Oswalt Gone... Berkman Going...Rebuilding, Yes!

Astros owner Drayton McLane, Jr. has never liked the word "rebuilding" when it pertains to his baseball team. In the past he has always felt a tweak here and a tweak there would be enough to keep his team competitive. The 2010 Astros ran out of places to tweak in large part because Father Time appeared to be catching up with some of the key players.

So, after having to do some strong convincing, General Manager Ed Wade, has been given a free hand--or as close to free as possible-- to re-make the Astros into a contender.

There is some risk, of course. If Ed cannot show progress probably as early as next season his job security would be in question. If success does not come the value of the franchise could be diminished.

But something had to be done. Give Wade credit for fighting for his position. Now what he does with that will be the key.

It won't be easy. There won't be much help from the current Astro farm system for awhile. The best and the brightest that are not still playing in the lower levels are already here for hte most part. There may be a pitcher or two who are nearly ready to get a major league shot, but that is not the case with position players. The position players with promise are already here.

While trading franchise icons like Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman saddens a lot of fans and not just the "Lil Pumas" or "O's Bros" it does cut the payroll and allows other players in the system to get a look. Oswalt is 33 and not likely to still be pitching when the Astros are ready to return to greatness. Berkman is 34 and his future appears to be as a back up if, in fact, he plays anywhere after this season.

Had both players been in the prime of their careers the return would have been greater, but the risks of dealing them much greater as well. At the present state of the franchise making the trades was not a poor move. That is even if none of the players acquired ever have appreciable value to the Astros. The 2010 edition of the club is just not very good. It has its good moments, but also has more bad ones.

A franchise can't keep plugging holes with duct tape and glue. The Astros have been somewhat guilty of that in the past. Sometimes it DOES work for awhile, but eventually the tape loses its stick.

The Astros need to build a system that provides competition for young players. Not only does that drive them to their best performance, but it provides the big club more options for the future.

The Astros seem to be stockpiling middle infielders in recent deals. Why? Just look at who is playing for Houston up the middle. Jeff Keppinger at second base has had a wonderful season. Yet, who thought that possible before the season began when he was simply a veteran utility infielder. Shortstop was "given" to Tommy Manzella because there was not other option. Now, in part as a result of his broken finger, he has competition from Angel Sanchez. And, the Astros have acquired more infielders in the recent Oswalt and Berkman trades that may be a year or two away.

One or more of those players will rise to the top. Brett Wallace was acquired to get the first shot at replacing Berkman at first base. Then there is Brian Bogusevic at Round Rock and Koby Clemens at Corpus Christi waiting for an opening at the position as well.

The Astros are building competition. May the best men win. And may the best men be capable of putting the team back in the heat of the National League Central race in 2011.

Time to Just Sit and Wait

The non waiver trade deadline is next Saturday. Too many rumors and speculation swirling around. Maybe we should just sit back and wait.

Flying Solo Brings Errors

What I am about to say applies to all of us who add commentary to the internet in the form of blogs or even live chats. We all make a ton of errors. Unlike the newspaper business that has editors back in the office to go over each line written before the reporters copy makes it into the paper we have no such "fail safe." Certainly even with editors there are mistakes made, but not the sort that often crop up on the blogs.

Take my most recent effort on FoxSportsHouston.com. When I wrote it and scanned it I did not notice a couple of pretty obvious errors. I had Chris Johnson replacing Pedro Feliz at first base. Obviously that should have said third base. I don't know why first base was on the copy, but it was.

Other boo boos--that spell check can't catch-- are things like using the wrong form of to, two or too. Or there, their. As long as one spells a legitimate word whether it is wrong or not doesn't get caught by simple spellcheck.

Since so many folks are writing on line or even just emails these days and have the same problems many of us know what the writer meant even if the actual words are wrong. It is sort of like having to do a minor translation of a foreign language.

Hopefully my transgressions will disappear. Just don't bet on it. Please remember I THINK I know what it should have said for some reason it just didn't.

