Once Brad Mills was hired as the new Astro manager GM Ed Wade said it would not be long before his coaching staff would be formed. He was right. Only a bullpen coach remains to be added to the mix with the news on Friday that veteran pitching coach Brad Arnsberg would take that role while Al Pedrique would serve as bench coach and Bobby Meacham coach at first and work with infielders. Dave Clark returns at third base as already noted and Sean Berry continues to work with the hitters. That appears to be a very solid staff. All are very experienced. Pedrique has been a bench coach and interim manager in the majors before and Arnsberg has a lot of experience in that pitching coach role. He has also worked with some very good pitchers--most recently the staff in Toronto.
For Arnsberg the opportunity to work in Houston is the second best spot he could land. As a resident in Arlington since his days pitching for the Rangers that would be most likely be #1. Of course, that assumption may be wrong. It is much more comfortable working in Houston and Minute Maid Park's retractable roof and air conditioning than blistering hot Arlington in mid summer.
Like his manager, Brad Mills, Arnsberg has a big connection with Nolan Ryan. Arnsberg got the save in Ryan's 300th win back on July 31, 1990 in Milwaukee. The Rangers won the game 11-3, but led only 5-3 when Arnsberg entered the game in the last of the 8th. A couple of defensive misplays by Julio Franco opened the door to two unearned runs and with Ryan's pitch count rising Arnsberg was called on to end things. He did. He pitched the last 1 and 1/3 innings. His 9th was easy after the Rangers had scored six in the top of the frame to virtually clinch the win.
But when you check the box score of Nolan Ryan's 300th major league win you will see one other pitcher on the stat line. Its is Brad Arnsberg who allowed only one hit in picking up his 3rd save of that season.
IS THE INFIELD COVERED?
With the signing of Geoff Blum to a one year contract plus option and the return of Jeff Keppinger who is already under contract the Astros have at least their "emergency" left side of the infield for 2010. Keppinger didn't play much shortstop in 2009, but that was his primary position during his years with the Reds before moving over to the Astros. The re-signing of Blum was a surprise to some, but makes a lot of sense. He is a veteran capable of playing multiple spots, but showed in 2009 that at third base he is one of the best glovemen in the National League.
The signing of Blum also may be an indicator that any thoughts of bringing Miguel Tejada back and moving him to third base are remote if not already off the plans.
BROCAIL TO NEXT STAGE?
The Astros also declined to hold on to Doug Brocail for 2010. Whether that signals the end of the career for the 42 year old as a pitcher hopefully it won't signal the end of Doug's life in baseball. He would be an excellent pitching coach. Hmm, there is still a bullpen coach job open with the Astros. That would be a nice first step in a pitching coach job.
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
Followers (and non followers) of the Houston Dynamo should think of their 0-0 tie with Seattle a couple of days back as simply a first half score. That is really how the first round of the MLS playoffs really work. Its like playing a game twice as long as a normal game in two different cities with a very big half time. The first round is based on total goals scored in what are considered two games, but in essence aren't really. Why not just tell it like it is... Its one very long game. Soccer does so many things that make little sense in the modern sports world (like not letting anyone know exactly how much time remains) calling the first round of the playoffs a "Super Game" would fit right in.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Things are Even... Really Even!
Another superb pitching performance was the real story in the World Series on Thursday night. A.J. Burnett and his unique very hard "curve" kept the Phillies totally at at bay and the Yankees and Phillies are tied at one game each as the series moves to Philadelphia on Saturday.
The Burnett "curve" and I use the term in quotes because it is unlike most pitcher's curves starts low...stays low or lower and is hard for hitters to recognize in large part because Burnett tends to throw his low to mid 90s fastball on the same plane. There is very little time to react.
Burnett's breaking ball has slider speed without the little "hump" that most curves have. It may be gripped and released much like a curve ball, but the effect is far more like a slider.
Never mind the technicalities. The fact was that A.J. Burnett was very good.
Key plays? The homer by Hideki Matsui off Pedro Martinez was almost fluky. The ball was around his ankles but he was able to adjust enough to lift it out of the park. The difference between Martinez velocity and Burnett's was the difference. A similarly placed pitch by Burnett would have been unhittable. Matsui was able to see it just enough and react to drive the ball.
Another key play came in the top of the 8th when the Phillies were mounting a threat against Mariano Rivera. With one out and a 3-2 count on Chase Utley the runners, both speedy ones, Jimmy Rollins at second and Victorino at first, did not run. Two things happened. The Yankees did not have Cano cheating as much toward second base as is often the case in possible double play situations. Utley then hit a ground ball he could reach and turn into an inning ending and rally killing double play.
Had the Yankees been in normal double play position the ball would have gone through for a hit. Had the runners been moving on the 3-2 count there would have been no double play even in the positioning they were in when it was hit.
The fact that New York skipper Joe Girardi elected to go with Rivera to pitch the last two innings in the game was smart. His set up relievers have been shaky and with Friday off that gives Rivera plenty of time to recover from his 30+ pitch outing. This is the World Series. It cannot be managed as a normal regular season game. There is no reason to hold back players. There are only five games left. The team that wins three of them will wear the crown.
With a split in New York the Phillies still have a slight advantage. However, this World Series will have to be won on the field.
I am very much enjoying the action on the field. The telecast has been pretty clean. I hope fans are realizing by now how ineffective the pitch trax feature really is. For the first time this post season you may have noted how the announcers on both TBS and FOX add qualifiers many times when the pitch trax is shown, warning that it is just an approximation and not to be used as verification of a strike or ball.
That has always been the case. Frankly, we did not use it on the Astro telecasts in 2009 and some fans wondered why when they saw it on other Fox Sports Net regional telecasts. Inaccuracy was not the main reason it was not used on Astro games, but I think it should have been. The angles are wrong. The point in which the ball is "caught" too often corresponds to where the ball hit the catcher's mitt and the zone itself does not correct for the high and low changes in the true strike zone based on the hitter's stance. I don't know it if was pitch trax or a competing system...possibly the system used by ESPN, but it is based on the front of home plate. That is better than the catcher's mitt, but it is still not accurate.
