Sometimes "Merry Christmas' is not the right thing to say - not because the person to whom you're speaking is a weak-minded political idiot, but rather because Christmas is extremely hard for a lot of people. There are those among us for whom Christmas is a time of loss, a reminder of friends and family who have passed away, or of relationships severed. Perhaps the commercials depicting the perfect Christmas morning are a reminder of a childhood they never had. Or returning to school was a reminder of a definitive class structure of which even the youngest children were painfully aware. I do hope everyone has a Merry Christmas no matter your circumstance. To those of you who woke up this morning with a sense of loss and dread, you're in my thoughts and prayers.
Astros players born on Christmas Day:
Willy Taveras (2004-2006)
In 311 games for the Astros Taveras hit .284/.329/.340 and finished 2nd in the NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2005, finishing behind Ryan Howard and ahead of Jeff Francoeur. Taveras put together a 30-game hit streak in 2006 and was traded to Colorado in a package for Jason Jennings that off-season.
Ty Gainey (1985-1987)
Gainey, the Astros' 2nd Round draft pick in 1979, played a sporadic outfield for 57 games over three seasons for the Astros, hitting .216/.293/.288 with 37 strikeouts in 124 plate appearances. The Greatest 21 Days has a really good profile of his career.
Julio Gonzalez (1977-1980)
Acquired in a trade with the Cardinals for outfielder Greg Gross (who had finished 2nd in NL ROY voting in 1974, and hit .293/.376/.351 for Houston), Julio Gonzalez hit .235/.270/.288 for the Astros from 1977-1980 playing 2B, SS, and 3B in his 296 games in Houston. Gonzalez was released prior to the start of the 1981 season.
Nellie Fox (1964-1965)
Fox played the last two seasons of his 19-year Hall of Fame career with the Colt .45s/Astros after a trade with the White Sox for Jim Golden, Danny Murphy, and cash. Fox was released after a 1964 season in which he hit .265/.320/.319 and led the NL with 20 sacrifice hits, striking out just 13 times in 502 plate appearances (Fox struck out 216 times in 10351 career plate appearances, just 2.1% of his PAs, 3rd all-time, and 1st among players with more than 650 games played). The newly-rebranded Astros re-signed Fox in May 1965 before getting released again on July 31, 1965, ending his playing career, but he remained as a coach with the team through the 1967 season. Joe Morgan credited Fox with maximizing his playing potential.
*The Astros' acquisition of Justin Verlander on August 31 is akin to getting to open one Christmas present on the day after Thanksgiving.
*Tradition plays a big role in Big Joe, Big Joe Musgrove's family.
*Why it feels good to hate the Yankees again.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
Showing posts with label Ty Gainey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ty Gainey. Show all posts
Monday, December 25, 2017
Monday, August 5, 2013
Best Offensive PreStros Seasons
In light of the monster season George Springer is having, I thought I'd go back and see how it stacks up against other great seasons in PreStros history. For this list, I tried to find every season in which a batter had at least 350 at bats and an OPS of at least 1.000.
George Springer
Springer, between AA Corpus and AAA Oklahoma City, is currently hitting .309/.410/.603 in 401 at bats with 57 extra base hits (25, 3, 29) and 36 stolen bases. He also has 63 walks and 137 strikeouts. He came into the season as Baseball America's #37 prospect and MLB.com's #58 prospect.
Jose Altuve
Altuve received 357 at bats between A+ Lancaster and AA Corpus in 2011 before getting the call to Houston. He hit .389/.426/.591 with 42 extra base hits (22, 10, 10) and 24 stolen bases along with 26 walks and 40 strikeouts. He was not on any preseason prospect lists heading into 2011. For his major league career so far, Altuve is hitting .285/.326/.379 in about two full season worth of at bats.
