustment to a Major League schedule, which is different compared to Cuba or Japan. Gurriel:
Here, there's not a lot of rest - you're always on the go. I try to relax any chance I get, prepare my body, (get a) massage. But really, there's not a whole lot of off time once you're playing every day.
*Today is your last chance to see Tal's Hill. Tal's kind of butthurt about it:
I've been expecting it. I thought it was inevitable with the new ownership and management. I thought it was a very distinct feature of the ballpark. I liked it. Everybody's got their opinions. I sort of sense it was popular with many of the fans, and players and mangers you get different viewpoints.
*A $105m parking project got the green light to save the Astrodome.
*The Astros are one of four teams known to be setting up private workouts with Lourdes Gurriel.
*Some agents have serious concerns about the next CBA - the current one, the one with the qualifying offer, etc., expires on December 1.
*Longtime Minute Maid groundskeeper Mike Richardson passed away suddenly during Monday night's game. The Astros held a moment of silence prior to Tuesday night's game.
The Astros are 2.5 GB of the WC2 with two teams between them and October. There are four games left. FanGraphs: 2.3%.
Springer:
This team isn't going to quit. We're going to go down fighting.
Wait...
Felix, on that 6th inning:
I was still making good pitches. The curveball was down, and it just blooped. I was fine. They just got lucky.
*Bregman:
I knew that there was a possibility of it, but we weren't certain. When I went up and got loose in the bottom of the fourth inning, it felt good, and Skip asked if I was ready, and I said, 'Yep.' And that's kind of how it happened.
Bregman was headed to Florida for ABs in the Instructional League. That flight has been canceled.
*Jandel Gustave got his first career MLB win. Hinch:
We wanted to squeeze as many outs out of guys as we could, which is dangerous this time of year. A four-run lead feels like a one-run lead this time of year and obviously our bullpen's been beat up a little bit.
*Over the last two games, Yulieski Gurriel has hit into five double plays. Part of this could be Gurriel's adjustment to a Major League schedule, which is different compared to Cuba or Japan. Gurriel:
Here, there's not a lot of rest - you're always on the go. I try to relax any chance I get, prepare my body, (get a) massage. But really, there's not a whole lot of off time once you're playing every day.
*Today is your last chance to see Tal's Hill. Tal's kind of butthurt about it:
I've been expecting it. I thought it was inevitable with the new ownership and management. I thought it was a very distinct feature of the ballpark. I liked it. Everybody's got their opinions. I sort of sense it was popular with many of the fans, and players and mangers you get different viewpoints.
*A $105m parking project got the green light to save the Astrodome.
*The Astros are one of four teams known to be setting up private workouts with Lourdes Gurriel.
*Some agents have serious concerns about the next CBA - the current one, the one with the qualifying offer, etc., expires on December 1.
*Longtime Minute Maid groundskeeper Mike Richardson passed away suddenly during Monday night's game. The Astros held a moment of silence prior to Tuesday night's game.
Friday, August 12, 2016
Friday Morning Hot Links
Well. That gave me the vapors. After scoring 23 runs in nine August games prior to yesterday's doubleheader, the Astros pounded out 25 runs in one day. Or, the Astros had scored 25 runs in the eleven games from July 30-August 9, a span of 410 plate appearances.
Game 1 recap; Game 2 recap.
*Hinch:
We had one continual day of offense that didn't stop. It was a fun day; a long day, pretty exhausting, but to walk out of here with two twins after being down by a lot of runs in the rain is a pretty good feeling.
Gattis:
It's crazy. It's like feast or famine right now for us.
The Astros had 35 hits and were 13x34 w/RISP on the day. The 35 hits and 25 runs ranked second in Astros' franchise doubleheader history. Doubleheader stats:
Springer: 5x9, 6RBI
Altuve: 5x9, 3RBI
Correa: 4x8, 2HR, 4RBI
Marwin: 6x11, 3RBI
The Rockies Ranger'd the Rangers, answering a Texas 4-run 7th with a 5-run 8th to win 12-9. The Orioles beat the A's. The Yankees beat the Red Sox. The Astros are 7.5 GB of West Greeneville, 1.0 GB of Seattle. They're 4.5 GB of Baltimore for WC1 and 2.0 GB of Boston for WC2 with Detroit and Seattle between Houston and the WC2.
