Trade him? Sheeeeeit. He's got no business on the Opening Day roster. None. Cut him yesterday. I was told this repeatedly, so it must be true.
What Garner should have done was send Qualls out to start the 8th and put Oswalt at third. As soon as the batter was announced for the Rockies, he should then have brought in Lidge and Ensberg with the double switch.
The way this game is going...Garner and Berkman are probably fighting in the clubhouse. Nice homerun, Luke!
Maybe this is the type win that will get these guys going. Nice double by Berkman. If Lance gets hot, I think the Astros should be able to string some victories together.
It's amazing how much better everything looks when Lance and Luke hit like the run producers they are. That's not to say that everything else is perfect -- but if those two play up to standards, this team is more than capable of climbing back toward .500 and getting in the race.
But I'm not just basing it on their times in the majors. Taveras was projected as a bottom of the order singles-only hitter with good speed, but inability to work a count, and little command of the strike zone (back when he was with the Indians). Also, at the time, his fielding was called into question, and thus the Astros got him for minimal in return (Jeriome Roberston). Granted, his fielding has improved, but his hitting very much lived up to that reputation throughout his first two years. Now, am I writing them off forever? Hell no... I'd be a fool to assume that Willy will never improve. But, for what the current Astros team needed (and taking into account both his age/value, and the other options they had in the minors), I definitely thought he was expendable. As for Hirsh... yes, I'm definitely ruling out that he'll be a power pitcher, with all of his glorious 6'9 frame, and that optimism about how his fastball reached 97 down in A ball. He's going to have to be a sinker-baller, work both sides of the plate... and unless he's the next Greg Maddux, the Astros certainly shouldn't miss him more than they missed Freddy Garcia. The Astros top pitching prospect is Troy Patton... a guy who's actually got plus stuff, and is a lefty. (btw, Buchholz better not get out of the 4th inning, or else I'll declare anarchy).
Uhh... not as of now he isn't. He's been a starter since early May, and is slated to start in the third game of this series. He's also got a 5.55 ERA... and should get pounded (given that his only above average pitch... the curve... has problems bending in the altitude). Turns out Gerry "the god" Hunsicker didn't get much in that Wagner deal after all...
Josh Fogg is coming off the DL to start thursday against Roy O... buchholz will be moved to the bullpen.
Uhhh, he's not a starter anymore. And he's not scheduled to start on Thursday...Josh Fogg is...Buchholz is in the pen.
