Another Long Flight After a Successful Day

At just about 7:58 San Diego time the Houston Astros charter arrived on the West Coast. That was after four hours of flying from Milwaukee where the club finished up a successful series by taking two of three from the Brewers.

Next up are the Padres for four games to conclude this second straight ten game long road trip. The Astros schedule has seen them away from home for 21 of 34 days when this trip is over. They have played only six home games and 20 road games since leaving for Colorado on June 7th. And you know, despite the overall 31-48 record they have played OK in most series--other than the sweeps to the Rangers and Yankees.

When one factors in that this team is not the same one that started the season so miserably that offers some hope. In fact since the Round Rock Trio-- Jason Castro, Chris Johnson and Jason Bourgeois joined the club the Astros are 5-4. Add the return of Wandy Rodriguez to effectiveness on the mound to go with Roy Oswalt and Brett Myers and the steady everyman Brian Moehler there is more reason for optimism that the club may be able to stave off the worst season in franchise history.

In fact if I were a betting man I would bet on it. With Lance Berkman starting to show signs of coming around and the same for Carlos Lee along with some big games from Pedro Feliz even though he has lost his regular job to Johnson, this club has been and will score runs at a much greater pace than for the first two and a half months of the season.

Of course, the next four games will be rough. San Diego's ballpark is not built for hitters. They have good pitching, too. But the Padres are not blessed with an outstanding offense and the Astro pitchers get the same ballpark advantage, too.

Thursday and Friday are night games with a day game on Saturday and a almost night game on Sunday. A split would result in a .500 road trip. That would be good enough.

Not Many Like Last Night--Darn!

One of the first things that came to mind after the Astros come from behind 9-5 win over the Brewers on Monday night was, "This was fun, but there sure haven't been many like it this season."

That is an obvious result in a season where the club has either under performed, is under talented or a combination of both. A record of 30-47 doesn't come by accident. Still, in baseball, every club has the chance to string a few wins together and start feeling better about itself.

One win does not make a string, but it was still fun.

After trailing earl 4-0 it looked like another of those, "Here we go again" games. But the Astro hitters, bullpen and Brewer pitchers didn't allow that to happen. The Astros were able to get two of the runs back rather quickly which may have been the key. Michael Bourn's first home run of the year--off a lefthanded pitcher (Parra) no less--got things going. Then Parra's wild pitch let Pence score in the same inning.

Milwaukee got one of the runs back right away on a homer by Ryan Braun and it was 5-2. In the 6th inning two things happened that got the Astros rolling. First the offense chased Parra and his reliever Villanueva was no secret. A two run single by Pence after a key hit by Bourn led to a three run inning to tie the game at five.

Then the Astro bullpen went into shutdown mode. Gustavo Chacin pulled off the first true 1-2-3 inning for the team in the sixth. Wilton Lopez gave up a couple of hits in the 7th after the Astros had taken a 7-5 lead on an RBI double by Pedro Feliz who was playing first base to give Lance Berkman a night off. Feliz finished with three hits, two runs scored and the RBI that gave the Astros a lead they would not lose.

After Lopez gave up his second hit Tim Byrdak came in to retire Prince Fielder and Brandon Lyon entered to fan Braun and stick around to strike out the next three he faced in the 8th.

The latter occurred after Carlos Lee had plated two more runs with a double in the top of the inning.

The Astros won 9-5. The pounded out 14 hits. The bullpen bailed out a shaky Bud Norris with shutdown pitching It was a fun night in Milwaukee.

Learning My Way Around

I recently purchased a new lap top computer. It was my first foray away from the PC format to Apple. I am very pleased with the speed and utility of the Mac Pro, but adjusting has been diferent.

This, for instance, is my first blog with the new computer. It has taken me days to remember what the connection was. I did not have it transferred before I left town on this road trip and had not written the access codes and numbers. Finally, I got it figured out after remembering that passwords are ALWAYS case sensitive even if address lines are not. Mixing the proper combinations made me feel like a safe-cracker. I don't know how many times I must have been one letter or one capital letter off.

Anyway, now I am in operation. The beauty of the blog is that I can attach photos and videos which I can't do with the regular columns that I write for the web site. Not that I have much to add here today, but I will. As soon as I figure out how to integrate my video camera with this computer I will do that. So far I have been able to download in...but not sent out. Oh, I can use the web cam and attach one of my pontifications, but I want to be able to actually show you something at times.

