Astros Insight: What's going on?

The Astros are sadly on the heels of a seven game losing streak after being swept in Cincinnati by the Reds. Their record now stand at 18-27, last in the NL Central and 9 games out of the first place Cardinals. Normally the Astros are slow first half starters and this year is no different. I remember 2005, the last and only World Series appearance by my Houston Astros. That year, the sport columnist of the Houston Chronicle, Dave Justice, posted an article with a tombstone and gave the Astros up for dead. Their record then stood at 15-30, worst than this year. The rest is history of course, as the Astros rallied and won the Wild Card and a wild ride to the World Series. I know, they lost, actually swept by the White Sox, but I will always remember that team, that even though they were given up for dead by most (me included), they still came back and shocked the world by advancing that far.

So, what do they need to do now to accomplish that same goal? Well, for starters, how about some pitching? Both starting and relief. This year corp has really been unsettling wth pitchers seemingly pitching on thin ice. The rotation, apart from Roy Oswalt and Wandy Rodriguez on occassions, has been disastrous. Mike Hampton, Russ Ortiz, Felipe Paulino and Brian Moehler are not exactly names that spell fear to the opposition. And as a fan, I'm always praying more than usual when any of those guys take the mound. Hopefully Brandon Backe comes back and delivers this group from its misery. Whatever happened to the times when the Astros were known for their pitching and their talents? The bullpen is in disarray as well. Having lost Jose Valverde and Doug Brocail to injuries the Astros had to plug in Latroy Hawkins as their closer, leaving the other guys (what are their names anyways?) to figure the rest out.

On the offense side, I see a lot of progress, namely Michael Bourn. This Houston native is leading the league in stolen bases and he's getting on base more regularly as his .286 batting average attests. Lance Berkman also needs to hurry up and find his groove because he is the weakest and missing link. At .229 average, Berkman is batting 70 points below is career average. If he starts to get hot and the pitching figures out a way out of its mess, I see the Astros shocking the world once again with another berth in the grand finale. The World Series.

My All-Star Teams

With the All-Star game fast approaching, here are the guys who won my vote:

NL ALL-STARS:

C-Ivan Rodriguez, Astros
1B- Adrian Gonzalez, Padres
2B- Chase Utley, Phillies
SS- Hanley Ramirez, Marlins
3B- David Wright, Mets
OF- Carlos Lee, Astros
Alfonso Soriano, Cubs
Carlos Beltran, Mets
Starting Pitcher- Tim Lincecum, Giants


AL ALL-STARS:

C- Victor Martinez, Indians
1B- Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
2B- Brian Roberts, Orioles
SS- Derek Jeter, Yankees
3B- Michael Young, Rangers
OF- Jason Bay, Red Sox
Nick Markakis, Orioles
Torii Hunter, Angels
Starting Pitcher- Zack Greinke, Royals


And there you have it. My lineups for the All-Star game. Anybody I left out that you think should be in the starting lineup? Leave me a comment and we'll talk about it.

Quick and to the point with Fraud-Ram

I won't dwell on this topic of the Steroid Era for too much because sincerely, my opinions of this matter was buried, or so I thought, a long time ago. Right after the A-Rod news came out. I wasn't hoping for a day in which we would hear another Superstar linked to the Steroid Era, much less a guy like Manny Ramirez. But hey, I said that I wasn't going to be surprised if another player of his caliber would get caught, and frankly, I'm not. It was just a matter of days. And it will only be another matter of days for the next leaf of the Steroid tree to dwindle and fall, and disgrace the game even more.

I really don't care anymore whether it was a mysterious cream, or vitamins from the GNC store, or female hormone pills, the list of banned substances are given out each and every year to every member of the players union. I would assume that any player with the right frame of mine, and who wants to protect his reputation, should look over that list ANY time that they take any medicine or a trainer's miracle cream. You know, just in case there is anything that might get them SUSPENDED and hurt their team in the process.

Well, the Dodgers sure are glad that they didn't trade Juan Pierre this past offseason. He is their starter for at least the next 50 games. He'll steal you a bunch of bases and score a lots of runs, but he is no Manny.

First Month Recap

I know, I have taken an extensive break from writing this blog, but today I feel like writing about some baseball! Let's see, what has happened in the first month? Well, Bonifaciomania hit the streets after the Marlins' new speedy third basemen, Emilio Bonifacio, burst onto the scene by hitting the first inside-the-park homerun on opening day in 41 years (the last one was by Carl Yastrzemski in 1968) He had 14 hits in the first five games with 4 stolen bases and sporting and average of .500 after one week. He caught my attetion so much that I had to add him to my baseball fantasy team. He has cooled off since but he seems to be on the way to having a great season.

