The MLB postseason is underway.  For the third straight season, there has been a 163rd game.  For the second straight season, it has involved the Minnesota Twins.  Unlike last year, however, the Twins prevailed over the Tigers to earn a spot in the playoffs.

To those not paying attention, this puts the Twins with the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals, and Philadelphia Phillies.

So let's take a very quick glance and see what pops up at us, shall we?

Two things happened tonight in Houston, Texas: The Astros won their final home game of the season, and the Cincinnati Reds lost their 82nd game of the year.

The loss ensures that the Reds will finish below .500 for the ninth straight year, and they accomplished that by taking one huge step backwards.  Many sources had the Reds putting together a breakout campaign this season, finishing in the top half of the division.  Some writers (myself included) thought that they would challenge Chicago for the division title.

Boy, were we wrong.  Among Cincinnati players who appeared in at least 80 games with the team, only one - 1B Joey Votto - has batted over .300 this season.  Batting average may be a much-overrated statistic, but in this case it's indicative of their overall offensive performance.  The team runner-up in batting average, 2B Brandon Phillips, is hitting just .279.  Not bad, but not exactly what you look for from someone they depended on being a marquee player this season.

Only three Reds in the 80+ games group had OBPs over .350 - Votto, catcher Ryan Hanigan, and OF Chris Dickerson.

The HAVOC pitching staff (Harang, Arroyo, Volquez, Owings, and Cueto) floundered, as well.  Arroyo has been the only one to toss at least 200 innings, and so far is also the only one with an ERA under 4.00 or a WHIP under 1.300. 

And yet these Reds lead our Astros in the standings.  If only all of our games were at Minute Maid Park, where we posted a 44-37 (.543) record. 

The news isn't all bad for the Astros.  First, Cecil Cooper is gone and the search for his replacement must be on, if only unofficially.  Props to Alyson Footer for mentioning Tim Bogar as a potential replacement - Tim Bogar - who I first mentioned as a candidate back on April 20th.

Second, we got surprisingly good years out of Michael Bourn and Miguel Tejada.  Bourn has improved his OBP this season by about eighty points, which is incredible.  He's also stolen 59 bases, easily the most in the National League.  Tejada lived up to billing by grounding into twenty-nine double plays, leading the NL so far in that category.

But he also proved amazingly durable - particularly since Cecil Cooper was so convinced that he'd give Miguel extra time off that he completely dismissed Matt Kata in Spring Training because Kata had never played shortstop before.  Well, Kata's still on the team and Cooper isn't.

Tejada is currently in the NL's top ten in AB/SO (12.563), batting average (.308), at-bats (603), hits (186), doubles (leads the league with 44), singles (128), and HBP (11). 

I'm going to be blogging a bit through the remainder of the season, discussing things I've learned and mistakes I've made in my first season as an MLBlogger.  I was reminded of the grind that the season truly is - there were moments when I was posting 2 or 3 times a day, down to the very end, where I've been lucky to get in one or two posts a month.  I entered the mass of unemployment, got another job, moved across town, and began working on a very big documentary project that, while fulfilling a lifetime dream, is also more or less a second job.

There will be an in-depth, position-by-position look at the Astros and their prospects.  There will be an evaluation of what I predicted correctly - and what I predicted incorrectly - as well as a look at how I can improve.

When the 2010 season starts, I'll be preparing to head out on old Route 66, and I won't have a lot of time to write, but I've met some fantastic people doing this blog, and I intend to continue it, if only part-time, because I value the conversations and friendships that I've developed with many of my readers.

It's hard to believe it's only been eight months since I decided to start blogging because I was tired of having to explain the Rule 4 draft over and over.  I've been tested, and sometimes I succeeded.  More often, I've failed.  And that is what baseball is all about.  Learning from failure.  I've loved every minute of it so far, and I'd like to thank you all for coming along on the ride.

Sure, the Astros' entire organization - from Rookie Ball to the Major Leagues - has been eliminated from the playoffs.  Sure, the big league team is in the middle of an eight-game skid that not only has buried them behind the Cardinals, Cubs, and Brewers, but may in fact allow the Cincinnati Reds to catch up.

Sure, we're lousy, but there's reason to be optimistic for next year, Astros fans: Cecil Cooper has been fired.

Now, everyone knows I was never Cecil Cooper's biggest fan.  In fact, I thought he was laughably bad as a manager, and proved that he could handle neither young nor veteran players.  Decisions he made hurt the Astros in nearly every single game - whether it was wasting outs on maddening sacrifice hits, burning through the bullpen, or refusing to give a player a chance to play.

It may be too much to hope that I'll get my way entirely, with Tim Bogar returning to Houston as a manager, but my fingers will remain firmly crossed.  No matter what happens, it's great to have Cecil gone.  And long, long overdue.

Two straight series wins against the Marlins and the Diamondbacks, and the Astros are still hanging around in the standings - 10 games behind the Cardinals in the NL Central; 9 games behind the Rockies for the NL Wild Card.

38 games left to play, beginning tomorrow with a 9-game roadtrip against the Cardinals, Cubs, and Diamondbacks.  Two series left against the Phillies.  It could be shaping up to be the exact worst-case scenario: The Astros playing hard until the final out of the season, getting within sniffing distance but missing the playoffs entirely.

