1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

  2. Live Rockets Discussion
    Jalen Green looks like a legit star, Amen Thompson is shining and the Rockets have found something without Alperen Sengun. Clutch is talking about the 10-game winning streak at 11:00am as we talk Rockets live!

    Talking Rockets - LIVE!

[Official] Rockies @ Astros

Discussion in 'Houston Astros' started by Castor27, Jun 1, 2009.

  1. Refman

    Refman Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2002
    Messages:
    13,674
    Likes Received:
    312
    Look at the lineup. We have three guys batting over .340. Our CF bats around .290 and our LF bats around .315. This team should be scoring runs in bunches, but they aren't. It defies logic.
     
  2. Pete Chilcutt

    Pete Chilcutt Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2009
    Messages:
    5,535
    Likes Received:
    280
    Wow that is pretty strange, I don't know, I just wish the Stros were relevant again

    Chilcutt
     
  3. Kam

    Kam Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2002
    Messages:
    30,476
    Likes Received:
    1,322
    went to the game.


    wow that **** sucked ass.
     
  4. arif1127

    arif1127 Contributing Member
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Jun 26, 2002
    Messages:
    1,585
    Likes Received:
    89
    its been discussed a couple times around here. i think there are two main reasons for it; first, the team really has not hit well with runner in scoring position, the situational hitting has been pretty terrible(evidence by all the bunts that have gone awry in the last few weeks), second, the team hits well but doesn't get on base that well b/c of the lack of walks the team takes. Brooksball has laid out the stats showing that other than Pence and Berkman the team is below average in walks for every position, so no matter how well you hit you don't get enough guys on base to score a lot of runs.

    what really sucks is that as soon as the rest of the pitching staff starts looking good, wandy goes into the crapper.
     
  5. TheRealist137

    TheRealist137 Member

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2009
    Messages:
    33,340
    Likes Received:
    19,175
    Pence can't be our #3 hitter, it has to be Berkman but he's been so awful with RISP this year Coop had to demote him. Pence is too young and too wild to be a #3 hitter. He strikes out too much and is not nearly as patient at the plate a #3 hitter needs to be. Our best lineup should be.

    Bourn
    Tejada
    Berkman
    Lee
    Pence
    Blum
    Rodriguez
    Kaz???

    I would even consider batting Kaz 9th so he acts as another lead off man, since is not a powerful hitter.
     
  6. Major

    Major Member

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 1999
    Messages:
    41,383
    Likes Received:
    15,808
    Too young? Is there an age limit for #3 hitters?

    Strikes out too much? He's had very few strikeouts this year - far fewer than Berkman.

    Not patient enough? He leads the team in OBP.
     
  7. BrooksBall

    BrooksBall Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2007
    Messages:
    20,568
    Likes Received:
    256
    My two long-term concerns with Tejada hitting 2nd are his tendency to hit into double plays and his lack of speed. If he can avoid hitting into a lot of double plays as the season progresses, he would be fine in the 2 hole. Last season, he led all of baseball in GIDPs and I believe he even set a new major league record.

    Ideally, Matsui hits second when he isn't sucking or hurting. I know... unfortunately, that doesn't occur very often. He is the closest thing we have to a prototypical 2 hole hitter. He's not perfect but he is a lefty, a contact hitter and has speed.

    If everybody is playing at least to their norms (with guys like Bourn and Pence continuing to progress), I think this is what our lineup should ultimately look like:

    Bourn
    Matsui
    Berkman
    Lee
    Pence
    Tejada
    Pudge
    Blum/Kepp

    In future seasons, Pence could end up hitting 3rd if he continues to play this way. For now, Berkman is still our best overall hitter and I believe his numbers will start reflecting that sooner than later. As far as why I put Tejada so low in the order, I'm basing that on him returning closer to his norm for the past couple of years. He is not usually a high OBP guy so I don't see him hitting in the top 3 spots over the long run. Lee and Pence shouldn't be hitting any lower than 4th or 5th so that bumps Tejada down. The 6th batter is ideally a guy that can still drive in runs and Tejada can do that. Of course, all this depends on everybody hitting to their norms, which isn't currently the case. Most notably, Berkman is underproducing and Tejada is overproducing while Matsui isn't even playing. It's up to the manager to deal with this stuff and put together lineups that makes sense until everybody is performing like themselves.
     
