Sure, Why Not?

Jim has mentioned Ed Wade's odd decision to trade for Randy Wolf.

That move looks positively brilliant compared with his latest acquisition.

Come on, Ed...LaTroy Hawkins? Good for me, I guess, since it's a sign I won't have to worry about the Astros until about 2012. Not so good for Astro Fans.

Ed Wade Is Off His Meds

We have a leader in the clubhouse in the 2008 Dave Littlefield Sweepstakes. Littlefield was the Pirates GM who last year traded for the washed up Matt Morris and his entire salary at the trading deadline with his team buried in last place. The trade had no basis in common sense and was the last straw which got Littlefield fired.

If Ed Wade thinks that his sad sack Astros team is in any kind of pennant race, he is serious deluding himself. If he thinks that Randy Wolf, 1-6 with a 6.63 ERA outside of pitcher's haven Petco Park, is going to pitch them into the playoffs, he is delusional on a scale of the residents of Arkham Asylum.

This is Wade's "thinking:"

"We still think the club we have is good enough to play better than it's played. We've got a million games left in our own division at this point in time. Our fate rests in our hands and I think it's important for us to do whatever we can, from the baseball ops side, to give our guys as much support as we possibly can."

He may be slightly exaggerating the "million games" part. I'm going to go on record right now that the Astros won't be in contention for at least five years.

Thirty-Three Is a Magic Number

I wonder if, deep down inside, Ed Wade isn't regretting trading for Miguel Tejada...

A Houston Tradition

It seems that the Astros have not let the retirements of Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio eliminate the position of Active Player General Manager. Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt seem puzzled by the release of Woody Williams.

Yes, I know that spring training stats can be misleading. But when a 42 year old pitcher gets ripped up for 37 hits, including five homers, in 20 2/3 innings, that's hard to misread. When you add it to the 216 hits allowed in 188 innings by the same pitcher last year, the message is pretty clear. It reads, "this guy isn't fooling anyone any more. He's done."

It just seems odd to me how professional athletes can't seem to look past friendships to see that their buddy is costing them games. I must be a cold-hearted SOB, because when I see co-workers that can't do the job, I want to get rid of them, because they make me look bad.

We Got a Pass

Dr. Phil -- the same guy who taught us that trading Babe Ruth for Neifi Perez and Brad Ausmus gives your team a +1 -- presents his latest bit of statistical analysis:

The Cubs, Red Sox, Diamondbacks and Phillies need to pick up the pace a little bit. Entering the weekend, those four 2007 playoff teams were among the 10 biggest losers this spring. There was only one playoff team from among the 10 teams with the worst records last spring. …

This just might be the first and only time that I've ever seen anyone refer to any previous year's spring training records. Because, frankly, who the hell cares about spring training performance?

And before you raise your hand and shout "Me! Me!" answer this question honestly -- what was your favorite team's exhibition record last March? I sure as hell don't know what the Cubs' March record was last year, and I'm the biggest Cubs geek in my circle.

By the way...as of this writing, there are ten teams with ten or more losses this exhibition season. The Cubs, Phillies, and Diamondbacks (along with the Giants and Pirates) lead the suck parade with twelve losses. Running a close second with eleven losses are Houston, LA, and Toronto.

Right behind those guys, with ten losses so far, are Washington...and the Chicago White Sox. Yep, the Pale Hose are among the "10 biggest losers." And yet, there is no exhortation from Dr. Phil for them to "pick up the pace," lest they fail to make the playoffs.

But remember -- there's only one sports team in Chicago that will get a pass. I won't name them. But it ain't the White Sox.

Houston Astros 2008 Preview: Houston, We Have a Whole Pot Full of Problems

2007...the year that sucked/was groovy (pick one)

After a run of ten winning seasons in eleven years which included a World Series appearance, the Houston Astros turned the 2007 season into a preview of a spy satellite gone bad. Their trajectory started well, playing .500 ball at 21-21 as late as May 19. Orbit immediately decayed from that point as they lost ten straight and fell permanently out of the pennant race. They were double digits to the rear by June 20 and had only one winning month, August, when they played a rousing 15-14. Rather than begin to rebuild, management allowed zombie Craig Biggio to remain in the lineup for 141 sub replacement level games in order to achieve a personal milestone before retiring, and obtained 32 year old former star Miguel Tejada and 30 year old mediocrity Ty Wiggington to replace the left side of the infield and 32 year old Kaz Matsui to replace Biggio.

They can put it on the board, yes! no! maybe!