Without a playoff berth, a good season will continue to hurt this team in subsequent drafts.  The longer they stay competitive, the louder the cries for high-priced free agents.  If this team is going to blow itself up and rebuild, it shouldn't ideally come after a season where they compete until the very end. 

And, as much as I hate to side with Richard Justice, let's say the Astros miss the playoffs by six games: Is it unfair to say that manager Cecil Cooper has cost the Astros at least that many games?


A Few Moves That Won't Get Us Over The Hump

The Houston Astros signed Armando Benitez to a minor league contract.  Benitez had been pitching with the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League.  Since 1994, he's pitched for the Orioles, Mets, Mariners, Marlins, Yankees, Giants, and Blue Jays.  He last pitched in Toronto in 8 games during the 2008 season, during which time he was 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA, but a 0.947 WHIP.

Benitez is a two-time All-Star with a career 3.13 ERA and 1.217 WHIP.  It's doubtful that he'll get the Astros over the hump, but it's very possible he's still got something left in the tank, even at "thirty-six" Dominican years old.

You probably don't know, but the film Open Road is set to release this weekend, with Justin Timberlake as a baseball player for none other than our Double-A Texas League affiliate, the Corpus Christi Hooks. 

He won't help the Hooks much, as it turns out, as they now stand dangerously close to elimination from the playoffs.  The Round Rock Express, Greeneville Astros, and DSL Astros have already been eliminated.

Former Astros pitcher Russ Ortiz was inked to a deal by the Colorado Rockies.  Turns out he may make the playoffs, after all - and have something to say about the Astros getting there in the process.  The Rockies also picked up Jason Giambi.



Will Lancaster Make The Playoffs?

The California League Lancaster Jethawks are trying like mad to get into the playoffs in their first year as an Astros affiliate, but could use a little help from their friends.  Four games behind the High Desert Mavericks (SEA), the Jethawks won yesterday - but so did High Desert, who has won four in a row.  Hot on the Jethawks' back is the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes - winners of three straight, and just a game behind Lancaster in the standings.

Lancaster is the only Astros affiliate with any realistic shot of making the playoffs.

The Lexington Legends snapped their 11-game losing streak, but it's likely a case of too little, too late, as they now stand at the very bottom of the South Atlantic League, 13.5 games out of first place.


Eric Bruntlett

No doubt you've heard by now, but former Astros shortstop Eric Bruntlett made history yesterday, becoming just the second player in Major League Baseball to get the last three outs of a game with an unassisted triple play.  Bruntlett - along with Brad Lidge - was traded to the Phillies late in 2007 for Michael Bourn, Geoff Geary, and minor leaguer Mike Costanzo, who was turned around and sent to the Orioles as one of the five players traded for Miguel Tejada.

Congratulations, Eric.


What Happened Was...

Round Rock Express (AAA) - Polin Trinidad is having a little trouble adjusting to the Pacific Coast League, and his struggles were front and center during yesterday's 6-1 loss to the Memphis Redbirds (STL).  2B Jose Vallejo - one of the players acquired in the Ivan Rodriguez trade - was 2-for-4 with 2 doubles, and scored the only Express run of the game.  A tip of the cap to OF Yordany Ramirez, with an outfield assist at home from center field.

Corpus Christi Hooks (AA) - It's not a good omen with the big leaguers going into a series against the Cardinals when their minor league teams keep beating ours.  The Hooks dropped a 3-1 decision to the Springfield Cardinals (AA) yesterday, with OF Andrew Locke collecting two of the Hooks' only 3 hits.  The third was a solo home run by 2B/3B Felix "No Relation" Molina. 

Lancaster Jethawks (A+) - Five runs in the first inning helped the Jethawks put away the Visalia Oaks Rawhide (ARI), 6-4.  LF/C Koby Clemens was 2-for-4 to raise his season line to .339/.415/.607 between Corpus Christi and Lancaster.  SS Marcos Cabral went 2-for-3 with a walk, a home run, and 3 RBI.  Leandro Cespedes struck out 6 in 5.2 innings; Fernando Abad did him one better, striking out 5 in 3.1 innings, walking just one, and allowing only two hits and no runs to help keep the Jethawks in the playoff race.

Lexington Legends (A) - It wasn't always such a surprise when Lexington won a game, but after eleven straight losses, a 5-2 victory over the Greensboro Grasshoppers (FLA), who were no doubt looking ahead to tonight's game, where they will be hosting Waffle Appreciation Night.  That's right.  Waffles.  No word on whether or not Richard Justice will be the guest of honor.  Kyle Greenwalt earned the win, allowing 2 earned runs on 5 hits and no walks through 6 innings.  Brian Pellegrini and Brandon Wikoff each had two hits - unspurprisingly, as they've been about the only offensive highlights for Lexington all season.

Tri-City ValleyCats (A-) - It was a tight game for four innings, but runs by the Vermont Lake Monsters (WSN) in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings did the ValleyCats in as they fell, 3-0, in Game 1 of the doubleheader.  Losses don't get a lot harder-luck than the one Wander Alvino suffered, giving up just one hit, one earned run, and three hits with 5 strikeouts in as many innings. 

