[Astros] Spring Training Thread

Brandon Backe really is the MLB equivalent to Robert Horry.

 

Yeah, Backe looked like crap AGAIN. Two games in a row.

& what's up with Lidge? Jeez ... he can't shake it.

Ghosts have crowded the young child's fragile, eggshell mind.

 

I've got to admit that Backe and Lidge's terrible performances have me a little worried. Yes, I know it is spring training where pitchers are experimenting with new pitches, but still.....yikes. We've got to have those two have a big year for the Stros to take off.

 

kind of seems that way. He is definetly a great pitcher in the playoffs.

He seems to feed off the crowd...wasn't he good at MMP last season?

Not much of a crowd in Florida, so I can see him struggling.

Lidge's performance is a bit troubling. Still hasn't shaken off the "jitters" he picked up in the playoffs last year.

 

Im more worried about Lidge than I am about Backe. Dude is pissing me off.

 

So the Cardinals move into a new stadium this season. Any chance the adjustment period costs them a few games?

 

Since I went to college in St. Louis, I've been fairly interested in the details of their new park.

In a lot of ways, it will be just like their old park... except it won't be fully enclosed, which will allow the wind to cause more of an impact on the game.

I know early in the season, it will still be a little chilly, so the ball won't travel... and will likely travel even less than it did at old Busch because of the wind effects. Also, the dimensions for the new park are fairly large... which can actually work both ways (longer distance for HR's, but a bigger OF = more space for doubles, triples, and bloop singles).

In the end, the summer months will determine everything. Cincy's new park had dimensions that looked fairly large on paper... and yet it led the league in HR's last year, and has been a launching pad since its inception. The ball always travels well in St. Louis in the summer... I don't foresee it being any less with the more open ballpark (and it could very well be more).

In the end, they essentially build their pitching staff/in-game pitching strategy on inducing ground balls, and letting their defense field the ball... their only true stud is Carpenter, and I don't expect him to put up the same career numbers as he did last year.

Regardless of it all... no team will ever have the drastic change in park factor as the Astros did in 2000. A lot of teams saw that (especially the Cardinals) and have made vows to never allow that sort of adjustment to have to take place for them. St. Louis media still percieves MMP as "ten-run" field (even though the stats say otherwise since 2001) mainly because of the early series we had against them in 2000 when the park was brand new.

 

interesting stuff. yeah, i wondered how strong the "new park influence" was on teams. totally agreed on the change for the Astros...they went from division champs to the bad news bears in a flash. completely remade their pitching staff because of it.

 

1 more week!

 

wow, i can't wait!!!

by the way...if anyone is going to calendar night on april 5 vs. the Marlins, I'll pay you $5 for a wall calendar you pick up there. last year my son and i had fun keeping up with wins and losses on the calendar....and we were looking through it the other night, realizing how amazing that season was.

 

I'll buy someone an cheap ticket for tuesdays game if they go early and get me a NL Championship ring.

 

Carlos sent down this morning.

Buchholz & Nieve. 2 men enter, one man leaves.

 

If they give out more than one (i.e. not just to the kids), I will give u one for nothing...I will definitely be there.

 

very kind. thanks!

 

Same here...I hit up Washington University.

The love their redbirds...made me sick.

 

That's why I refer to them and the Cardinal zealots. I would call them high brow fanatical. They think their s!!t doesn't stink, they know more then anyone else and they aren't afraid to let you know it, but you find them chunking batteries at the opposing outfielders. Busch Stadium was always red, red, red, as far as the eye could see. The most red you'll see short of attending a Cornhuskers football game. On the other hand it was nice to attend games with interested knowledgeable fans in a almost always full ballpark. My hope is that with last years Astros success Houston might finally give the Astros similar support.

 

Yea, I went to WashU as well...

I remember watching the Rams win the Super Bowl, and how the city was happy... but kinda subdued (esp. when you consider that the NFL is the most popular team sport, and the Super Bowl is the biggest event of the year).

On the contrary, had the Cardinals won the World Series, the city would have declared a month-long holiday... businesses would close, the streets would be flooded... pure pandemonium for the red-birds.

"Red means Go!".... dumbest slogan ever.

 

Yea, true-dat... I complained about the Cardinals Fans "aura" that they gave off, but spending time in St. Louis made me a much bigger baseball fan (and more appreciative of the game's history, nuances, and overall beauty) than I ever would have been had I just stayed in Houston.

 

Buchholz goes 6 scoreless today.
Sparks gets bombed (again). Gar's quotes notwithstanding, not sure he ever had much of a shot.
Nieve comes in to relieve, after pitching 2/3 of an inning in relief his last appearance.

Seems the writing's on the wall. There can be only one.

Seemingly, the only roster decision now is on Munson v. Quintero/Chavez as backup C.