It is a work in progress. Hopefully, by the time we get into Milwaukee and certainly in San Diego I will have figured EVERYTHING out.

Is It Time to Leave Already?

Seems like we just got back to Houston from Denver, New York and Kansas City and now it is time to leave again for three more cities. Such is the way in major league baseball. Half the 162 games are at home and the other half are stretched out all over the country.

The worst thing about the schedule is the imbalance. The Astros will be away from home for 17 of the 30 days of June which also stretches into the first four days of July. Gone 21 of 34 days.

That is a touch order for the best teams to overcome. For this group of Astros it could be a season killer. Oh, I know, the season's hopes are on life support already, but the schedule doesn't help.

At the same time many fans have a new attitude about the club even if they are only 1-1 since the roster moves that brought in Jason Castro, Chris Johnson and Jason Bourgeios. There is bit more enthusiasm since the new blood came aboard.

Now that new blood has to prove it is ready to course through the veins of the moribund club and bring new life.

So far so good...and not. While all three players have contributed offensively with Johnson the brightest light after only two games the defense of said Chris Johnson at third base has been as scary as some reports had suggested it might be. A strong, but sometimes erratic throwing arm seems to be his major problem. He won't commit three errors every two games to be sure, but that is what he has now.

Jason Castro on the other hand has only one hit in two games, but also is 2-2 in gunning down runners trying to steal. That has been impressive. He also has a passed ball which is not.

As for Bourgeios he should be fine in his role as extra outfielder with speed. Not as much is being put on his plate but that is fine. Not really a major prospect at 28, but still potentially a very useful bench player Bourgeios has the versatility (he began his career as a second baseman) to be quite valuable.

To allow the fans to continue to have hope the rest of this season at least it is far past time for the bats of Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee to heat. Lee, actually, has been hitter with a bit more authority lately, but his batting average climb is slow and his power demonstrations rare. Not so rare as from Berkman, though. Lance is still stuck on only six home runs. That would call for less than 15 home runs for the entire season. Should that turn out to be the case you won't find this reporter arguing too strenuously with fans who may be concerned Lance's time in nearing an end. That would be a pity, but happens to all athletes. Playing the game, whatever it is, is not as easy as it once was. The reflexes slow perhaps visual acuity is not as sharp and the numbers fall.
Working out and keeping in shape can help, but stronger muscles don't do much to overcome what nature brings on.

A number of players have been able to elongate careers by making adjustments. Hitters alter stances and shorten swings to get the bat moving quicker. Pitchers learn new off speed pitches. Fielders learn how to position themselves better to help negate the loss of range in the field.

Of course, a few years ago many older players used steroids or human growth hormone. It apparently worked and not just for the huge home run totals we recall, but also to keep players at the same or nearly the same physical level they had been when younger.

Now players are starting to show the natural decline we remember others of the past experienced once they get past 32 or 33 years old. That is pretty young in normal life. It is getting pretty old now in sports.

So, the question posted above this column applies not to just short homestands, but also to short careers. Is it time to leave already? Alas, it very well may be.

Are You Excited about Tuesday Night?

OK, maybe using the word "excited" is over doing it. But the Astros will have some new parts on Tuesday. Jason Castro finally makes his major league debut. He will be in the starting lineup for sure with Humberto Quintero still recovering from the head wound suffered on Sunday when he got his head too close to a backswing.

Maybe Chris Johnson will start at third base, too. From all indications the Astros do not plan on having those two warm the bench. Kind of makes you want to go ahead and buy a ticket for the game doesn't it? A chance to see what these two young fellows can do in a major league game is waiting.

Of course, they WILL have to face a pretty fair pitcher. Some guy named Lincecum is due to pitch for the Giants. His name has been associated with another pretty fair hurler way back named Cy Young. This guy is no "maybe will or never was" type guy that often pitches in Triple A. He is one of the best there is in Major League Baseball.

Now the Astros will have Roy Oswalt on the mound. He may be a short timer for the team. If you pay much attention to what has been written and said about Roy, he could be in his final month as an Astro. The only real suspense is will he pass Joe Niekro as the winningest Astro pitcher ever before he moves up the road or across the country to finish up his last two seasons. He has always figured on hanging up the spikes once his current contract expires after next year. Who knows, though. If he hooks up with a pennant winning team and they want to keep him around???

