Comments on: 2013 Preview: Houston Astros

By: hmcssw

hmcssw — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 02:38:32 +0000

…and at the end of opening day they were tied for the lead in the AL West!

By: jiminthebay

jiminthebay — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 23:20:50 +0000

i’m pretty sure Matt Galante is in the best shape of his life.

By: stex52

stex52 — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:46:31 +0000

And Wade was a lot better than Purpura. But – for all that he did well while he was there – Hunsicker had drained the farm system when he left. I hope it is as soon as you say. I think it’s a bit longer before they have any depth. And that’s a long time.

By: stex52

stex52 — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:44:13 +0000

BTW, I’m not so worried about Castro’s hitting, even if he has been death against lefties. That will probably improve some. But he needs to throw out a lot more to get to the next level.

By: stex52

stex52 — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:42:34 +0000

Springer could probably help faster than anything (except a good pitcher). Their outfield is crap for OPS. I am hopeful about Dominguez and he made a decent showing. But we will have to watch. Gator doesn’t think he will ever hit enough for 3B.

Now if only we could see them on TV or listen to them. I haven’t tried to get 790 in Richmond yet.

By: earache88

earache88 — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:41:36 +0000

Is Craig Biggio or Jeff Bagwell coming back?

By: jeffa43

jeffa43 — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:39:55 +0000

All Astro fans rejoiced when Ed Wade left, that was the significant turning point. He still has me waking up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night. Dude would sit in his office at Minute Maid work deals with the Phillies, go home and put on his Philly slippers and feed his dogs Utley & Phanatic.

Times have changed, and true Astro fans understand and are excited…. We will roll with the punches in 13 & 14, and sting like a killer B in 2015.

Go Stros, and keep the faith!

By: earache88

earache88 — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:37:00 +0000

The Angels red jerseys are awesome!! They are so awesome that every time they sign someone like Pujols and Hamilton that’s the jersey they use at the press conference!

By: jeffa43

jeffa43 — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:28:59 +0000

My bad, Springer and Deshields should be mentioned. Dominguez did struggle in Fla. but he is just 22, and been tagged as Gold glover for years to come with exceptional power… He will have growing pains, but also allowed to struggle.

Castro I believe will be a key leader for years to come. He has had 2 freak injuries, but finished the year strong, and with no doubt has turned more heads this spring with continued improvement on his bat speed. This will be Castros break out season.

I believe Springer will be up sooner than later, and will turn heads very quick.

By: stex52

stex52 — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:02:25 +0000

Yep. That’s pretty much it. Doesn’t take many years of bad GM’s to wreck a franchise.

By: stex52

stex52 — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:01:13 +0000

Altuve, Correa, Singleton look like a fair bet. Castro strikes me more like the catcher for now, not the future contending team. Dominguez – well, he struggled at Miami. We’ll see.

Where is George Springer in your reckoning? He could be better than the others.

By: stex52

stex52 — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 20:57:26 +0000

Who got thagomized, right?

By: stex52

stex52 — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 20:56:38 +0000

Voila! I am at work and able to talk to you guys! Won’t tell you how that happened.

I told you not to say that, Cur!

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 20:54:56 +0000

Yeah, as in the case of the late Thag Simmons.

By: yankeepunk3000

yankeepunk3000 — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 20:34:54 +0000

“willl the astros be historically bad” that title just made me laugh and feel so bad for those fans…seems like not too long ago they were contenders with the killer B’s

By: jarathen

jarathen — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 20:14:04 +0000

They will lose 80 games. And then 10-25 more.

By: tc4306

tc4306 — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:56:32 +0000

Agree with those saying they’ll be bad but not historically bad. Would not be surprised to see Norris and Veras moved before the deadline and would not be surprised to see Singleton and Springer in the lineup before September. The building process can be painful but in Luhnow they have a guy who knows what he is doing and who did a very nice job in St. Louis. Give them 3-4 years and they’ll be fine.

By: prospero63

prospero63 — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:33:30 +0000

Lyles got optioned…

By: chacochicken

chacochicken — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 18:48:43 +0000

Paleolithic hunters didn’t have plate discipline.

By: 13arod

13arod — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 18:42:27 +0000

i think the astro’s will lose about 80 games they are better then last year

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 18:20:18 +0000

The saddest thing about this team in 2013 will be watching them send a designated hitter shambling to the plate on his washed-up knees, take up a club in those clumsy hands so useless for catching and throwing, and wait for a baseball to show up near the plate the way his heavy-browed Paleolithic forebears used to crouch behind a boulder waiting for a mammoth. Ugh.

By: zzalapski

zzalapski — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 18:16:08 +0000

74 would be more attainable if they were still in the NL, but having the AL East as well as the other AL West teams on the schedule makes 70 a stretch. They won’t be historically bad, though.

By: Chris Fiorentino

Chris Fiorentino — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 18:00:02 +0000

I agree with your assessment of the Astros…it’s definitely going to take some time until all that young talent improves. Kinda like the Marlins(who have the 8th best minor league system in baseball), the Astros, whose MInor league system, depending on what you read, is 10th, are going to struggle this season a lot. and much like the Marlins, the Astros improved their young talent by making shrewd trades and having a great 2012 draft.

Hopefully, these two up-and-coming young teams like the Marlins and Astros, BOTH with top-10 minor league systems, improve in the coming years.

By: jarathen

jarathen — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:56:58 +0000

The red alternate jersey certainly leaves something to be desired.

By: cur68

cur68 — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:49:59 +0000

Chris Carter. I know him as “Right Handed Ryan Howard”. I do believe he is going to be a lot better than people think. He’s the one guy that, if pitched to, will kill it. I think, cautiously, that the ‘Stros might, MIGHT, not be historically bad. But they will be bad. Really bad. Sorry Stex.

By: jeffa43

jeffa43 — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:45:05 +0000

Rays, A’s did it … I say 2015, and this team will be really good, and still really young, and have the bet minor league talent as well. Minor system has gone from ranked 30 for the last 5 years to bring ranked 8… And getting better.

Altuve, Correra, Singleton, Dominguez, and Castro will be a force in just a few years. Front office is stockpiling arms in the minors.

Future looks bright. Enjoy the young development, and they will be better than last year already..

By: hk62

hk62 — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:44:49 +0000

I’m 50 and have been an Astros fan all my life, so that’s the back ground, but I’m thinking 74 wins is within reach and that is the champagne cracking level. I know, I know – rose colored glasses probably. But I think Porter will have them playing agressively, as well as smart and fundamentally sound. And a little bit of confidence can go a long ways with young players. I also expect Ankiel in RF and F Mart to be in AAA. We already know Lyles is going to OKC and his spot is likely going to White (or Peacock). The other positive is that they will have starting pitching depth (not ideal quality I know) – with at least 3 guys at AAA that can come up when injuries happen. Texas has one and LAA has zero. SEA and OAK have depth as well but neither of them have the line up that LAA and TEX have.

That’s my number – 74 in 2013 (still in 5th place though).

By: jeffa43

jeffa43 — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:38:26 +0000

The halos red jerseys with red numbers and red lettering are aweful, they look like softball jerseys… Great idea, we have red jerseys, what color lettering should we use? … Oh I got it, let’s use the same color! Brilliant! Not ..

By: magnusmagnolius

magnusmagnolius — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:24:55 +0000

I don’t think that Altuve will be the only guy left from this team when the Astros are good again. Castro, Carter, and Dominguez all have the potential to stick.

By: sdelmonte

sdelmonte — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:24:54 +0000

Give it four years. The Astros will be in the right place at the right time to contend as the Angels and Rangers get old.