Things You See in Chicago

Not a sports post at all...but rather some Chicago scenes while walking... "Transformers 3" is being filmed and the damage is fake. The animals are stuffed at the Field Museum and the view is great from the John Hancock Tower 94 floors high.

Let's Try to Do Better in Chicago

Pittsburgh was supposed to be a chance for the Astros to sweep a series or at least win one. After all Houston won the opener and had Bud Norris and Roy Oswalt set to close things out. Nothing worked right. The Astro pitching collapsed in part because neither Bud nor Roy could go deep. In Bud's case it was on him. Roy got hit in the ankle by a smash from Pedro Alvarez and the resulting bruise sidelined him early. So the Bucs win two of three and collect 36 hits in the last two games while doing it.

Now we are in Chicago. I actually have a view of Lake Michigan from my 18th floor room. In all the years coming to Chicago I have NEVER had a view of the lake from any room. I don't know if this is an omen for the Astros, but it sure is for me. No view of any body of water will help heal the Astros ills. After the last two clobberings the pitching staff is beaten up and heavily used. While Casey Daigle certainly contributed to the final scores with poor relief work he had nothing to do with the final outcome. Daigle was, after all, the club's mop up pitcher. It was the Pirates who did the mopping--with Casey. So Casey has been designated for assignment and likely headed back to Round Rock. In the meantime Gary Majewski will join the club for Monday's game. Gary, as many of you may already know, is a Houston native who began his career in the White Sox system after graduating from St. Pius X HS. He was the 1998 Houston player of the year. He has big league time (63 games over five seasons) with Montreal, Washington and Cincinnati.

Majewski hasn't been superman at Round Rock, but he has major league experience and can help fill the gaps created by the overuse of the bullpen the last two games.

So what about the offense you say? That is what new hitting coach Jeff Bagwell is no doubt pondering. Only three hits off tricky lefty Paul Maholm on Sunday. His stuff looked so easy to hit most everyone was whacking away early in counts. They were hitting the ball all right, but easy grounders and soft flyballs. Maholm hardly worked up a sweat which was no mean feat in the 87 and humid conditions at PNC Park.

Such was a discouraging weekend in Pittsburgh. Now, hopefully bouyed by my lake view things will be much improved here in Chicago. Astros Live Pregame at 6:30 with gametime 7:05 on Fox Sports Houston. Hopefully Roy Oswalt will be my interview guest if his scheduled treatments don't interfere. Word is, though, he won't miss a start and his contusion (bruise) will not be a problem.

Great Stop in Pittsburgh

The Astros open a three gamer in Pittsburgh Friday night. But Friday morning I made the short walk that I make at least once every season to the Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania History Center. Since it includes a ton of sports items it is far more than just a history book come to life. Frankly, though, it is outstanding in that area as well. In the baseball section one of the most interesting sights is Honus Wagner's old glove. Small enough already, Honus actually cut the center out. Guess he liked to get a real feel for the ball. Ouch!

A lot more than that. The large companies that have made Pittsburgh home like Heinz, PPG, and the steel industry are well repped. Josh Gibson and the Pittburgh Crawfords are remembered. So is Andrew Carnegie, Mr. Rogers and all the football greats in this part of the country that is credited with being the birthplace of pro football.

You want to see the Steelers five SuperBowl Champ rings? They are here. And a whole lot more... the History Museum...

Give 'Em a Rest!

Does the MLB Home Run Derby and the NBA Slam Dunk competition need some time off? I think so.

Are You Confused Too?

Let me get this straight. The prospective new owners of the Texas Rangers which include Nolan Ryan are suing the current owners of the Texas Rangers which includes Nolan Ryan as team president. Presumably Ryan does not have a piece of the Tom Hicks owned team now or he would be in part suing himself.