In the meantime the Astros are just beginning to remake their club. Bringing in Castro, Johnson and that third guy, named Bourgeois, is just the beginning. Before too long we may have a Bogusevic hanging around, too. Can't have too many players whose names start with "B". That has been a pretty good letter around here.

Of course those "Killer B" days are long gone. The only early one left is Lance Berkman, unless you count coach Sean Berry. He was an original. Berkman came in the second wave. The original "B's"were Biggio, Bagwell, Bell and Berry.

To many of us older folks--anyone over 30--we remember the originals. It doesnt seem so long ago, but I guess it was. They started their buzzing in the mid to late 90s. That was about 15 years ago already. Time sure flies.

So will this hard time for the Astros now. It will pass. There will be a better baseball team wearing Astros colors before too long. Hard to say if Jason Castro, Chris Johnson and Jason Bourgeois will be part of it, but we can always hope. We can also start judging the chances for ourselves Tuesday night.

The Disparity is Painful

The current state of the Houston Astros compared to the Texas Rangers or for that matter most teams in baseball is almost painful to watch. The club is lacking in so many areas for perhaps almost as many reasons fans are having a real hard time really caring.

And it is only mid June!

The pattern for the club was set early on and offensively has barely changed. The club just does not have good major league hitters. In recent games the pitching has fallen off the level demonstrated early on and the team is just not a good one. Unless the same players turn things around there is not much hope for major improvement this season. Oh, GM Ed Wade will ultimately elevate some players from the minor leagues, trade or release some others and make other alterations in the roster.

He can't make enough in one season to make this particular club a contender. Heading back to the level that the vast majority of the Drayton McLane, Jr. ownership era has been--among the contenders-- is not going to be an over night thing. The big push has begun with an upgrading of the scouting staff and acquiring talented young players through the draft. Hopefully, a fully stocked system will again provide top flight talent. It will take at least a couple of years before the efforts of the scouting and development staff start to show in bulk on the big league club.

Fans WILL see Jason Castro and Chris Johnson sometime this year. They may see Ozzie Navarro for a longer period, too. And there will be some pitching changes whether vacancies are created by the dealing of Roy Oswalt, Brett Myers and Matt Lindstrom or not.

If any of those "arms" are traded you can be sure the Astros will be looking for high level prospects in return.

There are still a lot of baseball fans in Houston that were born during the glory years from about 1994 thru 2007 with the Astros. They will come back in full force as soon as they club they want to spend money to follow shows it is worth that cash.

It has been said that "winning is everything." Ultimately that is true. Winning the big prize has to always be the ultimate goal. Being a good team and among the contenders is the first step. The Astros are no longer on that step, but they can be again. Fans just have to be patient.

IT HAS BEEN A LONG TRIP

Lots of things have been going on while the Astros have been on the road.

Its Done. Twelve is ten... Ten is either 12 or 11!

Conference re-alignment is done---at least for now. But a lot of school children are going to be might confused unless these leagues change their names. The Big 12 Conference will have ten members. The Big 10 Conference which was working with eleven will now have twelve and the Pac 10 now has eleven.

Sort of makes you think this whole thing isn't over, but sort of in an intermission.

If the goal is to have at least twelve in a league to allow for a post season tournament with the tourney champion elevated automatically to a BCS bowl then the Big 12 will need to get back to that number. At least the Big 12 was not cut to the Little 5! Had the four or five teams that decided to remain made their way to the Pac 10...or in Texas A&M's case likely to the SEC chaos would have really reigned. Now it turns in to just a small disruption.

Notice how now that Dan Beebe has done his job with a lot of help from Texas and reported concessions made to the Longhorns there is no real talk about making the Big 12 the Big 12 again by bringing in two replacements for Colorado and Nebraska. That will come. On that list will be the usual suspects, TCU and Houston. But don't automatically leave out Northern Iowa or Southwestern Missouri or even Tulsa. There ARE some candidates north of the Red River that would have to be considered.

Even Arkansas would be a nice fit if the Big 12 could figure out a way to make the TV revenues the Razorbacks would receive match those the school is already getting from the SEC.

Let us just sit back and savor the fact that the Big 12 lives as a league. Texas, Texas A&M and Baylor are still linked with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and the schools that might haven been homeless. Baylor, of course, was in that list too but Astros owner Drayton McLane, Jr. who also just happens to head the board at Baylor, told me in New York over the weekend that the Big 12 might be saved.

When he said that things looked very bleak. Some of our readers thought it was just Drayton being his normally positive and upbeat self. It turned out he was right. Now, Drayton about this Astro baseball team....

So How Bad Was It in NY?

The Astros once successful road trip turned into a losing trip after their three game series with the New York Yankees over the weekend. Houston was outscored 22-11, out homered 5-3 and out walked 18-3. That latter number was most significant in the run differential and a Yankee trademark for the last decade.

The Yankees know how to lay off most questionable pitches and are not afraid to go deep into the count. They know that most pitchers if they jump ahead in the count tend to try and make the perfect pitch which often means try to nip a corner. That tendency to "nibble" works in the Yankee hitter's favor. Before you know it the count is even or even in the hitter's advantege. At that point many pitchers to stay away from a walk come over the plate. BANG! That is when Yankee hitters strike. And, if the pitcher continues to nibble hoping the hitter will swing at something off the plate, they don't. They take the walk.

It sound simple, but most teams can't hit that way. Or at least the hitters have convinced themselves they can't.

A look at the numbers from New York. Of the 18 walks the Yankees received eleven of them scored. The Astros only received three walks and just one scored. That is a difference of ten runs there. Remember the Yankees outscored the Astros by eleven. Throw out those runs who started as walks and the margin is just one run.

Also remember the Astros were out hit by just three in the series. They were out homered just 5 to 3. But the Yankee homers drove in 13 runs. The Astros drove in just 4.

There is a finer line between the defending champion Yankees and the Astros, or most teams, that one may think.

New York pitcher don't walk people, but New York hitters do walk. It is almost as simple as that. Astro pitchers did walk people in New York, but Astro hitters rarely did.

It takes a lot of hits to score as many runs as New York did in the three games without walking much. It was a lot easier for New York to do it with all the free passes. It only took a few timely hits to post a bunch of runs. Without walking themselves the Astros had no chance.

Now, it is a day of rest in Kansas City before this road trip continues with three games here. The Astros are 3-4 thru the first seven. Winning this series would make it a successful trip. That is still very possible.

Oh, one last item about New York. New Yankee Stadium is wonderful. More than a billion dollars can still buy something in the Big Apple. But what is most impressive was the operation. The staff from the execs down to the lowest paid employee was extremely helpful and nice. If you had a question they had an answer and were totally willing to help. In all my years of travel I have never had or heard from others so many positive comments. It was not that way in the old Yankee Stadium. I ran into and talked with many Astro fans who were in town and they, too, had nothing but good things to say about the stadium, staff and even the Yankee fans.

Losing was rough for the team, but was as good an experience for Astro fans as could ever be expected under those circumstances.

The only sad thing is there is nothing left of the historic Yankee Stadium. It is totally gone.

Astros Packing 'em In on the Road

The Astros are a very good draw on the road. In fact, they are the best in baseall right now.

Road Trip Isolation

When I started travelling for my job in sports I was an NBA announcer. In those days with the Spurs and later Rockets and Pacers the teams did not have chartered jets. We travelled commercial with early morning flights. We also stayed on the road for a few days if that made financial sense even if it meant spending more off days away from home.

It was very easy to get behind what was going in the the hometown. There was no internet and access to local papers was rare.

For the last 25 years I have been affiliated with major league baseball. For the last number of years that has included every game with the Astros and has included long road trips. The travel is a lot better than my NBA days. We have chartered planes and top flight hotels. We also have the internet. It is not hard to keep up with what has been going on in Houston.

Even so, this long trip that started in Denver, is now in New York and will wind up next week in Kansas City is making us all feel like we have been away from Houston for ages.

Just consider what has been going on since we left.

The Big 12 was one of the major college sports conferences in the country.

Baylor was a member of the league. So was Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech. Outside Texas Nebraska and Colorado were proud members.

The Pacific 10 Conference had only ten members. The Big 10 had eleven. Texas and Texas A&M, thanks to their long relationship in the old SWC and Big 12 were practically joined at the hip.

Oliver Luck was the guiding force behind the Houston Dynamo.

The University of Houston had no public plans for any football or basketball facility renovations.

It wasn't really hot in Houston yet.

The BP disaster was still leaking oil. OK, so that one is still a continuing story which is actually the most serious of all. It is costing billions of dollars and doing extensive damage. The ramifications are far greater than anything in sports.

But since we are a sports business let us consider all the changes that have occurred since the Astros left on this road trip. EVERYTHING is tied into money. In some cases to make more of it. In other cases to stay afloat and pay the bills.

As this is written there are reports that in addition to Colorado, four other teams from the Big 12 are headed toward the Pac 10 (or whatever new name it ultimately has) in the near future. Texas A&M is reportedly considering separating itself from Texas and moving to the SEC. Odd may still be greater that the Aggies will go Pac 10ing, too, but it is not certain.

Nebraska has already committed to the Big 10. Colorado has already committed to the Pac 10 in an early strike to keep UT from insisting (if they actually would) that Baylor move West, too, and not Colorado. Yet, if the Aggies head to the SEC that would open a spot for Baylor perhaps. So, you can bet a lot of Baylor Bears are trying to sell their Aggie brethren on the joys of the SEC. Baylor would be in a tough spot if they are left behind.

With Nebraska out of the Big 12 it might have been possible to consider adding more Texas based schools to the Big 12 as replacements. Nebraska was reportedly the most concerned about the growing influence of the state in league matters. It does not appear Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe will have that option. He may be left with only Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State and Missouri. The basketball programs for the five are strong enough, but there are no potential football powers among them. And football pays most of the bills.

There are not enough 0r maybe no schools that could be added to the Big 5 that would change that.

This is a continuing story. Who knows what will have totally happened by the time we return home next week. With our last stop in Kansas City only a stone's throw from both Kansas and Kansas State I bet we have a pretty good idea of the thinking from that end. We will just have to catch up later in our own hometown.

Carlos Hits One--then Disappears!

It was great that Carlos Lee was able to blast a grand slam home run in the top of the 10th inning Wednesday night at Colorado to beat the Rockies 6-2. It is just too bad he decided not to talk about it with anyone.

Lee "stiffed" the media following the game. At least he didn't deign visit his locker area in the clubhouse until at least 45 minutes after the final out. If Bernado Fallas of the Chronicle or the free lancer covering for Astros.com got any comments from Lee it was way past the time allotted for Astros Live Postgame. If Bernardo or Astros.com did hear from Lee the credit should go to the reporters who waited him out and not Carlos himself. His actions were unexcusable. When one is a hero or a key performer in a game it is his obligation to meet the media which represents the fans.

Certainly there are some post game work that players do to keep ready to play. They work with trainers. They do post game weight lifting. They shower. They eat. Meeting a few minutes with the media at a proper time should be part of the routine. For too many players in the game currently AVOIDING talking to the media and thus by extension the fans is a goal.

I guess the fans (and the TV and radio media that pays large rights fees for game coverage) don't count. It is the state of the game.

Things You Run Into

When I am on the road with the Astros my mornings are spent writing columns and/or this blog for the Fox Sports Houston website, researching other material and doing a lot of walking. If the city is right for it thanks to the hotel location and Denver is certainly one of them, I will spend two or three hours hoofing it around town.

I carry a digital camera just in case something catches my eye. Today it did. These are Houston police officers in Denver as part of the Gulf Coast Chapter of the National Lyphoma Society riding their bikes to raise funds. Fancy running into a taste of home on the 16th Street Mall in Denver!

Oh yes, and this isnot a commercial, just a historical footnote. I also walked past the place... where the sandwich chain, Quiznos, started. It is not far from the State Capital and only a couple blocks from the former home of Molly Brown-- the Unsinkable Molly Brown of Titanic fame.

Never know what you will find on foot across America.

So What Will We Learn from this Trip?

The Astros finished a successful home stand by taking two of three from the Cubs after winning three of four from the Nationals. That was exactly what the club has to do with more regularity to become a factor in the National League Central pennant race.

However, the road trip that begins Monday night in Denver against the Colorado Rockies will have more significance. The trip is a long ten game eleven day sojourn through Colorado, then all the way to New York for inter league action with the Yankees and then back to the Central time zone for more inter league play in Kansas City. How well do the Astros have to do to have a successful trip?