One pitch of note shown from the high overhead shot on Thursday showed that excellently. It was a Burnett curve that never crossed the front of the plate, but obviously caught the back of it as it broke over. If you want to know if a pitch crossed the plate the high overhead camera shot is the only way to know. A similar shot from the side shows whether the ball was too high or too low when crossing the plate.
And that brings up another point. The strike zone is over the plate and based on the criteria set in the rule book based on the hitter's stance. That zone is OVER the plate. In other words if a hitter is deep in the box it is very possible for a ball to be low when it passes HIM, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a strike when it passed the plate.
Going into this brings back the old time trick of moving up in the batter's box when facing a curveballer who keeps the ball low. Maybe that is something the Phillies need to consider when they face A.J. Burnett the next time.
The Burnett "curve" and I use the term in quotes because it is unlike most pitcher's curves starts low...stays low or lower and is hard for hitters to recognize in large part because Burnett tends to throw his low to mid 90s fastball on the same plane. There is very little time to react.
Burnett's breaking ball has slider speed without the little "hump" that most curves have. It may be gripped and released much like a curve ball, but the effect is far more like a slider.
Never mind the technicalities. The fact was that A.J. Burnett was very good.
Key plays? The homer by Hideki Matsui off Pedro Martinez was almost fluky. The ball was around his ankles but he was able to adjust enough to lift it out of the park. The difference between Martinez velocity and Burnett's was the difference. A similarly placed pitch by Burnett would have been unhittable. Matsui was able to see it just enough and react to drive the ball.
Another key play came in the top of the 8th when the Phillies were mounting a threat against Mariano Rivera. With one out and a 3-2 count on Chase Utley the runners, both speedy ones, Jimmy Rollins at second and Victorino at first, did not run. Two things happened. The Yankees did not have Cano cheating as much toward second base as is often the case in possible double play situations. Utley then hit a ground ball he could reach and turn into an inning ending and rally killing double play.
Had the Yankees been in normal double play position the ball would have gone through for a hit. Had the runners been moving on the 3-2 count there would have been no double play even in the positioning they were in when it was hit.
The fact that New York skipper Joe Girardi elected to go with Rivera to pitch the last two innings in the game was smart. His set up relievers have been shaky and with Friday off that gives Rivera plenty of time to recover from his 30+ pitch outing. This is the World Series. It cannot be managed as a normal regular season game. There is no reason to hold back players. There are only five games left. The team that wins three of them will wear the crown.
With a split in New York the Phillies still have a slight advantage. However, this World Series will have to be won on the field.
I am very much enjoying the action on the field. The telecast has been pretty clean. I hope fans are realizing by now how ineffective the pitch trax feature really is. For the first time this post season you may have noted how the announcers on both TBS and FOX add qualifiers many times when the pitch trax is shown, warning that it is just an approximation and not to be used as verification of a strike or ball.
That has always been the case. Frankly, we did not use it on the Astro telecasts in 2009 and some fans wondered why when they saw it on other Fox Sports Net regional telecasts. Inaccuracy was not the main reason it was not used on Astro games, but I think it should have been. The angles are wrong. The point in which the ball is "caught" too often corresponds to where the ball hit the catcher's mitt and the zone itself does not correct for the high and low changes in the true strike zone based on the hitter's stance. I don't know it if was pitch trax or a competing system...possibly the system used by ESPN, but it is based on the front of home plate. That is better than the catcher's mitt, but it is still not accurate.
One pitch of note shown from the high overhead shot on Thursday showed that excellently. It was a Burnett curve that never crossed the front of the plate, but obviously caught the back of it as it broke over. If you want to know if a pitch crossed the plate the high overhead camera shot is the only way to know. A similar shot from the side shows whether the ball was too high or too low when crossing the plate.
And that brings up another point. The strike zone is over the plate and based on the criteria set in the rule book based on the hitter's stance. That zone is OVER the plate. In other words if a hitter is deep in the box it is very possible for a ball to be low when it passes HIM, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a strike when it passed the plate.
Going into this brings back the old time trick of moving up in the batter's box when facing a curveballer who keeps the ball low. Maybe that is something the Phillies need to consider when they face A.J. Burnett the next time.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Some Things Just Stand Out
Wednesday night was a great night for sports watching. Game one of the World Series was played and as it ended the Rockets' second NBA game was heading into the stretch.
While watching both several thoughts came to my mind. There are lots of good things about being a "veteran" sportscaster. One thing is that rarely does anything new happen. History repeats itself so many times in life and sports it is amazing.
From the baseball game the simplicity of what it takes to win again showed. Pitchers who throw strikes and get ahead in counts win. Hitters who can work counts in their favor and swing at strikes succeed. Teams with experience and success on the big stage show it.
All of that happened in the Philadelphia-New York series opener. Both pitchers were solid. Cliff Lee was other worldly especially when considering the Yankee lineup he was facing.
Not much wrong with CC Sabathia either, minus the two solo homers he gave up to Chase Utley. Of course, Utley was the type of hitter mentioned two paragraphs earlier. He was very calm and confident at the plate. He knew what he was looking for. And when he saw the right Sabathia fast ball he hit it.
I don't want to make it sound too simple. A hitter can't miss or miss hit that pitch he is waiting for or the simplicity of baseball gets more complicated. Utley didn't miss.
What was the difference in game one? My feeling it was the fact that most of the Phillies had been there and done that before. They ARE after all the defending World Champs. The 40 New York World Series appearances and 26 titles don't mean a thing in 2009. Not many of these Yankees have played on a big winner.
Remember the last time a National League team won successive World Series? It was the Reds in 1975 and 1976. That second title was against the Yankees--in four straight.
The Phillies won't likely win four straight. They might not even with the Series. But in game one they showed they were not to be cowed by the mighty Yankees. Neither the Twins nor Angels who did not play up to the level they showed during the regular season could say that.
