The End of the Road is Near

Thursday night marks a significant milestone in the 2010 Astros season.

Not End of World for Texans nor Astros

The Texans have a long season with important conference and division games to win.  The Astros need to play well over the last six games to put their failures in Washington and Pittsburgh behind them before their off season.

Ed Wade Back from OKC and Ready to Build

Ed Wade has lots of work to do in the off season, but his coaches have all been offered two year extensions...(Baggy is still not sure he wants to coach again)...his manager is in place and he has seen some of the young players that make up the future.  There are more to see...and more to do...

Road Trips in Baseball Mean Isolation from Back Home

It is not nearly as bad as it used to be before cell phones and the internet, but there is still quite a separation between what is going on in Houston and where ever the Astros are currently playing on the road.

Everything Moves out of Pittsburgh Now

Washington Stuff

Around the Ballpark...and Town

You will recognize two fellows at work in Washington...and another guy at a familiar local stop.

What a Texan Win...and We Got to See the Finish!

Big deal you say. You ALL saw the finish. Yes, but the "we" in this post is the entire Houston Astro travelling party which was on the way to Washington flying the in the Continental charter. We only got to see the finish in overtime because the primary game on the DirecTV feed was the New York Jets- New England Patriots game. When it ended the Texans-Redskins overtime was switched on.

We groaned when Gary Kubiak decided to play it conservatively and not try an extra long field goal. We groaned again when a late hit rescued the Redskins from a quarterback sack and pushed them past the field position they would have had had the field goal attempt been missed.

We breathed a sigh of relief when we learned Washington's game winning field goal would be wiped off thanks to a last instant time out call by Kubiak. We clapped when the second field goal was wide. And were mostly happy (not all Astros are Houstonians, of course) when the Texans field goal attempt was true and victory was secured.

When we got to Washington we even were able to recognize the victors, sort of.

Minute Maid Park is a Fair Park

OK, Jim Edmonds hits a high fly ball that goes all of 316 feet right down the left field line, hits the foul pole and gets a home run. It was a "cheapy" and no doubt will be seen on all the hilight shows while commentators will make cracks about Minute Maid Park being a hitter's haven.

They will be wrong, of course, but who is paying attention. Well, I am and you will soon be if you keep reading. Since it's opening season when Minute Maid Park, then known as Enron Field WAS he home of the long ball things have been very much different. The walls in left center field were raised, the roof is rarely open cutting down the prevailing outward bound winds, Astro pitching is better and Astro hitting is not.

The 2000 Astros set the National League record by hitting 249 home runs. More were hit at home than on the road, but the margin was not overwhelming. The Astros in 2000 had power hitters. At the same time homers were being hit all over baseball. Steroids were still being used, muscles were huge and there was even some concern by pitchers that the ball, if not juiced, had lower seams and was more difficult to make "move."

But the rep for the Astros home ballpark was set. Enron Field became "Home Run Field." Very funny, but once the height of the barrier in left field was raised there were far fewer homers hit in Houston. The Crawford boxes were just a close, but they were never the biggest target. It was always left and right center.

The point of all this is that Minute Maid Park has played right down the middle in the National League for years. It is not either a homer haven or even a hitter's haven. It is just a good ballpark to watch a game. And with Michael Bourn in center field some of the greatest defensive plays in baseball happen here.

So despite what the hilight shows say about Edmonds little poke on Saturday night it was an aberration and not a regular happening at Minute Maid Park. Far more well hit balls are hit to deep center field to die in Bourn's glove that pull an "Edmonds" into the boxes.

LIVE CHATTER? YOU SHOULD BE WITH US ON FSH

New Texas Hero??? From Tennessee!

Only one game...but could Arian Foster become another Texas hero by way of the Volunteer State?

It's a Different Atmosphere

When a major league baseball season goes into it's final days with the teams involved not part of the pennant races or post season picture things are almost in a fog. The games go on of course, but they just don't bring out the same enthusiasm. That is what Astro fans are actually lucky in a way. With so many young players still trying to impress and solidify their position for next season there is no lack of effort.

