Wherefore Art Thou: Carlos Hernandez

Former Astros flamethrower Carlos Hernandez, who looked like he would be a rotation staple with Roy Oswalt and Wade Miller. Wherefore art thou?

Hernandez is in Triple-A Durham. After multiple shoulder injuries for the Astros, and rehabbing with the Zephyrs, Hernandez was out of baseball in 2007. But then the keen eye of Gerry Hunsicker's Tampa Bay Rays signed him in 2008. He played for Single-A Vero Beach last season, and came up to Durham this season.

This season he is 7-6 in 21 starts for Durham with a 3.29 ERA/0.86 WHIP in 112 innings.

Wherefore art thou: Ezequiel Astacio

Everyone's least favorite starter in HD...

Ezequiel Astacio! Remember him? He of the 5-6 career mark with the Astros, including the 14-inning 2005 WS G3 loser, in which he allowed 4H/2ER, with 2BB in .2IP? Let's revisit that 14th inning, with the game tied 5-5 (all five White Sox runs coming in the 5th)...

Dye: Singles to right
Konerko: GIDP
Blum: Home Run
Rowand: Single to third
Crede: Single to third
Uribe: Walk
Widger: Walk (Rowand scores)

That's it. Wandy came in to close out the 14th with a strikeout.

So Ezequiel, wherefore art thou? He's in San Angelo, pitching for the San Angelo Colts of the United League.

After being waived by the Astros following the '06 season, the Rangers picked him up and sent him to Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he pitched in 2007 and 2008. The Rangers released him after he had surgery on a bone spur, and now you can see him pitch about 90 miles south of Abilene.

Wherefore Art Thou: Jason Lane

The second installment of the Wherefore Art Thou installment - Jason Lane! This nugget came up today:

Jason Lane signed a minor-league contract with a Spring Training invitation with the Blue Jays today.

Since leaving Houston, Lane played (kind of) with the Yankees, in a season where the Yankees tried to emulate the Astros' '05 success by having Pettitte, Clemens, Ensberg and Lane on the roster at one time. It didn't work out so well.

Lane did not play in the Majors last year.

Wherefore Art Thou?: Jeriome Robertson

So here's a new feature we'll do every so often. Some player from Astros history and what they're up to now. Today we have Jeriome Robertson!

Jeriome Robertson was drafted in the 24th round of the 1995 draft by the Astros and stayed in the organization until 2004. Robertson went 0-2 in 2002 as a September call-up and took a place in the starting rotation in 2003 - you may remember his 15-9 season, with a 5.10 ERA. And maybe you even remember his start on September 26, 2003. The Astros were a game back of the Cubs going into a crucial series against the Brewers. Tim Redding won his 10th game of the year while the Reds beat the Cubs to even up the NL Central. Robertson took the ball in the Friday game...and then committed an error, got an out, then a single, walk, walk, single, and that was Robertson's day. The Astros lost 12-5 (no other pitcher lasted more than 2 innings). Then Ron Villone lost the next day while the Cubs won both games of a double-header, and that was 2003. Of course the Cubs lost on Sunday and the Astros won, so the final margin was one game.

But man, that ERA. Robertson won 15 games with a 5.10 ERA. Tim Redding had a 3.68 ERA, and went 10-14. And they traded him. Do you know who they got in the trade with the Indians? Luke Scott and Willy Taveras. That's Gerry Hunsicker, folks...

Robertson didn't do much as a reliever for the Indians in 2004, kicked around the Reds, Expos, Mets and spent 2007 with the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League, no news on 2008...