Would you take a look at Melky Cabrera?

As you all are likely aware, back on August 15 Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera was suspended 50 games for an elevated testosterone level, indicating that he had taken Performance-Enhancing Drugs. In a prepared statement released by the MLBPA, Cabrera said:

“My positive test was the result of my use of a substance I should not have used. I accept my suspension under the Joint Drug Program and I will try to move on with my life.”

He did try to move on, but only after he (or one of his entourage) tried to cover it up, creating a fake chain of evidence that would make it seem like his roommates tricked him into smoking testosterone.

Though his 50-game suspension would run its course during the NLDS in which, of course, the Giants were not supposed to participate because the Dodgers had bought All The Players, and the Giants were losing the All-Star Game MVP who was hitting .346/.390/.516 in 113 games. Except the Giants didn’t activate him, or use him in the NLDS, and won’t be using him in the World Series (Jeff Passan has a great take on this here, and a counterpoint by Hank Schulman here).

The point of this isn’t to say whether the Giants should or should not use Melky for the next week, but rather to ask if the Astros should take a flyer on him.

Cabrera, who is 28 (and will be until August 2013), was probably in line for at least $50m from the contract he’ll sign this winter as a free agent. He won’t get anywhere near that, at least not right away. Cabrera will need a year of solid production before he gets his Big Contract.

Might that year come in Houston?

The Astros’ outfield production – at least offensively – was atrocious in 2012. As a group, they hit .220/.208/.349. Eight Astros outfielders hit 47 homers (Justin Maxwell had 18) and averaged a 92 OPS+. The only two players with an OPS+ over 100 were Maxwell and Fernando Martinez (both with a 105 OPS+). Yet they only combined for 482 plate appearances. Astros outfielders’ with an OPS+ under 80 include Jordan Schafer (63), Brandon Barnes (41), Brian Bogusevic (64), Travis Buck (63), and Ben Francisco (77). I was looking to see how this ranked against the rest of baseball and made it to Kansas City before I picked up my monitor and brought it down, thundering, over my own head, and then stood in a bathtub. (Not holding the plugged-in monitor, mind you. That would be dangerous.)

Anyhow, the Astros need an upgrade. Right now, the only guys on the roster I’d halfway trust in the outfield for a full season would be Maxwell and Fernando Martinez and, given his knees, Martinez might be better suited as a DH. So there are open spots in the outfield.

You can see where I’m going with this, right? Should the Astros give Cabrera a one-year contract to help him build his value? I’m honestly asking, because it could go both ways.

Cabrera had a .906 OPS in his 113 games in San Francisco, and it’s completely appropriate to wonder if that was a result of the PEDs. In 2011, he posted a then-career-high .809 OPS in Kansas City. Prior to 2011 his career-high in OPS was .752, back in his rookie season in 2006. He just doesn’t have a track record where you can look and say, “Yeah, he’s that player.”

Also keep in mind the move to the AL. Sure, Cabrera hit .305/.339/.470 in 2011 for the Royals, but even with that taken into account, his AL slash line is just .279/.333/.406 – and though that’s still better than what the Astros might be running out in 2013, is it worth the baggage?

To read Schulman’s defense of the Giants organization, Cabrera doesn’t exactly sound like a clubhouse leader (there’s a little Twitter exchange going on about this with Jon Heyman – I’m not linking to him, you can find out for yourself if you’re so interested). The Astros also need all the positive press they can get – does a Cabrera signing further enrage fans? Will he bring more fans to Minute Maid? How many sane people look at the schedule and think, “Man. I gotta go see Melky F***in’ Cabrera!”

So, Astros fans, you have your choices in front of you. (A) Take a flyer on a guy who might not cost all that much, motivated to rebuild his reputation and salvage his career, so we don’t have to watch Jordan Schafer anymore. Or (B) leave Cabrera alone, because the guy just isn’t worth it.

Arizona Fall League update: October 23

While we take some time to recharge our collective batteries and work on some off-season projects, let's check in with the AFL team...

Mesa and Phoenix lamed it out for a 7-7 tie yesterday.

George Springer: 1x5, 2K (hitting .286/.444/.536)
Jon Singleton: 0x4, 3K:1BB (hitting .255/.364/.511)

Nick Tropeano: 1IP, 0H/0ER, 1K:1BB (2.57 ERA / 0.71 WHIP)
Alex Sogard: 0.2IP, 2H/4R (3ER), 1K:1BB, Blown Save (11.57 ERA / 2.79 WHIP)
Chia-Jen Lo: 1IP, 0H/0ER, 2K:1BB (3.00 ERA / 0.83 WHIP)

Hunsicker joins Dodgers

Former Astros GM Gerry Hunsicker has left the Rays (where he was senior vice president of baseball operations) to join the Dodgers as their senior advisor of baseball operations, assisting president Stan Kasten and GM Ned Colletti.

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. 

Why I Am Rooting for the Cardinals

I was born in St. Louis. This information might get me kicked out of Astros County, but its true. We moved to Houston in 1990. As a result, for my first 8 years I was a Cardinals fan. Ozzie Smith was my favorite player. His homerun in the 1985 NLCS  was one of my earliest memories. When Jack Buck said “Go crazy, folks, go crazy,” I did, along with my Dad.

I am not a Cardinals fan now. It did not take long for Biggio, Bagwell, Caminiti, etc. to steal my heart from the Cardinals.  The Astros were on every night in my house, and they were good. Ozzie Smith was replaced by Jeff Bagwell. My Dad adopted the Astros as his own too. He cheered for them, and was heartbroken for them, and we watched them together.

For a while it was easy to still like the Cardinals. Especially when they weren't very good in the late 90’s and the Astros were winning the division nearly every year. Then they started to become rivals. The division started to go through them. Then 2004 happened. That was a fantastic series and I lived and died with every pitch. And my formerly beloved Cardinals broke my heart in game 7.  A year later, one strike away, a Cardinal ripped my heart out. That story had a happy ending. When the Astros made their first World Series, I called my Dad. We celebrated for our new team.

My feeling towards the Cardinals had shifted. It started happening earlier, but in 2004 and 2005, there was a clean break. The Cardinals were no longer my other team, the team I held on to for Ozzie’s sake. They were the enemy. I actively rooted against them, and began lumping them into the same category as the Yankees.   

Thing is, my Dad was also born in St. Louis. Only he didn't leave when he was 8. His favorite player was also Ozzie Smith, but before that it was Lou Brock, and before that Bob Gibson, and before that Stan Musial. That’s a lot of history. When the Cardinals began their improbable (impossible?) runs in 2006, 2011 and now 2012, I greeted it with frustration. My Dad, however, is still a fan. He cheered. When the Cardinals pulled out that ridiculous comeback against the Nationals last Friday, I got a text message the next day from my Dad saying “How about those Redbirds.” I did not share his enthusiasm.

My Dad is sick. We found out this weekend, just a couple days after the Cardinal's comeback. We don’t know how sick, but the news is not good. Baseball is so unimportant right now. There are so many more important things that bind us together. Our faith. Our family. But, baseball still means something. My Dad and I have enjoyed so many baseball moments together. Baseball comes up in nearly every one of our conversations. I can’t root against the Cardinals right now. If my Dad is rooting for the Cardinals right now, so am I. I hope you can forgive me. I am not really rooting for the Cardinals. I am rooting for my Dad.

Weekend Link Dump

*Awful news out of the organization, as Carlos Corporan and his wife Stephanie lost their 16-month old son over the weekend.

