Somehow I find little consolation in that given that we still have a worse record than the Nationals....
If the Pirates somehow end up with the opportunity to draft Rendon, i.e., finish with a worse record than B'more, do they do it with promising prospect/player Alavarez in the mix? Is Rendon even the consensus #1 overall pick? I don't know much about the next crop of prospects.
I was going to ask you about your evaluation of Keppinger's performance so far. I remember we had a discussion about what type of everyday player he could be. He's handled righties and lefties almost the exact same this year while given steady playing time. He has definitely impressed with an adequacy and ability that was lacking for the Astros at the 2B position the last couple of years. Truthfully, I hope he's on the team next year. I don't know who else they could put there. They'd have to sign someone and overpay, probably, to get the same results. I haven't checked the FA list for second baseman the upcoming off-season.
Anbody notice that Pence is now 10 for his last 11 in stolen bases? I wonder if he is doing something different.
Seems by far to be the best position player right now of the 2011 class, and it seems there it is often easier to have a consensus about a top position player prospect than a pitcher. I think there is no reason not to simply draft the best talent available given the structure of the MLB draft & minor league system with with the sole prerequisite being that you can sign the player you are drafting. Seriously, since you can sign as many minor leaguers as you want, you have numerous rotation spots in various leagues to place them, and you never know who will pan out and how long it will take, the BTA approach that Morey's uses for the Rockets makes all the more sense in MLB.
Could be another benefit of having Bagwell on the bench. He was such a smart baserunner. Could be passing some wisdom on to Pence on how to better pick your spots.
Watched the game last night after school, great win for the team. Myers didn't appear to have great stuff but battled nicely. I sure hope he has turned to corner and can be our horse ala Pete Harnisch in the early 90s till our young guys arrive. Good to see the Wallarus get his first RBI, guy has a vicious stroke and his AB in the 4th or 5th forget which inning was great to see. Overall just a great comback win, these types of games are great for young teams, just as blowing 9th inning leads can be devastating.
Just based on watching the games and no hard evidence, it seems they are having better at bats since Bagwell became coach. They are averaging 1/2 walk per game more since the all-star break.
Cool stat.... @richardjustice: RT @thescorer: Keppinger being a No. 3 hitter might be a joke around the league, but he's hitting .533/.588/1.133 in 17 PAs there. #hounews
I wonder if Sanchez or Manzella will be our starter at SS next year. Sanchez is actually the younger of the two.
I've been dreading the return of Manzella from injury, which sadly appears imminent. There is nothing in Manzella's minor-league career that would indicate he could have anywhere close to average production offensively in the majors. Absolutely nothing. But he was the most sure-handed shortstop in the upper minors when Tejada left, so he was appointed as the heir apparent. And accordingly, the Astros will likely give him quite a few chances before they pull the plug. It's frustrating. Sanchez appears equally strong defensively, and while he's certainly not even an average offensive player himself, he has much better bat control and situational hitting.
The minor league numbers for Angel Sanchez are actually pretty good. He has shown some good offensive potential. Had a great year in the PCL in '09 with a .305 avg AND has the ability to get on base.
I've always had the feeling that Manzella was nothing but filler until Meir was ready. With Meir's drop off this season, I, too, dread the thought of Manzella long term. Sanchez has been doing a good job defensively and hitting 2. I know there's the adage that you're not supposed to lose your starting job because of injury, but this is different. They just didn't have better before Manzella got hurt. Now, they do and they should stick with it.