Game two ended with a postponement.  The Monsters led in the middle of the third, 3-0.

Greeneville Astros (R) - Tied at 1-1 entering the sixth inning, the Astros' game against the Elizabethton Twins (MIN) looked like it might be a classic pitchers' duel.  Carlos Quevedo was looking very good on the mound, as was his counterpart, Edgar Ibarra.  By the end of the sixth, though, things had changed drastically.  Quevedo gave up a total of five runs, two of them earned, while Ibarra struck out ten in seven innings of work to earn the win in the 9-1 game.  Astros manager Rodney Linares was ejected by the home plate umpire; one wonders if we wouldn't have been better off getting 3B Jonathan Meyer, C Carlos Mojica, and 2B Miguel Arrendall ejected instead.  It would have saved us the three errors they combined to make, at least.

GCL Astros (R) - The GCL Astros had a scheduled day off, in sharp contrast to all of the unscheduled days off they've been having lately.

DSL Astros (R) - The DSL Astros' season is over.  They will not make the playoffs.  Steroids all around.

It was only a third of an inning, but 6'5" 220 lb. reliever Matthew Nevarez threw in his first game within the Astros organization yesterday, allowing a hit and recording a strikeout - the last out the Lexington Legends would record in their 7-5 loss to the Kannapolis Intimidators (CWS).

Along with Round Rock second baseman Jose Vallejo, Nevarez was a part of the trade that sent Ivan Rodriguez to Texas.

The most puzzling part of this trade to me, quite honestly, is watching the reactions of Houston fans.  I really and truly don't understand how anyone can think that this trade was a bad move.  Pudge had a .280 on-base percentage.  That means that when he went to the plate, there was a 28% chance that he'd get on base via either a hit, a walk, or by getting hit by a pitch.

That's not bad; that's terrible.  Last season, Michael Bourn was heavily maligned for his failures at the plate.  He had a .288 on-base percentage.  Jose Cruz, Jr. was ridden out of town on a rail after posting a .283.  The Pirates' Jason Jaramillo had the next-lowest OBP for a starting NL Central catcher this season, and that was 37 points higher - .317.

The fact that we were able to get anything for Rodriguez is a testament to our front office.  We got two young players, at least one of whom has some upside; and potentially a third.

That, dear friends, is a win.


Houston's Dallas

"There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Now you stick to that, and everything else is cream cheese."
--Coach Bobby Finstock, Teen Wolf

It might not be wise to play cards with Dallas Keuchel, the Astros' 7th-round pick in this year's draft, but it's not a bad idea to play baseball with him.  Keuchel is a 6'3" left-hander out of the University of Arkansas - Fayetteville, and so far he's been a very pleasant surprise in his tenure for the Tri-City ValleyCats.



1-2 in his first 8 games (all but one of them starts), he boasts a 1.94 ERA and a striking 0.935 WHIP.  He 's allowed just 3 walks and struck out 30 batters in 41.2 innings, and opposing hitters are .228 against him.  If he can keep this up, he's going to be very exciting to watch.


Back in the Sadler Again
On August 18, the Astros signed Billy Sadler, a free agent pitcher released by the San Francisco Giants on August 10.  Sadler has been with Triple-A Fresno for all of 2009, but has spent parts of two seasons in the big leagues.  In 2007, he broke camp with the Giants, but struggled with his control and earned a demotion.  In 2008, he was called up late to replace Brad Hennessey. 

With a fastball in the low nineties and a curveball he throws to keep hitters off-balance, Sadler has looked very good at times.  He seems to have added a slider and a split-finger, and still throws his changeup for strikes.

He'll be 28 soon, so don't expect him to get heaps better, but this is a very nice low-risk signing by the Astros, and he could provide depth late into the season.  See below for details of his first start for the GCL Astros.



What Happened Was...

Round Rock Express (AAA) - An 8-2 loss to the Las Vegas 51s (TOR) was the 4th loss by the Express in their last 5 games.  It stands to reason that their season made a downturn when pitchers Bud Norris and Yorman Bazardo were called up, but this team has gone from bad to worse.  Their Elimination # now stands at 3, and the only way that can feel good is if they win tonight, effectively knocking the 51s out of the playoffs first.  1B Mark Saccomanno continued his hot second half with a home run, but also showed himself to be the butcher in the field he's always been with an error.  SS Tommy Manzella was 1-for-2 with 2 walks and 2 stolen bases.  Josh Muecke earned a hard-luck loss, giving up 5 runs in 5.2 innings - none of them earned.  Chris Sampson gave up three runs of his own in an inning of work.  His ERA since being demoted to Round Rock now stands at 22.50.

Corpus Christi Hooks (AA) - It took 12 innings for the Arkansas Travelers (LAA) to score their second run of the night to beat the Corpus Christi Hooks 2-1.  Kenny Baugh pitched well, though not dominantly, earning no strikeouts in 6 innings of work, allowing a single run on 3 hits.  Daniel Meszaros was brilliant, allowing no runs and two hits in three innings of work, with 6 strikeouts.  3B Aaron Boone was 0-for-3 with 2 strikeouts.  Several Hooks had decent nights at the plate, despite the lack of runs.  SS Wladimir Sutil was 2-for-4; DH/OF Andrew Locke and C Jason Castro were 2-for-5.