It came out this past April that Corporan's son had heart trouble, and had at least two heart surgeries as a premature baby. So everyone take a moment to offer one up to the Corporan family.

*John Sickels takes a look at how the Cardinals were built- sixteen of the 25 men on their post-season roster were acquired through the draft.

*"The best thing that could have happened to Jimmy VanOstrand was getting cut by the lowly Houston Astros."

*The Corpus Christi Caller-Times' Lee Goddard remembers the 1980 NLCS.

*The Sunshine Kids Foundation celebrated its 30th anniversary.

Arizona Fall League: Oct 12

While we try to figure out just exactly why God is trolling Astros fans with the Cardinals' win last night, enjoy a report from Mesa...

Mesa overcame a 4-run Surprise 1st inning to win 12-6.

Jon Singleton: 1x4, BB
George Springer: 2x3, 3B, HR, 2BB, 4RBI, 3 runs scored
Bobby Borchering: 1x4, HR, 2RBI, 3K:1BB

Chia-Jen Lo: 1IP, 0H/0ER, 1K:1BB

Former Astros

I thought it'd be fun to see how all the former Astros were doing so far in the playoffs.

Hunter Pence - .200/.200/.200 0 R 0 HR 0 RBI 1 SB
Carlos Beltran - .333/.421/.800 3 R 2 HR 4 RBI 1 SB
Troy Patton - 0-0 .2 IP 0.00 ERA 2 H  0 K 2 BB
Andy Pettitte - 0-1 7.0 IP 3.86 ERA 3 H 5 K 1 BB.

Never mind. That wasn't fun at all. Sorry about that.

UPDATE

Aubrey Huff - .000/.000/.000 0 R 0 HR 0 RBI  (3 AB)
Octavio Dotel - 0-0 1.0 IP 0.00 ERA 2 SO 1 BB
Jose Valverde - 0-1 1.2 IP 16.20 ERA 3 SO  BB.

That was embarrassing.  

Arizona Fall League: Oct 11

Mesa won their first game of the season by scoring the last five runs of the game for a 6-5 win over Surprise. Your PreStros:

Jon Singleton: 2x5, 2B, K
Bobby Borchering: 0x4, K
Nick Tropeano: 2IP, 0H/0ER, 3K - 18 pitches (!) and 12 for strikes

Prospects we watched in 2012

Back in February we mentioned a handful of minor leaguers that, for one reason or another, we thought fans should keep an eye on. Let's go back and see how they did.

Catcher

Consensus: Chris Wallace - Chris spent most of the season in Corpus and battled injuries as his bat took a step back this year. In 236 at bats he hit .254/.335/.390 with just five home runs after knocking 20 in 365 at bats last year. Defensively he caught just 12% of base stealers. Injured or not, this was a big step back for Wallace. He can't afford another season like this.

Under the Radar: Ernesto Genoves - Genoves repeated this season at Greeneville but failed to show improvement. His hitting fell off to .232/.306/.402 but he maintained his decent walk and strikeout rates. His caught stealing percentage dropped slightly to 25%, though he did a better job with passed balls by allowing just three after having nine last season. Had his bat continued to improve he would have started getting a little attention, but at this point he's heading for the dreaded "organizational depth" label. 

Make or Break: Rene Garcia - Garcia repeated at Lancaster most of the season, along with nine games at Corpus. While his batting average improved to .285 it was very empty, as he had no home runs and took just eight walks on the season. His rate catching base stealers declined for the third straight season while he showed little if any improvement preventing passed balls. A defense first minor leaguer with declining defensive performance won't last long.

First Base

Consensus: Jonathan Singleton - Singleton was everything we were hoping, and maybe more. He spent the year as a 20 year old at Corpus where he hit .284/.396/.497 with 21 home runs. He'll probably start the season in OKC, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him in Houston sometime in 2013.

Under the Radar: Mario Gonzalez - Mario flew so far under the radar in 2012 he ended up getting released in June just as the short-season leagues got started.

Make or Break: Kody Hinze - Kody's Corpus drop off continued in 2012 as he struggled to hit just .212/.299/.365 with 11 home runs. Hinze's age and struggles this season combined with the emergence of Jon Singleton led to Kody being released in August.

Second Base

Consensus: Delino DeShields - DDJ firmly re-established himself as a top prospect in 2012. Splitting the season between Lexington and Lancaster, DeShields destroyed the Astros organization stolen base record, swiping 101 bags, while hitting .287/.389/.428 with 12 home runs. While the stats don't necessarily reflect it, his defense at second base was noticeably improved as well.

Under the Radar: Brandon Wikoff - Brandon appeared in just 22 games for Corpus before being shut down in July due to a wrist injury. Not that it tells us much given the circumstances, but he hit .190/.297/.222. He'll be 25 next season and is now behind Jose Altuve, Jose Martinez, and, likely, DeShields on the depth chart.

Make or Break: Andrew Simunic - Simunic ended up spending most of his time at third base for Corpus this year along with a few games at short. Offensively, his results were decent if not predictable as he hit .290/.343/.338. He's 27 and he is who he is; a decent utility player who may be able to hold his own at the plate if pressed into emergency service.

Shortstop

Consensus: Jonathan Villar - Villar started slowly while repeating at Corpus, but started coming on strong midway through the season before breaking his hand throwing a tantrum. He finished the season hitting .261/.336/.396 while stealing 39 bases, increasing his walk rate, and decreasing his strikeout rate. His defense is still raw but, like the rest of his game, flashes high potential. He'll turn 22 next year and, while I don't think he's ready yet, will probably spend most of next season in AAA.

Under the Radar: Juan Santana - Juan made the jump stateside, playing in the Gulf Coast League this year. He split his time between 2B and SS and his defensive numbers at 2B were much stronger. His offensive numbers were very similar to what he posted last season in the Dominican except for his walk rate, which dropped dramatically. He was still just 17 last year, so we'll see what the next few years bring. He'll probably spend the 2013 season in short-season ball again.

Make or Break: Jiovanni Mier - Jio repeated at Lancaster as a 21 year old and looked like he was putting it together before suffering a hamstring injury that limited him to just 46 games in 2012. He hit a strong .292/.396/.409 while continuing to play solid defense. He'll slot in one level below Villar next season to start the year but if he can continue outperforming Villar by an appreciable margin he could leap frog him at some point next year.


Third Base

Consensus: Mike Kvasnicka - During Spring Training it was announced that Mike would move back behind the plate. That only lasted 26 games before splitting the rest of the season between RF and DH. He struggled through a brutal April, hitting .118/.167/.191. Moving out from behind the dish helped out as he posted OPS's of .820 and .819 in June and July before ending up on the DL for the rest of the season. He ended up with a line of .232/.275/.412 with 15 home runs. While it was nice to see his power start to show, he'll be 24 next season, he doesn't seem to have a position, and his bat hasn't shown the polish normally seen from player taken out of college. 

Under the Radar: Jonathan Meyer - Jonathan repeated at Lancaster and took a step back performance-wise. His walk rate was nearly cut in half and his power dropped off as well. He finished the year hitting .272/.315/.375 with eight home runs. A third base prospect that has a tough time producing in Lancaster likely doesn't have a long shelf life.

Make or Break: David Flores - David was released around the time this list was originally put together.

Outfield

Consensus: Ariel Ovando - Ovando spent another season in Greeneville and made positive strides on offense and defense. He hit .287/.350/.444 with six home runs while improving his walk rate and reducing the number of fielding errors he committed. Next year will be a real test as he's expected to play full-season ball for the first time at Quad Cities.

