If they think HBP’s are intentional with the bases loaded, and worthy of the “shame tour”, it may be time for baseball to just abandon everything and make the sport entirely about Astros hate. Seems to be the only thing people are actually excited about in this sport and it does unify and draw attention.
Surprised by a lot liking this. Yesterday, they were talking a lot about integrity of their front office..which I took for passive aggressive digs.
Dusty Baker didn't have much of an update on Jose Altuve, who left today's game with a left leg contusion. Altuve will be reevaluated tomorrow. Dusty Baker said that he's hopeful Altuve will be ready for Friday. The Astros are playing one final intrasquad game tomorrow in Houston and then are off on Thursday. Baker said young guys are making strong impressions, mentioned Mayfield, Stubbs, Tanielu, Dawson, DeGoti & Jones. “I like it when they make it tough on the decision-makers because if you can’t compete for a job on your team, how are you going to compete against the opposition?" Astros television play-by-play broadcaster Todd Kalas will miss the start of the 2020 season due to a positive COVID-19 test result. Kalas is asymptomatic, is feeling fine, and is quarantining at his home in Houston. Kevin Eschenfelder will do play-by-play with Geoff Blum.
It's silly to say you can make a statement in an exhibition game, right? But....Astros just made an effing statement.
I was afraid at some point that the guys may come out and look defeated from the get go. Well, not really. But maybe off or distracted. I have been impressed so far at their poise and focus. Not sure KC is much of a barometer as far how good we are, but I like what I see.
Watching the Rangers in their new stadium on FSSW (why does Houston still have to get this?)... I know the stadium is supposed to look better on the inside than it does on the outside, but even with no fans, they’ve done an imepeccable job of re-creating the mausoleum effect of Olympic Stadium or even Tropicana Field. Artificial turf... dark lighting... dark interiors... dark seats.
The headliners of the Astros’ 2020 pitching staff are enviable, even after they lost Gerrit Cole to his mega contract with the Yankees. Justin Verlander reigns as one of the game’s best half dozen starters, Zack Greinke is still Zack Greinke and Lance McCullers Jr. has a ton of upside as their No. 3, especially in a 60-game sprint. But on the whole, this is not the same stable of arms the Astros threw out there in 2018 and 2019. It is not nearly as deep, particularly in the bullpen, the primary area of uncertainty on their roster as they prepare to begin the 2020 slate on Friday night against the Mariners at Minute Maid Park. After an offseason of self-inflicted turmoil and now under a new general manager (James Click) and manager (Dusty Baker), the defending AL champions are still favored to win the AL West. Yet the Athletics appear to be in as strong a position to overtake them as any team has been since 2016, and each of the Angels and Rangers improved their rosters last offseason. The Astros feature the division’s deepest lineup, even without Yordan Alvarez, who is expected to begin the season on the Injured List for an undisclosed reason. But do they have enough pitching? Not only is Cole gone, but so is Will Harris, who was their best reliever in 2019, their go-to option against left-handed hitters and a troubleshooter in high-leverage situations dating to 2015. That the Astros never replaced him last offseason after he signed with the Nationals looms large, especially now that there is much doubt as to whether closer Roberto Osuna will even be ready for the start of the season. Osuna didn’t appear in any of the Astros’ intrasquad games or in either of the two exhibition games in Kansas City this week. The team has maintained that he is healthy but merely behind in his preparation. Baker revealed recently that Osuna was late to camp by “no fault of his own.” If he’s unavailable, the closer duties would likely shift to Ryan Pressly. From a stuff standpoint, Pressly has the filthiest repertoire of all the team’s relievers. But he was compromised by a knee injury in the second half and the playoffs last season, and he dealt with a blister on his finger that cost him some repetitions during pre-season workouts. The Astros’ next-best reliever, veteran sidearmer Joe Smith, is on the restricted list and Baker said the team is planning as if he won’t be with them this season. Meanwhile, Austin Pruitt (elbow) and Brad Peacock (shoulder) are unlikely to be ready before August because of nagging injuries. “I kid my wife sometimes that I feel like The Great Wallendas, the people walking on a tightrope with no net underneath,” Astros pitching coach Brent Strom said recently. “My net last year was people like (Wade) Miley and Harris and Cole and Smith. I’m kind of a little bit naked underneath, but I feel confident in our guys that we do have.” Whether the Astros can quickly identify the next iteration of Strom’s safety net could determine their 2020 ceiling. Relievers who last season were mostly relegated to mop-up duties like Chris Devenski, Cy Sneed and Joe Biagini will probably be needed to pitch important innings. Bryan Abreu and Cristian Javier, both prospects, could play important roles. Because of all their absences and the expansion of rosters by two-to-four spots for the first month of the regular season, the Astros are set to fill out their bullpen with several young players who have never pitched in the majors. The uncertainty in the bullpen increases the importance of Verlander, Greinke and McCullers providing quality innings in bulk at the top of the rotation. The team’s status as the AL West frontrunner is contingent on the health and performances of that trio. The margin for error is thin at a time when small-sample randomness in the regular season will be at an all-time high. Josh James could be a sleeper for the Astros as their No. 4 starter, but it’s still uncertain if he will throw enough strikes to stick as a starter. Rookie José Urquidy was supposed to be their No. 4 starter but is expected to begin the season on the IL for an undisclosed reason. His unavailability opened a spot for lefty Framber Valdez, who has a great sinker-curveball combo but erratic control. It’s unclear what will happen when Urquidy returns. If James or Valdez struggles, he could replace one of them in the rotation. If both are pitching well, Urquidy could slot in to the bullpen as a much-needed long reliever. With so much uncertainty surrounding the bullpen, the first week or so of the season will reveal much about which relievers Baker and Strom trust. Either way, there appears to be a strong chance that Click, the first-year GM, will have an obvious area to target in the days and hours leading to the Aug. 31 trade deadline. If Alvarez returns and performs close to his 2019 self, the Astros don’t project to have any major holes in their lineup. But even in the best-case scenario, pitching looks like a different story.
Heading for the trash can? Back during Spring Training 1.0, much of the talk was about how angry players and fans were at the Astros for A) their illegal sign stealing in 2017 and ’18; and B) their failure, in the eyes of many, to show sufficient remorse. Well, fans won’t get to boo to the Astros to start the season, except from the comforts of their homes. And opponents have bigger things to worry about than throwing at Astros hitters, a possibility that concerned Baker in February. Still, those seeking the Astros’ comeuppance might not be disappointed. Their lineup should again be terrific, even though Rookie of the Year Yordan Alvarez remains absent for undisclosed reasons — and remember, MLB found the Astros committed no wrongdoing last season, when they ranked third in the majors in runs scored. Their pitching, though, is a potential mess. Rotation depth is an issue behind Justin Verlander, 37; Zack Greinke, 36; and Lance McCullers, 26, who is coming off Tommy John surgery. The bullpen, meanwhile, will be without Will Harris, who left for Nationals as a free agent; Joe Smith, who is on the restricted list; and Brad Peacock (shoulder) and Austin Pruitt (elbow), who likely will open the season on the injured list. As if all that is not daunting enough, closer Roberto Osuna is behind in his preparation and might not be ready to start the season. If the pitching questions persist, I might not get to interview any Astros hitters on Fox during the postseason, depriving fans of the obsessive scrutiny they applied to my exchange with José Altuve following his ALCS-clinching walk-off against the Yankees. Of course, I might not get to interview anyone on the field in 2020 at all, but that’s another story.