You DID notice that both starting pitchers in game one had been teammates on the Cleveland Indians? The fact that the Indians could not afford to keep either CC Sabathia or Cliff Lee points up to the financial inequities in baseball. Of course, Yankees Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixiera were too pricey for the Texas Rangers, too.
The other side of this is signing one's own young players to long term contracts--before they have proven their long term worth. It is a problem baseball has struggled with for the last 30 years. There is no single answer under the current conditions. Building a solid farm system with replacements with major league skill available is the key. That is what Cleveland and Texas are both trying to do. It is what the Astros hope to accomplish as well.
ROCKETS ROLL
The Rockets are intriguing. I had not really followed them much during the exhibition season. Being involved in sports as long as I have I learned long ago there is no way to adequately evalutate a TEAM from exhibitions. Sometimes watching individual players can be beneficial. But team results in exhibitions just don't matter.
That is why I have watched the bulk of both Rocket games to open the season. The World Series cut into my early game viewing on Wednesday, but it saw the stretch and parts of the early game during inning breaks.
This team doesn't automatically have to be a bottom feeder, but it will require more daily effort than most NBA players can physically hold up to. The 2009-10 Rockets can be a .500 team if they can play at peak efficiency and as a team every single night.
For many years I was an NBA play by play announcer and while the players have changed the keys to success in basketball like baseball are really very simple and basic. Play hard on both ends of the court. Box out, rebound, get as many early baskets as possible and play as a team on both ends. Those tenets will work with any team. Teams with great talent that follow them win titles. Teams will lesser talent, but play that way will still win a lot of games.
The Rockets fall into the latter category. Right now Rick Adelman is actually in a great coaching situation. He does not have any "superstars" on the court that he must coddle or try not to upset. If any of his players aren't getting the job done he can make changes. And he seems to have enough bench in some spots being interchangeable is very possible.
Can this group of undersized Rockets hold up to the grind and physically be able to hold up after facing the league's cream of the crop? That is the biggest question. However, I think the fans will like watching this team. I suspect they will play very hard and that is really what any fan who plunks down his dollars wants to see.
While watching both several thoughts came to my mind. There are lots of good things about being a "veteran" sportscaster. One thing is that rarely does anything new happen. History repeats itself so many times in life and sports it is amazing.
From the baseball game the simplicity of what it takes to win again showed. Pitchers who throw strikes and get ahead in counts win. Hitters who can work counts in their favor and swing at strikes succeed. Teams with experience and success on the big stage show it.
All of that happened in the Philadelphia-New York series opener. Both pitchers were solid. Cliff Lee was other worldly especially when considering the Yankee lineup he was facing.
Not much wrong with CC Sabathia either, minus the two solo homers he gave up to Chase Utley. Of course, Utley was the type of hitter mentioned two paragraphs earlier. He was very calm and confident at the plate. He knew what he was looking for. And when he saw the right Sabathia fast ball he hit it.
I don't want to make it sound too simple. A hitter can't miss or miss hit that pitch he is waiting for or the simplicity of baseball gets more complicated. Utley didn't miss.
What was the difference in game one? My feeling it was the fact that most of the Phillies had been there and done that before. They ARE after all the defending World Champs. The 40 New York World Series appearances and 26 titles don't mean a thing in 2009. Not many of these Yankees have played on a big winner.
Remember the last time a National League team won successive World Series? It was the Reds in 1975 and 1976. That second title was against the Yankees--in four straight.
The Phillies won't likely win four straight. They might not even with the Series. But in game one they showed they were not to be cowed by the mighty Yankees. Neither the Twins nor Angels who did not play up to the level they showed during the regular season could say that.
You DID notice that both starting pitchers in game one had been teammates on the Cleveland Indians? The fact that the Indians could not afford to keep either CC Sabathia or Cliff Lee points up to the financial inequities in baseball. Of course, Yankees Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixiera were too pricey for the Texas Rangers, too.
The other side of this is signing one's own young players to long term contracts--before they have proven their long term worth. It is a problem baseball has struggled with for the last 30 years. There is no single answer under the current conditions. Building a solid farm system with replacements with major league skill available is the key. That is what Cleveland and Texas are both trying to do. It is what the Astros hope to accomplish as well.
ROCKETS ROLL
The Rockets are intriguing. I had not really followed them much during the exhibition season. Being involved in sports as long as I have I learned long ago there is no way to adequately evalutate a TEAM from exhibitions. Sometimes watching individual players can be beneficial. But team results in exhibitions just don't matter.
That is why I have watched the bulk of both Rocket games to open the season. The World Series cut into my early game viewing on Wednesday, but it saw the stretch and parts of the early game during inning breaks.
This team doesn't automatically have to be a bottom feeder, but it will require more daily effort than most NBA players can physically hold up to. The 2009-10 Rockets can be a .500 team if they can play at peak efficiency and as a team every single night.
For many years I was an NBA play by play announcer and while the players have changed the keys to success in basketball like baseball are really very simple and basic. Play hard on both ends of the court. Box out, rebound, get as many early baskets as possible and play as a team on both ends. Those tenets will work with any team. Teams with great talent that follow them win titles. Teams will lesser talent, but play that way will still win a lot of games.
The Rockets fall into the latter category. Right now Rick Adelman is actually in a great coaching situation. He does not have any "superstars" on the court that he must coddle or try not to upset. If any of his players aren't getting the job done he can make changes. And he seems to have enough bench in some spots being interchangeable is very possible.
Can this group of undersized Rockets hold up to the grind and physically be able to hold up after facing the league's cream of the crop? That is the biggest question. However, I think the fans will like watching this team. I suspect they will play very hard and that is really what any fan who plunks down his dollars wants to see.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
The Umps in the Series
I presume most are aware that major league baseball has decided not to automatically include an umpire with no World Series experience on the six man crew every year. It had been regularly done for most of the last 25 years. But there will be no World Series rookies working iln 2009. That was a direct reaction to the blown calls in the playoffs that television has exposed. There is only one problem with this. The neophytes weren't making all the bad calls. Many of them were made by long time veteran umps.
