Braun went 3-3 today and is hitting .350. He just doesn't qualify yet, but he should close to the end of the season. When was the last time 2 rookies led the league in batting?
Sucks that the BA leader in the NL can't be in the Alstar game. But atleast we won 2 of 4 in this series. Things are looking better...some what for the Stros. Our pitching seems to be back.
Good showing today. I like the fact that they showed up today considering last nite. Burke looked really sharp. I was sitting down the left field line today and that home run he hit was just crushed. We are 10 and 1/2 back at the break and I for one am very interested to see what they do from here to the deadline. I really hope they deal Jennings. I just have that feeling that he is not going to sign here regardless.
Maybe they can deal Jennings for Tavaras and Hirsch? Unbelievable that we could have Willy and Pence in the lineup with Hirsch and Bucholz helping our pitching staff. Purpura was raped on this one....... DD
You've got to be kidding me. Have you looked at Hirsh and Buchholz' numbers this year? They make Dave Borkowski look like an All-Star. They would help the pitching staff? I think the word you're looking for is hurt. As for Taveras, over the course of a full season, I prefer Luke Scott, and it's not all that close. Secondly, if Scott doesn't perform slightly better in the second half, then right fielders who are better than Willy offensively are dime a dozen. Hirsh and Buchholz have been absolute trash... at this point, it's essentially a 1-for-1 trade in terms of contributions on the field. And I'm still thankful Willy's not here, because I think his presence would've blocked others (Scott, future free agents) whose offensive contributions could be and will be far greater.
Hirsch is a fly ball pitcher. He would have a great pitcher in the Astrodome but not at Minute Maid. Jennings is a ground ball pitcher and has pitched very well, though he did have that injury. Tavaras's great speed enabled him to have a respectable BA, due to the number of infield hits. Once on base though, he was literally one of the stupidest base runners in MLB history. Tavaras has a flawed offensive game; he will never reach his potential. Whichever organization he belongs will be spending time and money looking for a better long term option. The key to the trade will be if we can resign Jennings to a deal after this season.
Really? Buchholz' ERA is better than everyone in our pen except for Lidge and Qualls (equal to Bork). His non-Coors ERA is better than everyone except Lidge (equal to Qualls). His WHIP is better than anyone in our pen except Lidge & Wheeler. His road WHIP would rank best in the bullpen. You really think that Buchholz would hurt our bullpen?
I forget where all the fans here were blown away by his #'s as an Astro... I also forget how everybody here was just fine with a pitching staff of Oswalt, Wandy, Woody, and Sampson going into this season. Pence, as a 5 toolish CF, is more valuable out there as Willy's replacement than he is as a RFer. The offense, overall, is better with Pence-Scott... and if Scott is not the long term answer, its much easier to find an average RF than it is to find a capable CF who has the tools that Pence does.
I wouldn't refer to Jennings as a "hill of beans", unless you mean that he may not return beyond this season.
I don't have anything against the guy. It's just that we desperately needed a #2 starter and he was one of our best tradeable assets. That, and I'd take Pence/Scott over Taveras/Pence any day of the week.
I forgot he had three scoreless relief outings at the end of June to drop it a bit. In any event, Lidge, Qualls, Wheeler and Bork will all finish with better ERAs than Buchholz, and I wouldn't be surprised if Albers did. I'm not sure on Miller, but he's left-handed so in Garner's mind there wouldn't be a comparison.
I've said exactly what RM95 said time and time again... Pence/Scott is more valuable than Taveras/Pence. Having Pence play CF, with the tools he has at the plate, is more valuable/rare than having him be a RF for his career. All of that... and the fact that Willy was nowhere close to being a .325 hitter in his AMPLE oppurtinity with the Astros (but was still a valuable commodity given his age, speed, and defensive ability), and our need for a #2 pitcher was the biggest weakness going into this season after losing Pettite/Clemens, doesn't make this the travesty some make it out to be (especially with those overvaluing Hirsh's dreaded "potential").
Pence still has a ways to go to become a good defensive center fielder. How many doubles has he turned into triples this season?
About as many doubles as he's turned into outs. Dude has fantastic range. You are correct about the rookie mistakes, but they are indeed rookie mistakes and not fatal flaws in his defensive game.
I think some people just don't want to admit you're wrong. to suggest that scott/pence is better than taveras/pence is pretty ridiculous at this point considering you have no real lead off hitter.
That's right... right now, you just have a hitter leading the league in batting average, who can play a more than competent CF (oh, and btw, is a rookie), and thus who's numbers dwarf Willy T in every way imaginable. And its not just Scott in RF... its Scott+Berkman (who both have The Astros had MUCH better backup options to replace Willy T than they had to replace Pettite/Clemens, thus the trade. Its defensible... it may not turn out to be the greatest trade ever, but its not the worst one either (as some of you make it out to be). And in the end... the "lack of a leadoff hitter" hasn't hurt the offense all that much this year. Whereas, the same "leadoff hitter" you're proclaiming was very much a part of the anemic woes the last two years.
