Predicted Astros Batting Order Here Is mine, let me know what you think. 1)Michael Bourn 2)Hunter Pence 3)Lance Berkman 4)Carlos Lee 5)Miguel Tejada 6)Ivan Rodriquez 7)Geoff Blum 8)Kaz Matsui 9)Pitcher Looks dirty to me!!!!! Might be the best offensive Astro team ever.
Cooper already talked about Matsui leading off and Bourn hitting near the bottom of the order to start the season. I suppose that could change if Cooper sees something in ST or Matsui gets injured. This would be my guess for Opening Day if everybody stays healthy: Matsui Pence Berkman Lee Tejada Rodriguez Bourn 3rd baseman
Only problem is we will be giving up as many as we get. Look at the starting pitching we have Oswalt who's dominate except in season he play in the WBC Wandy who's a 3 at best but a 2 in this rotation Hampton who should be a number 4 or 5 he will miss half at least 10 starts Moehler who played well last year but not sure we should expect the same results this year Backe who had neck problems last season from wilplash looking at balls going over the fence
And there is actually, what, two players in that lineup that hit above league average for their position? The offense is still the biggest problem for this team, and unfortunately because it's 2009 and not 1999, Rodriguez is not going to be a big help.
Kaz 2B Bourne CF Berkman 1B Lee LF Pence RF Tejada SS Rodriguez C Blum/Boone 3B P Maybe 5 years ago it would have been. The best Astros offensive team ever won 102 games in 1998. This team is not going to match Biggio, Bagwell, Bell, Carl Everett, & Alou in their primes.
maybe, maybe no. 1998 1999 2000 2004 I think Hunter Pence is the X factor for this team. I think he has the potential to be much more than he has been.
If this were 2002 for Tejada and Pudge, maybe. They're both still above average offensive players for their positions, but neither are the absolute forces they once were. The teams Max listed had better offenses, at least on paper to me.
By looking at your sig and this post we can tell your a negative nancy. Everyone knows the Stro's rotation isnt very hot. But doesnt mean the offense will be bad. Thats what we are talking about right?
Matsui Tejada Berkman Lee Pence Bourn Rodriguez Blum/Boone Pitcher Cooper has said Matsui will bat lead off (at least for now) and that Bourn will be toward the bottom. I don't like Bourn in the seven spot because then you have three potentially easy outs one right after the other (so what's new!) I'd rather sandwich him in between Pence and Pudge, forcing pitchers to possibly pitch to him, especially if Pudge does well. He gets on base, and then he could use his speed to his advantage with Rodriguez hitting behind him.
1. Bourne 2. Kaz 3. Puma 4. Lee 5. Pence 6. Tejada 7. Pudge 8. Boone/Blum The rotation is not solid but it's ok. People need to stop having manic depressive meltdowns about the rotation. All our starters are serviceable. The biggest concern will be their longevity. Our bullpen is a strength and they will be used often. There is a need to carry 12 pitchers if not early on then at some point this season as arms will be getting tired. Hampton will show you why he was signed here. I'm predicting 28 starts and 180 IP...he'll also hit 3HRs I'm very optimistic about the upcoming season.
The 2000 team scored over 900 runs. The 1998 team probably would have too if they hadn't been in the Dome. This team will finish in the 700's. We scored 712 runs last season. Pudge isn't going to help us THAT much more.
I'm thinking he had to be sarcastic. Unless you are getting career years from every single person in the lineup, and Bourn suddenly learns how to get on base, there's just no way it's going to be an elite offensive team. They can be solid offensively, but there's just not enough ops in that lineup to be one of the best. I think people underrate how good some of the past Astros teams were.
lol ya i was teasing a little bit. We have the offense to win, just up to the pitching. Now that we have pudge behind the dish, that will help the pitching staff some.
1. Kaz 2. Pence 3. Berkman 4. Lee 5. Tejada 6. Blum 7. Pudge 8. Oswalt 9. Bourn This is how I would do it.
They'd never bat the pitcher 8th on a regular basis, but if there's anyone who deserves to hit 9th, it's Bourn. Dude was horrible last season. I'm pretty sure that Hampton is a better hitter than he is.
Opening Day 2B Kaz CF Bourn 1B Berkman LF Lee RF Pence SS Tejada C Pudge 3B Blum Pitcher 2nd Half 2B Kaz C Pudge 1B Big Puma LF Lee RF Pence SS Tejada 3B Johnson Pitcher CF Bourn
