I've been posting over there since the Pettitte signing. Regardless of all the Yankee snots who bash everybody else, there's a lot of good reading and very bright baseball minds over there. Very good forum for discussing baseball. <---- LoveDaStros is the nic they love to hate.
Agreed. When Redding would have a problem, it would tend to be one bad inning and generally after 3-4 good ones. He is still younger than Oswalt, Miller and Robertson so he should not be traded for one year of Clemens. That being said, he is probably the most desireable of any Astros pitcher likely to be moved.
I wonder what number he'll wear. I think I remember hearing him saying if he came back, he wouldn't ask Pettitte for his number back. Then I remember something about Nolan Ryan offering Clemens his number.
I think its going to be great to have an Astros pitcher to throw at some of these other hitters after they knock down our guys. I just hope he doesnt back down being in the NL
This is F*ckin' Sweet...I can't wait for the season to start...This is World Series or bust for us...
Front page of the Houston Chronicle website. Dang, it must suck to be you A-Train. You'd be complaining about "all them taxes" if you won the lottery. Sheesh.
And guys like Jim Edmonds, Moises Alou, and Albert Pujols won't just sit comfortably at the plate knowing they can become free-swingers. I don't advocate intentionally throwing at anyone, but there is something to be said about making hitters think twice of standing virtually on top of the plate. Clemens is an expert at that. And besides, the one time the NL tried to throw at him (Estes for the Mets 2 years ago in IL play), he completley missed... and Clemens proceeded to rock a 2B to LF that would have been GONE in the Crawford boxes. Pretty sweet...
OK, maybe my comment was a tad harsh, but it's unlikely that signing a 41 year old that didn't pitch very well in hitter friendly Yankee Stadium last year suddenly vaults the Astros into World Series contention, especially when they didn't do squat to improve their starting lineup...
I can't believe the Cardinals are just sitting on their hands after the Stros and Cubs got better in the offseason.
Three game series at the end of the year that determines playoff fate: Would you rather have Robertson, Villone, and Redding like we had last year going down the stretch? or Next year's projected 3-5 = Clemens, Miller, Redding. A 41 year old Roger Clemens is still one of the top pitchers in the game... I don't see any team that would be sad over acquiring his services for next year. I do agree w/ you on the lineup though... this offense cannot be feast or famine as it was last year. We need a stronger year from Berkman, and for Kent to be injured less. I have a feeling strong pitching helps the batters out mentally as well... they know that they won't be in many games where they have to 'out-hit' the other team.
i agree, if there was ever a time for the astros and the fans to say that and actually mean it, it's now.
They're not just sitting on their hands... they just don't have home-boy products like Clemens and Pettite that WANT to play for Houston. If either of them weren't from here, there's no way we'd be able to sign them. The Cards are pondering whether or not to sign Maddox, but their payroll is stretched pretty thin (and they do play in a smaller market than either Houston or Chicago), and they're trying to ensure they have enough money to sign Pujols long-term. They might just try and compete w/ the team they've got, accumulate younger prospects to replenish their awful farm system (they got Adam Wainright... a right-handed Randy Johnson type pitcher from the Braves for JD Drew), and re-load for the years to come w/ a nucleus of Pujols, Renteria, Morris, and Rolen. The Cubs and 'Stros (especially) better take advantage of this great opportunity.
Actually, the team that probably gets helped the most by these moves, besides us, are the Red Sox. They've got an even BETTER team this year than they did last year, when they should have beaten the Yanks.
Yeah the Cards are still tough but it may just be a 2 team race in the central this year. The Cards have IMO the best middle lineup in baseball but their bullpen could have improved.