George Springer - George had the breakout year everyone was hoping for. He started the season in Lancaster where he put up a .955 OPS with 22 home runs and 28 steals before being promoted to Corpus for the final month of the season. His strikeout rate was a little concerning, as he whiffed 156 times in 506 at bats, but he also showed a good eye at the plate. His swing is described being all or nothing, so improving his two-strike approach should help. He'll likely start the season back at Corpus, but another strong showing like he had this season will get him promoted quickly.

Domingo Santana - Santana is another guy who made big strides in 2012. As a 19 year old in the California League, he hit an impressive .302/.385/.536 with 23 home runs. His strikeout rate remained high but his walk rate improved to over 10%. He also continued showing his strong arm, notching 12 outfield assists. If he continues to develop at this rate, he and Springer have the potential to be 2/3 of an All-Star outfield.

Under the Radar: Brandon Meredith - Brandon made good strides playing all season in Lexington. He hit .278/.377/.506 in 316 at bats with a strong walk rate, 15 home runs, and 12 steals. Don't be surprised if he has huge numbers in Lancaster, but Corpus will be the real test for him.

Teoscar Hernandez - At 19 years old, Teoscar made the jump stateside from the Dominican League. His numbers dipped a bit, but that's not unusual for players in their first year playing in the U.S. He hit .243/.323/.401 while stealing 10 bases in 11 tries. He made sure he brought his arm with him as he racked up 11 outfield assists.

Adam Bailey - Bailey battled injury as he split time between Lancaster and Corpus with a cameo in OKC. He hit .264/.309/.440 with 10 home runs in 318 at bats. He's another outfielder who put up double digit assists as he gunned down 10 runners.

Make or Break: Grant Hogue - Grant had a late start to the season after recovering from a broken hamate bone but did his best to make up for lost time. In 43 games with Lancaster he hit .361/.421/.458 while stealing 27 bases. His small sample size strong showing likely bought him a little more time to prove himself.

T.J. Steele - Steele "hit" just .141/.184/.268 in 26 games for Corpus before getting released. He was later signed by San Diego where he played a month in AA before getting released again.

Jon Gaston - Gaston was released prior to the season.

Starting Pitcher

Consensus: Jarred Cosart - Cosart was limited to just 114.2 innings due to lingering blister issues, but pitched well between Corpus and OKC. He finished the year with a 3.30 ERA and saw his K/9 tick back up over seven, something that had been a bit of a concern given his stuff. Don't be surprised to see him in Houston some time next year.

Brett Oberholtzer - Brett struggled badly at the beginning of the season but got stronger as the season progressed to post a 4.37 ERA with a 3.4 K/BB rate in 166.2 innings split between OKC and Corpus. His final month, at AAA, he put up a 2.45 ERA in 40.1 innings. If he can avoid another slow start he, too, could see time in Houston in 2013.

Paul Clemens - Clemens started the season in OKC but performed very poorly before getting sent back to Corpus for the final month of the season. In 143.1 total innings he had a 5.78 ERA and his K/9 slipped to 6.6. There have been suggestions that he may be better suited to the bullpen.

Mike Foltynewicz - Repeating in Lexington worked out well for Folty as he went 14-4 with a 3.14 ERA in 152 innings. His peripherals snapped back to where they were expected to be, but a walk rate that has creeped up each year should be watched closely. He still seems to struggle a bit with composure but did make strides in his mound presence as well.

Kyle Weiland - Weiland had a strong Spring Training and started the season in Houston's rotation but made just three starts before going down for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. He is expected to be ready in time for the 2013 season.

Under the Radar: Luis Ordosgoitti - Ordosgoitti got hit hard and often this season in Lexington, appearing to get weaker as his first year in full-season ball went on. In 103 innings he posted a 5.42 ERA. He's still just 20 and should be able to better handle a full schedule next year. I expect him to bounce back.

Nick Tropeano - Tropeano started popping up on prospect lists after a strong season split between Lexington and Lancaster. In 158 innings he pitched to a 3.02 ERA while striking out more than a batter an inning. I'd like to see how he handles Corpus next season. A strong showing there will get a lot of prospect watchers excited.

Carlos Quevedo - Quevedo switched almost exclusively to the bullpen in 2012, and it suited him well. While keeping his BB/9 low at 1.7, his K/9 soared to 10.0 as he posted a 3.22 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 86.2 innings between Lexington and Lancaster. Expect to see his stock rise quickly if he can keep up this type of performance out of the pen.

Kyle Hallock - Kyle suffered through injury in 2012, putting up an 8.22 ERA in 30.2 innings between Lexington and a rehab stint with the Gulf Coast team. Hopefully he can make a full recovery and get back on track next year.

Jake Buchanan - Buchanan spent most of the season in Corpus with a cup of coffee in OKC and pitched to a 5.25 ERA in 142.1 innings. His strikeout and walk rates were in line with his career numbers, but he gave up nearly 12 hits per nine innings. Another year in Corpus will tell us whether or not he can make it.

Make or Break: Jonnathan Aristil - Aristil moved to the bullpen this season and must have racked up a ton of frequent flyer miles as he was repeatedly shifted back and forth from Corpus to OKC. The shuffling didn't suit him as his ERA was 5.87 in 46 innings. Given his performance and the way the organization used him as bullpen filler it's likely that Aristil's days are numbered.

Robert Donovan - Donovan was released before the season started.

Sergio Perez - Sergio moved to the bullpen for OKC in 2013 but the move didn't help his results much. In 75.1 innings he pitched to a 4.54 ERA with just 1.6 K/BB. I'll be surprised if he's back next season.

Relief Pitcher

Consensus: Jack Armstrong - Armstrong underwent Tommy John surgery before the season started. He'll be back on the mound next season.

Adrian Houser - Houser's peripherals in Greeneville were much better than his results would indicate. In 58 innings his ERA was 4.19, along with a K/9 of 8.4, BB/9 of 3.6, and H/9 of 8.2. He's still highly thought of among prospect followers.

Under the Radar: Alex Sogard - Sogard pitched exclusively out of the bullpen, starting the season in Lancaster before spending most of the year in Corpus. In 69.2 innings he posted a 3.62 ERA and earned a spot as one of the Astros delegates to the Arizona Fall League.

Mitchell Lambson - Lambson continued dominating the hitters in the lower minors while he spend most of the season in Lexington after starting the year in Greeneville. In 46 innings he put up a 2.15 ERA and an outstanding 10.6 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9.

Ryan Cole - Ryan was released before the season.

Evan Grills - Grills had a rough time in Lexington this year. In 71.1 innings he had a 4.92 ERA with a K/BB of 1.8 while giving up 11 home runs. I had a chance to see him pitch this season and his stuff seems to match these results; nothing particularly overpowering or deceptive.

Matison Smith - Matison was released before the season.

Make or Break: Pat Urckfitz - Pat had a bounce back season in Lancaster. In 66.1 innings he had a 3.66 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9. Next season should see him get a second shot at Corpus.


If there's one thing we learned this year, it's that minor league relief pitchers, particularly ones below the AA level can disappear with no warning and no apparent reason. We also saw the minor league system make outstanding strides as their U.S. located teams posted the best total winning percentage of all 30 organizations. The bulk of the talent seems to be concentrated in Lancaster and Corpus, though the lower levels show a lot of promise as well. Once these kids start hitting Houston in another couple seasons we should see the Astros begin to reap the fruits of their rebuild.