The Juice Box is known as a hitters park, but was actually a big help to pitchers in 2007, reducing offense by about 5%. Astros hitters didn't really notice; they were bad at home and on the road. The Astros finished 13th in the league in runs scored despite having four regulars who each slugged better than .500. How is that possible, you might well ask? Start by looking in the direction of Biggio, who wa permitted to bat leadoff much of the year despite a .285 on base percentage, in order to maximize his chances of reaching 3000 career hits. Remember that the next time that team management tells you that it's wrong for players to be more concerned about personal numbers than about the success of the team. Shortstop Adam Everett hit .232/.281/.318 and catcher Brad Ausmus, whose continued employment by a major league team defies any logical explanation, batted his usual .235/.318/.324.

CF Michael Bourn
2B Kaz Matsui
SS Miguel Tejada
1B Lance Berkman
LF Carlos Lee
RF Hunter Pence
3B Ty Wiggington
C J. R. Towles

Bourn, obtained from the Phillies, has little no power but can get on base and run like the wind. Matsui was signed by a management team completely oblivious to the fact that his "comeback" season of 2007 was entirely driven by Coors Field; he batted .330/.381/482 at home and .249/.304/.333 on the road. Oh, and he's got a three year contract. Let us know how that works out for you, Astros. Pence was one of the top rookies in a very strong 2007 NL class. Wiggington looks much better as a utility guy than he does in a starting lineup; telling me that you have Geoff Blum to pick up platoon at-bats with Wiggington doesn't exactly fill me with confidence. Towles is a very fine young catcher with offensive and defensive skills; best of all, he's not Brad Ausmus.

Pitchers, or belly itchers?

Even a helpful boost from their home park couldn't disguise the dismal performance of the Astros 2007 staff. Mediocre at home (sixth in runs allowed), they were awful on the road, allowing more runs than anyone except the Pirates. Being mentioned in the same breath with the Pirates is not a good thing. The Astros had (and have) one of the five best starters in the NL in Roy Oswalt. Wandy Rodriguez, a decent number three or four on a good team, was forced up into the number two spot here, results varied. Woody Williams was brought in at age 40 to be the number two guy; he allowed 35 homers and 216 total hits in 188 innings. Luckily, management signed him to a two year contract, so he'll be back for more this year. The Astros had high hopes for Jason Jennings, but he was a disaster health wise and performance wise, going 2-9 with a 6.45 ERA and was allowed to walk away over the winter. Brad Lidge and Chad Qualls were good relievers; neither is back in 2008.

SP Roy Oswalt
SP Wandy Rodriguez
SP Brandon Backe
SP Woody Williams (ouch)
SP Shawn Chacon (ouch)

CL Jose Valverde
RP Doug Brocail
RP Geoff Geary

This will end in flames. Not only are Oswalt, Rodriguez, and Valverde the only three guys capable of pitching for a good team, there isn't any depth on the major league roster and nothing in the high minors to replace the likes of Williams and Chacon and Brocail when they melt down. If the Juice Box returns to it's previous ways as a hitters park this team could allow 850 runs.

Witnesses for the defense

The Astros were eleventh in defensive efficiency and allowed the ninth most errors of any NL team. Hey, come on, they were playing a 2000 year old man at second base. Matsui will at least provide some value for his defense at second. Bourn can cover a lot of ground in center; he moves Pence to right, which is another improvement. Tejada will be a step down defensively from Adam Everett.

Farm aid

Not much. Towles is a terrific prospect. Felipe Paulino is a righthander who needs more work in triple A before he's ready for a rotation spot. That's it. Nothing else to see here folks, move along.

Watch out for that tree!

With the retirement of Biggio and the replacement of Ausmus, the Astros don't have anyone really, really washed up in the lineup other than Williams. Tejada has begun to decline both offensively and defensively but most likely has another year or two of being a good player left. Matsui is an excellent candidate to be one of the worst contracts given out this winter. Lee, like Tejada, can probably remain a good player for another year or two, but a 235 pound outfielder without a lot of secondary skills isn't a candidate to play well into his mid thirties.

I can make a hat, or a broach...

The Astros have a lot of good players. Berkman and Oswalt are two of my favorites and remain among the best at their positions. Pense was one of the best newcomers of 2007; Towles will be one of the best of 2008. Rodriguez could take another step forward and become a true number two. Tejada, Lee, Valverde, and Bourn should be good players who can contribute. But the other half of the team is dreadful, and the poor farm system offers no opportunities for replacement either through bring up younger, better players or through trades. With good years from their better players the Astros could hang around the .500 mark this year, but within two years this could be the worst team in the NL.

People with Glass Doors...

Hunter Pence of the Astros messed himself up when he walked through a glass door.

No word on whether Sully had his smirk on when news of the injury came over the wire...

Is It Any Wonder, I Reject You First?

Last week’s Baseball Weekly included a discussion of which current players have the best chance to make the Hall of Fame after they retire. Most of it was devoted to the steroids debate (understandable). However, the folks at BW also ran an internal poll of their five writers (Paul White, Bob Nightengale, Hal Bodley, Mel Antonen, and Jorge L. Ortiz) on a bunch of active players.

