Clemens to resign with the Astros

[Houstonrocketss]

Will be announced soon.......


This is it though his last season ever It's not my source but someone close to the Clemens family has stated that his wife has even told him he owes this to the Fans and the Astros organization....Andy had some help in this......

We are not dead in the water yet.

[arkoe]

That'd be awesome. I really didn't expect it after the Beltran fiasco.

[DrewP]

I will believe it when I see it.

Who is your source?

This **** where people say these things a month early with a 50/50 chance of being right is getting really really old.

[isoman2kx]

hope your right..

[Miguel]

This is all nice and dandy. I'd like to believe you, but, well, anyone can come along and say stuff like this. Nothing against you, just, anyone with an account can start posting "rumors as truths".

Anyway, I hope to god you're right though. :p

[ima_drummer2k]

Sheesh, how many times did someone here post that a "source" said Beltrash would resign in Houston?

I'll believe it when I see it. I won't get fooled again.

YEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.allposters.com/IMAGES/MMPH/239995.jpg


If you're right, I will happily eat my words :)

[DaDakota]

I figured he would, he came to play with Andy, he has a sweet deal where he gets to stay home and be with his family when he is not pitching.

I think this is probably accurate.

DD

[SamCassell]

That will fill 1 hole. Now they just need a good starting CF, a 4th or 5th starter, 2 more good RPs, and someone to make up for the loss of 95 homers and 60 steals in our opening day lineup.

[NJRocket]

Originally posted by SamCassell
That will fill 1 hole. Now they just need a good starting CF, a 4th or 5th starter, 2 more good RPs, and someone to make up for the loss of 95 homers and 60 steals in our opening day lineup.


and the 200 plus rbis

[SamCassell]

Originally posted by NJRocket
and the 200 plus rbis
300+, counting Berkman.

[Austin70]

Originally posted by SamCassell
That will fill 1 hole. Now they just need a good starting CF, a 4th or 5th starter, 2 more good RPs, and someone to make up for the loss of 95 homers and 60 steals in our opening day lineup.

Two words.................Chuckie Carr, if he can't help us, who can?

[kaleidosky]

Why does everyone think we need to make up for all that offense?

1) We went on our run last year with Oswalt, Clemens, Backe for a SHORT bit, and scrubs. This year, we add Pettite and a season of Backe (who will be decent at least) to that. So: pitching, improved over the team that went on the late-season run.

2) IF we can get someone to play center, defense improved by putting Biggio or Burke at 2nd over Kent and having new person in center. Someone with more range at 2nd makes our up the middle defense solid, and no holes on the field. Well, if Biggio is back in LF that would be the only hole, but one we had last year also.

3) Overall team speed somewhat increased. Yeah, no Beltran. But if this CF (I'm using a Randy Winn model..someone with defense and some speed) comes, and then Burke or Biggio at 2nd, and Lane isn't super-slow...I think it's an overall increase.


This team will be built for small ball. Pitching, defense, speed. Power not an absolute necessity, but will get some out of bagwell, a lot out of berkman (who will miss a month at most), a decent amt from lane, and spot power from biggio or burke and ensberg.


Real need for improvement is getting that unnamed CF, improving the backup C so ausmus only plays 3 out of 5 days (and thereby improving out overall hitting at that spot), getting a solid 4 or 5 starter (pending Rocket)

Don't worry so much about the power replacement at the moment..

[RocketManJosh]

I agree .. I don't think we are going to be near as bad off as everyone thinks if we can get Clemens and possibly Burnitz.

I'm really hoping we have a situation like the Braves where they were so good for so long. After they lost their big name players they were able to pull some guys that were not everyday players and turn them into good MLB players and have a productive season. Hopefully that will be the situation Lane and Burke.

Adding Pettite is a big plus.

Increased defense at 2nd will be a big plus.

Increased defense at SS will be a big plus getting Adam Everett back, and don't forget that it looked like his bat was starting to come around about the time he got injured.

I really think this whole season will ride on the health of the starting pitchers.

[SamCassell]

Originally posted by kaleidosky
Overall team speed somewhat increased. Yeah, no Beltran. But if this CF (I'm using a Randy Winn model..someone with defense and some speed) comes, and then Burke or Biggio at 2nd, and Lane isn't super-slow...I think it's an overall increase.


Spin it how you want, add in your unnamed CF, and here's your lineup.