*Altuve is hitting .434 on the road, which would be the highest road batting average in 91 years. Hinch:
You guys and copy and paste everything I've said to this point. There's not much more to say. He's the best hitter in the league. Period.
*Fister, on Altuve:
He's like a video game. He just continues to amaze. For me, I'm just going to try and let him get himself out.
Altuve is the first Astro to record eight four-hit games in a single season.
*Chris Devenski got his first major-league win, after going 0-4 to this point in the season, all in relief. Hinch, on Devenski:
He picked us up big time by going through five innings. He's so efficient when he's right. He got into the fifth inning relatively quickly. We started the game with 60-70, maybe 75 pitches, and he maximized all the outs. He's tough to hit when he's in the strike zone. Guys want to go up and swing against him and he can disrupt the timing as well as anybody on our team.
*Ken Giles will go on paternity leave today. The corresponding move is expected to be Luke Gregerson's activation from the DL, but it's not 100%.
*Be sure to check out this lovely piece of garbage from the Post-Dispatch's Jeff Gordon (from yesterday):
Somebody should hack into the Astros' baseball operation and check that scouting report Jeff Luhnow had on Carlos Gomez...
*Tal's Hill is indeed coming down after the 2016 season, and you can click through to see the conceptual renderings. It'll be weird to see a 90-degree angle in the outfield. Doubt anything can go wrong there. However, if you click through to Image 3 in the slideshow at the top of the article (Chron gonna Chron), you'll see what the outfield will look like. Also, look at the score on the scoreboard. The morally-bankrupt artist already has the Astros down 5-0 to the Ramgers.
*Do you want the Astros to replace Jason Castro with Wilson Ramos? Read this.
*Read about Fresno embracing their taco side.
*FanGraphs: So you want to salvage Carlos Gomez?
*Ken Rosenthal: The Mariners didn't panic at the deadline, and now it's paying off.
*What's it like to be 16-years old and watch one of your friends make Olympic history?
*Before you go: Check out Jose Altuve's spray chart
Game 1 recap; Game 2 recap.
*Hinch:
We had one continual day of offense that didn't stop. It was a fun day; a long day, pretty exhausting, but to walk out of here with two twins after being down by a lot of runs in the rain is a pretty good feeling.
Gattis:
It's crazy. It's like feast or famine right now for us.
The Astros had 35 hits and were 13x34 w/RISP on the day. The 35 hits and 25 runs ranked second in Astros' franchise doubleheader history. Doubleheader stats:
Springer: 5x9, 6RBI
Altuve: 5x9, 3RBI
Correa: 4x8, 2HR, 4RBI
Marwin: 6x11, 3RBI
The Rockies Ranger'd the Rangers, answering a Texas 4-run 7th with a 5-run 8th to win 12-9. The Orioles beat the A's. The Yankees beat the Red Sox. The Astros are 7.5 GB of West Greeneville, 1.0 GB of Seattle. They're 4.5 GB of Baltimore for WC1 and 2.0 GB of Boston for WC2 with Detroit and Seattle between Houston and the WC2.
*Altuve is hitting .434 on the road, which would be the highest road batting average in 91 years. Hinch:
You guys and copy and paste everything I've said to this point. There's not much more to say. He's the best hitter in the league. Period.
*Fister, on Altuve:
He's like a video game. He just continues to amaze. For me, I'm just going to try and let him get himself out.
Altuve is the first Astro to record eight four-hit games in a single season.
*Chris Devenski got his first major-league win, after going 0-4 to this point in the season, all in relief. Hinch, on Devenski:
He picked us up big time by going through five innings. He's so efficient when he's right. He got into the fifth inning relatively quickly. We started the game with 60-70, maybe 75 pitches, and he maximized all the outs. He's tough to hit when he's in the strike zone. Guys want to go up and swing against him and he can disrupt the timing as well as anybody on our team.
*Ken Giles will go on paternity leave today. The corresponding move is expected to be Luke Gregerson's activation from the DL, but it's not 100%.
*Be sure to check out this lovely piece of garbage from the Post-Dispatch's Jeff Gordon (from yesterday):
Somebody should hack into the Astros' baseball operation and check that scouting report Jeff Luhnow had on Carlos Gomez...
