I'm just going to start tuning into the games after the 6th inning. What's the point of watching before that? The 7th inning is when they really start scoring runs. This is crazy.
bad dada. bad. bad. bad. bad. never give up. never surrender. edit: bourn sucks unfortunately. what a waste of speed...cause he can never get on base. i hope he is just in a terrible, horrific slump. snap out of it!
Well I had been at the gym since 2, so I had no idea what the score was. I thought I'd check the boards first so I could get a build up of what happened. That turned out to be a great idea. Go Stros!!!
I told you...he's blacklisted. Erstard is healthy now. He's playing like he did before he was injured the past two years. He's durable. Not everyone is a Cal Ripken Jr.
Cooper patient with young players Astros skipper gives pep talks to Bourn, Towles SAN FRANCISCO -- Manager Cecil Cooper seethes and stews after every loss and admits he doesn't stop being mad until the first pitch is thrown the next day, but as much as team losses eat at him, he exudes much more patience when it comes to individual performances. He's not handling his players with kid gloves, but he's going somewhat easy on the youngsters, especially those who are struggling. Cooper has had more one-on-one talks with Michael Bourn and J.R. Towles than anyone this season. He wants them to know he believes in them and that he's prepared to stick with them even as their offensive struggles have sent their averages south of .200. "They need it," Cooper said. "They need the encouragement, they need the support. Do you get frustrated? Do you get upset? Do you get mad? Yeah. I do that with everybody. But with young kids, you have to be more patient." The numbers don't show it, but Cooper feels Bourn and Towles are making progress. He also senses frustration from both players, which makes his frequent verbal votes of confidence even more necessary. "You get them in your office, you talk to them, tell them to relax," Cooper said. "'You're my center fielder, you're my catcher' kind of deal. 'Go play. Keep working and bring the effort every day.'" Bourn entered Wednesday's game hitting .193 in May, logging eight hits in 45 at-bats. He's drawn four walks this month and his on-base percentage is .240. Other than a costly mental mistake he made during Tuesday's game, Bourn's above-average defense has warranted keeping him in the lineup, and he's comforted to know his manager is on his side. "He knows it's not easy for me right now," Bourn said. "You've got to keep battling every day. It's an everyday battle, and everyday grind. You just try to come out of it every day. I don't feel too bad. I feel like I square some balls up and they just get caught sometimes. It's one of those things." Bourn and Towles play two of the most important defensive positions on the field, and Cooper continues to stress the importance of not letting offensive struggles affect the other side of their game. "Just focus on playing your game, do what you do," Cooper said. "Bring your defensive effort every day. As [bench coach] Jackie [Moore] likes to say, 'When you put the bat down, pick up your glove. Don't carry the bat with the glove.' Do that, then everything's going to be fine." Towles, who is hitting .157, didn't play Wednesday, but only because Cooper wanted to keep Brian Moehler paired with Brad Ausmus. Moehler pitched five shutout frames in a spot start in Los Angeles with Ausmus behind the plate, and Cooper decided to stick with the veteran tandem for this game, too. Towles will play Thursday's finale with the Giants. "That way, my veteran catcher won't have to run out there tomorrow after a possible late night tonight," Cooper said. "Keep them both fresh. I was very encouraged by J.R. [on Wednesday] night. He's coming. He's coming." http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/...t_id=2702988&vkey=news_hou&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou
