Castor27, What do you think about an over/under thread like Clutch does at the beginning of each season with the Rockets? We can use team and individual statistics from last season as a starting point.
Can you link the Rockets thread? I missed it and want to see how it was setup. I'll put it up once I see how he did his.
I know it goes without saying... but I would just like to re-iterate how studly Roy Oswalt is. With T-mac out, and the Texans still trying to make the playoffs, Roy Oswalt is the defacto "ace" of Houston sports, with Andre Johnson primed to join him soon. He's the most accomplished, has had true playoff success, and still appears to have some "prime" years left (minus the hiccup to start las season, he ended up pitching as good as he ever has). I just hope the WBC doesn't mess with him too much (like it did with Lidge)... his curve and fastball already look like they're in mid-season form... then again, that could be because of the WBC itself (he struck out the side just now against the Braves).
Awsome to get to watch the game on ESPN, not sure why everyone thinks we are going to have suchhhh a horrible season.
Mainly because of the huge ???? in the pitching rotation. Any time you have that many variables and unknowns, you have to predict/plan for the worst. Couple all of that with an offense full of holes (no leadoff man, 3b, or catcher), and you can see why there's not so much "optimism". That being said, seasons aren't played out on paper. Plenty of teams look "great" only to succumb to mediocrity.... and wouldn't you know it, the converse of that is true as well. But until they play the games, there's nothing left to do but look at this team on paper... and on paper, it doesn't look too promising.
let's not get crazy start taking lance berkman for granted. the guy single-handedly dragged a piss-poor offense to the world series in 05; he's going to approach, and possibly pass some of bagwell's career milestones - and look what's he's done in the postseason: .321/.991. wow. just - wow. two great postseasons were overshadowed by beltran and then lidge/puljos - remember: it should have been his homer that sent the astros to the WS (and denied roy his game 6 start). he's been consistently great and actually put together a monster year in '08. i think he's ahead of johnson and easily neck-and-neck with oswalt, if not ahead. when all is said and done, statictically, berkman+oswalt may prove better than bagwell+biggio.
Wow...I just had to leave to take my dog to the vet, but watching the game in HD on ESPN.....that just made my day.
Uhh... you dont' need to sell me on Berkman. Don't you remember some of our debates two years ago when you wanted to trade him? I still laugh at people who think Carlos Lee is a superior offensive player simply because he seems to "come through" more often in RBI situations... when its Berkman's superior OBP and slugging that contribute to those situations in the first place. That being said, I felt Oswalt has more in the tank, and he's accomplished just as much as Lance year-in/year-out, including playoff performances... thus I made him the ace. I agree with you that its a neck-n-neck race between the two. Also, while Lance's game 5 HR SHOULD have won the series, and thus preventing Roy from pitching game 6... it still shouldn't lessen the magnitude of Roy pitching amazingly in a hostile enviornment. Really, the Astros have two BARGAINS in Lance+Oswalt... and couldn't ask for better personalities/competitors. While Lance likes to talk, his inner-fire is just as much as Bagwell/Biggio, and Oswalt may have even MORE of a "I want to rip your heart out" attitude than any Astro in history. Its a shame that they haven't been able to build around them like they were able to do with Biggio/Bagwell.
Leave it to ESPN to broadcast a game between the Astros and Braves and spend half the time talking about the Yankees.
yeah, i was thinking about that - part of it is that you had a berkman and oswalt to add to bagwell and biggio. i would have dealt lance after the 2007, was it? season, absolutely. but it NEVER had anything to do with a lack of appreciation for lance - just felt like the right time: new manager, new GM - a perfect time to start fresh. and there was concern (from me) that he might be on the backside. i'm glad they didn't. anyway, if you're making an ace list, he's above johnson and at least equal - if not superior - to oswalt. i don't think mcgrady belongs anywhere near those 2, certainly. but then i dislike him and basketball in general, so...
I guess I feel that Andre Johnson is possibly the best at his position NOW, and Oswalt is still likely a top-3 starting pitcher (when you take into account age, durability, past performance, and "stuff")... whereas Berkman gets lost in the Pujols/Howard/Texiera plethora of elite first baseman (even though I'd take him over Howard any day of the week... hell, he's not that much older than Ryan). But if you just take into account past performance and overall accomplishment, Berkman and Oswalt stand alone...
We have a leadoff man and a 3b what are you talking about!? There will always be a few questions on the team, this year being starting pitching and catching.
I'm sorry, but Michael Bourne's performance last year apparently affected me more than it did you.... I guess I should have said, we have no "proven" leadoff man. Also, I also am sorry that I am not the president of the Geoff Blum/Aaroon Boone fan-club that you are... at least they are still "Killer B's".
The starting pitching situation looks downright wonderful when compared to leading off Michael Bourn and his .280 OBP or starting Geoff Blum and his upper .600s OPS (same with Boone) at 3B. At three of the eight offensive positions, the Astros have players that are undoubtedly the among the worst starters in the entire league. That's awful.
I was jealous watching the Braves run out the likes of Hanson, Heyward and Freeman. That Perez guy threw one of the worst 0 innings of baseball I've ever seen. It was literally batting practice. De La Vara was bad too just not nearly as bad. Yes, I know those guys are nobodies. Just some observations. And it was funny when they showed a clip of Chipper hitting a homerun in a previous WBC against Mexico. The pitcher? None other than Villarreal.