Tim McClelland has been around for 27 years. His calls at third base in the Yankee- Angel series were the worst. Others missed calls while looking at the plays. McClelland made the famous "leaving third too soon" call when it was obvious he wasn't even watching the base.
Dale Scott, a 24 year MLB vet, blew a couple calls in the same series.
Others who made poor calls of note included 13 year vet Jerry Meals and two eleven year vets, Phil Cuzzi and C.B. Bucknor. Bucknor is the only known ump to apparently lose his first World Series assignment this year due to his two errors. But eleven years in the major leagues hardly makes Bucknor a rookie.
So, don't blame the younger guys alone and ban them from parts of the post season. Look at some of the vets as well. Anyone ready for a merit system for post season assignments?
As for using replay more? That is an entirely different story. As soon as the first call is blown in the Philadelpha-New York World Series, I am sure the topic will come forward again.
Tim McClelland has been around for 27 years. His calls at third base in the Yankee- Angel series were the worst. Others missed calls while looking at the plays. McClelland made the famous "leaving third too soon" call when it was obvious he wasn't even watching the base.
Dale Scott, a 24 year MLB vet, blew a couple calls in the same series.
Others who made poor calls of note included 13 year vet Jerry Meals and two eleven year vets, Phil Cuzzi and C.B. Bucknor. Bucknor is the only known ump to apparently lose his first World Series assignment this year due to his two errors. But eleven years in the major leagues hardly makes Bucknor a rookie.
So, don't blame the younger guys alone and ban them from parts of the post season. Look at some of the vets as well. Anyone ready for a merit system for post season assignments?
As for using replay more? That is an entirely different story. As soon as the first call is blown in the Philadelpha-New York World Series, I am sure the topic will come forward again.
OK. Now its Time to Wait and See
The Astros have a new manager. Brad Mills is the man. From all accounts he certainly is qualified to run a major league team. How well he can actually do it won't be known for maybe a year. So now it is time to settle back and see what the club can do about filling open spots on the roster and what the quality will be like when the season opens next April.
Skipper Mills needs to fill up to four coaching vacancies first. The most important of them are pitching and bench coach. Third base is set. Dave Clark will return to that spot. And Sean Berry will remain as hitting coach. Someone for first base who would also double likely as a position coach. A bullpen coach who might also be qualified to serve as assistant pitching coach wouldn't be a bad idea either.
Whatever the makeup becomes it will be vitally important in Mills' success as a manager.
That and good enough players.
Obviously, that is the rub. The Astros may be almost forced to put some "not ready for prime time players" from the farm system in the lineup to begin 2010. To keep a handle on costs during what likely will be a transition season (I didn't use the word "rebuilding") some young players will have to get first call on some spots.
Otherwise, there would have to be more money spent than the club wants use at this point in its development.
There is one way, however, they can cut costs and perhaps still have some cash available to fill the left side of the infield with experienced major leaguers. Spend less on the backups and bench and go with younger players there.
Normally, major league teams don't like to go that route. They prefer to have vets available to pinch hit. They also prefer to have players who have been around fill the part time roles with the belief that they are more capable of having success when used sporadically than younger players who have never been bench players.
Perhaps the Astros have to change that in 2010.
If the Astros bench in 2010 consisted of players like J.R. Towles, Edwin Maysonet, Tommy Manzella, Brian Bogusevic, Reggie Abercrombie, Mark Saccomanno or Yordani Ramirez that would save a lot of money over the Blums, Boones, Erstads and Michaels of the world. At times the vets would be missed, but if it meant a stronger starting lineup it might be worth the gamble.
Furthermore, none of those in the Astro high minors are considered sure bet major league stars or even starters. Moving to a backup role to get to the majors would not likely harm their development.
Spring training will be interesting no matter what free agent players are signed to return and what deals may be made. Whether the Astros turn out to be worse, improved or even the surprise team of the NL Central in 2010 is still many months away.
We have only begun the 2009 World Series and I, for one, am eager to see what Brad Mills and Ed Wade have put together to work with next spring...good or bad. Hey, its baseball!
Skipper Mills needs to fill up to four coaching vacancies first. The most important of them are pitching and bench coach. Third base is set. Dave Clark will return to that spot. And Sean Berry will remain as hitting coach. Someone for first base who would also double likely as a position coach. A bullpen coach who might also be qualified to serve as assistant pitching coach wouldn't be a bad idea either.
Whatever the makeup becomes it will be vitally important in Mills' success as a manager.
That and good enough players.
Obviously, that is the rub. The Astros may be almost forced to put some "not ready for prime time players" from the farm system in the lineup to begin 2010. To keep a handle on costs during what likely will be a transition season (I didn't use the word "rebuilding") some young players will have to get first call on some spots.
Otherwise, there would have to be more money spent than the club wants use at this point in its development.
There is one way, however, they can cut costs and perhaps still have some cash available to fill the left side of the infield with experienced major leaguers. Spend less on the backups and bench and go with younger players there.
Normally, major league teams don't like to go that route. They prefer to have vets available to pinch hit. They also prefer to have players who have been around fill the part time roles with the belief that they are more capable of having success when used sporadically than younger players who have never been bench players.
Perhaps the Astros have to change that in 2010.
If the Astros bench in 2010 consisted of players like J.R. Towles, Edwin Maysonet, Tommy Manzella, Brian Bogusevic, Reggie Abercrombie, Mark Saccomanno or Yordani Ramirez that would save a lot of money over the Blums, Boones, Erstads and Michaels of the world. At times the vets would be missed, but if it meant a stronger starting lineup it might be worth the gamble.
Furthermore, none of those in the Astro high minors are considered sure bet major league stars or even starters. Moving to a backup role to get to the majors would not likely harm their development.
Spring training will be interesting no matter what free agent players are signed to return and what deals may be made. Whether the Astros turn out to be worse, improved or even the surprise team of the NL Central in 2010 is still many months away.
We have only begun the 2009 World Series and I, for one, am eager to see what Brad Mills and Ed Wade have put together to work with next spring...good or bad. Hey, its baseball!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
So Who is Brad Mills?