Also, three players hit for the cycle in the first month, all within a week. Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler went berserk on Jackie Robinson day against the Orioles with a perfect 6 for 6 night while hitting the cycle in front of a home crowd. Orlando Hudson of the Dodgers did the same a couple of days before Kinsler and he did it on the Dodgers' home opener going 4 for 5 and hitting mostly against the Giants future Hall-of-Famer Randy Johnson. And finally, Twins outfielder Jason Kubel did it against the Angels at the Metrodome. He completed the cycle by hitting a thrilling grand slam in the bottom of the eight inning with 2 outs and his team down two runs. Two other players were a triple shy of the cycle, Kevin Youkilis of the Red Sox and the other player, believe or not, is pitcher Carlos Zambrano of the Cubs.

The Kansas City Royals in the AL Central, with ace Zack Grienke leading the way; the Toronto Blue Jays in the east, with Adam Lind , Travis Snyder and Marco Scutaro overpowering everybody they play; and the Seattle Mariners out west with Brandon Morrow closing out games (who are all this players anyway?), these teams are now in first place in their respective divisions. In the National League, the Pirates, the Reds, the Marlins, the Padres, and the Giants are defeating odds and playing great baseball and most importantly of all, winning games. Ah, the beauty of baseball.

About the only thing that is missing for this first month is a no-hitter. A couple of pitchers came close, pitching into the seventh inning before the bid being broken. April is usually the month where most no-hitters happens, partly because batters are still getting their swings warmed-up.

A Day of Thoughts

I'm excited to announce that baseball season is just around the corner (in case you don't know by now) and I can finally sit down and watch a regular season game on TV. It's truly a long off season for me, but I think its worthy.

I was surprised to hear today that the Detroit Tigers decided to cut Gary Sheffield. He is sitting at 499 home runs and he still had a year left on his contract. The Tigers are now in the book for the 14 mills that he was set to earn this season. So, who needs a DH? Where is he going to land? The Twins need some power. So does the Royals. Or even the Orioles. Anybody?

Former Astros Curt Shilling announced his retirement a few days ago through his blog after a 20 years career in baseball. He is definetely remember most for taking the Phillies (in '93), the Diamondbacks (in '01) and the Red Sox (both in '04 and '07) to the World Series than the one season that he wore the Astros uniform. Schilling arrived in Houston in 1991 along with pitcher Pete Harnisch and outfielder Steve Finley in a trade that sent then Astros first basemen Glenn Davis to the Orioles. Maybe the Astros were just making room for someone named Jeff Bagwell at that time. In his only year in Houston, Schilling pitched out off the bullpen, appearing in 56 games going 3-5 with a 3.81 E.R.A. In a move that perhaps shouldn't have never been done, the Astros shipped Schilling to the Phillies right before the 1992 season started in return for reliever Jason Grimsley (this is the same guy whose house was raided by federal agents agents in 2006 in connection with the investigation in steroids use, AND he is also in ESPN's list of Baseball Biggest Cheaters) Grimsley never threw a pitch for the 'Stros as he spent his only season in Houston in the minors. And as for Schilling, once he got to Philadelphia, the legend began. Good luck.

Did anyone see the designs of the new stadium the Marlins are getting? It look awesome! The Marlins were in dire need of a new home and, even though they have won two World Series in the last decade or so, were unable to finance a deal until now. Also, once the team moves into its new crib (probably around 2012) they will change its name to the Miami Marlins. The next team that should step up and get a new stadium done is the Oakland Athletics. They have got to get out of the Coliseum. That place looks ancient!

Astros Insight: I told you so.

This is something that I wrote on a previous post regarding the Astros' Spring struggle:

"Amongst the Astros hitters, they ALL seem to be in a funk at the same time. Theoretically, that's good since then all should come out of their slumps at the same time, preferably by opening night."

Well, if you had already gave up on the Astros as early as last week, you might want to look again. They are now winners of six straight game (and we passed the Padres in the standings) and they are looking like a team that can get something done. The hits are finding holes, the pitchers are holding down the opponents, and all of the sudden everything is good in Astros town.

Now, let me remind you once again that this is Spring Training still and players are still getting their mechanic down, but surely the mood in the clubhouse took a sharp turn for the better and the remaining players in camp can ride this momentum and the positive attitude into the regular season.