Three elect free agency

According to Baseball America, Brian Bixler, Angel Sanchez, and Travis Buck - Astros sometimes-minor-leaguers - have elected free agency:

Bixler got 96 plate appearances in 36 games, "hitting" .193/.253/.330 with 2HR, 36K:7BB. At OKC, he hit .269/.346/.361.

Sanchez went from being the Astros' Opening Day shortstop in 2011 to a minor-league free agent at the end of 2012. In 102 games for OKC in 2012, he hit .320/.390/.407, with 25K:40BB - the best minor-league season of his career.

In 33 games (81 PAs) for Houston in 2012, Buck hit .216/.284/.311, with six extra-base hits. In 22 games for OKC this season, he hit .359/.414/.469.

Playoff Team Construction

 As you might have noticed, the Astros didn’t make the playoffs this year. Oh, so close. Obviously, the goal of all fans is to see their team win it all, and for that, you need to construct a team that will make it to the second season. After that, it’s a crapshoot.  Just ask Billy Beane. As we get ready to watch a slate full of meaningful Astroless games, once again, let’s take a look at how each of the 8 teams that made the playoffs were constructed,  to see which model the Astros should take to get them back to their rightful place. Rankings from the worst model to the best.

Orioles

The Orioles were 29-9 in one run games this year. They went 16-2 in extra innings. They outscored their opponents by only 7 runs, and exceeded their Pythagorean record by 11 wins. Not to take anything away from them. They are in, and they have as good a shot as anyone.  If someone can figure out exactly HOW they did it, and a way to replicate it, the Orioles path to the playoffs seems like the way to go. I mean, that’s easier than actually taking the time to get good. Until then, let’s maybe try a different way.

Yankees

The Yankees path to the playoffs is essentially to be the Yankees. The Red Sox tried to be the Yankees, with varying degrees of success. The Dodgers are currently a couple months into trying to be the Yankees, and the early returns are not promising. Something tells me the Astros, who have questioned whether hiring a certain broadcaster is in their budget, won’t be taking the “be the Yankees” path anytime soon.

Tigers

Tigers’ path:

1. Acquire the best pitcher in baseball
2. Acquire the best hitter in baseball
3.  ?????
4.  Profit

That is obviously an oversimplification, as they got great seasons out of Austin Jackson, Prince Fielder and Max Scherzer. But they are definitely taking a stars and scrubs approach to team building. That works when your stars are Cabrera and Verlander. Maybe Correa and McCullers could be that for the Astros, but I think a better bet would be a more balanced approach.

Giants

The Giants have had a consistent run of success based primarily on their young starting pitching. They drafted Cain, Lincecum and Bumgarner, and that trio led them to the World Series in 2010.The offense has typically lagged behind, and this year was no different, although the offense saw improvement with the rise to MVP status of Buster Posey. They caught lightening in a bottle with their young pitchers, but that is always a risky proposition. If the Astros were able to get pitchers of that caliber through the draft, I’d be all for it. However, TINSTAAPP (There is No Such Thing As A Pitching Prospect), which is why I was thrilled with the pick of Correa over Appel in this year’s draft. 

Reds

For whatever reason, the Reds have been unable to find any consistency. They won the division two years ago, with 91 wins, dropped below .500 last year, and returned to 97 wins this year. I can’t figure this team out, and I have nothing interesting to say. There are better ways to build a team, but there are worse ones too. Next team, please.

Athletics

Ah, the sabermetric darlings of baseball, immortalized in Moneyball, the book and movie. Win by exploiting market inefficiencies on a limited payroll, and then get beat at your own game by teams exploiting the same inefficiencies with a bigger payroll. They are back, and this time with an all-rookie pitching staff and their best offensive players a castoff from Boston and a Cuban rookie. They are absolutely a model for making the most of limitations, and making the playoffs against all odds. Thing is, Houston is not a small market, and should be able to combine the A’s smarts with a little bit of money.   

Cardinals

The Cardinals are a model franchise. They have finished below .500 once in the last ten years, making the playoffs 9 times since 2000, and winning the World Series twice. They have replenished their team through the draft, despite not drafting particularly high. They have supplemented with smart free agent acquisitions, without overly burdening their future. They experienced a small drop off with the loss of Pujols, but not enough to keep them out of the playoffs. (They actually had a better run differential this year than last, FWIW). They are a lot like the kid in college who knows exactly what he needs to do to make an A, and does no more and no less. (Okay, that kid was me.) You’ll let us win the division with 83 wins. Okay – we’ll win the World Series. We need to win the wild card, and it will take an epic collapse from the team we are chasing? Okay – we’ll win the World Series. You will add a 2^nd Wild Card, and we’ll need to play a play-in game on the road? Okay – you see where this is going. If the Astros can emulate the long term success of this franchise, everyone will be happy. I choose to give Luhnow 100% credit for all of the Cardinals' success, and am sure he will be able to duplicate that run in Houston in a couple years. So why are they number 2?

Nationals

After a couple mediocre seasons, team loses 100 games two years in a row, and as a result picks first in the next two draft. Sound familiar. That was Nationals in 2008 and 2009. After losing 81, 91 and 89 games, the bottom dropped out and they lost 102 and 103 in consecutive seasons. That afforded them generational talents in Harper and Strasburg, and combined with several other smart acquisitions, got them in the playoffs as the number 1 seed in the NL just three years later. They are an example of how the draft system is supposed to work, and how you don’t have to get stuck in the same rut teams like the Pirates and Royals have been in for so long. Maybe the Astros won’t be on the same time table, but the Nationals are proof that we could be watching the Astros play these meaningful September games, and sooner rather than later.

Arizona Fall League: Oct. 10

The Mesa Solar Sox dropped to 0-2 with an 11-3 loss to Salt River yesterday. But that doesn't matter, because we only care about how the Astros' prospects did. Here you go:

Jon Singleton: 2x4, triple, 2-run HR, 3RBI, run scored
George Springer: 0x3, BB
Jio Mier: 1x4

Pitchers:
Alex Sogard: 1.1IP, 2H/3R (0ER), 0K:1BB
Chia-Jen Lo: 1IP, 1H/1ER, 2K:1BB

Ausmus to interview for Red Sox gig

Here's the Boston Globe announcing that Brad Ausmus will interview to be the next manager of the Red Sox.

Remember he withdrew his name from the Astros gig, but the Red Sox' (s?) position is obviously more appealing:

Ausmus, last week on the Red Sox job:
"That's one job that would get me off my couch early."

Everyone is gone

Greg Lucas tweeted out yesterday that he would not be involved with the Astros' broadcasts for the 2013 season, but will inquire about radio vacancies.

We also learn that Barry Waters, the travel coordinator, will not be returning to the Astros in 2013.

So if you are an employee of the Astros, and you have worked there longer than two years, you might want to get your resumes in order.

Arizona Fall League: Oct 9

A little wrap-up on Opening Day of the Mesa Solar Sox' Arizona Fall League season for you, as the Salt River Rafters took G1, 6-5.

Jarred Cosart got the start and was cruising along - not allowing a baserunner through the first 2.2IP. He ended the night with 3.1IP, 3H/2ER, 2K:0BB, and an error due to a missed catch. Of his 50 pitches thrown, 31 were for strikes and he got seven groundouts to one flyout.

Jonathan Singleton: 1x5, 2Ks.
Bobby Borchering: 0x2, BB, Run scored
George Springer: 0x1 as a pinch-hitter.

New Social Media Director to be announced

As part of their off-season overhaul of the team's media group, the Astros are set to reveal their new Director of Social Media on October 22.