Lancaster Jethawks (A+) - The Jethawks put together 4 runs in the top of the second, cruising to a 5-2 victory over the Lake Elsinore Storm (SDP).  The win keeps them three games behind the High Desert Mavericks (SEA) for the California League South Division.  The victory came in complete-game fashion for Christopher Salamida, who struck out 5 and allowed 4 hits.  Both runs came on a James Darnell home run in the first inning.  C Koby Clemens was 3-for-4, a home run away from a cycle; OF T.J. Steele was 2-for-3 to bring his season line up to .353/.393/.578.

Lexington Legends (A) - Despite stellar pitching from Ross Seaton, Jordan Lyles, and Brad Dydalewicz this season, the Legends' offense simply hasn't been able to make anything happen.  A 7-5 loss to the Kannapolis Intimidators (CWS) yesterday keeps them squarely in the basement of the Sally North Division.  Kyle Godfrey, who's been fairly outstanding since being promoted from Tri-City, earned the loss with a rare bad outing, striking out 2 and giving up 2 runs on 2 hits in 1.2 innings.  His ERA for the season "balloons" to 2.02.  8 of Lexington's 9 starters combined for 10 hits, with only OF Steve Brown going hitless.

Tri-City ValleyCats (A-) - Dallas Keuchel earned his first win yesterday, giving up 2 runs in 5 innings against the Staten Island Yankees (NYY).  He picked up a little help from his friends, including 2B Jose Altuve, who was 1-for-3 at the plate with a walk, three stolen bases, and three runs scored.  The ValleyCats eked out 7 runs on 8 hits, only two of them for extra bases: Doubles by 3B Erik Castro and DH/3B Jhonny Medrano.  At 20-37, the ValleyCats are dead last not just in the Stedler Division, but in the entire New York-Penn League.  But they're getting a couple of nice individual performances that are certainly encouraging.

Greeneville Astros (R) - There's very little in baseball more exciting than the "Battle of the 'villes."  I just made that up, but Greeneville and the Danville Braves (ATL) do seem to have their share of very good games against one another, and yesterday's 3-2 Danville win was no exception.  The Astros' hitters were absolutely shut down by the Braves' staff (when have I heard that before?), scoring two unearned runs on just two hits.  Murillo Gouvea earned the loss, striking out 4 in 3 relief innings, giving up just one hit and one unearned loss.  First-round pick Jiovanni Mier was 0-for-2 with 2 walks earned.

GCL Astros (R) - While the Astros' Wandy Rodriguez was helping the big leaguers over the Marlins for a big series win, the teams' Gulf Coast League affiliates battled it out in decidedly-different fashion, as the Marlins downed the Astros, 8-1.   The Astros, already eliminated from the postseason, had as many errors as hits (2).  Only DH/C Jose Lopez managed to get on base more than once, going 1-for-2 with a walk, as a quartet of Marlins farmhands combined for the two-hit victory.  Astros starter Billy Sadler, who the Astros signed as a free agent two days ago, struck out the side in the first inning and left the game.

August marches on, and it seems like we've been playing the Marlins for the last three and a half years.  And as the Houston Astros drop a few series to fall behind the Milwaukee Brewers, possibly for good, I was desperate for good news.

Bud Norris earned his first loss.  Nope, not good news.

Wandy Rodriguez threw quite possibly his worst outing of the season.  Nope.

Yorman Bazardo is set to make his debut as an Astros starter.  Maaaaybeee....

Wait.  Nope.  Here it is.  The Houston Astros have agreed to a trade with the Texas Rangers, sending Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez to Arlington for 6'5" right-hander Matthew Nevarez and second baseman Jose Vallejo, provided he clears waivers (and at .245/.290/.316 between Double- and Triple-A, it's hard to imagine he won't).  The word is that there may be a third player coming to Houston in the deal if the Rangers make the playoffs, so... er... go Rangers!

I wasn't shy about how I felt regarding Rodriguez's tenure with the Astros.  Even at the discount price of a million dollars, I felt it was a silly move - sideways at best.  I thought J.R. Towles deserved a chance to show that 2008 was a fluke, and he had simply been rushed into the job.  Rodriguez came through with a pathetic .251/.280/.382 line, and will serve as a backup to the Rangers' Taylor Teagarden moving forward into the season.

For the Rangers, who entered the season with Teagarden, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Max Ramirez making up a logjam at catcher, it makes for a very interesting move.  But I don't care about them; what does it mean for the Astros?

Well, with the free agent acquisition of Chris Coste (.222/.288/.296 as an Astro), another light-hitting backstop, it could mean a battery involving him and Humberto Quintero (.238/.292/.324).  Or it could signal a possible call-up for either Towles (.287/.400/.457 in Triple-A Round Rock) or for last year's #10-overall draft pick, Jason Castro (.299/.363/.387 in Double-A Corpus Christi.)