*Tal's Hill is indeed coming down after the 2016 season, and you can click through to see the conceptual renderings. It'll be weird to see a 90-degree angle in the outfield. Doubt anything can go wrong there. However, if you click through to Image 3 in the slideshow at the top of the article (Chron gonna Chron), you'll see what the outfield will look like. Also, look at the score on the scoreboard. The morally-bankrupt artist already has the Astros down 5-0 to the Ramgers.
*Do you want the Astros to replace Jason Castro with Wilson Ramos? Read this.
*Read about Fresno embracing their taco side.
*FanGraphs: So you want to salvage Carlos Gomez?
*Ken Rosenthal: The Mariners didn't panic at the deadline, and now it's paying off.
*What's it like to be 16-years old and watch one of your friends make Olympic history?
*Before you go: Check out Jose Altuve's spray chart
Jose Altuve closing in on 1000 hits.... His base hit spray chart is quite impressive. @astros pic.twitter.com/JnsJs7RIQ3— Daren Willman (@darenw) August 11, 2016
Friday, December 18, 2015
Friday Morning Hot Links
*A.J. Hinch likes having eight men out in the bullpen.
*Will Harris said he didn't handle The Game Of Which We Shall Not Speak very well, mentally.
*In that link, Billy Beane throws some shade at the Astros, saying that they won't do a rebuild the way the Astros did:
Quite frankly, we're just too competitive to punt.
*Tal Smith says Minute Maid without his namesick mound of dirt will play like a bandbox.
*The Indians and Joe Thatcher are now BFFs - on a minor level.
*The Dodgers are interested in Scott Kazmir.
*Hardball Times: The Standards of Today Would Create a Very Different Hall of Fame
*Will Harris said he didn't handle The Game Of Which We Shall Not Speak very well, mentally.
*In that link, Billy Beane throws some shade at the Astros, saying that they won't do a rebuild the way the Astros did:
Quite frankly, we're just too competitive to punt.
*Tal Smith says Minute Maid without his namesick mound of dirt will play like a bandbox.
*The Indians and Joe Thatcher are now BFFs - on a minor level.
*The Dodgers are interested in Scott Kazmir.
*Hardball Times: The Standards of Today Would Create a Very Different Hall of Fame
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Tuesday Morning Hot Links
*By now you may have read that the Astros were allegedly *not* the team that won the rights to negotiate with Byung-ho Park; that honor apparently goes to the Twins. Jerry Crasnick compared Park to Chris Carter.
*Dallas Keuchel won AL Outstanding Pitcher, Carlos Correa won AL Outstanding Rookie, and Jose Altuve won the Majestic Athletic Always Game Award (think, heart and hustle/rise and grind) at the MLB Players Choice Awards last night.
*Jim Crane said the Astros are prepared to increase payroll in the right parameters:
We'll focus on spending money wisely and adding a dimension or two that we might need. What's really nice is what we set out to do is starting to work. You've got a great farm system to draw from and you've got a lot of guys coming up, too, that could be Major League ready.
*Luhnow said there's a balance to strike:
The outcomes we're looking for is to create outs with our pitching staff and create runs with our offense and there's many different formulas. We don't feel like, 'We need a guy throwing 97 or else we're not going to be successful.'
*Any decision to be made regarding the cheatin'ass Cardinals will be made before the beginning of the 2016 season.
*Tal's Hill will be removed before the beginning of the 2017 season.
*Richard Justice just !loves! the new Spring Training facility.
*It's that time of year again!
*Jeff Passan gives the rundown on 192 free agents.
*Albert Pujols is doubtful for Opening Day 2016.
*Rockies SS Jose Reyes was arrested for alleged domestic abuse
*Sad news in MLB as former Braves/Angels pitcher Tommy Hanson has passed away at the age of 29.
*Dallas Keuchel won AL Outstanding Pitcher, Carlos Correa won AL Outstanding Rookie, and Jose Altuve won the Majestic Athletic Always Game Award (think, heart and hustle/rise and grind) at the MLB Players Choice Awards last night.
*Jim Crane said the Astros are prepared to increase payroll in the right parameters:
We'll focus on spending money wisely and adding a dimension or two that we might need. What's really nice is what we set out to do is starting to work. You've got a great farm system to draw from and you've got a lot of guys coming up, too, that could be Major League ready.