This is still no indication that the Astros all of the sudden are not going to lose any more games, or that we are World Series bound, but is a positive step into the right direction, and as fan that is what I want to see. You don't want to hear excuses but you want to see results. This Spring has definitely tested Cecil Cooper patience and he responded by filling out the lineup card everyday and tinkering with the club until he got the results that he was looking for. Six wins in a row. Only 10 days until the season starts. Go Astros!

A Classic Finish. 2013 is next episode.

Japan sucessfully defended its title with a thrilling 5-3 extra innings victory against their Asian nemesis of Korea. What a great way to finish this second edition of the WBC. Although my team of Venezuela lost in the semis, I'm proud of the way my countrymen made it that far. I have to give some kudos to team Korea. They are, for me, the best team that has played in both of the WBC. And they have the record to prove it too, having gone 12-4 combine in the last two events. Japan gets the gold though, winning the game that mattered the most: the final. The Japanese at the end came through with a slurry of slap-hits to take the game in extra after the Koreans tied the game at 3 in the ninth innning. The hit of the game belonged to outfielder and Japanese sensation Ichiro Susuki. The 35-year-old Mariners right fielder snapped the 3-3 tie with a two-run single on an eight-pitch at-bat against Korean reliever Chang Yong Lim with runners on second and third and with two outs in the 10th. Japan pitcher Daiseku Matzusaka won the MVP for the second Classic in a row. Dice-K posted a 3-0 record with a 2.45 ERA in the tournament, winning all three of his starts, including his victory over the United States in the semifinal on Sunday. Way to go Japan.

On a different angle, I was also thinking about what Selig said in regards to expanding the current format of teams in the WBC from 16 to 24 for the 2013 edition. I started going through the possibilities of what other baseball countries can be added and I was able to come up with a few. Since there has to be 8 more teams added, here is my list: Nicaragua, Colombia, Germany, Britain, Russia, Thailand, Phillipines and New Zealand. With the new teams we are going to need a couple of more Pools which it could be played in Europe and Oceania much like the Asian pool in the last two tournaments. Nicaragua and Colombia would be added to the Latin American bracket. It will be a true World Baseball Classic. This is kind of what I have in mind for the first round:

Pool A-Japan, China, Thailand, New Zealand (played in Asia)

Pool B-Australia, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), Phillipines, Korea (played in Australia or N.Z.)

Pool C-Italy, Britain, Russia, Germany (played around Europe)

Pool D-Netherland (Antilles), Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic (Played in Central America)

Pool E- Venezuela, Colombia, South Africa, Panama(Played in South America)

Pool F-United States, Canada, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico (Played in North America)

The teams and the stadiums would be alternated for each Classic. Anyways, let me know what you think.

Que paso Cuba?

Team Cuba was knock off the World Baseball Classic by Japan 5-0. What happened there? This is a team that has never finished lower than third in international competition dating back to 1951! According to statistics supplied by the World Baseball Classic organizing committee, it's the first time since 1951 that Cuba didn't secure a least a finals berth in one of four major international tournaments: the International Baseball Federation World Cup, the Intercontinental Cup, the Olympics and the Classic. It broke a streak of 40 consecutive trips to the finals in those four events. I'm sure nobody is shedding a tear. This is reminiscent of the New York Yankees failing to make the playoffs last year after a 13 years run. Japan is now 3-0 against Cuba in Classic play, including two shutouts wins in this Classic. How odd.

The final four teams are now set though, with Japan now joining Korea, Venezuela and the U.S.A. There will be another round two game tonight to determine the pool winner with a fourth game between the Asian powerhouses of Japan and Korea (Korea has the advantage 2-1 so far). The winner of that game will then play a hobbled U.S team, who might miss one of their biggest threat in Kevin Youkilis due to a sore left ankle, for a spot in the final. Venezuela will play the loser in the other semifinal. Who do you think is going to win it all????

Astros Insights: Former MVP Ivan Rodriguez expected to sign; Boone out.