Without knowing the Astros' plans for the battery, it's hard to evaluate what this does to the organization - a Towles promotion seems likely, and in my opinion the most prudent move possible... one that should have been made before the season began.

Using Minor League Splits, I was able to determine the MLEs of Castro and Towles, compared to the trio of catchers the Astros have employed on the active roster this season:

I. Rodriguez: .251/.280/.382
C. Coste: .222/.288/.296
H. Quintero: .238/.292/.324
J. Towles: .232/.325/.359
J. Castro: .216/.272/.309

Today, the Astros begin a weekend series against the Milwaukee Prince Fielders. 

Last night, however, was the Black Ties and Baseball Caps Astros Wives Gala.  Alyson Footer did a nice write-up on it, complete with pictures, some highlights of which are below.

That's nice, but it got me to thinking.

There are many things that are unfortunate about Aaron Boone having to undergo open-heart surgery during Spring Training.  The least - the very least - is that we were robbed of pictures of Laura Cover, Boone's wife, dressed up for the Wives Gala.

The Houston Astros are not primed to make any sort of a serious run at the playoffs.  Alright, fine.  The only thing I ask is that the Milwaukee Brewers stay firmly out of the picture, too.  For years, the rest of the National League Central has been able to hinge their fortune and pride on being better than both Milwaukee and Pittsburgh.

Those of us who frequented the Astros.com boards saw the results of a few paltry years of success by the Brew Crew.  They showed themselves to be every bit as insufferable as Chicago Cubs fans, with far less reason.

If the late mid-season has been frustrating for Astros fans, who have seen their team weave in and out of the playoff picture for the past 12 seasons, imagine how it has been for the Brewers and their fans.  Their quick four-game playoff appearance in 2008 was the team's first since 1982 - when current Astros manager Cecil Cooper teamed with Robin Yount and Paul Molitor to carry the Brewers to a World Series Game 7.


Back then, of course, the Brewers were in the American League.  Then, after five losing seasons behind the stewardship of former Astros manager Phil Garner, the Brewers' owner (who just so happened to also be the commissioner of baseball) moved them into the National League Central.

The move created the only six-team division in baseball.  And between 1998 and 2006, only twice did those Brewers finish out of the bottom half of those six teams.  Not once did they finish in first or second.

Until 2007, when they surprised the rest of the division by coming in second, just two games behind their hated Chicago Cubs.  Of course, they were still 6.5 games out of the playoffs.  Then, in 2008, they secured the NL Wild Card, and promptly lost their first playoff series in 26 years in 4 games.

The point I'm trying to make is that they've been bad for a while now, and a taste of success has given them expectation.  With expectation, as folks in Milwaukee are starting to learn, comes frustration from not meeting that expectation.

And I'm convinced that that, my friends, is exactly what went on with Prince Fielder, who lost his freaking mind last night in Dodger Stadium.  After Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez was hit by a pitch earlier in the game, former Brewer pitcher Guillermo Mota, who cashes checks with the Dodgers logo on them these days, retaliated by placing 97mph worth of gas on Cecil Prince's thigh.

His thigh.

Apparently incensed, surprised, and thinking he's above the unwritten rules of baseball that dictate how ever other human being in the major leagues is treated, Prince took his fight to the streets.  Or, to be more precise, to the Dodgers clubhouse, where he was restrained by security and by Brewers teammates from tearing into the locker room and... well, I'm not really sure what he would have done once he got there.  Eaten their snacks, I suppose.

Milwaukee fans, welcome to August.  It's a long, draining month.


Plenty of Moves

The Astros were quiet at the trading deadline, but that hasn't prevented movement within the organization entirely.   Recently, they went out and signed Kirk Clark to a free-agent deal.    Clark, who had been with the Glacier Pilots of the Alaska Baseball League, has been assigned to the Tri-City ValleyCats.  He made his debut tonight (see "What Happened Was..." below.)

Jordan Parraz, who was traded to the Kansas City Royals for Tyler Lumsden, was feeling a bit saucy during an interview with the Omaha World-Herald. 

"I didn't think Houston ever really gave me the benefit of the doubt," he said. "I played every day, but I never got a chance to really move up or get a confidence boost. It's a good organization, but I think this one is a little better -- especially for me fitting in."

If this is your idea of fitting in, hitting a catcher who is giving you the plate during a play in the infield, then by all means, Jordan.  Go fit in there.

There is a very real chance that Parraz will spend some time in the major leagues for Kansas City this year, while Lumsden is working on inconsistency issues.  But I, for one, am happy to be rid of him.



When the Seattle Mariners optioned Roy Corcoran to Triple-A Tacoma, he thought better of it and refused the assignment, making him a free agent.  Today, the Astros signed him to a free agent deal.  He will probably make an appearance or two for Round Rock, and then be asked to fill in for the depleted big league bullpen.

Corcoran has pitched in parts of five seasons in the major leagues, with the Mariners and the Nationals/Expos.  He had a very good 2008 for the Mariners, posting a 6-2 record with a 1.390 WHIP, a 3.22 ERA, and a 3.81 FIP.  His 2009 has been a real disappointment thus far, but he could still be a key ingredient to the depleted Astros bullpen.