The position has stood vacant since July when the previous Director, Alyson Footer, left the team to take a national correspondent position with MLB.com. Whoever is filling this position, their first order of business should be to shore up an area of the team's front office that saw a series of embarrassing mistakes towards the end of the season. Since this was discussed in another post over the weekend it won't be rehashed here.

Dewayne Staats finalist for HOF award

Dewayne Staats is one of ten finalists for the Ford C. Frick award from the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Staats has been the Rays' play-by-play guy since their inception in 1998, but he worked for the Astros from 1977-1984. He's also Dan Wheeler's father-in-law.

The Frick award is given to broadcasters by the Hall of Fame every year, and Milo Hamilton won the award in 1992.

Arizona Fall League preview

So the Arizona Fall League starts today. Here's what you need to know...

What is the Arizona Fall League?
The AFL is a fall league, where all the teams play in Arizona.

Seriously?
Yes, but to be more specific, the AFL has six teams in two divisions. Each MLB team sends seven of their top prospects to the AFL, comprising of 180 players. Most are Double-A and Triple-A, but a team can send one A-level player.

What team will the Astros have players on?
I think it's actually supposed to be, "On which team will the Astros have players?" But I know what you meant. The Astros have players on the Mesa Solar Sox, managed by Rodney Linares.

What the hell is a Solar Sox?
It's a sock with solar panels to make players better. Anyone who puts one of these Solar Sox on will receive a 50-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. 

Wait. This Rodney Linares fella sounds familiar.
Sure he does. He was the manager of the Lancaster JetHawks this season. 

Who are the Astros sending to Mesa?
Jarred Cosart, Chia-Jen Lo, Alex Sogard, Nick Tropeano, Jio Mier, Jon Singleton, Bobby Borchering, and George Springer.

Wait. That's...eight players. I thought you said there were seven players from each team.
I did. I don't know.
Update: Via What the Heck Bobby, we find that each team sends seven players and has an 8th on what is known as a Taxi Squad.

So who should we keep an eye on?
All of them, really, but obviously Cosart, Singleton, and Springer. I have a feeling that this AFL season is going to be pretty important for Mier. Sixteen of the 49 1st Round picks (Supplemental Round included) have seen time in the Majors. Mier, picked four selections ahead of Mike Trout, has yet to see Double-A.

How did they do this season?

Bobby Borchering: Acquired in the Chris Johnson trade, Borchering hit just .189/.275/.389 in 30 games (109 PAs) for Corpus down the stretch in 2012. He struck out 36 times in 109 PAs, but ten of his 18 hits were for extra-bases. He'll be 22 near the end of the month.

Jarred Cosart: The Clear Creek HS alum went 6-7 between Corpus (15 starts) and Oklahoma City (six appearances, five starts), throwing a combined 114.2IP, with a 3.30 ERA/1.40 WHIP. He struck out 92 batters and gave up just three homers to 501 batters faced. He also dealt with blister issues throughout the season.

Chia-Jen Lo: Lo will be 27 in April, so he needs to show some things. He only threw 30 IP this season, 11.0 with the GCL Astros and 19IP with Lancaster. In Lancaster he struck out 20 batters in 19IP, allowing just 14H/3ER. He's thrown 45IP since 2009. A good AFL and I wouldn't be surprised if he found his way to Houston in 2013.


Jio Mier: Hit .286/.385/.400 in 51 games - most of them for High-A Lancaster - with 34K:30BB in 220 PAs. Missed most of the season with a hamstring injury.

Jon Singleton: Singleton spent all of 2012 in Corpus, after coming over in 2011 as part of the Hunter Pence trade with the Phillies. Singleton hit .284/.396/.497, with 131K:88BB in 555 PAs, and only grounded into six double plays in 2012. Fifty-two of his 131 hits for Corpus were for extra-bases. Has an outside chance to win an Opening Day spot out of Spring Training.


Alex Sogard: 26th Round pick in the 2010 draft, Sogard threw 69.2IP in 2012, converting to a full-time reliever. Between Lancaster (16IP) and Corpus (53.2IP), Sogard allowed a 3.62 ERA/1.51 WHIP, striking out 52 batters and walking 33. His numbers took a hit at Double-A, with 35K:25BB in 53.2IP and a 1.58 WHIP.

George Springer: The latest version of The Truth for the Astros, Springer was Ed Wade's final first-round pick. He hit .302/.383/.526 in 128 games between Lancaster and Corpus, but struck out an alarming 156 times in 581 plate appearances (including 25K in 81PAs at Corpus). Fifty-five of his 137 hits at Lancaster were for extra-bases, including 10 triples, and 32 stolen bases.

Nick Tropeano: My man-crush on Tropeano aside, I wouldn't be surprised to see him in Houston at some point in 2013, either. Tropeano spent most of 2012 at Lancaster, and managed to keep his ERA at 3.31, with a 1.32 WHIP. He struck out 69 batters in 70.2IP, and only walked 21 of the 299 batters he faced.

When do they start playing?
Today (Tuesday, October 9). Jarred Cosart gets the start for Mesa against Salt River, who has excellent steaks. 

We Are Your Astros: Update

If you haven't yet, go back and read this post from Saturday evening.

I still stand behind what I wrote, but I want to provide an update.

Kathleen and I were able to talk for a little over half an hour this evening. While I'm not able to pass along many of the details, the bottom line is that the Astros organization has heard the fans and is taking what I feel are appreciable steps towards addressing the most glaring concerns. Change is difficult and mistakes have been made, but hopefully things will get back on track soon. 

Also, be prepared for a couple more interesting reveals from the club on a couple of topics very soon.

We Are Your Astros?

The news Thursday night that Astros radio broadcasters Dave Raymond and Brett Dolan were not going to be brought back next season has set off a firestorm of reaction with fans. While on the surface it may have seemed like the type of overreaction often seen fueled by the immediacy of Twitter, the reality is that Astros fans have a legitimate reason to react this strongly.

While most of the reaction I saw regarding Dave and Brett was supportive of the duo, there was a handful who didn't see this as a great loss. Some of this stems from the fact that the antics of Milo Hamilton kept the pair from truly establishing an identity and legitimacy of their own. Even still, if you look outside of Houston you'll find that the former duo, and Raymond in particular, was very well thought of in the industry. While the radio broadcast team as a whole ranked in the bottom third of a poll conducted by FanGraphs, it was clear that Hamilton was considered to be a drag on their quality. Head over there and you'll see lines like "the quality of the broadcast has improved dramatically with less Milo Hamilton," "the road broadcasts are solid," and "many of the sentiments regarding Dave Raymond are reminiscent of those regarding Astros television broadcaster Jim Deshaies, who is decidedly excellent."

In addition to being well thought of as broadcasters, they had established a strong relationship with the team's fans. They freely interacted with many fans on Twitter, sharing interesting tidbits about the team that you won't find anywhere else as well as joking around and sharing laughs with many. They often made themselves available before games to meet and take pictures with fans, further strengthening the fans' connection to the team.

But I'll be honest here; the replacement of the team's radio team doesn't really make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things. This post isn't meant to lift Dave and Brett up as martyrs. I think if you asked even the most outraged fans they would tell you this was simply the straw that broke the camel's back. Astros fans have had to put up with a lot of really crappy stuff recently.