In good news compared to the Astros' dismal showing this Spring Training, general manager Ed Wade announce that the team has re-engaged in negotiations with Ivan Rodriguez's agent Scott Boras (and I thought Drayton McClane had vowed not to deal with Boras again after the Carlos Beltran's fiasco a few years back) and the parameters seems to be set for the free agent catcher to join the Astros pending a mandatory physical. It looks like it's going to be be a one-year contract for $1.5 million dollars. With all of the catchers in camp at this moment hitting a combine .100 this spring the Astros had to make a move. Ivan Rodriguez fills that void. He is certainly past his prime but he brings credentials that none of the other candidates have: an MVP award, 14-time All-Star, 13-time Gold Glove winner, 7-time Silver Slugger Award to go along a .301 career average with 2605 hits and 295 home runs. He has also played in two World Series, winning one with the Florida Marlins in 2003 and losing with the Detroit Tigers in 2006. He is an upgrade, both defensively and offensively for this club, not to mention the leadership abilities he'll bring as well. Kudos to Wade.

Now it's a matter of finding a third basemen after Aaron Boone announced that he is having open heart surgery, effectively ending his season with the Astros and perhaps his career. Boone describes his condition as "non-emergency". The grandson of former Major League infielder Ray Boone, son of former catcher Bob Boone and brother of former infielder Bret Boone, Aaron has played in 1,142 career games, batting .264 with 126 home runs and 555 RBIs (a friend of mine joked that next season will be the first ever that a Boone was not in any team!). With his spot on the club now open, maybe it's time to consider some of the rookies that had made an impression so far this Spring, namely Chris Johnson. Manager Cecil Cooper will definitely take a long look at him at third with two weeks still left to play in Spring Training games.

And last, the Astros fell again today to the N.Y. Yankees 4-1, running their record to 1-15-3. I have never seen an Astros team do so poorly in Spring training games. The only team that comes close to the Astros in futility this Spring are the San Diego Padres who are 4-11-3.

Venezuela moves on.

Team Venezuela achieved what no other team has been able to do in this Classic, and that is to beat Team Puerto Rico. Riding an undefeated streak, the Puertoricans were unable to solve the stellar pitching of Felix "King" Hernandez, and K-Rod finished the game with a four outs save to secure the win for "Los Venezolanos". A disputed home run by catcher Ramon Hernandez provided the offense in a 2-0 victory. The home run, according to the second base umpire, appeared to have struck the top of the wall, and he signaled that the ball was still in play, in which Hernandez went to third. After conferring on the field, chief Ed Rapuano's crew ducked away into a locker room where they were to have made the first instant replay review in World Baseball Classic history. But a funny thing happen. Rapuano tried to view the replay but then realized that the replay equipment was not functioning properly so the umpires huddled up old school style and reversed the call to a home run. Not that it mattered anyways as the Venezuela's bullpen was airtight the entire game. Venezuela will be making its first trip to the semifinals, having been ousted in the 2006 Classic by the Dominicans in second round play.

The other teams remaining will duke it out starting today for the final three spots in the semifinals. Korea will play Japan for the third time in this Classic and the winner will join Venezuela in the Final Four. The loser will then face Cuba in an elimination game. Puerto Rico in the meanwhile will face an U.S.A team looking to avenge an 11-1 loss to the "Boricuas" that ended after 7 innings due to the Mercy Rule. It could be the end of the line for either one of those teams tonight. Team USA has been dealing with injuries that has shortened the bench and the bullpen with Dustin Pedroia, Ryan Braun, Chipper Jones and Matt Lindstrom to miss the remainder of the Classic. Either way, they are eager to show the world that it can win this tournament and they are not letting this injuries to hinder their resolve.

WBC shifts into second gear.

The top eight teams are now set, with the second round of the Classic slated to start Saturday from Dolphins Stadium in Miami. All the teams that I predicted were going to the second round advanced, except one very BIG notable exception. The Dutch team is going and the Dominican Republic is not. How weird is that?? The Dutch managed to pull the upset of the century by beating the Dominican team TWICE in pool play. The Dominicans should be embarrassed. Felipe Alou shouldn't managed them again. Next up for the Dutch, they will play Venezuela to begin the second round while the US will meet with undefeated Puerto Rico.

On the other side, Mexico and Cuba still need to battle out who will win their pool with a game tonight (I think Cuba will win) and then the winner will face Japan while whoever loses will meet with the team from Korea. And there you have it. The top eight team. The Elite Eight. Let's play some ball!

Astros Insight: No time to panic.....yet.

If you are an Atros fan like me, you will probably cringe when I tell you that they have the worst record of ANY team in Spring Training games. They won their first game of the spring but have yet to crack the win column again since then. At 1-11, they are the only team under the .100 winning percentage. Ay!