As it is since Ryan is running the show that is being sued by a group in which he is part. Toss in the matter that the folks that run major league baseball don't believe they have to automatically grant the franchise to a highest bidder even though a bankruptcy court judge is opening bids for the team to appease those who are afraid they will be stiffed by the bankruptcy of the entire Hicks empire.

Too bad the game on the field isn't the main thing in Arlington, because the team the Rangers have assembled is a pretty good darn unit and looks to be the best in the AL West. Of course, the heat of summer in Arlington has yet to fully play out and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the pre season favorites, are hardly out of things yet. Still, that is a good Ranger team this season.

It is a shame the off field news and sale or no sale of the club has taken over much attention.
Here in Houston the talk is just baseball. When or if Drayton McLane decides to sell the Astros is anyone's guess-probably including his. In the meantime the club continues to flounder in the lower reaches of the NL Central and offensively in the lower reaches of all of baseball.

So, Jeff Bagwell comes in as hitting coach. Who knows how Jeff will do? He doesn't even know. And while I add, it can't hurt, that isn't really true. It did hurt outgoing hitting coach Sean Berry a great deal. He has offered Jeff best wishes since there are no indications the team's all time home run king pushed Berry out. Apparently the die was cast on making a change about a week ago. GM Ed Wade asked Bagwell if he might be interested, but if he were not, a change was coming anyway.

To use a very old and often very true statement, "Sean Berry was a victim of circumstances." He was working as hard as ever. He was watching tapes. He was spending extra time with hitters tossing batting practice. He was carrying around an almost chronic sore arm from all the throwing. But too many of his hitters were not getting the job done. It wasn't just the often impressionable younger players for whom a hitting coach can be a great help. It was most distressingly the older vets for whom a hitting coach is often just someone to talk to. Top to bottom in the Astros lineup everyone was performing at a lower level than expected or than their track record would expect.

The Astros won't pull away from trouble just because Jeff Bagwell is the hitting coach. They will pull away when some personal moves are made among the players and when the veterans who have gotten the job done so well in the past either revert to form or have new playing addresses.

It is just that simple.

From the Booth to the Field--Again

Jeff Bagwell's TV career (sitting in with Bill Brown and Jim Deshaies) on Saturday home telecasts is over. He joins former broadcaster Larry Dierker in moving from the booth back down to the field starting Friday in Pittsburgh.

Bagwell, the Astros all time home run king, replaces fellow former "Killer B" Sean Berry as the teams hitting coach. Ironic that at a time when Mark McGwire was in town with the Cardinals as that club's hitting coach, fellow icon from the same period, Bagwell, elects to return to uniform?

Bagwell has impressed Astro coaches and brass with his work ethic and willingness to try to teach young players how the game is supposed to be played.

None of this is a knock on Berry. GM Ed Wade and manager Brad Mills both emphasized that no one worked harder in trying to get the club out of its current position as having one of the worst offenses in major league baseball. Sometimes in this game changes are just necessary.

This was one of those times. Berry has been offered a chance to remain in the organization. He will take some time to think it over. We hope he will accept. Berry is a hard worker and value to the Astros.

Mid Level Income Blues

One thing the National League Central has going for it is the teams are quite even. Forget the Pirates. For some reason they have never been able to join the party. Everyone else, however, has been a contender or champion over the past 15 seasons. This year it is the Reds and Cardinals at the top. The other teams are mediocre at best. Actually, the Reds and Cards don't exactly have the look of future world champions, but one of them likely will win the division and go into the post season. At that point all bets are off. Ever since the first Wild Card winner won the World Series the value of a sparkling regular season record was lost. And when the Seattle Mariners won 116 game during a season and didn't even MAKE the series that fact was emphasized.

The teams in the NL Central are not examples of major spenders. Oh, the Cubs, Astros and Cards have made some major expenditures on free agents in the past, but none of those teams are overly willing to "eat" salaries when things don't work out. The Yankees can do that, but even they don't want to.