The Astros beat the World Series "blackout" deadline by naming Brad Mills the new manager of the club on Tuesday. Mills replaces interim manager Dave Clark--who will have a spot on the coaching staff if he desires. Mills comes to the Astros from the staff of the Boston Red Sox. While he has never been a major league manager he has vast experience in baseball on both the major and minor league levels.
The Astros new manager has been in professional baseball since signing with the Montreal Expos as a 17th round draft pick in 1979. His big league playing career wasn't long in large part due to a serious knee injury he suffered in 1986. He did spent some time in the majors with the Expos from 1980 through 1983. Mostly, however, he was a minor league player. Mills has two Astro connections of note. He was Nolan Ryan's 3509th career strikeout victim when Ryan surpassed Walter Johnson at the all time strikeout king on April 27, 1983. He was also traded to the Houston system in 1984, but never appeared in an Astro regular season game.
When the knee injury forced him to retire at 29 his coaching and managerial career began. Mills has managed eleven seasons in the Cubs, Rockies and Dodger systems. He has served as a Cubs advance scout and was Montreal bench coach under Frank Robinsion. He held the same role with the Red Sox under former college teammate Terry Francona until his Astro hire.
Mills was working for Francona as first base coach during the Ed Wade GM regime in Philadelphia and reunited with Francona in Boston.
Brad and his wife, Ronda, have three children. One son, Beau, plays in the Cleveland minor league system as a corner infielder.
Mills must now assemble a coaching staff including filling the important roles of bench and pitching coach.
Meanwhile the majority of the baseball world begins to focus on the World Series.
The Astros new manager has been in professional baseball since signing with the Montreal Expos as a 17th round draft pick in 1979. His big league playing career wasn't long in large part due to a serious knee injury he suffered in 1986. He did spent some time in the majors with the Expos from 1980 through 1983. Mostly, however, he was a minor league player. Mills has two Astro connections of note. He was Nolan Ryan's 3509th career strikeout victim when Ryan surpassed Walter Johnson at the all time strikeout king on April 27, 1983. He was also traded to the Houston system in 1984, but never appeared in an Astro regular season game.
When the knee injury forced him to retire at 29 his coaching and managerial career began. Mills has managed eleven seasons in the Cubs, Rockies and Dodger systems. He has served as a Cubs advance scout and was Montreal bench coach under Frank Robinsion. He held the same role with the Red Sox under former college teammate Terry Francona until his Astro hire.
Mills was working for Francona as first base coach during the Ed Wade GM regime in Philadelphia and reunited with Francona in Boston.
Brad and his wife, Ronda, have three children. One son, Beau, plays in the Cleveland minor league system as a corner infielder.
Mills must now assemble a coaching staff including filling the important roles of bench and pitching coach.
Meanwhile the majority of the baseball world begins to focus on the World Series.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
I'm Still on Vacation, but...
So many thing are happening and I'll be back Monday anyway...so... I just have to add some thoughts. First of all I like the list of ten from which the Astros will pick a new manager. In fact, it would be nice if one or two or those on the list might be considered for coaching jobs if they are not selected for the top job. Charlie Manuel of the Phillies is a great example of a successful skipper who has been surrounded by former major league managers who might like to hold the position again, yet his self confidence and ego allow him to have them on his staff.
I would have to say it has worked out OK for Charlie and the Phillies the last few seasons.
Apparently announcing the ten candidates is an Ed Wade way of doing business. A friend of mine in the Philadelphia area said he did the same sort of thing when he hired Manuel. No need to stake out airports or make bunches of phone calls to find out who was on the list. Mark Berman of KRIV TV 26 must not know what to do with himself. He'll just have to cover th Texans and Rockets and wait to see who gets the job.
Speaking of those other teams.... No team may be more frustrating that the Texans right now. They should be better than last season. In some ways they are, but the record and the way they have played in all or parts of several games makes one wonder. Fortunately there are still enough games left that if they ARE better than last season there is time for it to show.
As for the Rockets...Fans will like their hustle. How much fans will like their record remains to be seen. Remember,though, basketball is a team game. The talent available now--even without Yao Ming and while waiting for Tracy McGrady--is good enough to win if they consistently play together. How well they can do that is the question. In the big picture the more talented team that also plays together wins. Sometimes those teams don't play well with each other. That leaves openings for hustling and young teams like Houston. It will be an interesting Rocket season for sure.
My vacation doesn't end till Monday... Hopefully, I will be able to restrain myself till then. This darn computer is just so handy though...
I would have to say it has worked out OK for Charlie and the Phillies the last few seasons.
Apparently announcing the ten candidates is an Ed Wade way of doing business. A friend of mine in the Philadelphia area said he did the same sort of thing when he hired Manuel. No need to stake out airports or make bunches of phone calls to find out who was on the list. Mark Berman of KRIV TV 26 must not know what to do with himself. He'll just have to cover th Texans and Rockets and wait to see who gets the job.
Speaking of those other teams.... No team may be more frustrating that the Texans right now. They should be better than last season. In some ways they are, but the record and the way they have played in all or parts of several games makes one wonder. Fortunately there are still enough games left that if they ARE better than last season there is time for it to show.
As for the Rockets...Fans will like their hustle. How much fans will like their record remains to be seen. Remember,though, basketball is a team game. The talent available now--even without Yao Ming and while waiting for Tracy McGrady--is good enough to win if they consistently play together. How well they can do that is the question. In the big picture the more talented team that also plays together wins. Sometimes those teams don't play well with each other. That leaves openings for hustling and young teams like Houston. It will be an interesting Rocket season for sure.
My vacation doesn't end till Monday... Hopefully, I will be able to restrain myself till then. This darn computer is just so handy though...
Sunday, October 4, 2009
The Season is over for Most
With the last out on Sunday afternoon in New York the Houston Astros 2009 season came to an end. The final record was amazingly close to what the majority of pre season prognosticators had chosen. How the Astros got there may not have been exactly as expected, but in the long baseball season things tend to finish where they should.