*Luhnow said there's a balance to strike:
The outcomes we're looking for is to create outs with our pitching staff and create runs with our offense and there's many different formulas. We don't feel like, 'We need a guy throwing 97 or else we're not going to be successful.'
*Any decision to be made regarding the cheatin'ass Cardinals will be made before the beginning of the 2016 season.
*Tal's Hill will be removed before the beginning of the 2017 season.
*Richard Justice just !loves! the new Spring Training facility.
*It's that time of year again!
If I had a ballot: Raines, Bagwell, Piazza, Griffey, Bonds, Clemens, Schilling, Mussina, Trammell, Edgar.
— keithlaw (@keithlaw) November 9, 2015
*Jeff Passan gives the rundown on 192 free agents.
*Albert Pujols is doubtful for Opening Day 2016.
*Rockies SS Jose Reyes was arrested for alleged domestic abuse
*Sad news in MLB as former Braves/Angels pitcher Tommy Hanson has passed away at the age of 29.
Friday, October 16, 2015
Friday Morning Hot Links
So now we're in the stage of the off-season where everyone is happy to be a part of the organization, disappointed the season ended too quickly, needing some time to think about the future. Let's see who said what on the first full day of the off-season:
Hinch is not satisfied with the season:
We got beat out in Game 5 of the Division Series and that's not what we set out to do when we got to Spring Training. That'll be what drives us into the future.
Luhnow said he will bring back the entire coaching staff:
Expectations will be higher, clearly, based on what we accomplished. We're pleased with the progress of the team, we're pleased with the progress of the organization.
Luhnow, on the 2016 roster:
We have a lot of good players on the team this year. We have a lot of good players in our system that are still coming, but there's going to be an impressive list of free agents out there. As a front office, we're going to reflect on the players we have. We have some decisions to make in the near term as far as options and who we are retaining and so forth - but less than most teams do because most of our players are under control.
Rasmus is focusing on resting up and getting in the woods, all other free agents at least acted like they wanted to come back to Houston (not that Rasmus didn't).
*Between two postseason games, a cricket match in November, and a longer process than the Astros envisioned, Tal's Hill will remain at Minute Maid Park for 2016.
*The 1st inning Yordano Ventura pitch in Game 4 that hit Carlos Correa left a bruise so severe he couldn't button his shirt the next morning, but he projects an aura of maturity, writes JP Morosi.
*It's time for the Astros to pay up, writes Brian T. Smith:
Not ridiculous, narcissistic Los Angeles Dodgers dough. Not old, blue-blood New York Yankees greenbacks. But smart, modern cash to lift the Astros up by their limited financial bootstraps and insert them into at least the middle class of the game's overinflated financial market.
*Bullpen catcher Javier Bracamonte was the Classiest Astro after Game 5. (But I'm still waiting on some Ramgers pitcher to take offense to it).
*Royals fan and excellent writer Rany Jazayerli takes on the 2015 Royals season. Read it, admire it, and then get mad that the Astros managed to blow three multi-run leads in a five-game series.
Hinch is not satisfied with the season:
We got beat out in Game 5 of the Division Series and that's not what we set out to do when we got to Spring Training. That'll be what drives us into the future.
Luhnow said he will bring back the entire coaching staff:
Expectations will be higher, clearly, based on what we accomplished. We're pleased with the progress of the team, we're pleased with the progress of the organization.
Luhnow, on the 2016 roster:
We have a lot of good players on the team this year. We have a lot of good players in our system that are still coming, but there's going to be an impressive list of free agents out there. As a front office, we're going to reflect on the players we have. We have some decisions to make in the near term as far as options and who we are retaining and so forth - but less than most teams do because most of our players are under control.
Rasmus is focusing on resting up and getting in the woods, all other free agents at least acted like they wanted to come back to Houston (not that Rasmus didn't).
*Between two postseason games, a cricket match in November, and a longer process than the Astros envisioned, Tal's Hill will remain at Minute Maid Park for 2016.
*The 1st inning Yordano Ventura pitch in Game 4 that hit Carlos Correa left a bruise so severe he couldn't button his shirt the next morning, but he projects an aura of maturity, writes JP Morosi.
*It's time for the Astros to pay up, writes Brian T. Smith:
Not ridiculous, narcissistic Los Angeles Dodgers dough. Not old, blue-blood New York Yankees greenbacks. But smart, modern cash to lift the Astros up by their limited financial bootstraps and insert them into at least the middle class of the game's overinflated financial market.
