What Can You Say When Everything Stinks?

A total meltdown by the Astros in Arizona on Saturday night. How else do you describe a 9-0 defeat?

There was no pitching by the once heralded rookie. And there was essentially no offense by everyone else.

Now I got some Tweets from fans claiming the Astros mailed it in....that they have given up... that all is lost until new bodies are inside most of the Astro uniforms.

I say, "Balderdash!" (Does anyone really say, Balderdash anymore?) What I mean is that this team hasn't given up. They just aren't very good right now. The probably haven't been very good all season, but they were able to win enough games until about a month ago that their weaknesses were hidden. Since then they have all come out in the open. Shall we start the list?

The Pitching was based on a hope and a prayer plus an improving Wandy Rodriguez, a probably beginning to decline (but not that much) Roy Oswalt and a steady vet who doesn't dazzle but can keep a team in most games, Brian Moehler. It was backed up by two pitchers trying to make comebacks after several injury plagued seasons in Russ Ortiz and Mike Hampton. I don't know if Ortiz was Hope and Hampton was Prayer or the other way around, but you get my point.

The offense--after the acquisition of a past his prime Pudge Rodriguez might have been better than 2008, but not much since it involved using a mostly career utilityman in Geoff Blum as the regular third baseman plus an often injured Kazuo Matsui at second base. In the outfield Michael Bourn was not impressive in 2008 and no one knew for sure whether he would make it and Hunter Pence in 2008 declined considerably from his rookie season in 2007.

So what happened? Rodriguez turned into a .250 hitter with some power which was sadly actually an improvement over Brad Ausmus in his declining years, Blum hung in fine at third base but most importantly Bourn developed into a well above average center fielder and leadoff man. Pence was better than in 2008 for most of the season although he has faded considerably in the second half of the season as has Miguel Tejada as was the case in 2008. Lance Berkman got off to a slow start, heated up, then got hurt. Carlos Lee has hit steadily although can't really do anything else at all.

All this adds up to a middle of the road (read that mediocre) team. They are not nor never were a truly good team.

However, what is most distressing right now is that the "youth" that has been brought in to help out the pitching staff and be anchors for the future is failing. Yormin Bazardo has been awful as a starter. Bud Norris has faded from a shooting star to a pot hole in the street. And Felipe Paulino has been good or bad so many times it is hard to know just WHAT he is. These were the pitchers some fans were clamoring for months ago to replace the aging Hampton, Ortiz and even Moehler. Slinging Sammy Gervacio has looked good in the bullpen, but thats about the only system pitching bright spot right now.

Ed Wade loves being a major league general manager. By next spring he may not like the job so much. He is going to have to do so much wheeling and dealing and building and patching to get this team back into contention in 2010 he may lose the ability to tell up from down. He will have to do it all under budget constraints and handicapped by some guaranteed no trade contracts for huge money that will tie his hands in improving in some spots.

While it has been suggested re-signing Miguel Tejada with the idea of improving the defense at shortstop by moving him to third base may have merit, it may have just as much if not more if he is left to move on. That would be a real good idea IF the Astros had anything at all in the top levels of the farm system ready to play in the major leagues. They don't. They have a player named Chris Johnson who may get more of a chance next spring than his achievements or ability may deserve. He is the best they have. Kazuo Matsui may be past his prime, but the Astro system has no second baseman ready to burst in and take over. The same is true at shortstop where Tommy Manzella has improved his bat a great deal and could win the job in the spring. It is no guarantee he is ready for the major leagues either. But, like Johnson, he is the best they've got.

Next season..like the rest of this one...may be rough. But there IS hope. Down on lower levels there appears to be real competition with real prospects. Hopefully, they will grow quickly.