Koby Clemens
A perfect example of the Lancaster Effect, in 2009 Clemens hit .341/.415/.620 in 440 at bats with 54 walks and 111 strikeouts, including a couple weeks at Corpus at the end of the year. He totaled 73 extra base hits (45, 6, 22 ) with 123 RBI. Clemens was not ranked on any prospect lists coming into that season. Clemens never reached the majors and is currently playing for the independent Atlantic League Sugar Land Skeeters, where he is tied for 5th in the league in home runs with former Astro Daryle Ward.
Jason Lane
In 2001, Lane spent the entire season at AA Round Rock. In 526 at bats, he hit .316/.407/.608 with 76 extra base hits (36, 2, 38) with 61 walks and 98 strikeouts. He also added 14 steals, 103 runs, and 124 RBI. He was not ranked heading into the season, but Baseball American named him their #53 prospect going into the next season. Lane went on to hit .241/.314/.457 in parts of six seasons, all with Houston with the exception of 3 games with San Diego in 2007. He's currently attempting to come back as a pitcher with San Diego.
Keith Ginter
Ginter got 462 at bats with AA Round Rock in 2000 and hit .333/.457/.580 with 59 extra base hits (30, 3, 26). He also had 24 stolen bases and 108 runs to go along with 82 walks and 127 strikeouts. Ginter went on to spend parts of six season in the majors, including two full seasons with Milwaukee, and hit .243/.329/.422 for his major league career.
Mitch Melusky
In 1998, Melusky received 397 at bats with AAA New Orleans and hit .353/.465/.584 with 58 extra base hits (41, 0, 17) and 85 walks with 59 strikeouts. He was not ranked heading into the season, but after the season Baseball America had him as the #43 prospect. He showed promise in the majors before injuries derailed his career. In 414 major league at bats, Melusky hit .283/.368/.449 with 15 home runs and finished fifth in rookie of the year voting in 2000.
Ed Whited
In 1987, his first full minor league season, Whited hit .323/.407/.598 in 440 at bats for A Asheville. He had 65 extra base hits (37, 0, 28) with 12 steals and 128 RBI. In a late season call-up with the Braves in 1990, Whited hit .162/.222/.243 in 36 games, then abruptly disappeared from baseball.
Rich Johnson
Splitting the 1986 season between A Asheville and A Osceola, Johnson hit .341/.424/.581 in 504 at bats with 61 extra base hits (30, 2, 29). He had 72 walks, 105 strikeouts, and 112 RBI. He never made it above AA and was out of baseball following the 1988 season.
Ty Gainey
Gainey received 359 at bats for AAA Tucson in 1986. He hit .351/.437/.616 with 50 extra base hits (22, 11, 17) with 55 walks, 81 strikeouts, and 19 steals. In 111 major league at bats across three seasons, Gainey hit .216/.293/.288.
Gary Rajsich
Rajsich got 445 at bats for AAA Tucson in 1980 and hit .321/.435/.575 with 57 extra base hits (22, 14, 21) with 87 walks and just 41 strikeouts. In 296 major league at bats across four seasons, Rajsich hit .236/.328/.345.
Honorable Mention
Two others met my criteria, but did so over the age of 30, so I didn't include them here. They were Dave Roberts at AAA Oklahoma City in 1965 and Len Tucker at C Modesto in 1962.
Hunter Pence came as close as you can to meeting my criteria when he hit .327/.400/.598 in 453 at bats between A Lexington and A+ Salem in 2005.
Most of these examples were done at lower minor league levels, and none combine Springer's speed and power combination. This was a fun exercise, but I don't think much can be learned from it, except to say that monster minor league seasons don't have any real correlation to major league success, at least for former PreStros.
George Springer
Springer, between AA Corpus and AAA Oklahoma City, is currently hitting .309/.410/.603 in 401 at bats with 57 extra base hits (25, 3, 29) and 36 stolen bases. He also has 63 walks and 137 strikeouts. He came into the season as Baseball America's #37 prospect and MLB.com's #58 prospect.
