Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
Houston Astros
2007 Record: 73-89 (.451)
2007 Pythagorean Record: 71.5-90.5 (.442)
2008 Record: 33-34 (.493)
2008 Pythagorean Record: 32-35 (.475)
Manager: Cecil Cooper
General Manager: Ed Wade
Home Ballpark (multi-year Park Factors): Minute Maid Park (99/99)
Who's Replacing Whom:
25-man Roster:
1B - Lance Berkman (S)
2B - Kazuo Matsui (S)
SS - Miguel Tejada (R)
3B - Ty Wigginton (R)
C - Brad Ausmus (R)
RF - Hunter Pence (R)
CF - Michael Bourn (L)
LF - Carlos Lee (R)
Bench:
R - Mark Loretta (IF)
S - Geoff Blum (IF)
L - Darin Erstad (OF)
R - Reggie Abercrombie (OF)
R - Humberto Quintero (C)
Rotation:
R - Roy Oswalt
R - Brandon Backe
R - Brian Moehler
R - Shawn Chacon
L - Wandy Rodriguez
Bullpen:
R - Jose Valverde
R - Oscar Villarreal
R - Doug Brocail
L - Wesley Wright
L - Tim Byrdak
R - Geoff Geary
R - Chris Sampson
15-day DL: R - Felipe Paulino
Typical Lineup:
R - Hunter Pence (RF)
S - Kazuo Matsui (2B)
R - Miguel Tejada (SS)
S - Lance Berkman (1B)
R - Carlos Lee (LF)
R - Ty Wigginton (3B)
L - Michael Bourne (CF)
R - Brad Ausmus (C)
Since the creation of the NL Central for the 1994 season, the Astros have finished below second place just twice. Since 1992, they've finished below .500 just twice, a 16-year run of success that, due to a handful of non-qualifying second-place finishes and some poor posteason performances, went largely ignored. The Astros finally made it to the World Series in 2005 behind the pitching troika of Roy Oswalt and former and future Yankees Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens, but things have been heading south ever since.
Still, the Astros enter this weekend's series against the Yankees lurking just a game below .500. They're that sort of team: half good, half bad. First baseman Lance Berkman has been arguably the best hitter in baseball thus far this year. He's hitting .366/.451/.720, leading the majors in OPS, and, oh by the way, already has a career-high ten stolen bases and has been caught just once. Then again, the team's catchers are hitting just .193/.266/.307 as rookie J.R. Towels proved unable to out-hit 39-year-old Brad Ausmus (a 1987 Yankee draft pick, incidentally) recently optioned back to triple-A. Some good. Some bad.
Roy Oswalt is still there and will face off against Chien-Ming Wang on Sunday, but like Wang, he's been frustratingly inconsistent. He ran off a string of six strong starts from mid-April to mid-May, but the Astros are just 1-7 in his other eight starts. Some good. Some bad. Oswalt's ERA is over 5.00, but 29-year-old Wandy Rodriguez, who faces Mike Mussina tomorrow, must have been working out with Cliff Lee this winter. He spent a month on the DL due to a groin injury, but when active has posted a 1.99 ERA with strong peripherals in seven starts. Some good. Some bad.
Tonight, the Yankees will face yet another ex-Yankee in Shawn Chacon. Chacon spent the last four months of 2007 as the Pirates' primary set-up man, signed with the Astros over the winter, then started this season by going a record nine starts before earning his first first decision of the year. Though Chacon stayed 0-0, the Astros went 4-5 in those games. Since then, Chacon has picked up the decision every time out and gone 2-2. Same old story: Some good. Some bad. The encouraging news for the Yankees is that the bad has been the most recent trend. Chacon has allowed 11 runs in just six innings over his last two starts as he was torched by the Brewers and Cardinals.
Of course, the big news tonight is that Joba Chamberlain should be allowed to throw as many as 95 pitches. That essentially makes him a normal rookie starter (Phil Hughes averaged 95 pitches per start last year), and should keep pitch count from having an unusually large influence on how deep he goes into games from here forward. Oh, and he gets to hit tonight, too, which should be fun. Joba says he can rake. We shall see . . .
Also, good news for Joba- most of the Astros' lineup is allergic to walks. Miguel Tejada has fewer walks than Robinson Cano. Carlos Lee, Michael Bourn, Hunter Pence, JR Towles, and Ty Wigginton all can go months between walks... and their bench players (Mark Lorretta and Darin "The Punter" Erstad) have combined for just 15 walks in 215 at bats.
This is good news because Joba seems to be all over the place with his pitches in his first two starts. The Houston Hackers should allow him to hone his command without too much to worry about in the walks department.