*Bullpen catcher Javier Bracamonte was the Classiest Astro after Game 5. (But I'm still waiting on some Ramgers pitcher to take offense to it).
*Royals fan and excellent writer Rany Jazayerli takes on the 2015 Royals season. Read it, admire it, and then get mad that the Astros managed to blow three multi-run leads in a five-game series.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Wednesday Morning Link Dump
Well and so the Astros beat the AL All-Star team for a second straight night, with Keuchel doing Keuchel things. At 46-34, the Astros are four games up on the Angels, with a season-high 58.6% chance of winning the division and 75.1% chance of making the postseason, according to FanGraphs. Baseball Prospectus puts the Astros' division chances at 50.7% and the postseason chances at 68.9%.
Let's start with The Weird:
*"The Hill...it got me."
-Lorenzo Cain
*"I'm just happy to be drafted by a team that actually loves me."
-Daz Cameron, who took BP with Carlos Correa prior to Tuesday's game
*Meat Wagon Update: Scott Feldman is looking at a return this month, Colby Rasmus probably won't make the road trip to Boston, Jake Marisnick starts a rehab assignment today, Brad Peacock hopes to throw off a mound next week, and Jed Lowrie still hasn't picked up a real bat. Asher Wojciechowski or Dan Straily will make Friday's start in Oberholtzer's place.
Let's start with The Weird:
The Astros are the dominant force in the American League right now, and after the events of the last two days, it's not really debatable.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 1, 2015
*Dallas Keuchel is the first Astros pitcher to ten wins before the All-Star Break since Roy Oswalt in 2005.*"The Hill...it got me."
-Lorenzo Cain
*"I'm just happy to be drafted by a team that actually loves me."
-Daz Cameron, who took BP with Carlos Correa prior to Tuesday's game
*Meat Wagon Update: Scott Feldman is looking at a return this month, Colby Rasmus probably won't make the road trip to Boston, Jake Marisnick starts a rehab assignment today, Brad Peacock hopes to throw off a mound next week, and Jed Lowrie still hasn't picked up a real bat. Asher Wojciechowski or Dan Straily will make Friday's start in Oberholtzer's place.
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Tuesday Morning Link Dump
Gotta get right to it...
*ESPN: Lance McCuller's emergence shows difference between Astros and Royals
*MLB: McCullers continues to impress
*Hinch: "We've been confident long before we were given credit."
*The Astros are expected to introduce Daz Cameron today
*Colby Rasmus was apparently bitten by a spider on his left wrist, which then got infected, and he hasn't played since Saturday.
*Luke Gregerson is relying more on his sinker this year
*1-2 pick Alex Bregman is ready for things to calm down. He says "ready to work" three times in one interview.
*The Angels and Orioles are interested in trading for L.J. Hoes
*Here's the New York Times, on Tal's Hill
*Jameis Winston was at Sunday's Astros/Yankees game, and made a kid's day
*ESPN: Lance McCuller's emergence shows difference between Astros and Royals
*MLB: McCullers continues to impress
*Hinch: "We've been confident long before we were given credit."
*The Astros are expected to introduce Daz Cameron today
*Colby Rasmus was apparently bitten by a spider on his left wrist, which then got infected, and he hasn't played since Saturday.
*Luke Gregerson is relying more on his sinker this year
*1-2 pick Alex Bregman is ready for things to calm down. He says "ready to work" three times in one interview.
*The Angels and Orioles are interested in trading for L.J. Hoes
*Here's the New York Times, on Tal's Hill
*Jameis Winston was at Sunday's Astros/Yankees game, and made a kid's day
Friday, June 5, 2015
Friday Morning Hot Links
Astros lost 3-2 yesterday to Baltimore, taking three out of the four-game series. The Angels were off, the A's and Rangers won, and the Mariners lost. So the Astros' lead is at 5.5 games, and FanGraphs gives them a 49.5% chance of winning the AL West, and a nice 69.7% chance of making the postseason.
Of course the big news of the day is that Tal's Hill will be removed after this season. They had been talking about it since Crane bought the team, and Luhnow even mentioned taking it out in 2013, because anything associated with Drayton is not long for this world.