In addition to Dave Raymond and Brett Dolan, many of the faces and voices of the club have disappeared this season. Fans also have dealt with the loss of the ever interactive Sr. Director of Social Media, Alyson Footer, when she left to take a national position with MLB.com. Alyson worked tirelessly to connect the fans with the players and provide a behind the scenes look at the club. Also going away is Zach Levine, who essentially covered the team single-handedly (also, left-handedly) for the Chronicle this season. Levine had grown from the stats oriented lefty to a well-rounded, humorous writer who was also not shy to talk to fans. It's unusual for a beat writer to be so well liked by fans and hearing that Z was leaving was another blow to the fans connection to the team. I should also point out that, as of the time of this post, it is still unknown if the very popular and nationally recognized TV broadcast team of Jim Deshaies and Bill Brown will be returning next year, as well as sideline (dugout?) reporter Greg Lucas. It is speculated that JD will be back, but Brownie is said to be contemplating retirement. Greg Lucas is still in limbo as well.

The biggest blow to Astros fans is the imminent switch from the National League to the American League. It's a slap in the face to a team with over 50 years of history in the league. The Astros are the winningest NL expansion team by a comfortable margin and have long standing rivalries that are now meaningless. The team was held hostage as Bud Selig and the owners took their sweet time supposedly "vetting" Jim Crane. What many believe now is that Crane was basically coerced into negotiating away the Astros NL history in exchange for being approved as the new owner.

Fans have also had to deal with the repercussions of going through a scorched earth rebuild. Years of neglect had dried up the talent pipeline for the organization to the point that the Astros have essentially had to start completely over, reminiscent of our start as an expansion club. This has resulted in back to back seasons of record breaking losses for the club. What few marketable players the fans could root for were traded off in order to shore up the foundation of the talent pipeline. While more mature fans recognize that this had to be done, it doesn't make it any easier to root for the major league product that was left behind.

Astros fans now have to put up with being laughed at on a regular basis. Fans of rival teams laugh. Small children laugh. National media laugh. Hotel doormen laugh. Random people walking down the street in other cities laugh. Did I mention that even small children laugh? Every single one of those instances actually happened this season. And fans have no response. What are they to say? "Oh yeah, you just wait until 2015!"

While we're talking about getting laughed at, let's talk about what happened to the social media and marketing group after Footer left. The first rumbling that that wheels might fall off was when Astros players started tweeting links to buy game tickets. Fans don't follow players because they want to get sold stuff. There was also the time that Jed Lowrie batted cleanup. Except he really didn't. Or the time they congratulated JD Martinez for a homerun that Fernando Martinez hit. While JD was on the disabled list. Or the time they invited fans to lunch with Joe Niekro. Who's been dead for almost six years. (Screen shots taken from this post over at Tales From the Juice Box and this post at The Crawfish Boxes)

Through all of this change one thing is becoming clear. Jim Crane has set out to completely clear out any and all remnants of Drayton McLane's legacy and replace it with his own. That's why there's been so much turnover in the front office. That's why there's been so much turnover on the media side. That's why the uniforms are getting changed. That's why there are changes in the stadium (like the hideous new advertisement tower in left field). And that's why there are rumors that he had already decided on a name change before being hit with so much backlash. In the beginning they made a show out of using focus groups and surveys of season ticket holders, but even that has been thrown out the window lately. None of the season ticket holders we've had a chance to speak to have heard or seen anything at any point over the past year regarding the tv and radio broadcasters, for example. Those decisions were made without any consideration of the fans.

In my opinion, Jim Crane is treating this team like a selfish child with a new toy. He has shown no respect for the proud history of the team he has taken custody of, the city to which the team belongs, and the fans who have invested so much into the support of the team.

The last two years have been very hard on Astros fans, Jim. Don't play chicken with the few the team has left.

*Note: Following a series of tweets I posted following the news that Dave Raymond and Brett Dolan were not being brought back, Astros VP of Marketing, Kathleen Clark, invited my to discuss my thoughts with her via email. Clark was to respond to my thoughts by Friday evening but as of Saturday evening no response has been given.

*Update: Clark and I will be working out a time to discuss the "fan perspective" tomorrow.

Dierker, Ashby rumored to join broadcasting team

Larry Dierker, Alan Ashby, and Steve Sparks have been linked to the vacancies in the broadcasting booth for 2013, according to David Barron - who says the booth will have at least one player with major league experience.

Ashby works for the Blue Jays, and Steve Sparks has a full-time job in mortgages (take a second and let that sink in) in addition to work with the company formerly known as Fox Sports Houston.

Dierker, however, that's an interesting one. Take it away, David Barron:
Dierker, whose tenure with the ballclub dates to the Colt .45s as player, manager and broadcaster, could be a candidate if it works within the team's budget.

If it works within the team's budget. The team's. Budget. To take the wording of Barron's article quite literally, the team whose largest financial commitment for 2013 is $5m to the Pirates for Wandy Rodriguez might not have the financial flexibility to hire a color analyst.

We also find out in that article that Milo will be calling "a few games" each year.

2013 Mock Draft

Through the Fence Baseball has an eight-month head start on the June 2013 draft, posting a mock draft today.

Their pick? Austin Meadows, a 6'4" 200lb outfielder out of Grayson HS in Loganville, Georgia.

It's a solid choice - ESPNHS profiled him last June as a potential #1 overall pick in 2013. ESPNHS wrote:
Meadows has all the hallmarks of a first-round pick. The left-handed center fielder is a five-tool talent with the size, speed and athleticism of a Josh Hamilton and the sweet swing of an Andre Ethier. Put it all together, and it's easy to understand why he's projected as a first-rounder.

Here's a prospect video on Meadows. 

Did Brad Ausmus remove his name from Astros consideration to be the next manager of the Red Sox?

Because that's what Hardball Talk's Matthew Pouliot suggests..

We tried to tell you that Ausmus interviewed for the manager position, but McTaggart said we were no-good, dirty liars, and then Ken Rosenthal came to the rescue, and the day was saved. Dogs rolled over on their backs and there were tummy-scratches available for everybody. Regardless, Ausmus took his name out of the running to become the next manager of the Astros.

The line of thinking is that Ausmus, a Connecticut native, was tipped off that the Red Sox wouldn't retain Bobby Valentine (though Deputy Street pointed out on Twitter that EVERYBODY knew Valentine was getting canned). It makes sense. Ausmus presumably grew up a Red Sox fan. And when you have a chance to manage the Red Sox, you have to take it. (Is that still true?)

Astros screw up, show everyone most of the uniform

Over at SportsLogosNews, they take the Astros Launch Party invitation and do some filtering to see what the new unis look like.

We're not going to take their pageviews, so go on over and look for yourself.

And I was going to leave it at that, but decided to comment further. Are the Astros Marketing Staff kidding? The Joe Niekro Incident, Lowrie beating cleanup from the lead-off spot, error-filled tweets, and now they (probably) just blew the whole point of whipping up excitement over new uniforms because they didn't think, "Hey, maybe we shouldn't use the actual jersey and turn off some lights for a picture?"

Astros let Raymond/Dolan go

In one of your classic "Making changes just to make changes" moves, the Astros announced that Dave Raymond and Brett Dolan will not be retained for the 2013 season. So the only member of the radio team that we know of is the football player from Houston who won a contest. That's great, for him.

But we - like most fans - are pissed. Having come to the Astros in 2006 and worked around Milo's schedule for the last seven years, Dolan and Raymond were pretty damn good radio guys, and that they will not be retained makes me mad.

Dolan:
"I'm really disappointed. Broadcasting baseball is all I've done my adult life, 19 straight years, and the last seven years [in Houston]. It's a difficult change to digest. I guess the disappointing aspect of it is [that] I bypassed pursuing some other opportunity in recent years because I wanted to be here long-term. We'll see what happens next." 