So, the teams in the Central have to get by on what they have for the most part. This may result in what looks like mediocrity compared to some of the glamor franchises in the sport, but it also means everyone has a real chance to be a winner from year to year.

Just another reason why although this season has been forgetful, but it should not have a direct bearing on what is in store next year.... We Hope!

Could That Have Been Roy's Good-bye?

Roy Oswalt pitched as fine a game as he has thrown in ten years as a Houston Astro on Thursday afternoon. He allowed only a first inning single and no runs in a complete game 117 pitch outing.

It also could have been the last time Astro fans will see him pitch at home in a Houston uniform. He won because a player whose career he has been linked to for those ten years, Lance Berkman, hit two solo home runs to provide the only offensive production of the game. Houston won 2-0 to sweep the series with the Pirates.

Both Roy and Lance may be on short term leases by the Astros. Both are available for trade. Oswalt except for the amount of money still owed on his contract might have already been gone. Berkman now that his bat has heated up may also find renewed interest in his skills by a club that is lacking one piece to be a strong pennant threat.

Should one or both of them cease to wear Astro colors in a few days or weeks no one should overly lament their passing from the scene. That is the way of baseball. Veteran players move aside either by retirement, trade or free agency to open the doors for the next generation.

Oftentimes the next generation doesn't live up to the level of the previous one. Sometimes it is better. No one knows for sure in advance. It always seems like a risk. Yet, playing careers slow down and end regardless whether the next group of players are as good or not.

Jeff Bagwell moved on..Lance Berkman moved in and has manned the first base position very well for the past six or seven years. Craig Biggio's skills declined and while Jeff Keppinger has done a fine job this season and others have manned the position adequately no one has replaced the level of play provided by Biggio or for two years, Jeff Kent.

The Astros have had a number of outstanding starting pitchers. Some lasted some did not. Roy has lasted. Two more wins and he would become the winningest Astro of all time surpassing Joe Niekro.

Time is running out on that goal if he does get traded before July 31st. His next two starts will be on the road. If he is still an Astro he would pitch again at Minute Maid Park on July 27th. Will he still be here then?

Quick Trip Back to MMP

Often when the Astros play a day game after a night game it can be hard to get organized in the morning since the daily routine is messed up. No time for a morning bit of exercise. No time to slowly scan the internet for tidbits of information. No time for much except waking up, showering and heading to the ball park.

Funny, though, how although that routine doesn't change it is a whole lot more fun when the club is winning games. I am looking forward to getting back to Minute Maid Park in about an hour and half from now (it is just before 8 a.m. as I write this) to line up today's pre game interview and fire up the lap top for interaction with fans.

Heck the fact that it is currently pouring rain outside my home on the north side doesn't deter things. We have the good old retractable roof so we know will will have baseball.

One thing that puzzles me about Houston sports fans (and I think I can criticize since I have been here since the end of 1982) is how extremely "fair weather" too many of us are. I am not specifically speaking of baseball fans, but ALL fans.

The Astros attendance is down this year, but with a losing record that is not surprising. In fact, tickets sold each night is not horrible. Sure, sometimes the number of tickets sold does not come that close to actual bodies in the seats but that seems to be almost a Houston tradition with the team is not winning enough.

Look at the Rockets. They have plenty of nights with good, but not sold out crowds. This city and region has enough population that one would think that with only 41 home games and a limited capacity of less than 18,000 the building would be sold out every night. Similar up and down success stories in other cities are.

Remember how the Houston Comets packed 'em in when they first game to town. They weren't drawing sellouts to Compaq Center, but were always drawing five figures to the envy of the rest of the WNBA. They won four titles. Then they no longer won titles and Houston said that was enough. Crowds dwindled and the team was sold to owners without deep enough pockets to pay rent for the big arena or handle smaller crowds. Soon, the Comets were a memory.