Artistic renderings (drawings, and fat, are the only objects that are "rendered") show that the redesign will cost $15m and include a "central observation tower," a section of seating, and other things that entertain dim-witted or otherwise occupied baseball fans. Centerfield will now be 409 feet, as opposed to 436 feet, from home plate.
Unfortunately the Astros have not as yet taken into consideration our suggestion of turning Tal's Hill into Crane's Canyon.
*MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince says the Astros need to trade for Cole Hamels.
*Ned Yost asked A.J. Hinch to be a part of his AL All-Star team coaching staff.
*Hinch says McCullers is no longer staying in Houston on a start-to-start basis.
*Bob Klapisch lists the Astros as one of his ten surprises in baseball.
*Evan Drellich has a (possible subscription needed) profile on Will Harris.
*Mac Marshall, a casualty in the Brady Aiken Massacre, says he's okay with the Astros drafting him again. Jacob Nix has not given permission for the Astros to draft him, and Brady Aiken is on such good terms with the Astros that they're not really sure if he signed the paperwork that would allow them to draft Aiken.
*Jeff Luhnow ranked 7th in a Sporting News slideshow ranking theGenerals Manager General Managers
*Jeff Sullivan talks about the risk/reward of preseason projections.
Artistic renderings (drawings, and fat, are the only objects that are "rendered") show that the redesign will cost $15m and include a "central observation tower," a section of seating, and other things that entertain dim-witted or otherwise occupied baseball fans. Centerfield will now be 409 feet, as opposed to 436 feet, from home plate.
Unfortunately the Astros have not as yet taken into consideration our suggestion of turning Tal's Hill into Crane's Canyon.
*MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince says the Astros need to trade for Cole Hamels.
*Ned Yost asked A.J. Hinch to be a part of his AL All-Star team coaching staff.
*Hinch says McCullers is no longer staying in Houston on a start-to-start basis.
*Bob Klapisch lists the Astros as one of his ten surprises in baseball.
*Evan Drellich has a (possible subscription needed) profile on Will Harris.
*Mac Marshall, a casualty in the Brady Aiken Massacre, says he's okay with the Astros drafting him again. Jacob Nix has not given permission for the Astros to draft him, and Brady Aiken is on such good terms with the Astros that they're not really sure if he signed the paperwork that would allow them to draft Aiken.
*Jeff Luhnow ranked 7th in a Sporting News slideshow ranking the
*Jeff Sullivan talks about the risk/reward of preseason projections.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Astros considering making changes to Tal's Hill
Brian McTaggart's notebook discusses potential changes to Minute Maid Park, including everyone's favorite injury risk: Tal's Hill. But not in 2014.
Jeff Luhnow:
There's marketing and customer experience considerations, but from a baseball operations perspective, do we want to risk having George Springer or Brandon Barnes run up the hill and potentially risk an injury? That's something that's definitely a consideration.
First: We have long been advocates of replacing Tal's Hill with Crane's Canyon, a 40-foot drop at the Warning Track that is also in-play.
Second: This is the first indication that there is a possibility of someone named George Springer playing for the Astros next season.
Our suggestion:
Jeff Luhnow:
There's marketing and customer experience considerations, but from a baseball operations perspective, do we want to risk having George Springer or Brandon Barnes run up the hill and potentially risk an injury? That's something that's definitely a consideration.
First: We have long been advocates of replacing Tal's Hill with Crane's Canyon, a 40-foot drop at the Warning Track that is also in-play.
Second: This is the first indication that there is a possibility of someone named George Springer playing for the Astros next season.
Our suggestion:
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Highlights from Porter presser today
New Chronicle Astros beat writer Brian Smith has been live-tweeting the Bo Porter introductory press conference today like a boss. Some things we learned:
Porter:
This is not a stepping stone for me. I'm not looking to build the Houston Astros into a championship organization and go somewhere else. I'm all in.
*Conflicting reports about Tal's Hill and the Train. Either Jim Crane will not be altering Tal's Hill or the train for the 2013 season, or a decision will be made next week. Of the two, most likely to change will be Tal's Hill.
*Matt Galante, senior advisor for baseball operations since 2009 (and who had previously been with the organization from 1980-2001), had an option to return to the team in 2013, but has declined in order to pursue other opportunities.
*The Astros will be spending money this off-season, and will be targeting OF/DH positions.
