Houston Astros

As if Ubaldo Jimenez’s no-hitter was not enough excitement for one day, the Mets and Cardinals took part in a marathon contest, playing a 20-inning game Saturday in St. Louis.  If that does not…, the most remarkable part of the monumental occasion was that the two teams went scoreless through the first 18 frames!  That’s like back-to-back shutouts being thrown by both teams!  In a game that took nearly seven hours and featured an astounding 18 pitchers (two of whom were actually position players that Cardinals manager Tony La Russa sent to the hill), three Met hitters – Jose Reyes, Jason Bay, and Jeff Francoeur – went a combined 0 for 21.  That is an ugly line in the box score for three of the team’s four best offensive players.

Continue reading "Oh, what a night!"

When the Atlanta Braves announced during the last week of spring training that Jason Heyward had made the big league roster, it made headlines in part because both Stephen Strasburg and Aroldis Chapman were being assigned to the minors.  However, after winning the starting right fielder’s job in Atlanta, the 20-year-old phenom wasted no time before impressing the baseball world by launching a three-run home run in his very first major league at-bat.  Batting seventh in the lineup behind Chipper Jones, Brian McCann, and others has limited the pressure on the 14th overall pick in the 2007 draft, but before long, you can expect to see Heyward taking his hacks in the cleanup spot.

Continue reading "Jason Heyward: Instant Hit"

Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas officially announced their retirements this week, ending speculation that either one would attempt a comeback in 2010 after not appearing in a big league game last season.  Glavine was a great finesse pitcher of his generation, and Thomas was a premiere slugger of the nineties.

Continue reading "Two more great careers reach the end of the line"

Should Roberto Alomar be elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility?  The spitting incident with umpire John Hirschbeck does not help his case, but it really has nothing to do with his success on the field.  Fans may also remember that Alomar’s career ended with a couple of mediocre seasons, but when you look at his statistics, it’s a no-brainer.

Continue reading "A vote for Alomar"

      Albuquerque Isotopes at Round Rock Express  June 12 2009

     So the battle for the Pacific Coast League American South Division is on.  After last night’s rainout, the series finally got underway, with both teams tied for first in the division at 28-32.  Albuquerque had been in a bit of a slump, going 3-7 in their last ten games, while Round Rock went 6-4.  Oddly, the teams had identical home and road records going into the series.  Offensively, the Isotopes overall stats looked better; they completely eclipsed the Express in home runs, RBIs, total bases, walks drawn and whiffed on fewer strike outs.  They also were way ahead in stolen bases and OPS (my new favorite stat).  Pitching-wise, Round Rock held a slight (and I mean VERY slight) edge.  For the most part the pitching was evenly matched concerning overall stats, but the Express were facing Charlie Haeger, who was 7-3 with an ERA just over 4, one of the better ones in the PCL.  And to give credit where credit is due, Haeger pitched a helluva game, good by any standards: he went seven innings, gave up four hits and one run, and only walked two.  Usually that’s more than enough for a win against Round Rock’s pitching, but Mark McLemore is improving very fast.  In his third start since returning from extended spring training, he only gave up three hits (all singles) in six innings, allowing no runs and getting four strikeouts while only issuing two walks.  After him, Casey Daigle and Brendan Donnelly got the hold and the save.  In three innings of relief, they combined to allow one hit and no runs while notching three strikeouts and doling no walks (Round Rock only gave up two walks the whole game, quite remarkable for team who throws more BBs than a shotgun).

Continue reading "Round Rock Express vs Albuquerque ..."

     Round Rock Express hitters were surely looking forward to this past weekend’s series against the Salt Lake City Bees.  Coming into the series the Pacific Coast League pitching rankings of the Bees were: last in ERA, first in home runs allowed, second most runs allowed, third most hits, and issued the fewest strikeouts and fourth most walks.  The Express definitely needed some soft pitching; they went into the first game of the series without having scored a run in 16 innings.  That  gutworm gnawing extended to 19 innings before Round Rock scored two in the third inning of the first game.  From there it was fine sailing for The Express, except for a game three hiccup that was more the fault of the pitchers.  The offense still managed five runs on eleven hits in that game. 

Continue reading "Houston Astros Triple-A Affiliate ..."

The Orioles still have a huge hole at shortstop, but that doesn’t mean it was a bad idea to trade their highest-paid player last offseason.  Miguel Tejada’s offensive numbers in his first season with the Astros were sub-par and certainly not worthy of the money he is making.  In hitter-friendly Minute Maid Park, a .283/.314/.415 line from one of Houston’s heavy hitters is not going to cut it.  Believe it or not, Miggy’s numbers actually declined from 2007 (.296/.357/.442), when he battled injuries and underachievement in what turned out to be his last season in Baltimore.

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 HOUSTON DEFEATS CUBS 5-3 ON A CARLOS LEE HOME RUN AS HOUSTON TAKES SERIES

After the Cubs went 8-2 on their latest home stand which made their record at home 19-8, it seems as if they forgot how to play anywhere else.  After losing to the Astros 5-3 and losing the series, the Cubs find themselves 9-11 away from the friendly Confines.  If a team wants to find themselves in the post-season, they need to win the big games on the road.  In a series that had playoff atmosphere, both teams were out to make statements.  The Astros were louder than the Cubs according to Shawn Chaccon, who got the decision in the victory.  "One message the Cubs might get out of it is, 'We're here. We're here to compete. We're going to battle,'" Chacon said. "'It's not the team it was last year. Basically, it's going to be a tough team to beat the whole year.'"

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ns was at top of his game.  It was his first year in the National League while playing for the Houston Astros.  He ended up going 18-4 and eventually went on to win the National League Cy Young Award.  How quickly can things can fall from grace.  In December 13, 2007, Clemens name was listed in the Mitchell Report, which alleged that he had used steroids and HGH during the 1998-2001 seasons.  Ever since those allegations, Clemens has been saying he was falsely accused with his lawyer Rusty Hardin backing him up.  Even under oath in front of federal investigators and the Supreme Court, he kept to his story that he never did take HGH or steroids.  What a horrible decision that would later be for him.

Continue reading "Legend of the Fall"