Jose Altuve
Altuve received 357 at bats between A+ Lancaster and AA Corpus in 2011 before getting the call to Houston. He hit .389/.426/.591 with 42 extra base hits (22, 10, 10) and 24 stolen bases along with 26 walks and 40 strikeouts. He was not on any preseason prospect lists heading into 2011. For his major league career so far, Altuve is hitting .285/.326/.379 in about two full season worth of at bats.
Koby Clemens
A perfect example of the Lancaster Effect, in 2009 Clemens hit .341/.415/.620 in 440 at bats with 54 walks and 111 strikeouts, including a couple weeks at Corpus at the end of the year. He totaled 73 extra base hits (45, 6, 22 ) with 123 RBI. Clemens was not ranked on any prospect lists coming into that season. Clemens never reached the majors and is currently playing for the independent Atlantic League Sugar Land Skeeters, where he is tied for 5th in the league in home runs with former Astro Daryle Ward.
Jason Lane
In 2001, Lane spent the entire season at AA Round Rock. In 526 at bats, he hit .316/.407/.608 with 76 extra base hits (36, 2, 38) with 61 walks and 98 strikeouts. He also added 14 steals, 103 runs, and 124 RBI. He was not ranked heading into the season, but Baseball American named him their #53 prospect going into the next season. Lane went on to hit .241/.314/.457 in parts of six seasons, all with Houston with the exception of 3 games with San Diego in 2007. He's currently attempting to come back as a pitcher with San Diego.
Keith Ginter
Ginter got 462 at bats with AA Round Rock in 2000 and hit .333/.457/.580 with 59 extra base hits (30, 3, 26). He also had 24 stolen bases and 108 runs to go along with 82 walks and 127 strikeouts. Ginter went on to spend parts of six season in the majors, including two full seasons with Milwaukee, and hit .243/.329/.422 for his major league career.
Mitch Melusky
In 1998, Melusky received 397 at bats with AAA New Orleans and hit .353/.465/.584 with 58 extra base hits (41, 0, 17) and 85 walks with 59 strikeouts. He was not ranked heading into the season, but after the season Baseball America had him as the #43 prospect. He showed promise in the majors before injuries derailed his career. In 414 major league at bats, Melusky hit .283/.368/.449 with 15 home runs and finished fifth in rookie of the year voting in 2000.
Ed Whited
In 1987, his first full minor league season, Whited hit .323/.407/.598 in 440 at bats for A Asheville. He had 65 extra base hits (37, 0, 28) with 12 steals and 128 RBI. In a late season call-up with the Braves in 1990, Whited hit .162/.222/.243 in 36 games, then abruptly disappeared from baseball.
Rich Johnson
Splitting the 1986 season between A Asheville and A Osceola, Johnson hit .341/.424/.581 in 504 at bats with 61 extra base hits (30, 2, 29). He had 72 walks, 105 strikeouts, and 112 RBI. He never made it above AA and was out of baseball following the 1988 season.
Ty Gainey
Gainey received 359 at bats for AAA Tucson in 1986. He hit .351/.437/.616 with 50 extra base hits (22, 11, 17) with 55 walks, 81 strikeouts, and 19 steals. In 111 major league at bats across three seasons, Gainey hit .216/.293/.288.
Gary Rajsich
Rajsich got 445 at bats for AAA Tucson in 1980 and hit .321/.435/.575 with 57 extra base hits (22, 14, 21) with 87 walks and just 41 strikeouts. In 296 major league at bats across four seasons, Rajsich hit .236/.328/.345.
Honorable Mention
Two others met my criteria, but did so over the age of 30, so I didn't include them here. They were Dave Roberts at AAA Oklahoma City in 1965 and Len Tucker at C Modesto in 1962.
Hunter Pence came as close as you can to meeting my criteria when he hit .327/.400/.598 in 453 at bats between A Lexington and A+ Salem in 2005.
Most of these examples were done at lower minor league levels, and none combine Springer's speed and power combination. This was a fun exercise, but I don't think much can be learned from it, except to say that monster minor league seasons don't have any real correlation to major league success, at least for former PreStros.
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