*Coaching staff positions will be announced in phases, not all at once. Names being considered are "recognizable."
*Matt Dominguez - based on a strong conclusion to 2012 - is early favorite for 3B1 in 2013, but Brandon Laird and Brett Wallace are possibilities.
*Your first three rotation spots are locked down with Harrell, Lyles, and Norris (order given by Luhnow), but SP4 and SP5 are up for grabs. Luhnow wants to have nine SPs available to get through the season.
*Minute Maid Park will get an updated paint job, but only after November 2.
Porter:
This is not a stepping stone for me. I'm not looking to build the Houston Astros into a championship organization and go somewhere else. I'm all in.
*Conflicting reports about Tal's Hill and the Train. Either Jim Crane will not be altering Tal's Hill or the train for the 2013 season, or a decision will be made next week. Of the two, most likely to change will be Tal's Hill.
*Matt Galante, senior advisor for baseball operations since 2009 (and who had previously been with the organization from 1980-2001), had an option to return to the team in 2013, but has declined in order to pursue other opportunities.
*The Astros will be spending money this off-season, and will be targeting OF/DH positions.
*Coaching staff positions will be announced in phases, not all at once. Names being considered are "recognizable."
*Matt Dominguez - based on a strong conclusion to 2012 - is early favorite for 3B1 in 2013, but Brandon Laird and Brett Wallace are possibilities.
*Your first three rotation spots are locked down with Harrell, Lyles, and Norris (order given by Luhnow), but SP4 and SP5 are up for grabs. Luhnow wants to have nine SPs available to get through the season.
*Minute Maid Park will get an updated paint job, but only after November 2.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Astros too busy with logo, unis to mess with Tal's Hill right now
With the Mariners announcing that they're bringing the fences in next year, McTaggart asked if the Astros might do something about the center-field fence at Minute Maid Park. Crane has expressed an interest in removing Tal's Hill, anyway, so might they cause harm to two birds with one simple stone?
Not yet.
Luhnow:
"With all the rebranding stuff, we have our hands full and that's going to be the focus of what we're doing."
Furthermore, since not too many balls are hit to Tal's Hill, Luhnow says it doesn't really matter, and the Astros have fast center-fielders, anyway.
Not yet.
Luhnow:
"With all the rebranding stuff, we have our hands full and that's going to be the focus of what we're doing."
Furthermore, since not too many balls are hit to Tal's Hill, Luhnow says it doesn't really matter, and the Astros have fast center-fielders, anyway.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Thoughts from a MMP first-timer
Perhaps I am a terrible, terrible Astros fan; as of one week ago as I type this, I had yet to ever pay a visit to Minute Maid Park. I was born in Houston and lived there my entire life, until I left the state for college in August '99. That was, of course, the Astrodome's final season, and I can't count how many games I attended in the Dome growing up. But since then, circumstances had only allowed me to return to Houston during off-season holidays, so I'd never had the chance to catch a game at the site of my team's greatest playoff successes. Until last Friday. With this the franchise's 50th anniversary season, and their last in the National League, we decided that the time had arrived, and we made the trip down last weekend. The County Clerk invited me to share my thoughts on MMP, now that I've finally seen it for myself, and I'm happy to oblige.
We were advised to arrive early since it was a bobblehead night, and I also wanted the chance to check out the new Astros Walk of Fame along Texas Avenue before the gates opened. It turned out that would have to wait, however, as even at 5:00pm, the line to get in was already around the corner. Half an hour later, Biggio bobbleheads were acquired and we were in the park, and I had to stop at our first view of the field.
One of my enduring memories of the Dome (God rest its soul) was trekking what seemed like miles up and down concrete ramps to get to and from the different seating levels, and stepping through once-hallowed doors like these to get that first glimpse of the artificial grass. The open concourse at Minute Maid was an immediate difference, and my wife willingly went along as I wanted to circle the stadium interior before we found our seats. Progress was not rapid, as I had to stop for photos of each MMP landmark along the way - the Home Run Alley displays, the Conoco Pump, the Union Station entryway - but my wife patiently obliged until we had completed the circuit. Then we grabbed a pair of "Extreme" hot dogs, and hit the stairs to take our seats.
