I agree, but the concept of an "inning-eating" pitcher is something else entirely. People also need to keep in mind that the pitching staff that starts the season is not necessarily the pitching staff that finishes the season.
Tells you something about the market for his services, no? His stated desire was to stay in the NL; the Mets, Cards & Nationals, all pretty desperate for starting pitching, passed. The Stros - staring down at 2 untested rookies at the back of their rotation - also passed. It took an injury to get him a guaranteed rotation spot, and he had to go to the AL to get it.
Well, if that's your meaning of inning-eating pitchers, then I fully DON'T expect Trachsel to finish the season on a pitching staff of any competing teams.
Sorry, pretty sure I cornfused ya. The first part of my post was in reference to the "inning-eating" role, which you seemed to imply that the youngsters could fulfill. When I think of an inning eater, I think of someone who can get out of jams while minimizing damage (pitch effectively around hits & walks), be economical with his pitches (pitch to contact when needed), stay in games on days when he doesn't have good stuff...in short all the little things you need to do to keep you team in the game and limit bullpen innings. So much of this hinges on approach, and is ultimately mental. The vast, vast majority of young pitchers - like Wandy, Sampson, Albers - do not have either the physical strength or the know-how & experience to succeed at this. The second part of what I posted, about the staff changing over the course of the season, was in response to the "Stros need another starter now" statements I've seen. Of course they'd like one, but there just isn't much out there that would help. That will change eventually - it may be a kid, it may be a Clemens, it may be a trade, it may be a strengthened bullpen, but they should be able to make adjustments a couple of months into the season. Happens every year. Purp and Garner have gone on record saying that the long-relief spot in the bullpen will be more important than the #5 starter, due to his being able to pitch in a couple of games a week in starts where Woody & the kids can't get much past the 5th. Will be interesting to see how this shakes out with Sampson, Borkowski & others. Hope this made some sense.
This one's for you Max: Whoever had *the week that pitchers & catchers report* as the time of Kerry Wood's initial injury this season wins a pony. The Chicago Cubs pitcher is not expected to throw off the mound for a few days after he slipped this week getting out of a hot tub at home. Wood landed on his stomach and chest. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/2010AP_BBN_Cubs_Wood_Hot_Tub.html
At this point, I think Cubs fans see this as a good thing. Kerry Wood Winhelthy isn't even any good any more.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/justice/4558354.html Astros look set to make another run By RICHARD JUSTICE Sometime later, we can tell the Astros everything they're doing wrong. That's why God put the middle three months in a baseball season to begin with. First, a larger truth about Our Local Nine. They've spoiled us. Go ahead and admit it, because you know I'm right. They've been so successful for so long that they make it look easy. It's not. Ask the Texas Rangers. In the 14 seasons Drayton McLane has been their owner, the Astros have the fourth-best record in the big leagues. They've been to the playoffs six times in 10 seasons and finished lower than second just once. Business runs smoothly In places like San Francisco, Seattle and — yes — Arlington, they can only dream of this kind of success. If you want to point out that the Astros still haven't won it all or that they've been to the World Series just once, that's fair criticism. McLane spends adequately, but not lavishly. He considers his hardball team a business. He has made it a good business. He has more than doubled revenues since buying the club and increased the payroll almost every year. There still has been no championship. Championships can be elusive for even the most successful franchises. Yet the Astros have done so much right that it's hard to nitpick about their shortcomings. It's not just that they win or are almost always in contention, either. They do things right. They have high-character players. They have one of baseball's best player-development systems. Their blueprint ought to be every team's blueprint. That success, that blueprint, is the backdrop for their 46th season, which begins with the opening of spring training in Kissimmee, Fla. Ensberg a big key They seem poised for another playoff run, but they also have some huge questions. That's true of every other team in the National League Central as well. Let's begin with the most interesting story line of the spring — Morgan Ensberg. He could be the difference between a decent offense and a very good one. If he stays healthy, if he's as productive as he was in 2005 when he made the NL All-Star team, the middle of the lineup — the one that has Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee — could be among the best in baseball. There are other offensive issues, but they're not nearly as important as Ensberg. For instance, Chris Burke. He was projected to be the leadoff hitter of the future from the moment he was drafted in 2001. This season is his chance. He's a cocky, talented, upbeat kid, one of those people who never seems to have a bad day. Some in the organization believe he'll be a huge addition to the lineup. And there's Luke Scott. He hit .336 after being called up from the minors. Can he keep it going? If Scott, Burke and Ensberg all hit, the Astros almost certainly will be going back to the playoffs. Hey, it's the beginning of spring training. Why not be optimistic? Every other question concerns the back of the rotation. It could again be a revolving door much as it was last season. It also could be a disaster much as it was last season. If you're a pessimist, you'll point out that not a single one of the young pitchers performed well enough in 2006 to earn a job in 2007. If you're an optimist, you say they all