The club could have made those same experts wrong had things take just a few different turns. Carlos Lee was the only offensive performer who did as expected, perhaps minus a few home runs. Michael Bourn actually did far better than his past and short record had shown. He started to fulfill potential. Lance Berkman was down at least 30 points in average and ten homers and 30 rbis from what the club needed. Some of that was injury caused, but not all. Hunter Pence's RBI totals weren't where the Astros need them, but his average and home run totals were certainly adequate. And his right field defense was among the best in baseball.
Miguel Tejada had a fine final year with the Astros if that turns out to be the case. His defense has slipped but certainly not hit ability to get base hits. Fewer homers than in his peak seasons but still plenty of doubles.
The defensive play and health of Kazuo Matsui was superb. Unfortunately he was another whose batting average was not up to par. Still he stole some bases and hit with a bit of power late in the years.
The real shortcoming which was predicted by those "experts" was on the mound--mainly the starters. A lot of faith was put in the hope that Russ Ortiz and Mike Hampton could help. For the most part they could not. Add Roy Oswalts tough luck and injuries and that left Wandy Rodriguez as the only full season steady hand.
Yet, the Astros were in the race in the admittedly under performing NL Central till right around All Star time. Eventually, the weaknesses in the club caught up to it.
So now it is the time baseball management starts making the adjustments necessary to get back to the top. In a way this poor season is a good thing. If the 2008 Astros over achieved their way to 86 wins the falloff in 2009 was not unexpected. There is no reason to hold back in building the club for 2010--even with budgetary considerations. The door is open for Ed Wade to start the project. The bet here is that before too long the Astros will be once again a real competitor for the NL Central and hopefully even bigger achievements.
VACATION COMING
This will be the last column/blog I write for two weeks. Immediately following the game on Sunday and the last word in this effort I will be on two weeks vacation. My comments and columns will return when I do. Fox Sports Houston will also soon be unveiling a new web page so keep checking Twitter and Facebook for news on that as well as the latest with the Rockets and Texans...plus off season Astros news.
The club could have made those same experts wrong had things take just a few different turns. Carlos Lee was the only offensive performer who did as expected, perhaps minus a few home runs. Michael Bourn actually did far better than his past and short record had shown. He started to fulfill potential. Lance Berkman was down at least 30 points in average and ten homers and 30 rbis from what the club needed. Some of that was injury caused, but not all. Hunter Pence's RBI totals weren't where the Astros need them, but his average and home run totals were certainly adequate. And his right field defense was among the best in baseball.
Miguel Tejada had a fine final year with the Astros if that turns out to be the case. His defense has slipped but certainly not hit ability to get base hits. Fewer homers than in his peak seasons but still plenty of doubles.
The defensive play and health of Kazuo Matsui was superb. Unfortunately he was another whose batting average was not up to par. Still he stole some bases and hit with a bit of power late in the years.
The real shortcoming which was predicted by those "experts" was on the mound--mainly the starters. A lot of faith was put in the hope that Russ Ortiz and Mike Hampton could help. For the most part they could not. Add Roy Oswalts tough luck and injuries and that left Wandy Rodriguez as the only full season steady hand.
Yet, the Astros were in the race in the admittedly under performing NL Central till right around All Star time. Eventually, the weaknesses in the club caught up to it.
So now it is the time baseball management starts making the adjustments necessary to get back to the top. In a way this poor season is a good thing. If the 2008 Astros over achieved their way to 86 wins the falloff in 2009 was not unexpected. There is no reason to hold back in building the club for 2010--even with budgetary considerations. The door is open for Ed Wade to start the project. The bet here is that before too long the Astros will be once again a real competitor for the NL Central and hopefully even bigger achievements.
VACATION COMING
This will be the last column/blog I write for two weeks. Immediately following the game on Sunday and the last word in this effort I will be on two weeks vacation. My comments and columns will return when I do. Fox Sports Houston will also soon be unveiling a new web page so keep checking Twitter and Facebook for news on that as well as the latest with the Rockets and Texans...plus off season Astros news.
Bittersweet Day is Here
The last game of the baseball season is always quite bittersweet for the players who love the game, broadcasters, writers and many fans.
Most are happy to have the season end for personal reasons...more time off instead of the nearly daily grind that never seems to end from late February (for the players) to March or April for everyone else. Unless one is put in the shoes of those who work with major league baseball every day it is hard to imagine.
For most when the weekend comes it is time to get away from the job. For baseball players it just means more games. The sport of baseball is not cruel to the body like football. At least playing single game is not. However, the accumulation of games also involves the accumulation of body wear and tear. As the final out is made in today's game in New York there will be a lot of bodies cheering for the down time to come.
That is, unless a player has one of those bodies that needs some off season repair. Several of those in in the future. Brian Moehler is going to have the balky knee that first became a problem early in the season worked on. Carlos Lee has a hand that may only need rest, but has been hurting for a few games. He also has plans to drop some weight before next season. In addition to Moehler almost all the other pitchers need rest to let their muscles, joints and tendons relax and be strong again.
That won't the case for everyone. Wesley Wright is going to the instructional league and then to winter ball to work on converting to a starting pitcher. Some of the younger players may also have instructional and/or winter ball on their schedules.
Interim manager Dave Clark hopes to be interviewing for the job full-time. Ed Wade will be doing a number of interviews as he tries to find the perfect next skipper for the Astros. Ed says the real works starts tomorrow when he and his staff try to determine which of the dozens of inquiries and names should reach the interview stage.
The business side of the club starts planning promotions, stadium improvements and implementing the ticket sales plans already designed.
Still, there will be a void. Baseball won't be played by the Astros after Sunday. That always takes some adjustment. The playoffs will be great and the pennant races in a couple of cases are going down to today--or longer. It is an exciting time still. Just not for those in Astroland.
Keep hope fans. The club will be doing its best to put a stronger product on the field next year. Pennant winner or contender? No one can possibly really know...only speculate. And even speculation is premature until the roster moves have been made and Ed Wade introduces the full time Astro manager. What we DO know is that baseball will be back after the winter is over. That is something we can ALWAYS be excited about.