In another bizarre news story, recently-released Astros pitcher Russ Ortiz has been given new life - by the New York Yankees, who signed him to a minor league deal.    Look, I think Russ was misused by Cecil Cooper, and was fired prematurely after a shaky July that led many to overlook the fantastic June he'd had.  Mike Hampton would have been a better cut, in my opinion.

Ortiz will be lacing up now for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.  It remains to be seen what's left in his tank.


No Justice At All

I like to poke fun at Houston Chronicle reporter Richard Justice.  He seems to change his mind hourly, get all of his Astros news by reading every third paragraph Alyson Footer writes, regurgitate Stats, Inc. stories, and generally just brood like the overpaid curmudgeon that he is.

I wouldn't be surprised to find out that he had never, in his life, seen the Astros play a game of baseball. 

Proving that even a broken clock is right two times a day, he wrote this week something that I've been saying since November: J.R. Towles should be playing catcher every day in Houston.

I take very little satisfaction from a blowhard hack agreeing with me, but I recognize the weight his voice often carries with the Astros fanbase in Houston, and I'm hoping this leads to a much bigger push to get Towles back into an Astros uniform once he's off the Disabled List in Round Rock.

Towles, a twenty-five year old catcher, is hitting .287/.400/.457 in Round Rock this season.  Since his demotion after a disappointing 2008 in the majors, all he's done is respond by going .292/.373/.471 between Round Rock and Houston.


What Happened Was...

Round Rock Express (AAA) - Yorman Bazardo's campaign to make the big league roster is not going particularly well at the moment.  Bazardo took the mound for the first time since his July 31st loss, and somehow managed to look even worse on the mound.  5.0 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K.  He was particularly owned by Matt Tuiasosopo (yes, the brother to that Tuiasosopo).  Worse than that, however, was the dominance that Andrew Baldwin showed against the Express.  Baldwin threw a complete game shutout, lifting the Tacoma Rainiers (SEA) over the Express, 8-0.  One of the few bright spots was the campaign by OFs Reggie Abercrombie and Brian Bogusevic to replace Jason Michaels on the big league 25-man roster.  Each was 2-for-4, Abercrombie with a double.  And yes, okay, he had an error.  Shut up.

Corpus Christi Hooks (AA) - The Hooks offense showed up today, putting together 16 hits in their 5-2 win over the San Antonio Missions (SDP).  Andy Van Hekken did exactly what a man of his age should do in the Texas League: Dominate hitters.  Well, okay, he didn't exactly dominate them, but he did limit them to a single run in 7.0 innings.  Chia-Jen Lo had a rare bad outing, giving up a run in his sole relief inning.  OF Darin Erstad, in the second game of his rehab assignment, was 2-for-5 with a double.  But the story of the night was OF Drew Locke, who was 4-for-5 with a double.

Lancaster Jethawks (A+) - 3B Ebert Rosario logged his first home run of the season, but pardon the Lancaster fans if the moment got lost in the excitement of a 25-hit outpouring of offense, leading the Jethawks to an 18-5 pounding of the High Desert Mavericks (SEA).  C/OF Koby Clemens, Rosario, and 1B Matt Weston all had three hits.  OF Brandon Barnes was 4-for-4 with a triple and 3 RBI.  And OF Jack Shuck was an impressive 5-for-6 with a double.  Everyone was piling on, beginning with a 5-run first inning and an 8-run second.  High Desert starter Mauricio Robles recorded only one out and gave up 5 earned runs before being pulled from the game, in favor Juan Zapata, who pitched only an inning himself, giving up 8 runs (7 earned).

Lexington Legends (A) - It was a familiar refrain for starter Jordan Lyles.  He went seven innings, gave up 7 hits, no walks, and struck out 6.  He allowed three earned runs, but the offense couldn't back him up, and he earned the loss in the 3-1 decision to the Greenville Drive (BOS).  Greenville's pitching duo of Fabian Williamson (a silent talent, now at 8-3 with a 2.10 ERA) and Jeremy Kehrt, didn't strike a single Legend batter out, but still managed to keep them off the board.  SS Brandon Wikoff had a rare 0-for-2 performance, but also drew 2 walks. 

Tri-City ValleyCats (A-) - So far, so good for Kirk Clark, one of the newest members of the Astros family.  He pitched 2 innings in his debut, giving up a hit and striking out 2.  Recent GCL Astros callup Michael Schurz matched him, pitching 2 innings of his own, giving up a hit and a walk and striking out 3.  Mike Modica pitched an inning in relief, giving up one hit, striking out one, and keeping the offense off the boards, to lower his ERA to 0.93 on the season.  But none of it was enough to remedy the performance put in by Colton Pitkin, who earned the loss, 5-3, to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers (CLE).  3B Jhonny Medrano hit his first home run of the season in the losing effort.

Greeneville Astros (R) - The only good thing about the 7 errors in this game was that three of them weren't by the Astros.  Still, 2B Jose Altuve continues to struggle in the field, and C Bobby Williams didn't inspire a lot of confidence with his two errors.  Still, it took until 5 runs between the seventh and eighth innings for the Bluefield Orioles (BAL) to down the Astros, 10-7.  1B Aaron Bray was 2-for-4 with a double, and drew a walk.

