vivalaultra

Yeah, his herky-jerky delivery would probably throw off the opposing hitter's timing.

Pfft. 3 homeruns and 7 RBI....like that's anything to get excited about. So, anyway, when's Leo Mazzone gonna start working his magic?

TavEras can steal bases and play centerfield. Ensberg can take walks, fly out, and play 3rd base. Unfortunately for Ensberg, Aubrey Huff can also play 3rd base and hit 3-run homers. Mike Lamb can also play 3rd base and hit homers and draw walks. The only reason Taveras is in and Lamb's not is because it's a lefty. Tomorrow there'll be Berkman, Lamb, and Huff in the lineup. I know Ensberg's line looks decent, but it's because he hasn't started back to back games in ages. The only way he's going to get regular playing time is if he learns to play shortstop or centerfield.

Welcome to the team, Aubrey Huff. Big 3-run shot in the 8th inning immediately making him more clutch than Jason Lane or Morgan Ensberg. He's made a couple nice picks at 3rd base as well.

Bloody noses are no laughing matter. Once in like January of 2003, I was sitting in American Studies and I sneezed, causing blood to shoot out my nose all over my hand, so I said "my nose just exploded, I'm outta here," got up, and left. I was gone for about 15 minutes too. It was the weirdest thing. I guess these things happen when it's cold outside with no humidity. But they were playing in sunny Florida, knucklehead! I've had them in the heat. Sometimes they just start and refuse to stop. I doubt the catchers wanted blood dripping down their backs and then the umpire passing out on them from eventual blood loss. Shit, stick a tampon up in there and call the game. ...pussy ass umps.

Bloody noses are no laughing matter. Once in like January of 2003, I was sitting in American Studies and I sneezed, causing blood to shoot out my nose all over my hand, so I said "my nose just exploded, I'm outta here," got up, and left. I was gone for about 15 minutes too. It was the weirdest thing. I guess these things happen when it's cold outside with no humidity. But they were playing in sunny Florida, knucklehead!

I think Rick Reed, homeplate ump for tonite's Stros/Marlins game, had to take a killer dump. With one out in the top of the 2nd, he called out the Marlins' trainer and wandered back into the Marlins' clubhouse and hasn't been seen since....weird. And after a damn near 20 minute delay...the diagnosis is that Rick Reed had a broken blood vessel in the nose...a freakin' bloody nose.

They have players like Freel, Phillips, Aurilla, Castro who can easily play SS. They didn't need 2 more fucking infielders. They had FIVE players capable of playing SS, which made Lopez expendable and they went ahead and traded him for another one with a key player that you can't just replace that easily. But...they're gonna put Freel in the outfield and have Aurillia or somebody start at short, right? That seems like the best bet, huh? I'm guessing Clayton/Castro will alternate at SS. Freel, has been in the outfield most of the season and he has poor arm strength (something Dunn, Kearns and Junior don't lack). I'd perfer Freel at 2B and moving Phillips to SS and alternating Castro/Aurilla/Encarnación at 3B. Geez, what did managers do before they learned to platoon players? So, who would that leave in the OF? That Denofria guy?

They have players like Freel, Phillips, Aurilla, Castro who can easily play SS. They didn't need 2 more fucking infielders. They had FIVE players capable of playing SS, which made Lopez expendable and they went ahead and traded him for another one with a key player that you can't just replace that easily. But...they're gonna put Freel in the outfield and have Aurillia or somebody start at short, right? That seems like the best bet, huh?

Oh wait...Royce Clayton? Wow. I thought...it...was another Clayton when I said the trade didn't seem to hurt the Reds. Geez, I must've been on drugs for that one, but yeah...still this helps the Reds bullpen and gives Donofria a chance to play, but...seriously...Royce Clayton? Is he gonna...be the...everyday shortstop? Wow...

It looks like the other notable players were... from the Nats: RHP Gary Majewski (the pride of St. Pious High School, here in Houston) ...from the Reds: RHP Ryan Wagner (former #1 draft pick from University of Houston. kinda fizzled out.) I think this deal helps the Reds more than it hurts them, as Kearns was expendable, Wagner wasn't really going anywhere and Gary Majewski is a really solid bullpen pickup.

But it contains such wonderous occurences as: The Bruce Chen and Steve Kline Show Dontrelle Willis and J-Rol talking about growing up in tha hood together (seriously, this is like...hilarious.) Ryan Dempster doing Harry Caray And it also has the greatest play ever....ever...Manny Ramirez cutting off a throw from centerfield. Seriously, it's great. Not even Mango can fuck with the greatness of ManRam cutting off Johnny Damon's throw like Game 7 of the World Series depends on it.

That was actually the first show I thought of. It started going downhill when Raven-Symone showed up, and the last season (with Pam) was pretty bad. Even the Raven episodes are great. They're not "young Rudy" great and no other 26 minutes of television will ever equal the greatness of the Cosby episode where Denise made Theo a shirt, but not even ghetto Pam and her friends could ruin that show.

You shoulda gotten it. I got it recently, and it's great. Not even Chris Kattan can spoil an hour and a half of professional atheletes looking like jackasses.

