Next Two Months to be Instructive

When one looked at the Astros starting lineup Saturday night it demonstrated again how little making the team in spring training often can mean. Only two starters from opening day were in the lineup Saturday night, Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence. Furthermore, there were four rookies playing defense behind now seasoned veteran pitcher Wandy Rodriguez.

Things can change quickly in baseball terms when you aren't having much fun.

It too nearly 100 games but the Astros are now a team building for the future instead of one trying to hold on to the past.

The change seemed sudden but probably only because Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt were sent elsewhere and they were the key players remaining from the glory years. In fact, only one player remains from the NL Champion and World Series Astros of 2005. That is Wandy Rodriguez.

Now, as the Astros had to do with unknowns like Craig Biggio, Ken Caminiti, Luis Gonzalez, Darryl Kile, Shane Reynolds and a guy named Bagwell among others in the late 80s and early 90s, a new look is emerging.

All of the above had fine big league careers with Biggio and Bagwell likely future Hall of Famers. But when they arrived they were only "hopes".

Now Astro fans "hope" Brett Wallace, Jason Castro, Tommy Manzella, Angel Sanchez, Chris Johnson, Bud Norris, Felipe Paulino and Wesley Wright can lead the charge back to contention and championships in the National League.

That group is augmented by slightly older but still in the prime players like J.A. Happ, Brett Myers, Pence and Bourn.

Some of them will help. Others will drop by the wayside. Because the Astros made the moves they did during this season all fans will have a chance to judge for themselves using major league competition as a guide to help determine what else has to happen to get the Astros back to where they want to be.