Winning five of ten at break even would be fine if the Astros weren't already so far off the pace in the division. A trip of 6-4 might be OK. A trip of 7-3 would be wonderful. But is the latter realistic? It would require the Astros winning all three series starting with three of four in Colorado and two of three from both the Yankees and Royals.

It is true Astro key hitters are doing better. Not great yet, but a whole lot better. It is also true that Felipe Paulino has proven to be right there with Oswalt, Myers, and Rodriguez and a well more often than not dependable starting pitcher. Brian Moehler who is still filling in for Bud Norris was very good in his second start. The bullpen has had a few failings lately, but it appears Matt Lindstrom has been able to overcome a nagging hip problem and regain his form.

So, can the Astros win seven of ten? Whether they can or not will likely still go a long way toward how long the current roster stays together.

Already there are signs that catcher Jason Castro is getting closer to being ready for his major league debut. Third baseman Chris Johnson continues to hit at Round Rock. An elevation of Castro would mean the club is convinced he is ready. He will not be called before his time as long as Humberto Quintero and Kevin Cash are not hurting the club. The same goes for Pedro Feliz. He has hit well in June and is on an eight game hitting streak into Monday's game.

If there is a concern it might be at shortstop. Tommy Manzella is fielding the position now better than he has all year. However, his offensive production has been even worse than feared. Hitting under .200 puts too much drag on the bottom of the order even if the big guys in 3-4-5 start to hit.

If the Astros are going to be able to produce that 7-3 record for the trip players like Manzella, Quintero and Feliz have to help offensively. A lot has to go right and I don't mean the Rockies, Yankees and Royals have to help out by making errors. The Astros have won a number of games because the "other guys" have played poorly on defense. That is not likely to be available for the offense on his trip.

There will be more talk of mid season trades. Whether the Astros actually pull any off remains to be seen. If they do that will be the beginning of the true remodeling of the team. The results of the MLB Amateur draft that co-incidentally begins with the start of this trip will be part of that too.

This may be the beginning of the next chapter in Houston Astros baseball no matter how the current team plays. It sure would be a whole lot more fun, though, if they could make some of Ed Wade's future calls on player moves more difficult because his current teams isn't really as bad as it looked through April and May.

About to Hit the Road

The Astros have a home game Sunday afternoon against the Cubs. But for those who will be "hitting the road" on the next trip it has already started. After all, when everyone left home this morning they would not be back until early in the morning of June 18th. That is how long a major league road trip can often last. That is longer than the time spent on many vacations.

But for the Astros and those on the trip it is no vacation. The club will play ten games (eleven including Sunday) during that time. There will be one day off and it will be spent in Kansas City. There will be four games in Colorado, three in New York against the Yankees and three more in KC.

Everyday will feature pre game workouts and practice..a full game and then on four occasions... leaving Houston, leaving Denver, leaving New York and leaving Kansas City... an airplane flight--which includes going through security screenings heading to the next city and piling on and off buses that transport the traveling party to and fro.

Equipment people will pack and unpack all the needed uniforms, gloves, bats and other material... the TV crew that travels will do the same with the audio and video gear....

Some have compared the whole thing to the circus. Only one big difference. Baseball teams are trying to win games, not just put on clown makeup or make sure you don't fall off the trapeze. The trapeze may be scary, but winning baseball games is harder--even for the most highly trained.

Is anyone complaining? Not really. If they are it is only the same sort of complaint that anyone may have with their job. Even if they love it. For the ballplayer and those who work with or because of them it is a passion.

Eighty two year old radio voice Milo Hamilton will even be on part of the trip. As the Astros visit new Yankee Stadium he will have a chance to broadcast in his 58th different major league ballpark. He is the only announcer to do play by play in every ballpark in New York--at least since radio was invented. You have to love the work to go out of your way just to keep that record intact.

He is not alone. That is why so many ex players after complaining about the travel during their careers eventually return to the game. The find out the life wasn't so bad after all.

College Conference Realignment- A New Sport!

As much or more going on off the courts and fields in college sports these days. Who will play where and when?

Not First Time Perfect Game Imperfect

Umpire Jim Joyce admitted he messed up the final call and cost Armando Gallaraga a perfect game in Detroit on Wednesday. He is, however, hardly alone in determining outcomes.

Ever Wonder How JD hones his one liners?