For the Astros that has resulted in a better than normal finish for a club in the position they are in. Not only might it result in a third place finish, but maybe even a .500 record. Neither are really goals. The goal is to have a much better and winning team in 2011. Still, it would be something to leave 2010 on a positive note.

Crowds are way down now, yet the Astros will draw something in the 2.3 million range. And for a non contender from almost April that is pretty darn good. Sure, it means the team has lost over 700,000 tickets sold from just a couple years back, but it will still rank them in the upper half of baseball.

I love baseball, but even those of us who can truly say that won't be unhappy when the final game is played on October 3. It won't take long for us to miss the daily grind again--especially when we think how 2011 could very well turn into something special in Houston once again.

Astros Rookies on Parade

In Downtown Chicago, no less...After Astros game Monday

I Love Carlos Lee

Perhaps no Houston Astro in recent years has been both loved and reviled as much as Carlos Lee. He has had a fan club, and yet his past lack of hustle had brought derision from other fans.

So who is Carlos Lee? I can tell you that he is a somewhat shy star. He loves baseball. He also knows his limitations and is embarassed when they show. He has no speed on defense or running the bases so he tries to hide it. If he figured to be out on a routine ground ball he won't sprint down the baseline because that exposes how slow he really is. If he is playing left field and a ball is hit into the corner he won't sprint over to retrieve it because it is going to be a double no matter how quickly he gets there.

This reaction is not uncommon. A lot of players try to hide their shortcomings. It doesn't really work, but is often given a shot.

Now Carlos Lee has been one of the best hitters in baseball for most of his career. He has not been a super star or All Star, but has been a solid .290-.300 hitter good for 30 homers and 100 rbis. May be hard to believe but he may approache the latter two numbers this season. He has 20 homers and 82 RBIs and while it is likely he will far short it won't be by too many. His average may not hit .260, but that still represents a great comeback from the first three months of the season.

Carlos Lee loves to play baseball. He loves to play baseball with the Houston Astros and desperately wants to finish his career in an Astro uniform. His contract has protected him so far. Reportedly some of the "no trade" clauses are less stringent after this season. Carlos doesnt want to go anywhere and it shows.

Ever since franchise icons Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt departed and the Astros agreed to pick up the bulk of their remaining contracts Carlos has known that he could be next. Wonder why it has been constant hustle (even sometimes "false" hustle) for Lee ever since? He doesn't want to be next.

I don't think he should be barring one of those deals that simply cannot be ignored. Lee, especially since he has shown that he probably should have been playing first base years ago, is too important.

With Brett Wallace still not showing the hitting skills that his minor league records show he must have--and reportedly not being the most receptive to coaching--Lee is looking more and more like a strong candidate to play first base for the 2011 Astros. He can really play it. He has made all the plays including a nifty scoop of a one hop throw from Tommy Manzella on Saturday after a superb stop by the SS that prevented a run. As an outfielder Lee never saves runs than any other outfielder could not have saved. As a first baseman he can help with the glove as well as his bat.

As for the bat... well, his three run homer was his fifth game changing hit of the year. Pretty good for a player under performing. He is a key to the 2011 resurgence of the club. The Astros need his bat. Where he plays is the key.

Astros Set for Game Two in Arizona

Bud Norris needs to be better... Astros need some hits.

Would the Astros be better with Lee at 1b?

Friday night two balls that quicker left fielders would have been able to catch became key hits in the 4-3 D-Back win over the Astros. What is best for the future of the team?

Prunes Do Well in Phoenix

All you have to do is walk outdoors on one of these 110 degree days with 12 per cent humidity and you immediately wrinkle. All the moisture is immediately sucked from your skin. That's why everyone here looks 20 years older than they really are and everyone in Houston looks 20 years younger.

But there IS a saving grace. It is called Chase Field. The first retractable roof ballpark in the National League allows fans to re-moisturize and enjoy what has been pretty good baseball in recent years. 2010 has been an exception. The club has some hitters, but not much pitching and was only 55-79 heading into the series opener with the Astros Friday night.

When the game is over it will still be at least 95 degrees outside. But its a dry heat!

Astros Move on to Phoenix

The Astros are as hot as the desert. (It was 102 at 8pm when the team deplaned in Phoenix Thursday night.