Astros County has reached out to the Astros for further comment. 

Now what.

Thank God that's over. The worst season in Astros history, by one game, on a walk-off, has been completed, to what I'm sure is everyone's delight. It's been a hard season, and was about as fun to write about as it was to watch. So thank you all, from the staff of Astros County, for continuing to find reasons to visit the site.

Over the course of the off-season, we have the following items planned:

*The Designated Hater series - telling you why you should hate the other 14 American League teams.
*Defensive Replacement Dante Aligheri: The Exact Moment in the last two seasons that the Astros traversed Dante's levels of hell.
*Coverage of the Winter Meetings, held in The Constable's backyard, in which we will attempt to have a beer with Jeff Luhnow, Mike Fast, and Kevin Goldstein.
*More long-reads (feel free to submit requests).
*A breakdown and report card for every Astro.
*Spotlight on the PreStros.
*Arizona Fall League
*Adding a writer or two.
*More randomness.

Seriously, Astros County is better than ever, and with Trostel, Cockroach, Deputy Phelps, and others, we're looking forward to the emotional recovery of 2012. Thank you for your support.

From the Office of the County Clerk: G162 - Astros @ Cubs

Edgar Gonzalez (3-1, 4.15) vs Travis Wood (6-13, 4.39)

And so it goes. With a chance to end their National League tenure on a sweep of the Cubs - the same way the .Colt 45s began their existence 51 years ago - the Astros rallied back from a 4-1 deficit to make it 4-4 going to the 9th. But a season of many disappointments ended with one more, and the Cubs come away with a 5-4 walk-off win. The 2012 season will now officially go down as the worst in Houston franchise history, as the Astros finish their last trip through the NL with a 55-107 record.

*Edgar Gonzalez's arrival in Houston roughly coincided with their September turnaround, and the team had won four of his five starts so far. But today, Edgar could not match the stellar performances of those who went before him in the preceding three games, and he finished his 2012 return to the big leagues with a 3.1 IP / 5 H / 4 R / 4 ER / 4 BB / 1 K line. The bullpen was big until the end, with Fernando Abad (0.1 IP, BB), Jose Valdez (1.1 IP), Mickey Storey (1 IP, K), Fernando Rodriguez (1 IP, K), and Hector Ambriz (1.2 IP, 3 BB, 2 K) keeping the Cubs off the board again until two outs in the 9th. But Ambriz could not get the final out, allowing a bases-loaded single to Bryan LaHair that lost Houston the game.

Observations:

*The Astros didn't have much success against Cubs pitching today until the 8th, but Justin Maxwell made it seven straight games with a HR for Houston, clubbing a three-run shot in that 8th and finishing 2 for 3 with a walk. Maxwell ended the season with a team-leading 18 home runs.

*Carlos Corporan got Houston on the board in the 1st with a two-out RBI single, ending up 2 for 4 on his day.

*Jed Lowrie went 0 for 3, but he walked and scored on Corporan's single in the 1st.

*Jimmy Paredes got his first start since September 25 and went 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 Ks.

*Tyler Greene started in place of the injured Jose Altuve and finished 1 for 5 with 2 Ks.

Turning Point:

It all came down to the bottom of the 9th, and Hector Ambriz began the inning by walking Anthony Recker. Steve Clevenger popped out on a bunt attempt for out #1, but Tony Campana followed that with a bunt single that put runners on first and second. Ambriz got Adrian Cardenas to K for out #2, then walked Starlin Castro after that to load the bases. Tony DeFrancesco left Ambriz in the game after a conference on the mound, but Bryan LaHair lined the first pitch he saw into right field for the walk-off single.

Man of the Match:

Justin Maxwell. Ending his season with a bang, and he was one of the brighter spots of the year for these Astros.

Goat of the Game:

Hector Ambriz. This was not the way that the Astros wanted to say goodbye to the National League, but... c'est la vie.

Deshaies expected to return

Good news for Astros fans as David Barron says that CSN Houston is expected to bring Jim Deshaies back to broadcasts in 2013. Greg Lucas' and Bill Brown's futures are "uncertain."

September (and October)

We might take a much, much closer look at this in the days and weeks to come, but for now it's worth at least a cursory glance at just what the hell has happened in September and part of October.

In 29 Sept/Oct games, the Astros' pitching staff has racked up a 15-14 record, allowing a 3.54 ERA/1.32 WHIP. That's after a 5.26 ERA/1.42 WHIP in June, 5.95/1.60 in July, and 4.89/1.49 in August.

The offensive side hasn't been so impressive, but the .662 OPS through the last 29 games are the highest for a month since June, when they hit .238/.307/.402, collectively. The Astros are assured that they'll have an OBP under .300 for the second straight month.

However, they have hit 33 homers in Sept/Oct - which will be a season-high for a "month," and the highest since August 2008, when the Astros went off for 45 homers in 30 games. (As an aside, Ty Wigginton hit 12 homers in August 2008, in 26 games. He hit 23 HRs all season.)

In Houston's last six games, they've had more homers (14) than walks (12), hitting .235/.286.480. 

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. 

Altuve and Moore done for the year

Okay, so it's one game, just one game. Yes, just one game remains in this miserable season. Whomever said that the most fun part of rebuilding is blowing it up doesn't plan on the Blowing Up taking four months.

Anyhow, Jose Altuve and Scott Moore (groin, shoulder, respectively) are out of today's game, getting a three hour head-start on the offseason.

From the Office of the County Clerk: G161 - Astros @ Cubs

Bud Norris (6-13, 4.82) vs Chris Volstad (3-11, 6.64)

It's like 1986 all over again. If you gave up on the Astros after their awful July and August (and really, who could blame you?), then you're missing some of their best baseball of the season now. Bud Norris stayed true to the BudChuck form he rediscovered against St. Louis last week, leading a cast of five Astros pitchers to their third straight shutout victory, 3-0. It's the first time since Mike Scott cemented his place in Houston lore that the Astros have pitched three straight shutouts. The team is now at 55-106, with one game left to play in the National League.

*As awful as Bud Norris was for four winless months, he's left all of that behind to end the season. Studly Cuddly Budly delivered his second straight scoreless outing, this time holding the Cubs to just four hits in six innings, concluding his 2012 season with a 6 IP / 4 H / 0 R / 0 ER / 2 BB / 4 K line. The bullpen, too, was equally brilliant again, with Xavier Cedeno (1 IP, 2 K), Chuckie Fick (0.1 IP), Wesley Wright (0.2 IP, 2 K), and Wilton Lopez (1 IP, BB) combining on three hitless, scoreless innings to end the game. Houston pitching has now not allowed an earned run in 31.1 consecutive innings.

Observations:

*Tonight's game was the first meeting of two 100-loss teams since the Colt .45s' birth year, when the Cubs and the Mets squared off on September 30, 1962.

*A home run once again got the Astros on the board, with Jason Castro going deep on a solo shot in the 2nd. It was his sixth HR of the year and his third in his last seven games. He finished 1 for 4 with a K.

*This was the Astros' sixth straight game with a home run, tying their longest such stretch of the season (done twice before).

*Tyler Greene drove in Houston's second run in the 2nd, finishing 2 for 3 with a steal.

*Justin Maxwell went 0 for 4 with a strikeout, but he reached on a Starlin Castro error in the 2nd and scored on Greene's RBI single. He also played all three outfield spots, again.

*Brett Wallace went 1 for 3 with a walk.