The caveat on this poll: the writers vote on the players’ Hall-worthiness assuming their careers ended today.

Except for veterans at the very end of their careers, this kind of “What If?” game is fraught with peril. Who knows how the careers of the hottest young players will pan out? How can you tell that “proven” veteran well on his way to Cooperstown after nine years won’t just flame out after the tenth?

Be that as it may, these brave writers voted on several players in the twilight of their careers, players that we can reasonably start to debate their Hall merits.

Some of them are no-brainers. Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Tom Glavine, David Wells, and Curt Schilling, to name five of them (with unanimous results for all five – the first three for, the last two against).

Ken Griffey Jr. gained a 5-0 thumbs up, as did Frank Thomas. Ditto for A-Rod and Jeter (although it might be a bit premature for that pair).

But the one vote that caught my eye was for Craig Biggio. Biggio has said he would retire at the end of the year, so we’re not jumping the gun with this discussion.

However, BW’s panel actually voted Biggio down, by a 4-1 margin.

Great googaly moogaly! I know conventional wisdom has it that the juice, smaller ballparks, and expansion have led to an erosion of milestone batting accomplishments. But 3,000 hits are still a hell of a lot of hits. Especially coming from a catcher who worked hard enough to become a solid defensive second baseman and center fielder.

I don’t understand this vote. I hope the four guys who voted no take the next five years to reconsider their position…

Report from Wrigley Field

Took the family to beautiful Wrigley Field Thursday to see our heroes take on the Giants. The Younger Heir and I were thrilled to be back among our people. The Older Heir and the Reason for Living, not so much.

It was a good game, won by the home team 9-8. Bonds hit two homers against a wind blowing straight in from center field at a reported 15 mph. I swear that the first was hit higher than the right field foul pole. Guess the Clear really does pay off, huh?

We got off to an early lead, thanks to Matt Morris being Matt Morris, and the Giants defense somehow letting Aramis get to third after a hard single to right in the first inning.

Fortunately, the Giant bullpen had been worn down the previous few games, so Morris was left in to give up a total of eight runs (five earned). I say fortunately, because Bonds wound up with six RBIs. It’s a good thing Marmol and Howry were able to shut down the Giants’ batters in the eight and ninth, because no Cub Fan in attendance wanted to see Bonds hit home run 754.

Other notes from the game:
** Jacques Jones went four for five, prompting the Younger Heir to ask me why I always complain about how much he sucks.

** Ted Lilly stole a base, and Cliff Floyd scored from second on a passed ball. Not a good day for Bengie Molina.

** It’s a good thing Derrek Lee is back from suspension tomorrow, because the lineup Lou trotted out that game was more than a little unimpressive. Daryle Ward batting third is bad enough – having to replace him with Mark DeRosa after an injury doesn’t inspire much confidence. Mike Fontenot should not be hitting sixth (nor should he have hit third, as he did earlier in the week). Jacques still is bad, and Jason Kendall isn’t an upgrade.

When losing Cliff Floyd to the predictable injury is a blow to the lineup, you know your team is approaching an Astros-like level of futility…

** On the whole, it was a splendid time. The rain held off, there weren’t any obnoxious drunks in our section, and the Bonds taunts were refreshingly free of vulgarity. Thanks to Todd the Mark Grace Fan for hooking us up with tickets. The Younger Heir is already asking about our next trip…

From the ESPN Wire

Jerry Crasnick offers 1,300 words explaining why Adam Everett is a swell fielder.

No argument from me on his fielding -- Everett certainly can flash the leather.

But how many runs do you have to save on defense in order to balance out the runs you cost your team beacause your career numbers are .250/.303/.363? Baseball Reference.com lists the third-most similar player to Everett as Brad Ausmus...that ain't good...

In other news, Dr. Phil types a remarkably snark-free column about how the Cubs might not suck after all.

If a guy from Chicago writes something positive about the Cubs while moonlighting with a Connecticut outfit, is he still guilty of having the mythical Chicago media bias?

Time to Honor the Original Rocket

Friend of the blog Jeff Pearlman has an outstanding piece over at ESPN.com beseeching the Astros to get off their hinders at retire J.R. Richard's number.

As a young lad in the 1970s, I didn't think it was possible for a right-handed pitcher to be more dominating than Richard. Watching him pitch against the Cubs in the Astrodome was a dreadful, wonderful thing -- dreadful because he's make my heroes look like a bunch of Little Leaguers, wonderful because watching pitchers who are really good and know what they're doing is a treasure.

Sign the petition. Let the Astros know you want to see the Original Rocket get the honor he deserves.