Actually it's 14.9, http://asp.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/salaries/teamresults.aspx?team=20 I found a list of the 2005 salaries at http://www.onestopbaseball.com/TeamPayroll.asp.
Let's hope that since Wandy Pettitte showed up last night, that we get a little Andy Rodriguez tonight. KEEP THE T, A, C FORUM CIVIL!!! Sorry, I had to.
Brent, I just haven't understood why you think we've taken such a dramatic step backwards to go from NL Champions to 80-game-winners and non-playoff-qualifiers. Clemens did pitch well, but don't forget his underwhelming performance during the stretch run and in the playoffs (in which we still advanced to the WS). And don't forget our actual record during his starts...someone can get the # for me, but I believe it wasn't a whole lot more than .500 ball. You also seem to be completely ignoring the fact that young players improve. You're taking Lane and Taveras especially and assuming their seasons will be very similar to last year's...when that was their first year in the bigs. One can realistically assume some improvement from Lane, and even more from Willy (younger) on both offense and defense..plus in clutch situations. And as someone already pointed out, Ensberg should have a similar year based on previous stats.. Berkman should produce the same with his baserunning coming back a little bit. Preston Wilson did well in a pitcher's park, so there's no reason to believe it was a Coors effect. On pitching...one would assume Wandy and Zeke get better and Backe gets more consistent. Yes, not all of these improvements will happen. But I would think more than half will at minimum, just by probability. So why is it so hard to believe that a staff minus a great pitcher who only pitched around .500 ball (team record in games) and a lineup adding a solid hitter by all accounts, plus some natural improvements in very young players (by experience) can't do as well as--or better than--last year's club?
I think it would be a toss up. Given that both Oswalt and Clemens had terrible pitching performances, we had about as bad a hitting performance as you can have, and yet we were tied in the late innings of 2 (?) of the games and chances to win the other 2, I don't see why the Astros couldn't easily win 2 or 3 of those first 4 games.
You can't do this only after 2 games. You seriously jinxed us now. I just hope we can get a hit through the first three innings tonite. Is that too much to ask?
Well when speaking of Clemens I just keep thinking even though his W-L record was not that great could you imagine how many games that he pitched that we would have won if it were someone else on the mound and not him and his 1.67 ERA. With the run support he got any other pitcher would have lost 2/3 to 3/4 of his starts. This year we don't have him so his starts are taken by Backe who would have lost a lot more of those games. The young kids can improve, but other than Willy and Wandy there are no other young players that you can say might get better. Jason Lane is far from a rookie (I believe he is around 29 or 30 years old) and with him I think you get what you see. I expect him to have a similar year. And for Willy I have big question marks. He had a horrible OBP and that only comes from being more patient. So IMO it all comes down to if he is a little more patient at the plate he will be much better but I do not think his batting average will get better (he batted something like .310 last year). And I wonder if he will be able to get all of the infield hits he did last year. For one player to get so many infield hits was amazing. I am hoping but not expecting for him to do the same this year. As for pitching Zeke is already back in the minors and Wandy and Brandon have been nothing less than horrendous in spring training. Sure these games don't count, but they do get you ready for the season and Backe and Wandy have been getting shelled. There is no such thing as a on and off switch that a player hits when going from spring training to regular season. If a pitcher is struggling in spring training, just because it gets to the regular season does not mean they will suddenly lower their ERA by half. I am really worried about the pitching. I mean Wandy has never impressed me and Backe is so inconsistant. And I hope that Ensberg can have the same type of year that he had last year, but from his past no one can say if that is probable to happen or not. He exploded last year but we all remember Richard Hidalgo and he just had one really great season then fell off the map. Lets hope that is not what happenens to Morgan. Preston Wilson will help our lineup, but IMO our lineup needs more help than just him. There are so many variables to the season and I based my opinion on what I think will happen. Like I have said earlier all of these things plus the fact we don't even know who our 5th starter will be this season led me to believe there is a very small chance we make it to the playoffs this year. I hope we do, but am not expecting it. That is ok because I will not be disappointed if we don't make it, but I will be pleasantly surprised if we do.