I had wanted to sit in the famous Crawford Boxes, but we opted instead for the front row of the Bullpen Boxes in right field, and I'm glad that we did. I remember being SO excited as a kid the first time we scored red Field Box seats in the Dome, but nowhere we ever sat there put us as close to the field as we were now at Minute Maid. The Indians were taking BP when we sat down, and not five minutes later, the Cleveland hitter bounced a ball off the wall right in front of us; as much as I wanted to attempt a popcorn-bucket catch, my wife was grateful we bought our gloves.
Then, the game. I took more photos of MMP's interior between innings - the train, Tal's Hill, the retired numbers & playoff pennants - but mostly I was glued to my seat, with eyes fixed on the field. The Astros were wearing their old rainbow unis the first time I ever saw the team in person, back in the early '80s, so perhaps it was fitting for me that they had brought those uniforms back this night. But while most things about the MMP experience had been vastly different from the Dome, the game on the field was still the same: a pitcher's duel, forever my favorite, as learned from the Astrodome cavern.
"Baseball is a game of inches" - cliche, but always true. A huge Jed Lowrie foul fly just inches to our left could have been a game-tying homer. A Jose Altuve foul liner just inches left of the line could have been an RBI double, putting the Astros on the board. Lucas Harrell was as brilliant on this night as Mike Scott or Darryl Kile ever was, but the baseball gods said it wasn't meant to be. 2-0, Astros lose, but the trip was still worth it to me.
We watched the roof open and stayed after for the Friday Night Fireworks, which were impressively better than I had expected. As part of the "Flashback Fridays" promotion, they themed this '70s Disco Night, and put on a fireworks display better than any we had seen since our honeymoon at Disney World. Then we picked out souvenirs from the Astros Team Store, exited through Union Station, and I got my chance to follow the Walk of Fame on the way back to our car.
Now we hear that the train and Tal's Hill may be in their final days at MMP. I can't/won't speak for the County Clerk or anyone else here, but I sincerely hope not. I realize that the train has nothing to do with baseball or with a space-themed team, but it has plenty to do with the stadium's location and with the history of Houston. The Astros should respect that as a part of Houston history themselves. And I realize that Tal's Hill and the flagpole in play are bizarre and somewhat gimmicky, but in an era when retro ballparks are the new cookie-cutters, they're defining characteristics that no other city can claim. Plenty of ballparks have short LF/RF porches; plenty have scenic downtown views; plenty try to evoke baseball nostalgia and put their fans closer to the action. What is it that's going to set your park apart from the rest?
Courtesy of work-related travel, I have made it to other MLB parks since I left Houston in '99. AT&T Park in San Francisco is the best of those, thanks largely to the blessing of geography. But I'd rank MMP very closely right behind. As for any adult Astros fan, the Astrodome will always hold a special place in my heart... but if they had to move somewhere else, they did good for themselves. I trust Jeff Luhnow, and I trust Jim Crane, but they've got a beautiful ballpark already in place. Please don't screw that up.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
What should replace Tal's Hill?
Jim Crane has ordered a study to determine what the team can do about Tal's Hill. Here's your chance to vote on a suggestion that will be mailed to Jim Crane. Voting ends Sunday night at midnight (Central time).
Monday, March 19, 2012
Schafer "really sore"
Brian McTaggart talked to Jordan Schafer, who had this to say about his left hand:
“It’s really sore today. Like they told me, with a sprain the next day is probably going to be the worst. I’m just happy it’s not broken. I’m OK with missing a couple of days, but I just didn’t want the break and to miss a couple of months. I’m happy it’s only a sprain.”
Additionally, Schafer doesn't like Tal's Hill:
"I don't necessarily think that hill is the safest of things out there. I think it's more of a danger than anything else. I think it's only a matter of time before someone goes out there and gets seriously hurt. But it's a part of our field. It's something I have to get comfortable with and learn and make adjustments to."
“It’s really sore today. Like they told me, with a sprain the next day is probably going to be the worst. I’m just happy it’s not broken. I’m OK with missing a couple of days, but I just didn’t want the break and to miss a couple of months. I’m happy it’s only a sprain.”
Additionally, Schafer doesn't like Tal's Hill:
"I don't necessarily think that hill is the safest of things out there. I think it's more of a danger than anything else. I think it's only a matter of time before someone goes out there and gets seriously hurt. But it's a part of our field. It's something I have to get comfortable with and learn and make adjustments to."
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