Actually, not even a competition. El Niño all the way!
http://waswatching.com/2007/02/11/best-seasons-by-yankees-left-fielders/
Surprise! Number 1 was the Babe. Near and dear to my heart, Mickey was #2 (.801 OWP or 130 Wins in 162 games)
2 surprises were #9, a mister Bobby Murcer, and #10, our own Derek Jeter. Jeter's OWP is .634, so a team of Jeters wins 103 games. Again, this is with AVERAGE pitching AND AVERAGE defense.
With ARod, Giambi, Cano, Matsui, Abreu, JD, Posada AND Derek, this team SHOULD be better then a Team of Jeters. Our D is slightly below average but our pitching SHOULD be somewhat above.
This is NOT a .500 team. I just wish they would stop playing like one.
Now, time for the new sensation:
Joba Chamberlain, the slugger experience.
This kid is gonna be a stud.
However, the Astros' announcer was dubious, and suggested Vern Stephens, who had 159 RBI in 155 games, all at SS, for the Red Sox in 1949.
You're freakin' Joba Chamberlain!!!!!
I say the Yankee offense breaks out here.
I really hate the pitcher batting.
Not a big fan of the DH either, but it is a little better.
Rey Ordonez 65 IBB
Brad Ausmus 64 IBB
I was actually surprised that Bernie had that many.
And this is Joba struggling a bit.
This is weird, weird, frustrating team.
/Nelson Mutz.
Nice to see Jorge nail one again.
Oh sweet a K to follow.
That's what I thought. Now, where'd that offense go . . .
I listened to a few innings driving home from the movies. Looks from the comments like Joba has been a little bit good and a little bit lucky?
;-)
He'll get it right. Can't complain about the results in any circumstances today.
This should be it for Joba with two men on.
I do like taking Georgy out, he's made a lot of throws today. I'm protective of my JoPo.
That half inning makes Joba's performance seem less impressive.
Hey look, good pitching, bad hitting - what does that remind you of? The 2008 season thus far you say?
My guess is the main reason is to give Po's arm a rest.
Still, I have a bad feeling about the bottom of the ninth. Because I have a sinking feeling that the pitcher is going to be...
... no, I can't say it. It hurts too much to think about...
Please score six runs this inning, Yankees. Please.
and fuck that was a tight curveball! holy shit!
Unlike Torre, Joe Jr. has shown he would rather mix up the lineup and use the bench to keep players rested/healthy. If we make it to the PS, this might ultimately be a good strategy.
Auuughhhh! No. Not him. Hit a homer Hideki!
Unless Posada is actually hurt, that move makes no sense.
Giambi took the pitch in the right direction, but I think it was outside. A walk would have been really nice there.
Absurd, but plausible.
217 Good move, I think that's going to help us! Have fun.
Gulp.
Stock up on liquor and antacid.
And hindsight is 20-20, but Molina made 0 throws in the eighth.
The Astros suck.
The Astros can't hit.
We don't have to worry, even with Farnsworth, because they're bad. At hitting.
Michael Bourn has four homers in 359 major league at bats.
Brad Ausmus has four home runs in his last 450 at bats.
what about Bourn triples?
for weddings, bar mitzvahs ... maybe
230 nice! that's cool you get magic hat down in NC. i think it's from vermont, or something...?
2 more outs please!
We salute you, with beverages in hand.
Magic Hat's in my top 3 favorite breweries, following Dogfish Head and Highland's.
(Bourbon, straight.)
252 And a cold one for you, sir.
Nice game!
If there are 'Girardi Losses', that was definitely a 'Girardi Win'.
256 Highlands is excellent! i love the gaelic ale and porter. i still miss Devil Mountains Ale from Cali. miller bought 'em and discontinued it. really sucks. Steelhead from the bay area is also fantastic but nearly impossible to find, esp here in the southeast. i stick with Sierra. can you get atlanta's Sweetwater in The Triangle? good stuff...
Then again, who knew that using Mo in a 3 run situation yesterday after heavy work, leading to the Whacker coming in to tonight's one run game would pay off?
I guess that's why he gets the big bucks!
Farnsworth managed to parlay one earned out (the CS and the attempted sac he gets no credit for) into a full inning facing the minimum.
Maybe I'm in a grumpy mood, but I see this as winning despite of rather than because of...
But two games above .500 never tasted so sweet!!
I'm not sure about Sweetwater, I'll have to check it out!
Good night everyone!
I felt the same way about Torre.
if you get Magic Hat, do you get Troegs down there? it's a great beer from Pa...
To be clear: I was against that move. But it worked out well because of the CS, so I'm giving Girardi the win. ;-)
(When the Celtics win, I have to stay away from all local sports media.)
"The Captain has switched on the 'Seatbelt' sign - turbulence ahead."
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