Maybe the Cubs could look into getting Gary Gaetti...I bet he could straighten out Juan Pierre.... It's not so much a question of Ausmus' defensive abilities as it his (I hate this word) intagibles. He acts like a bench coach. He's the one that goes over lineups with the pitchers before games. He can go out to the mound and tell Roy O, or Pettitte, or Roger, or whomever what, if anything, they're doing wrong and how to get on track. He saves managerial visits. So, yeah, his arm isn't that good, but as far as blocking balls go, he's up there at the top. That's why whenever Lidge comes in, if Eric Munson is catching, he comes out and Ausmus comes in...not that that's helped Lidge really, but Ausmus blocks his slider in the dirt. And, the main thing, our pitching staff likes working with him, especially Clemens. That's probably the main factor in us resigning him. Clemens said if Ausmus ain't catching, he ain't pitching.

Well, it can't hurt to try somebody else. It's weird though. All season everybody involved with the Astros has been saying what a great hitting coach Gaetti is and how he really works well with the guys and so forth. I do find faults with your statement, though. First off, it's TaveraS. Second, Biggio has no decline. Craig Biggio will continue to play until he's 75 and hit .335 every season with 35-40 homers. I mean, dude's got a statue in front of Minute Maid Park. The only reason Adam Everett is starting is because he's a defensive whiz, and with at least 6 other guys being paid to drive in runs, you can afford to start an offensive black hole. Ausmus isn't expected to hit above .250 or so, but he calls such a great game and knows everything there is to know about opposing hitters, so the pitching staff really likes him. But, yeah, it seems like Gaetti's getting a raw deal. However, the guy replacing Gaetti, Shawn Berry, has a career BA about .20 points higher than The Rat, so we'll see where it goes.

I second Married...With Children. Most Fox shows get worse the longer they go on, I think. I disagree with the last season of The Wonder Years. That was...the greatest show ever. I think Boy Meets World went downhill when it tried to make every show meaningful and heart-tugging. The last couple years of it was all either goofy stuff that didn't make any sense...which was hit-or-miss funny and melodramatic, trying too hard stuff. One show that never went downhill was The Cosby Show...I love Bill Cosby.

Regarding players that skip the All-Star game, what about guys like Tom Glavine or Chris Carpenter that pitched on Sunday and weren't available to pitch on Tuesday. Should that be discussed in the same breath as a case like Manny? One of the talking heads on one of the ESPN shows this morning suggested moving the ASG to Wednesday, which would allow guys that pitched over the weekend before to pitch in the game. The counter-arguement was for MLB to make a rule that any pitcher selected to pitch in the All Star Game is not allowed to pitch in the final series before the game. I thought that arguement was ridiculous, however. As for Manny, he could've at least showed up for the game. I mean, Jose Reyes wasn't able to play, but he at least smiled and sat in the dugout.

Yeah, I know. Maybe Willy for Willis AND Cabrera, but just for one? I think the Fish would have to throw in a few prospects. /homer

Hey, thanks for backing me up with stats. I knew he wasn't being productive the last couple months, but I didn't realize it was that bad. The way he's playing now reminds me of last Sept. after he came back after getting hit in the hand by a pitch. After coming back a few weeks from messing up his shoulder while trying to snag a popped up bunt, he's just looked bad. I think he's suffering from trying too hard to knock every pitch outta the ballpark and if he gets one that he doesn't think he can do that with, he's laying off, even if he could hit it for an RBI Double or something. I think he's a little too disciplined of a hitter. He'd benefit from swinging at some borderline pitches because he's got enough power to drive the ball. I'm not saying he needs to be like Vlad or anything, but yeah...his walks aren't driving in any runs. I think he would benefit from hitting second in the lineup in front of Berkman, but we already have enough guys that fill the mold of "get on base and let the sluggers drive you in".

...Trust me, his job security is in question. As nice as it is that he's drawing walks, he's still only hitting .230 something, and he's driven in about 3 runs in the past month. The reason his OBP and OPS are so high is that he was on a major tear for the first few months of the season and once he started slumping, he was relegated to the bench. He's still drawing walks, but he's not hitting for average, power, or hitting at all, really. He just looks lost at the plate.

I think the plan is for Huff to play in RF and have Mike Lamb and Ensberg platoon at 3rd. The only bad thing about Huff is that he's a terrible fielder. He has a .980 career fielding %. Tim Purpura, the 'Stros GM, said that Huff's gonna play "everyday" and that he would "have a talk with Ensberg about it" and that Huff's a middle of the lineup guy. On top of just getting the team a good major-league lefty, I think this move also will serve to motivate the team, Morgan Ensberg particularly, since it appears his job security is in question.

I agree, but I don't see the point in trading laterally. If they wanna do a package deal of like...Ensberg, Lane, and Willy for Cabrera, hey...make it happen. Or if they wanna do some type of deal for Willis, good stuff, but there's no point in trading Willy or anybody else for minor leaguers. There's also a craaaaaaaaazy rumor that the Nats are interested in trading Soriano for Chris Burke...that'll...never happen. However, I don't think the 'Stros are done dealing.

Willy T's a work in progress. He's only 23. He hasn't ever played above AA and besides, if you trade Willy T. for like...Reggie Abercrombie or Jason Vargas that does absolutely nothing. I admit, I have a thing for Willy, but I'm not adversed to trading him if there's something of value to be had. Willy's really useful to the Astros anyway. Even if he's nothing more than a late inning defensive replacement/pinch runner.

They shoulda traded the Astros Carl Crawford, is what they shoulda done. The 'Stros woulda traded the whole farm for Crawford. Apparently, there's major interest from the Marlins in Willy Taveras...if they aren't willing to trade some combination of Dontrelle Willis or Miguel Cabrera, Willy T. better not go anywhere.