Currently our fair weather nature seems to be affecting the Houston Dynamo. Even before their embarrassing gathering of just over 1000 fans for their last home game the attendance had not been reaching the levels of their first years in the league. Oh yes, they were also champions when they got to town. Soccer fans were on the Dynamo bandwagon.

Folks on radio talk shows and newspapers like to tell us we are a football town. I suppose if you ranked sports football would come out first in a poll of citizens. But are we really a football town?
The Texans don't have full houses for every game. The tickets may be sold, but why are there so many no shows. Or are those tickets really sold in a true sense. Have ticket agencies bought them, but been unable to re-sell to fans?

I have absolutely no doubt that if the Texans provide a championship calibre team the fans will be clamoring for all the tickets. When the Astros were a contending and exciting club it was hard to find a ticket for Minute Maid Park, too. The same went for the Rockets.

We have fans in the region. They are just much more selective and perhaps not as deeply passionate about their teams as in other parts of the country. Selling tickets to sporting events is not a case of opening the ticket window and taking orders.

I haven't even brought up the plights with Houston and Rice and TSU and HBU on the collegiate level either. The trickle down from the pros means they have an even higher percentage of empty seats.

If this all sounds like complaining it isn't meant to be. It is just to point out Houston is different than many places. We have a whole lot fewer fans who live and die with their teams, but also support them loyally win or lose. Our city sports slogan should be borrowed from the state of Missouri. As far as supporting our teams is more, "Show me." If the teams show that they can win the fans will be around.

Waiting for the Game

Unlike any other sport there is a whole lot more to playing a major league baseball game than having a youngster screech into the P.A. mic with "Let's Play Ball". Or, in San Diego even fewer words, just "Play Ball."

No many of the players and all of the coaching staff are in the park by 3pm...the coaches and manager earlier than that. Media types including the radio and television folks arrive by 3:30 at the latest with the guys and gals that actually work on the telecast production on hand between one and two for a night game.

The last hour before the game is used putting final notes together for the broadcasters and writing news notes for on line reports by the writers.

Meanwhile the players are starting organized on field work outs as early as before 3pm. Extra work takes the field by the visitors first with the home team taking over at 3:30. Official batting practice for a 7:05 game starts at 4:40. It runs an hour. Then the visiting team hits to 6:30 only seconds before Astros Live Pregame hits the air.

That is why Kevin or Bart and their analyst partners have to keep one eye on the field from their Crawford Boxes spot. Never know when a ball will come whistling that way.

We won't have much of a crowd tonite with the match up featuring the Pirates and Astros. But it will be baseball... Former UH hurler Brad Lincoln starts for the Bucs. So there is still something to see. Hope you will join us on Fox Sports Houston...in about 12 minutes for Astros Live pregame.

Blum Says Its a Good Story, but Not Completely True!

So, did Geoff Blum injure his elbow when putting on his shirt Thursday night or not? Geoff said after the game Friday that his manager, Brad Mills, got it wrong. Well, he sort of said that.

What Blum did say was that many players have loose bodies floating around in their elbows and joints and that he has had them for awhile. It was the act of putting on his shirt that finally caused a major problem. The elbow locked...swelled and started to cause pain.

So, Blum went to have an examination and the Astros were caught in a roster quandary. They had already summoned newly acquired Angel Sanchez to join the team. Now, however, with Blum's availability in question they had to remove totally undeserving Jason Bourgeois from the roster to make room for Sanchez. They couldn't drop now unneeded Ozzie Navarro because they weren't sure about Blum.

Had Blum needed to go on the disabled list Bourgeois could have been recalled immediately. Now, however, since Blum is not going on the DL, Jason must spend at least ten days back with Round Rock.

Presuming Blum ultimately is OK and the day to day injury doesn't prove more serious than that Bourgeois can expect to be back with the Astros as soon as the ten days are up and to replace Navarro.

In the meantime Blum wants to deny that he hurt himself putting on his shirt even, as he admitted to me when I suggested it after Friday's game that it is a better story. It is just not totally accurate.