got some valuable experience while getting clobbered. Among the candidates, Matt Albers opened eyes this winter with his relentless work ethic. He also has the best pure stuff and perhaps the highest upside. Fernando Nieve has killer stuff as well, but he has never harnessed it for a stretch in the big leagues. No spring training is complete without the possibility of a young player hustling his way onto the roster. Scott did that two years ago. Keep an eye on three kids this spring: Paul Estrada, Hunter Pence and Troy Patton. Estrada had 134 strikeouts in 88 2/3 innings at Corpus Christi last season and was so impressive that some in the organization believe he'll come out of spring training with the Russ Springer bullpen role. Pence and Patton are ticketed for the big leagues in 2008. Both could play their way onto the team this spring. Finally, there's Craig Biggio. This season will be a celebration of his quest to become the 27th player in history to collect 3,000 hits. He has come to represent everything the Astros are proud of, from his hard-nosed approach to his commitment to winning. His countdown to 3,000 — he begins the season with 2,930 — will be a constant reminder of all that he has accomplished. He's also a constant reminder of why the Astros have been so good for so long. richard.justice@chron.com
So the whole piano prodigy thing was a joke... Heeeeeeere's Holdzkom He didn't really meet Johnny Carson, but Astros prospect has yet to allow homer in minors By BRIAN McTAGGART Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle KISSIMMEE, FLA. — He steadfastly denies rumors circulating on the Internet that he was once a piano prodigy who made an appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson when he was just a toddler. There are even some in the Astros organization who believe pitcher Lincoln Holdzkom, acquired by the club in December via the Rule V draft, has an extraordinary musical background. If Holdzkom does have a musical past, he won't admit it, except to say that he and his brother, John, cooked up an elaborate story and posted it on the online encyclopedia site Wikipedia — a site that can be edited by the public. "It's not true," Holdzkom said of his child prodigy story. "We just make things up, and Wikipedia puts it on there. I've never been on Johnny Carson. It just sounded good." What the Astros know for sure about Holdzkom's history is the 6-4 righthander is full of potential, so much so he could find a spot on the club's opening-day roster this season. "He's a kid that will come at you and challenge you," Astros senior director of player personnel Paul Ricciarini said. "It's just a matter of consistency. You take enough chances on enough kids like him, and you're really going to hit pay dirt." A seventh-round pick by the Florida Marlins in 2001, Holdzkom, 24, has posted impressive numbers throughout his career (2.62 ERA). He injured his elbow late in the 2003 season and missed all of 2004 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs last year and spent most of the season at Class AA West Tennessee, going 2-3 with a 1.95 ERA in 18 games in relief. He's thrown only 59 1/3 innings since the end of 2003, but the Astros are taking a low-risk chance on him. "You get a guy coming off an injury like this and get him at the right time, it's a good investment," Astros general manager Tim Purpura said. Holdzkom must remain on the major league roster for the entire season or be offered back to the Cubs for $25,000. The Astros could also make a trade to keep him, similar to what they did to hang on to Willy Taveras three years ago. "It's an opportunity, not a guaranteed spot, but it's definitely a foot in the door," said Holdzkom, whose brother John is a 6-7 pitcher in the Mets organization. Astros coordinator of professional scouting J.D. Ellenby followed Holdzkom closely at the Arizona Fall League last year. Ricciarini had seen him several times previously and believed he was on the fast track to the majors with the Marlins. "I never really lost sight of the name," Ricciarini said. "J.D. Ellenby said this guy's arm strength has come back. J.D. stayed with him and watched him out there and said it's worth the gamble." The barrel-chested Holdzkom, who impressed the Astros at last month's Nolan Ryan Elite Pitching Camp at Minute Maid Park, can reach the low to mid-90s with his fastball. "We were really impressed," Purpura said. "He was a little behind from a throwing point of view, but it's only because his offseason preparation wasn't at the point as some of the guys that have been in the system. He's got a nice arm and looks good." So what about his past? Is he really a reluctant piano man or just a master jokester? The only oddity Holdzkom will confirm about his résumé is that he's never given up a home run in more than 200 innings pitched in the minors. And that's a tune the Astros would like him to keep playing. (In the Arizona Fall League in 2006, Holdzkom did allow three home runs in 20 1/3 innings. He was 2-0 with a 7.08 ERA.) "It's just one of those things," Holdzkom said of not allowing a homer in the minors. "Who knows how long it's going to last? It's really gotten a lot of attention. People keep asking me about it and ask if it's an error in the paperwork. I want to keep it going." Hopefully this guy pays off. I could see making one of those minor trades to keep him just in case he doesn't make the roster. He's done nothing but good things in the minors. I think it's worth the gamble. He could make someone expendable for trades later on if he's productive.
I wonder how much more the Cubs would want for him than they otherwise would, just because it's the Astros (or most any Central team, I reckon).
Per the chronicle... Opening Day Lineup Biggio 2B Burke CF Berkman 1B Lee LF Ensberg 3B Rightfielder (Scott, Lane, or Hidalgo) Everett SS Ausmus C Oswalt P http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/4568627.html --- I don't like seeing Biggio bat that high in the order. He is no longer a table setter. Maybe having Loretta will keep him fresh, but I think he is better at driving in runs now than scoring them even when fresh.