Most are happy to have the season end for personal reasons...more time off instead of the nearly daily grind that never seems to end from late February (for the players) to March or April for everyone else. Unless one is put in the shoes of those who work with major league baseball every day it is hard to imagine.
For most when the weekend comes it is time to get away from the job. For baseball players it just means more games. The sport of baseball is not cruel to the body like football. At least playing single game is not. However, the accumulation of games also involves the accumulation of body wear and tear. As the final out is made in today's game in New York there will be a lot of bodies cheering for the down time to come.
That is, unless a player has one of those bodies that needs some off season repair. Several of those in in the future. Brian Moehler is going to have the balky knee that first became a problem early in the season worked on. Carlos Lee has a hand that may only need rest, but has been hurting for a few games. He also has plans to drop some weight before next season. In addition to Moehler almost all the other pitchers need rest to let their muscles, joints and tendons relax and be strong again.
That won't the case for everyone. Wesley Wright is going to the instructional league and then to winter ball to work on converting to a starting pitcher. Some of the younger players may also have instructional and/or winter ball on their schedules.
Interim manager Dave Clark hopes to be interviewing for the job full-time. Ed Wade will be doing a number of interviews as he tries to find the perfect next skipper for the Astros. Ed says the real works starts tomorrow when he and his staff try to determine which of the dozens of inquiries and names should reach the interview stage.
The business side of the club starts planning promotions, stadium improvements and implementing the ticket sales plans already designed.
Still, there will be a void. Baseball won't be played by the Astros after Sunday. That always takes some adjustment. The playoffs will be great and the pennant races in a couple of cases are going down to today--or longer. It is an exciting time still. Just not for those in Astroland.
Keep hope fans. The club will be doing its best to put a stronger product on the field next year. Pennant winner or contender? No one can possibly really know...only speculate. And even speculation is premature until the roster moves have been made and Ed Wade introduces the full time Astro manager. What we DO know is that baseball will be back after the winter is over. That is something we can ALWAYS be excited about.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
The Mets took the measure of the Astros on Friday night 7-1. Still, there were some things of interest during the evening. First of all, Miguel Tejada collected his 197th hit leaving him just three short of becoming only the second Astros to have 200 or more hits in a season. Craig Biggio with 210 is the only one so far. With two games to play and a hot bat that has a 19 game hitting string attached odds are great Miggy can get there.
Another solid if not spectacular outing by WandyRodriguez. He was the losing pitcher and finishes 14-12, but Wandy was the leader on the staff in 2009. A healthy Roy Oswalt, Wandy Rodriguez and young Bud Norris give the Astros a pretty sound top three for 2010.
There will be holes to fill certainly, but no reason not to have optimism that Ed Wade can't get a lot of that done. As long as the Astros are better in 2010 than they were in 2009 can put them in the pennant race again. Can they be as potent and "scary" as teams like the Yankees or Red Sox? That is not likely, but can they be able to contend with the Cards, Cubs, Brewers and Reds--all teams that will finish ahead of them in the standings this year? Yes, BUT only with some significant positive happenings. Without them?
Whatever moves Ed Wade makes--starting with the naming of the new manager and coaching staff will occupy a lot of hot stove discussions and keep the fires burning among Astros fans. Speaking of Astros fans, there are a lot more of them out there--through thick and thin--than there ever were in the early 1990s or at any time from the birth of the Colt 45s.
The reason is easy. The Astros have been a contender or winner a number of those seasons. To actually continue to grow that base the club knows it needs to get back to that level.
This is not unique to the Houston Astros at all. Every club has the same goal and need. In a conversation with long time baseball man --and current Astro third base coach Al Pedrique--it was obvious he thinks if fans look beyond Round Rock and Corpus Christi there are some real major league prospects that could be on a fast track.
Whether that track can get them to Houston in 2010 is questionable. But they will be capable of pushing those players in the higher levels that don't develop. Competition makes everyone better. That certainly includes major league baseball teams--like the Astros.
Another solid if not spectacular outing by WandyRodriguez. He was the losing pitcher and finishes 14-12, but Wandy was the leader on the staff in 2009. A healthy Roy Oswalt, Wandy Rodriguez and young Bud Norris give the Astros a pretty sound top three for 2010.
There will be holes to fill certainly, but no reason not to have optimism that Ed Wade can't get a lot of that done. As long as the Astros are better in 2010 than they were in 2009 can put them in the pennant race again. Can they be as potent and "scary" as teams like the Yankees or Red Sox? That is not likely, but can they be able to contend with the Cards, Cubs, Brewers and Reds--all teams that will finish ahead of them in the standings this year? Yes, BUT only with some significant positive happenings. Without them?
Whatever moves Ed Wade makes--starting with the naming of the new manager and coaching staff will occupy a lot of hot stove discussions and keep the fires burning among Astros fans. Speaking of Astros fans, there are a lot more of them out there--through thick and thin--than there ever were in the early 1990s or at any time from the birth of the Colt 45s.
The reason is easy. The Astros have been a contender or winner a number of those seasons. To actually continue to grow that base the club knows it needs to get back to that level.
This is not unique to the Houston Astros at all. Every club has the same goal and need. In a conversation with long time baseball man --and current Astro third base coach Al Pedrique--it was obvious he thinks if fans look beyond Round Rock and Corpus Christi there are some real major league prospects that could be on a fast track.
Whether that track can get them to Houston in 2010 is questionable. But they will be capable of pushing those players in the higher levels that don't develop. Competition makes everyone better. That certainly includes major league baseball teams--like the Astros.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Six of Eight from World Series Champs
The Astros know how to handle those World Champion Philadelphia Phillies. OK, so maybe part of the reason they didn't look post season ready on Thursday was because the just made the post season on Wednesday night. But how to they explain the OTHER five losses to the Astros?
I know I can't. But as an Astros fan and chronicler I will gladly take them.
Felipe Paulino was a key on Thursday. He was the Good Felipe. Sure, he needs to cut his pitch count so he can do deeper in games. But in the words of former comedian Pat Paulsen, "Picky, picky, picky!" If he can go through his career allowing only one run in five or six innings of work the Astros will learn to live happily ever after with that.
He is crucial in the building of the 2010 club since it has been widely publicized that the budget will be tight lower in total than in 2009. That REQUIRES pitchers like Paulino live up to their potential in a much more consistent manner.
Who is to say they can't? Imagine a healthy, bounce back Roy Oswalt along with a now solid Wandy Rodriguez, a definite comer in Bud Norris and a consistent Paulino. That is a great start toward building a rebound.
Other areas have to be addressed and they will be, starting with the next manager. And I will say one thing--personal opinion here, but one shared by others-- if Dave Clark is NOT the next full time manager it would be a shame to lose him from the organization.
The managerial call is Ed Wade's. His choice of Charlie Manuel in Phillly turned out to be genius even if many wanted Jim Leyland to get the nod, All Charlie has done is win three straight division titles a World Series.
If Ed can find someone who can do that in Houston I don't think anyone would object.
I am writing today's column while riding the rails on Amtrak from Philadelphia's 30th Street Station to Penn Station in New York. The team and the rest of the travelling party on bussing between the two cities. Since I have my wife with me we thought it would be fun to make the trip on the rails. We have travelled extensively by rail in past vacations in Europe and want to make the comparison. One thing that wins is the fact we could actually catch a train available AFTER a night baseball game. This one left exactly on time at 12:13 AM. While we raced out of the ballpark quickly after my post game interview with Jason Michaels because we had to make sure we could get a cab to the station, there were no problems. That goes into the memory bank for any other Philadelphia to New York scheduling. We had plenty of time to spare even after the three hour plus Astro win.
Another advantage of travelling this way is that I CAN write while traveling. I don't even have to worry about battery life (which is awful) with my lap top. I can plug into the A/C right next to the seat.
We have been out of the station about 15 minutes (of a 1:25 trip) and so far we are not exactly going European high speed. Looking out the window I would guess about the speed of a car on a freeway. At times a bit bumpy, too. But I didn't have to drive or be squeezed into a tight bus seat.
Looking ahead to the final series in New York. It will be a treat to see Citi Field. Milo Hamilton is flying in to work the games on radio and to visit and work from yet another in his long list of stadiums. Its a personal passion with Milo to keep racking them up even though that is the only time he works road games anymore. Imagine Milo has been in baseball announcing through three stadiums in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis and two stadiums in a number of other venues.
One other change will see Steve Sparks--the old knuckeballer and part of the FS Houston pre and post game analyst rotation-- sit in for Jim Deshaies with Bill Brown. JD is off to be part of his brother's wedding.
Wandy Rodriguez gets things started on Friday. Astros Live Pregame his the air at 5:30 with the first pitch 6:10. Both Saturday and Sunday will feature day games on FS Houston.
I know I can't. But as an Astros fan and chronicler I will gladly take them.
Felipe Paulino was a key on Thursday. He was the Good Felipe. Sure, he needs to cut his pitch count so he can do deeper in games. But in the words of former comedian Pat Paulsen, "Picky, picky, picky!" If he can go through his career allowing only one run in five or six innings of work the Astros will learn to live happily ever after with that.
He is crucial in the building of the 2010 club since it has been widely publicized that the budget will be tight lower in total than in 2009. That REQUIRES pitchers like Paulino live up to their potential in a much more consistent manner.
Who is to say they can't? Imagine a healthy, bounce back Roy Oswalt along with a now solid Wandy Rodriguez, a definite comer in Bud Norris and a consistent Paulino. That is a great start toward building a rebound.
Other areas have to be addressed and they will be, starting with the next manager. And I will say one thing--personal opinion here, but one shared by others-- if Dave Clark is NOT the next full time manager it would be a shame to lose him from the organization.
The managerial call is Ed Wade's. His choice of Charlie Manuel in Phillly turned out to be genius even if many wanted Jim Leyland to get the nod, All Charlie has done is win three straight division titles a World Series.
If Ed can find someone who can do that in Houston I don't think anyone would object.
I am writing today's column while riding the rails on Amtrak from Philadelphia's 30th Street Station to Penn Station in New York. The team and the rest of the travelling party on bussing between the two cities. Since I have my wife with me we thought it would be fun to make the trip on the rails. We have travelled extensively by rail in past vacations in Europe and want to make the comparison. One thing that wins is the fact we could actually catch a train available AFTER a night baseball game. This one left exactly on time at 12:13 AM. While we raced out of the ballpark quickly after my post game interview with Jason Michaels because we had to make sure we could get a cab to the station, there were no problems. That goes into the memory bank for any other Philadelphia to New York scheduling. We had plenty of time to spare even after the three hour plus Astro win.
Another advantage of travelling this way is that I CAN write while traveling. I don't even have to worry about battery life (which is awful) with my lap top. I can plug into the A/C right next to the seat.
We have been out of the station about 15 minutes (of a 1:25 trip) and so far we are not exactly going European high speed. Looking out the window I would guess about the speed of a car on a freeway. At times a bit bumpy, too. But I didn't have to drive or be squeezed into a tight bus seat.
Looking ahead to the final series in New York. It will be a treat to see Citi Field. Milo Hamilton is flying in to work the games on radio and to visit and work from yet another in his long list of stadiums. Its a personal passion with Milo to keep racking them up even though that is the only time he works road games anymore. Imagine Milo has been in baseball announcing through three stadiums in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis and two stadiums in a number of other venues.
One other change will see Steve Sparks--the old knuckeballer and part of the FS Houston pre and post game analyst rotation-- sit in for Jim Deshaies with Bill Brown. JD is off to be part of his brother's wedding.
Wandy Rodriguez gets things started on Friday. Astros Live Pregame his the air at 5:30 with the first pitch 6:10. Both Saturday and Sunday will feature day games on FS Houston.
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