*Brian Bogusevic walked as a pinch hitter in the 8th, then came around to score on an error, a groundout, and a wild pitch.

*Jose Altuve (0 for 3) and Scott Moore (0 for 1, K) both left the game early due to injuries. Altuve re-aggravated the groin injury that's seen him miss a few games in recent weeks, and Moore irritated the AC joint in his left shoulder when diving for a ball in RF in the 2nd.

Turning Point:

Once again, Astros pitching made sure that the lead they were given stayed secure. After groundouts by Matt Dominguez and Brett Wallace started the 2nd, Jason Castro took Chris Volstad deep to right to put Houston on the board. Justin Maxwell came next and made it all the way to second on a fielding error by Starlin Castro, then Tyler Greene drove him in with a single in one pitch later for a 2-0 Astros lead.

Man of the Match:

Bud Norris. Like Lucas Harrell and Jordan Lyles before him, BudChuck has ended his 2012 season on an outstanding note.

Goat of the Game:

It only took until October 2, but with this win, the Astros have clinched their first winning road trip of the season. If they can complete the sweep tomorrow afternoon, they'll finish with a 56-106 record, identical to last year.

From the Office of the County Clerk: G160 - Astros @ Cubs

Lucas Harrell (10-11, 3.88) vs Jason Berken (0-2, 5.14)

Having fully embraced their spoiler role throughout September, the Astros went to Wrigley Field for the final three games of 2012 with nothing left to spoil, save for the Cubs' hopes of avoiding 100 losses. Lucas Harrell wasn't having any of that, and he ended his outstanding rookie season with an exclamation point. Four Houston pitchers combine on a two-hit shutout, and the Astros beat the Cubs 3-0. The win puts Houston at 54-106, with two games left as a National League franchise.

*After losing his last two starts, Lucas Harrell had fallen below .500 in an otherwise impressive season, but he made sure he wouldn't end up that way by making his last start one of his best. Seven strikeouts ran up his pitch count to 98, ending his night after six innings, but he handcuffed the Cubs to just a single, a double, and a walk during that time. Lucas' final line: 6 IP / 2 H / 0 R / 0 ER / 1 BB / 7 K. After he left, the Astros bullpen was equally awesome, with Jose Valdez (1 IP), Fernando Rodriguez (0.2 IP, 2 K), and Wesley Wright (1.1 IP, 2 K) combining for three perfect innings to seal the deal. Wright earned his first save of the season.

Observations:

*There were no multiples of homers for Houston tonight, but the one they did get was dang impressive.  Fernando Martinez homered for the third consecutive game, on a solo blast to RF in the second that very nearly landed on Sheffield Avenue. F-Mart finished 2 for 3 with two runs scored.

*Matt Dominguez drove home Martinez on a RBI triple in the 4th, for Houston's second run. Matty D ended up 1 for 4 with a K.

*Scott Moore had the third RBI, on a single in the 8th, finishing 1 for 4.

*Brandon Barnes went 1 for 3 and scored on Moore's RBI single.

*Jose Altuve was 1 for 3 with a walk.

*Justin Maxwell entered the game on defense in the 8th, then doubled in his only at bat.

Turning Point:

The Cubs only had one baserunner after the 1st, and none after the 4th, so Houston's lead was secure as soon as they had it. Fernando Martinez gave them that lead leading off in the second, lauching Jason Berken's 1-0 fastball almost clean out of the yard.

Man of the Match:

Lucas William Bradley Harrell. On a team with plenty of rookies, the Man with Four Names should easily be their Rookie of the Year.

Goat of the Game:

The two hits allowed by Houston tonight were a season low, and the three baserunners tied their season low, set last week by Bud Norris in the Astros' final home game. The Astros are once more back at .500 (14-14) since September 1.

How cute! The Cubs are treating this series like it's the postseason

Ahh, see, the Cubs have 99 losses (this is me avoiding a Jay-Z reference). Should they lose any of the last three games of the season against the Astros, that will put them at...carry the one...yes, 100 losses. And the Cubs, as miserable and heartless as they are, haven't lost 100 games since 1966.

So they're trying to avoid that feat today. And tomorrow, if it doesn't work out today. How jacked are the Cubs? This jacked, according to manager Dale Sveum:

"I think for the guys out there [tonight], it could be like our little playoff atmosphere, to stay away from that number."

There is freedom in that number, Dale Sveum. Embrace it, and let it consume you.  

Buy your tickets for 75 cents.

From the Office of the County Clerk: G159 - Astros @ Brewers

Jordan Lyles (4-12, 5.44) vs Mike Fiers (9-9, 3.55)

Spoiler alert! It was obvious before the All-Star break that this Astros team wouldn't be extending their season beyond 162 games. The popular goal for such teams, then, becomes making it as difficult as possible for anyone else to make the postseason, either. The Astros have done a great job of that this month, putting significant dents in the playoff hopes of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia; while no one was going to keep Cincinnati from the division crown, Houston at least derailed their playoff train for a while, too. And with today's win, they put the final nail in Milwaukee's coffin, officially eliminating the Brewers from the NL Wild Card race. Jordan Lyles ends his 2012 season on an outstanding note, leading the Astros to a 7-0 victory. Houston heads south to Chicago at 53-106, for their final three games in the National League.

*Jordan Lyles' day really couldn't have gone much better, holding a powerful Milwaukee offense to just four scattered singles and a walk. He needed only 103 pitches to finish off the Brewers, for his first career big league complete game and shutout. His final line: 9 IP / 4 H / 0 R / 0 ER / 1 BB / 3 K.

Observations:

*The Astros blasted four more home runs today - all solo shots - for a total off 11 in the three-game series. That's their most in a three-game stretch since they also had 11 in three games from August 31-September 3, 2004.

*Houston pitchers won't get many chances to hit in the American League next season, so Jordan Lyles made the most of his last chance to swing the bat for a while, too. To go with his first career shutout, he added his first career home run, launching a Mike Fiers fastball to the second deck in left-center in the 5th. Lyles finished 1 for 3 at the plate.

*Fernando Martinez homered an inning before Lyles, for his fifth of the season. He ended up going 2 for 4 with a K.

*An inning after Lyles' blast, Jed Lowrie took Fiers deep leading off the 6th, for his 16th HR of the season. He went 1 for 4 with a BB and a K.

*Matt Dominguez then went back-to-back with Lowrie, blasting his fifth of the year just inside the foul pole in left. He finished 2 for 5 with two strikeouts and two runs scored.

*Tyler Greene got the Astros on the board first, with a RBI double in the 3rd, finishing 1 for 4 with a walk and two Ks.

*Carlos Corporan padded the lead with a two-run single in the 8th, going 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

*Brett Wallace went 0 for 4 with two Ks and an error on defense, but he did also walk and score a run.

*Justin Maxwell once again played all three outfield positions, and he went 1 for 4 with a K.

Turning Point:

In the 3rd inning, the Astros got Lyles the only run he would need today. Justin Maxwell led off with a strikeout, then Carlos Corporan followed with a walk. Lyles came up next and sac bunted, but a throwing error by Corey Hart allowed Jordan to reach safely and moved Corporan around to third. Tyler Greene then lined the second pitch he saw into the gap in left for a double, scoring Corporan and moving Lyles around to third.

Man of the Match:

Jordan Lyles. Today was his day all the way.

Goat of the Game:

The win today gives Houston their third road series win of the season, their 18th road win overall, and finishes their September at 13-14. That ties their 13 wins from May and makes this month, by percentage, their most successful all season (13-14, .481 in September vs. 13-15, .464 in May).