The White Sox are going to be even better this year. They had 5 great starters last year and added Javier Vasquez. They also picked up Jim Thome who homered for them in the opener. I see teams like the champs getting better and teams like us getting worse (assuming Clemens does not come back) and it agitates me wondering why the Astros did not make any other moves to better the team.
As I posted earlier, Ensberg's numbers in 2005 were similar to his numbers while platooning in 2003. With respect to power, you have to figure 2004 was the "off" year, especially due to his injury he tried playing through. As a matter of fact, Ensberg's HRs/AB were much better in 2003 (~17) than in 2005 (~20). The 2005 numbers are partially skewed due to his broken hand.
Some folks have used the first 2 games to determine that the offense has not improved over last year.
then how come you have already cast the ASTROS out of the playoffs, after two games of disappointing offense? you just shot yourself in the foot.
read the entire thread before posting something like this. My opinions are not based off of the 2 games the Astros have played this year. It is based on the offseason and Roger leaving and only adding Preston Wilson and all the variables that surround our Astros this year. Will the starting rotation be good, will Roger come back, will we score runs, will we get clutch hits, will any players get better, etc.
will this happen? will that happen? watch and find out. just because the astros did'nt have a circus of an offseason, does'nt mean that they are doomed. we did what we could. let the season to play out before you cast judgement. did you forget how Roger could barely walk off the field in his last outing? not trying to be an a-hole, but you are sounding like a whiner. be thankful that baseball is back, and wait a little while before you give up.
crose have you ever heard of a pre-season prediction or opinion? IMO I don't think the Astros will be able to make it into the playoffs this year. I stated that and the reasons why I feel they won't make it. I love the Astros, but feel they did not do enough in the offseason. I understand you have to "watch and find out" but are you saying you never make a prediction about your or any other team before the season starts? For all we know the Royals could win the championship this year. Once again it is called a prediction. You can disagree with me, but there is no need to reach to try to bash me for my opinion by calling me a whiner. What was I whining about? Was I whining that I don't think the Astros will make the playoffs? What are you talking about?
the timing of your arguments is a little peculiar, considering that it is two games into the season, and the astros have two RBIs. I know what a prediction is and yours would have been better suited in january or february. nobody is bashing you, for your opinion, I am curious, though, have you watched the astros the past two years? if you have you would know that it is not wise to write them off until they are mathematically eliminated. I followed your posts through this thread, and I was trying to determine whether you were debating something or not, and I am sorry to say, but you sound like you are whining because Uncle Drayton didnt get you that "shiny Miguel Tejada" you wanted for christmas. dont take it personal, just have a little faith in the team you claim as your own.
Actually today was the first day I have ventured here into TAC board so that is why I have not posted this stuff earlier. As you can see I registered here a while ago but have not done much posting except for recently. And I have followed the Astros for 20 years and I have not written them off and hope they prove me wrong. I made a PREDICTION that they will not be going to the post season this year. I am assuming your prediction is that they will go to the postseason. That is fine becasue I respect that and feel that it could happen so please respect my opinion and if you want to debate it then we can do that. And as a fan of the team that pays good money to go to several games a year do I not have a right to complain when I think my team has not done what they need to in the offseason to put us over the hump? The last few years many people have been critical of Drayton trust me I am not the only one. But this is the first year I have been critical of the offseason moves, because we were SO close last year. I just wanted us to get a couple of pieces that would fit into this team to give them the lift they need to win the championship. You call it whine(to try to make fun of me) but I call it complaining that my team did not do what I felt needed to be done. Just to let you guys know I predicted the Rockets to go to the finals this year and for the Suns and Lakers to be horrible. So that goes to show how right I have been lately. I hope to keep up this trend with the Astros.