Jim Deshaies is one of the quickest wits in major league baseball broadcasting. Fortunately for Astro fans in this season of tough sledding, JD often says things that bring smiles to fans lips even if the score doesn't. So how did JD, a native of frostbitten upper New York hone is ability to come up with just the right line?

I think I found the answer on our recent trip to Milwaukee. He has his own comedy club?

Maybe Another Loss But Fans Entertained

The Memorial Day game between the Astros and Nationals had just about everything except the home team playing well and winning. Normally that would be enough to make the afternoon a complete washout for many fans, but not this time.

The "interesting" afternoon began when Astro pitcher Roy Oswalt was ejected by Bill Hohn in the third inning. Oswalt had been upset by Hohn's strike zone several times--most notably on a pitch to Adam Dunn in which it appeared even Dunn thought he would be called out. Hohn called the pitch a ball. Dunn then ripped a following pitch for a three run double. When Oswalt delivered a 2-2 pitch to the next hitter, Josh Willingham, that was adjudged to be wide (and it did seem to be a proper call by Hohn) Oswalt walked off the mound and motioned something toward the home plate area. Hohn thought it was directed at him and over-reacted. Oswalt told reporters later all he said was when Hohn started coming from behind home plate, "I'm not talking to you." Roy said he was stomping around more mad at himself. Hohn, who has a notorius short fuse--ask the Atlanta Braves-- and confrontational manner would have none of it and thumbed Oswalt.

Two seasons ago Doug Brocail had the same sort of reaction to his own work in a game. It was in Baltimore June 17, 2008.The home plate ump at the time, Ed Hickox, gave the signal as though he had ejected Doug for something he said. But catcher Humberto Quintero jumped in to convince Hickox that and Doug was muttering to himself for not making good pitches. Brocail was famous for yelling at himself when on the mound. Then Hickox, apparently convinced by both Q and Brocail, ignored the apparent ejection. When I ran into him on the elevator after the game said he never ejected Doug. He was only pointing for him to get back to the mound. The explanation was not the same as heard from either Brocail or Quintero.

In any event, the umpire in that case may have realized he was too quick with the hook. Bill Hohn did not. And speaking of Bill, he is persona non grata in Atlanta. In fact if you look him up on the internet there are a couple stories that sound exactly like the same thing that happened in Houston on Monday--only they involved the Braves.

The ejection of Oswalt and the Astros falling behind early 4-2 was not good, of course. The Astros would score only two more runs before the game ended and the Nationals would get 12, but the day was hardly eventful from that point.

In the top bottom of the third inning...in only his 8th major league at bat and first since 2005...Astro pitcher Gustavo Chacin lofted a home run just inside the right field foul pole. It was Chacins first major league homer and first major league hit. That made the game 4-2. It would never be that close again.

The Nationals' Nyjer Morgan did something not seen very often when he led off the 5th with a bunt single that was popped all the way into short right field. It appeared he may have even planned it. If he did it was brilliantly executed. He would later score the 5th Washington run on a single by Willingham.

Fans were very upset with the home team in the top of the 7th when Washington scored nine runs on seven hits. Wacky incidents included a single by Ian Desmond in which the throw back to the infield hit the runner and deflected away. Runners were getting extra bases. While that was going on a fan decided he had had enough (probably beer) and ran onto the field. Feeling he could escape if he ran up Tal's hill and jumped over the low wall. He was wrong. While trying to hide from view he was rousted and toted off the the slammer.

In the bottom of the 8th inning another fan made a spectacle of himself before being caught and setting a date with a county jail booking room. By now a large number of the announced 34,704 who had planned on enjoying an afternoon of Astros baseball had departed.

The greatest danger the Astros face the rest of the season is not fear what their final record may be, but apathy from the local citizenry. We are seeing it creep in on many fronts. This is not a knock on the fans. It is expensive in time and money to follow ANY sports team... Astros, Texans, Rockets, Cougars, Owls or any program. Only the most die-hard fans stick around through thick or thin. With most franchises or schools that is not enough support. The Astros will be trying as hard as they can to recapture the heart of baseball and general sports fans as the season continues. Winning games and playing well is the best way. If it is deemed this group of players no longer can get it done there will be changes. Fans must just remember in this era of big money and long term contracts it is not as easy as it was when many of our older fans were growing up and teams seemed to make multi player trades several times a year. This is a long way from a fantasy league. It WILL get done. There is simply no way to predict how quickly.