EVIL~! alkeiper 0 Report post Posted March 31, 2005 I figured I'd do these more often, so perhaps we can finish them not long after opening day. No guarantees due to schoolwork, but I enjoy doing them. The Houston Astros experienced perhaps their most successful season in franchise history. One can make an argument for 1980, but the fact is that the Astros finally broke through and won a playoff series. This season however, the Astros have been written off. The team lost Jeff Kent and Carlos Beltran to free agency, and Lance Berkman will miss a month or two due to an offseason injury. The opening day outfield consists of Jason Lane, Willy Taveras, and Mike Lamb. Lamb hit extremely well in limited time, but he will likely regress to his career average. That will not look nearly as good in left field. Taveras is a fine prospect, but he has barely played above AA, save for a 10 game trial where he was used almost entirely as a defensive substitute. Jason Lane is a fine player, deserving to start, and will easily replace production lost by the mid-season departure of Richard Hidalgo, or better than that of Chris Biggio. Speaking of Biggio, he moves back to second base, blocking Chris Burke. Biggio might outhit Burke this season yet, but Burke is a legit prospect, and should be given the opportunity. I would think that Biggio is better used in a utility role, given his ability to play the outfield. Jeff Bagwell is still a reasonable hitter, although age is quickly catching up to him. Morgan Ensberg will hit better than he did last year. The Astros' real problem is at catcher. Brad Ausmus might have super-human abilities to handle a pitching staff. If that is true, it makes one wonder why the heck Peter Munro, Carlos Hernandez, Brandon Duckworth, and Tim Redding all stunk up the joint last season. The Astros were hurt by their inability to find back-end starters, and their pitching staff remains shallow. In reality, Ausmus is a liability. Many catchers could provide better production that Ausmus's poor batting lines. In addition, Ausmus turns 36 this year, meaning further decline is in the future. The Astros do boast a strong starting three, with Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte and Roy Oswalt. The issue will be finding a fifth starter behind those three and Brandon Backe. If they do, the Astros should remain in the wild card hunt. Getting Berkman back before it is too late is a key as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sfaJack 0 Report post Posted April 1, 2005 The opening day outfield consists of Jason Lane, Willy Taveras, and Mike Lamb. Minor correction: Luke Scott is much more likely to start in the outfield than Lamb due to his having a monster spring. And it's still insane that Biggio is going to start at second. The Astros reluctance to bring along prospects is often astounding. Burke is 25...if not now, when? In the end, I think the Astros are a second place team, at best, depending on what happens with the Cubs' pitching situation. Clemens is likely to regress, Biggio doesn't need to be playing everyday (especially given how he tailed off after the ASB last year), and I'm not sold on Brandon Backe at all. Backe had the one great start against the Cards in the playoffs last year, but other than that he was inconsistent and didn't have a great spring this year. Why everyone around here (meaning here in Houston) is penciling him in for 15 wins already is beyond me. Throw in the severely weakened lineup, thin bullpen, and uncertainty of what Pettitte will give them and I'm not sure how good they are. Betting lines have their over/under victory total at 84; sounds about right to me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TSA09 0 Report post Posted April 1, 2005 Jason Lane is a fine player, deserving to start, and will easily replace production lost by the mid-season departure of Richard Hidalgo, or better than that of Chris Biggio. Minor correction, it's Craig Biggio. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EVIL~! alkeiper 0 Report post Posted April 1, 2005 I don't know how I did that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted April 1, 2005 I can't buy the Astros finishing ahead of the Cubs. Sorry. Cardinals can. Astros cannot. By the way I love the three-way NL Central rivalry, even more than the much-more-publicized AL East. The Astros can bring Chicago and St. Louis fans together, if only for a moment, in Houston-hating harmony. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EVIL~! alkeiper 0 Report post Posted April 1, 2005 Just out of curosity, why couldn't the Astros beat the Cubs? They have a better closer, their 1-2 punch at the rotation is just as good, and they have the same issues in the outfield. If the Cubs suffered a couple rotation injuries, I could easily see the Astros beating the Cubs. Not that they will, but they could. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted April 1, 2005 Um...I dunno. Maybe Michael Barrett will go crazy beat the shit out them. I dunno. Stop trying to use facts to prove me wrong Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted April 1, 2005 Maybe Michael Barrett will go crazy beat the shit out them. I'm not gonna edit this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Mosaicv2 Report post Posted April 2, 2005 Wasn't this team one win away from a World Series berth last year? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted April 2, 2005 But Beltran is gone, Biggio and Bagwell are older, and Michael Barrett will go crazy beat the shit out Roy Oswalt. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