Biggio
Burke
Bagwell
Lane
Ensberg
(Unknown CF)
Everett
Ausmus
(pitcher)

That's not a lineup that will score runs. Little power. Only Bags draws alot of walks. And except for this mystery CF and Burke, it's not a lineup with any speed. I'm not even sure that defense/speed CF exists on the FA or trade market. The defense will improve at one position (2B) and get worse at 1 position (CF).

[Mr. Clutch]

Originally posted by SamCassell
Spin it how you want, add in your unnamed CF, and here's your lineup.

Biggio
Burke
Bagwell
Lane
Ensberg
(Unknown CF)
Everett
Ausmus
(pitcher)

That's not a lineup that will score runs. Little power. Only Bags draws alot of walks. And except for this mystery CF and Burke, it's not a lineup with any speed. I'm not even sure that defense/speed CF exists on the FA or trade market. The defense will improve at one position (2B) and get worse at 1 position (CF).

Why isn't Berkman in there?

I see it potentially as this

Biggio
Burke
Bagwell
Berkman
Burnitz
Ensberg
Everett
Ausmus

Not that bad.

[Luis Alvarez]

finally good news

what about mike camron for cf has asked the mets to trade him

[leroy420]

Originally posted by Luis Alvarez
finally good news

what about mike camron for cf has asked the mets to trade him

Cameron just had wrist surgery and isn't scheduled to come back until sometime in May. When healthy, he is a defensive genious in CF and can hit the ball a long way. He does strike out a lot and does not get on base very much. He has also been hitting in the .230 range the last couple of years.

[rrj_gamz]

This would soften the blow, but we still need another bat...

[SamCassell]

Originally posted by Mr. Clutch
Why isn't Berkman in there?

I was just talking opening day lineup. Berkman will help immensely, but we'll struggle to score runs with him out of the lineup.

[rocketfat]

that lineup is crap. you have forgotten that ausmus, biggio, and everett all cant hit for ****, and i'm going to go out on a limb and say that chris burke aint hittin for.300 either. oh, and bagwell is a year older and berkman is coming off of major knee surgery. i wish i had a pair of the rose-colored glasses that you all do.

[NJRocket]

Cameron was a terrible hitter last year...but Shea isnt exactly the best place for a hitter. Defensively, Cameron isn't much worse than Beltran IMO....but his offense is lacking. I'd rather see us get Wynn instead of helping the Mets clear room for more offense.

[PeePz590]

I like Burnitz better then Cameron

[leroy420]

Originally posted by SamCassell
I was just talking opening day lineup. Berkman will help immensely, but we'll struggle to score runs with him out of the lineup.

You are probably right about that. With Berkman being the main production, he could have a monster season. He will probably walk about 150 times. Whomever is hitting behind him will have to be productive. I wonder if they don't hit Berkman 3rd and Bagwell 4th just to give Lance some protection.

I think we will see the return of Astros smallball, at least until May. Who knows, maybe this team will respond to it and win some games. As long as the pitching is adequate, I don't see a reason why they can't be in contention for the playoffs.

[RocketManJosh]

Originally posted by rocketfat
that lineup is crap. you have forgotten that ausmus, biggio, and everett all cant hit for ****, and i'm going to go out on a limb and say that chris burke aint hittin for.300 either. oh, and bagwell is a year older and berkman is coming off of major knee surgery. i wish i had a pair of the rose-colored glasses that you all do.

I can understand why some people would have an opinion like this although I disagree.

For the people that think like this:

Do you think the addition of one single player (Beltran) would have changed this much? In my opinion, in baseball one single player is not going to turn a lineup of crap into a WS contender.

I believe the lineup was decent, and plugging in Burnitz, Cameron, or name your CF, will still be a decent lineup. We are not going to win with hitting ... we are going to have to do it with pitching. And if we have a rotation of Oswalt, Clemens, Pettitte, Backe, and 5th starter. I think we can compete. I'm not saying we are gonna win the WS, but I don't think we are going to be cellar-dwellars either.

[NJRocket]

none of those guys can bat 2nd and be productive....and give us the baserunning that Carlos gave us...there is a huge difference in saying, "well, x can replace Y because x will still give us almost as many HRs and RBIs". The difference is that our lineup was very hard to pitch around and Carlos was a table setter. Granted, we don't have Kent BUT, Burnitz could have come in and replaced some of the rbis and hr's because he wouldnt have to do anything he hadnt ever done before...and that is drive in runs.

[Castor27]

If you are going to talk about Clemens, fine. If you are going to talk about 1000 other things do it in the proper place.