GCL Astros (R) - A night off in baseball, especially minor league baseball, is a godsend.  The everyday grind really wears a lot of guys down, which is why it was wonderful that the GCL Astros got a night off tonight.  Less fortunate for them, however, is that their opponents - the GCL Marlins (FLA) - decided not to join suit.  5-0 Marlins, largely on the strength of a 4-run first inning.  Lefty Ricardo Batista steadied after his shaky start, but by then it was too late, as Marlins starter Saul Gonzalez was only a warmup to Ricardo Hernandez, who pitched four no-hit innings in relief, walking one and striking out 7.  Two solitary base hits by the Astros in this one: OF Geber Suniaga and 2B Pedro Feliz. 

DSL Astros (R) - The 8-2 final score isn't really quite fair.  The DSL Astros and DSL Braves (ATL) were locked in a 2-2 score from the top of the third inning all the way to the top of the 11th, when the Braves tacked on 6 runs.  OF Jose Lopez was 3-for-3, and give SS Raymer Lopez credit.  At 2-for-5 with a double, he had the Astros' only extra-base hit. 

An interesting article over at Hooks Insider.  Greg Rajan, of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, is almost always informative.  He's a great resource for anyone who wants to try and follow the Houston minor leagues.  This article is called "Astros' New Farm-System Philosophy."

Once I got over my initial, cynical, response ("The Astros have a farm system philosophy?"), I gave it a read.  It's something of a much-deserved love letter to Bobby Heck.  Heck, one of the Astros' biggest acquisitions of the last five years, is the team's director of scouting.  He used to cash paychecks written by the Milwaukee Brewers, whose system has pushed out guys like Ricky Weeks, Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, and Yovani Gallardo - all drafted by Heck.

The new philosophy, created by Heck, is essentially two-fold.  First, the scouting process itself is much more in-depth, so that on Draft Day, the Houston front office is exceptionally well-informed on the available players.  Second, and this is the interesting part:

"What we're trying to put in place is guys who determine their own pace to the big leagues. We let the player tell us when he's ready to move up to the next level. The two guys who've embraced that are (Jason) Castro and (Daniel) Meszaros. Those guys have seized their opportunity."

In previous years, the Astros' farm system was a kind of paint-by-numbers.  Player A begins in Rookie Ball, moves to low A or A ball the following year.  If he was particularly well-regardeed, he might play on the A-Advanced team, which experienced a lot of liquidity.  The following year, it was either more of the same, or on to AA ball.  After that, three things could happen: a player could move up to AAA, down to A-Advanced, or linger at AA.

The A-Advanced team (which was the Salem Avalanche from 2003-2008) generally felt like a bunch of guys who hadn't made it in Double-A (which has been Corpus Christi since 2005.  Before that, it was the Round Rock Express.  The Express, of course, are now our Triple-A affiliate; but while that team was in New Orleans, Round Rock was in the Texas League.)

Bud Norris, who recently made his debut as a starter by blanking out the Cardinals, is the first - and, possibly, only - player from the 2005-2007 drafts to make the Major Leagues for the Astros.


Nice Seeing You, Send Us A Postcard

In last night's Twitter feed, Alyson Footer made this Tweet:

Astros option gervacio to Round Rock. Call up Paulino.

Samuel Gervacio came up as part of an effort to bolster the fatigued bullpen.  He didn't throw a single inning.  While Bobby Heck might think that the organization now embraces younger players, no one has mentioned it to Cecil Cooper. 

Felipe Paulino will start tonight against the San Francisco Giants and Jonathan Sanchez.

Paulino has struggled at the Major League level, going 2-5 with a 7.04 ERA and a 5.54 FIP this season.  Of course, a terribly-unlucky .377 BABIP doesn't help much, but even with a .274 BABIP in Round Rock, he's posted a FIP of 4.43.  He's an organizational player who should never really amount to much - outside of 2005, which he split between the SAL Lexington Legends and the NYPL Tri-City ValleyCats - he's never had a WHIP lower than 1.357.  That mark was set in 2007 with the Corpus Christi Hooks.


Like His Life Depended On It

Watching Mike Hampton on the mound last night made me wonder if releasing Russ Ortiz wasn't the best decision Ed Wade has made since coming to the Astros.  Ortiz had a monster June, but when things looked like business as usual in July, Wade released him - hours after a poor start against the Cubs.

Hampton hasn't had a monster anything, and seemed equally as likely - if not more likely - to lose his job if he continued to pitch the way he had been.  There's very little doubt in my mind that last night, he was playing for his job.

Not only have the Astros already gotten 105 innings out of Hampton - the most he's pitched in a season since 2004 - but releasing Ortiz seems as if it might have shaken the rest of the staff, particularly Hampton, into getting into line.  Sometimes, you need to send a message.  If last night is any indication, message received. 