  8. juicystream

    juicystream Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Apr 17, 2001
    Messages:
    29,251
    Likes Received:
    5,358
    3rd most GIDPs all-time according to an SI article I read yesterday when I was at the eye doctors. Thats an amazing fact. :eek:


    That is his norm.
     
  9. BrooksBall

    BrooksBall Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2007
    Messages:
    20,568
    Likes Received:
    256
    I hear you but the truth is that this season is even worse than his norm. The injury stuff is more or less status quo but he was posting career lows (by a wide margin) in most major offensive categories over 38 games and well over 150 PAs. I'm not sure how much you saw him play this year, but he got to the point where he looked completely lost at the plate. He was never a great hitter but he was at least decent. It may have just been the injury/injuries. Actually, it must have been. I can't see any other explanation for just how bad he looked.
     
    #189 BrooksBall, Jun 5, 2009
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2009
  10. BrooksBall

    BrooksBall Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2007
    Messages:
    20,568
    Likes Received:
    256
    Yea, I guess it was the Astros record for GIDPs in a single-season that Tejada broke. It was formerly held by Ausmus.

    Like you said, Tejada is tied for 3rd all-time (32). Pudge is tied for 7th all-time (31) and Ausmus is tied for 11th (30).

    I believe I heard during a recent telecast that Tejada also holds the record for most interleague errors.
     
  11. juicystream

    juicystream Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Apr 17, 2001
    Messages:
    29,251
    Likes Received:
    5,358
    I don't know. Remember when he was with the Mets? He stunk it up so bad that they were desperate to get rid of him. Last season was the best of his career.

    http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/splits?playerId=5876&type=batting3

    Playing in Coors & Minute Maid has helped his career.
     
  12. BrooksBall

    BrooksBall Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2007
    Messages:
    20,568
    Likes Received:
    256
    Yea, I remember reading up on how much he struggled there, including defensively, but did he ever have a stretch as bad as the current one?

    He may have but I never watched him closely pre-Astros. All I've seen is how bad he's looked this season as well as this: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/matsuka01.shtml
     
  13. BrooksBall

    BrooksBall Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2007
    Messages:
    20,568
    Likes Received:
    256
    juicystream,

    I see what you mean now. Amazingly, he was even worse the first half of 2006 than he is now. That must have been painful to watch. :(
     
  14. Major

    Major Member

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 1999
    Messages:
    41,383
    Likes Received:
    15,808
    Without knowing the facts, I'd guess this is simply a product of volume. Shortstop is the highest error position, and I can't imagine there are all that many shortstops that have been playing full time in the 10 years or whatever that we've had interleague play.
     
  15. BrooksBall

    BrooksBall Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2007
    Messages:
    20,568
    Likes Received:
    256
    Good points. I thought about the SS factor when they said it. I didn't consider that he has probably played more than most other SSs during that stretch as well.
     
  16. juicystream

    juicystream Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Apr 17, 2001
    Messages:
    29,251
    Likes Received:
    5,358
    Add in that he had the longest active consecutive game streak for a while. The guy flat out did not miss games until he got hurt in 2007.
     

Share This Page

  • About ClutchFans

    Since 1996, ClutchFans has been loud and proud covering the Houston Rockets, helping set an industry standard for team fan sites. The forums have been a home for Houston sports fans as well as basketball fanatics around the globe.

  • Support ClutchFans!

    If you find that ClutchFans is a valuable resource for you, please consider becoming a Supporting Member. Supporting Members can upload photos and attachments directly to their posts, customize their user title and more. Gold Supporters see zero ads!


    Upgrade Now