Still, reading Gene Duffey's gamer, I couldn't help but be startled by one quote from Hampton:

"So many times I've been one pitch away from a quality start," said Hampton, who returned to the Astros this season after pitching for them from 1994-99. "I made that pitch tonight and all that emotion came out, to see all that hard work pay off."

Mr. Hampton, on what planet have you been one pitch away from a quality start "so many times" this season?  The way I see it, you've often been fifteen or sixteen pitches from a quality start.  More frequently, 40-55 pitches away.

I was also a little startled to read this quote from Cecil Cooper:

"You've got to hope he makes a mistake," Astros manager Cecil Cooper said of facing Cain.

Now, I don't want to diminish anything about Matt Cain.  He's a terrific starter.  But that isn't Walter Johnson up there.  It isn't Pedro Martinez in his prime.  There are a handful of pitchers that you have to "hope he makes a mistake," and Matt Cain isn't one of them. 

The fact that the Astros hitters got 8 hits off of Cain, 5 of them for extra bases, and two for home runs, should speak for itself.  Did Matt Cain make 8 mistakes?  If so, was it a result of extra hoping by the Astros hitters?


Delusion - Not Just a River in Delusionville

Ever wonder why "baseball people" tend to ignore fans' suggestions and questions?  Wonder no more:



Catch The Fever

Here's how the Astros' catchers are looking this season:

There was something metaphysical in the air yesterday at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio.  The hometown Reds, who had recently pulled the trigger on one of the worst deals of the new millennium, were squaring off against the Colorado Rockies, current frontrunners for the NL Wild Card.

And it was Faith Night at the old ballpark.

The 31,142 fans in attendance were treated to "testimonails" from Reds players and coaches, and Pastors competed in a potato sack race on the field to earn the right to throw out the first pitch at a later game.  One of the sponsors on the night was the Creation Museum.

You read that correctly.

Now, I'm no stranger to Creation Museums.  I attended one in Santee, California a few years ago.  The only downside to them is knowing that not only is everyone not in on the joke, but that many of them are very much not in on the joke.  While there, I learned many interesting and valuable things, like that there were dinosaurs on the Ark:


And that Evolutionists are responsible for Slavery and Genocide:

The Reds fans in attendance wished and prayed their way through two Cincinnati comebacks, only to fall in the 11th inning, as the much-fitter Rockies survived with a 6-4 victory.

It's hard to have faith when your starting shortstop is hitting .191/.239/.268.  Former Astros farmhand Drew Sutton - who the Astros sent to Cincinnati as the PTBN in the deal for Jeff Keppinger - was out in left field, and leading off for the home team.  So far, in his first 24 major league plate appearances, Sutton is .174/.208/.261 - obviously leadoff material.  I suppose that's what happens when you call up a guy who's hitting .261/.381/.471 in the International League.

In addition, he has played in left field, right field, shortstop, third base, and second base.  It was his fourth game in the outfield - somewhere he has never played in the minors.  The Reds have put him at second base, his natural position, for just two of his 41 defensive innings.

Talk about putting a guy in a position to fail.

Like many Americans, I love a good road trip.  One lifelong dream has been a trip around the country, seeing one home game in every Major League Baseball stadium, with minor league games peppered in, on off days and travel days.  I wonder, if I had rolled into Cincinnati to see a matchup with the Rockies, and had inadvertently found myself at Faith Night (which, let's be honest, means Christian Faith Night), how I would have felt about that.

And on the Sabbath, no less.


Bud Norris

I don't have to tell you about Bud Norris's debut as an Astros starter.  7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 5 K.  Others have already written the hell out of the rookie, so I won't add too much to the catalogue.

He struck out the first batter he faced, Skip Schumaker, and kept chugging along. He carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, when the opposing pitcher broke it up.  And he got his first big league decision, a win, in the 2-0 gem.  Adam Wainwright didn't deserve a loss, but we've all seen that happen before.

It's a long season, and I don't want to get too high on Norris's performance and what it says or doesn't say about the Astros' chances this year.  I'll just say congratulations, kid, and here's hoping for a few more of those beauties.


How Was Your Day?

I didn't watch Norris's debut, sadly.  I was out on the old road - U.S. Hwy 66 - gathering information for my documentary.  Though I only went as far as Upland (had I gone just a little farther to San Bernardino, I could have watched the Jethawks-66ers game, I suppose), but it was a very relaxing drive.  Of course, it couldn't have been hotter out in the Inland Empire, but that's nothing new.



What Happened Was...

Round Rock Express (AAA) - Polin Trinidad still doesn't seem to have his strikeout pitch working, but the Round Rock hitters showed up to bail him out when he needed it - with a little help from three errors by the Oklahoma City RedHawks (TEX) - to give him the victory in the 5-3 decision.  OF/DH John Gall was 3-for-4 to lead the Express, whose ten hits were all singles (though Yordany Ramirez, Brian Bogusevic, and Jason Smith all created doubles by stealing bases).  Of some note: The starting pitcher for the Redhawks was Kris Benson.  Benson's name was bandied about quite a bit as a potential free agent option for the Astros in the offseason.  He is also still married to one Anna Benson:

No word on whether or not all Express hits were singles because Mrs. Benson was playing first base, and the runners didn't want to advance.