But to their defense, this is only Spring Training. All this numbers will soon be forgotten. It still has potential to mess with their psyche if their losing ways continue. Losing is no fun regardless of setting. Pitching coach Dewey Robinson still sees light at the end of the tunnel. He has been most impressed with the work of the starting pitching, namely Russ Ortiz, Mike Hampton and former Braves farmhand Jose Capellan. The other pitchers such as Brandon Backe and Brian Moehler are only showing glimpses of what they can really do but needs to step up their cases. And Wandy Rodriguez needs to get healthy again. And of course, Roy Oswalt is just Roy Oswalt, enough said. The bullpen has also been a positive case with closer Jose Valverde anchoring what is arguably one of the best bullpens in the league.

Amongst the hitters, they ALL seem to be in a funk at the same time. Theoretically, that's good since then all should come out of their slumps at the same time, preferably by opening night. Among the regulars in the lineup Michael Bourn is hitting .219, Hunter Pence .233, Kaz Matsui .045, Geoff Blum .105, Aaron Boone .111. Only Lance Berkman amongst our regular is hitting good at .308. And what about the competition for the catcher starting job? Well Humberto Quintero is at .125, J.R.Towles is at .083 and Lou Palmisano is at .091...who has the upper hand there? Did you really wanted to be a Dodger Ausmus? But enough sad stories. The rookies are the one that has impressed me the most. Drew Sutton, Chris Johnson, Brian Bogusevic and John Gall are all batting higher than .300 and have been tearing the cover off the ball.

But then again, it's only Spring Training. No time to panic yet. Let us wait for the regular season to start and only then we can get a better feel of what this year awaits us. GO ASTROS!

In Full Swing

The World Baseball Classic is now in full swing after playing out 6 games on an exciting Saturday full of baseball. First of all, team USA avenged a loss to Canada in last Classic by beating them this time 6-5 in front of a mostly pro-Canadian crowd in Toronto's Rogers Centre. The game was marked by offensive firepower from both teams. Brian McCann, Kevin Youkilis and Adam Dunn went deep for the US while Joey Votto and Russell Martin did so for the Canadian. Astros LaTroy Hawkins picked up the victory and J.J. Putz closed out what many described as a game with playoff feel. By the way (here is your cue BD) did anyone else noticed the extensive coverage that the netwok was giving Jeter througout the game? So much it seems, that the game was almost an afterthought.

Oh, and what happen to the team of the Dominican Republic?? In one of the biggest upset of the Classic, team Netherlands held on to beat the D.R 3-2. The three runs were unearned thanks in part to a costly error by shortstop Hanley Ramirez in the first inning. And then there was Sidney Ponson (yes, the one that beat up a judge from his homeland of Aruba a few years back) getting the victory despite not pitching at his best. Ay! On a encouraging note, D.R. pitcher Pedro Martinez looked like his old self firing 3 shutout innings and striking out 4 while allowing one hit and not walking anybody. Maybe my Astros should sign him.

And as expexted, my homeland team of Venezuela had little trouble in shutting out team Italy 7-0 behind a strong outing by Carlos Silva. Carlos Guillen and Melvin Mora did the most damage by belting out homers to help out in the win. Next up, Venezuela will play the star-studded US team for a spot in the second round.

Then there was free agent catcher Pudge Rodriguez, making a case to be in somebody's team by going a perfect 4-4 with two towering home runs to help out his Puerto Rico team beat Panama 7-0. The Panamenians never threaten, managing 5 hits, all singles, in a losing effort. Javier Vazquez of the Atlanta Braves got the win.

And in the Asian bracket, the Japanese conjured the mercy rule by pounding the Korean 14-2 in seven innings to be the first team to advance to the second round. Ichiro finally broke out of his slump by slashing out three hits and stealing a base to help the Nippon team to victory. Korea can still advance by beating China, who won its last game against Taipei 4-1, and the loser of that game will be eliminated from competition. (Never mind, in a flash update, Korea destroyed China 14-0 to join Japan in the second round)

In today's action from Mexico City, the Cubans face off against their first challenger, team South Africa while the home team of Mexico goes against Australia. Also playing today, Venezuela goes up against the mighty US team while the Dominicans try to avert another shocking loss in facing the Carlos Lee led Panama team.

Random Thoughts of the Day

The Japanese team shutout the team from China 4-0 in the opener of the World Baseball Classic in front of almost 44,000 fans at the Tokyodome. Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish was the pitcher of record after tossing four no-hit innings to open the game. Ichiro Susuki went 0-5 and stranded 5 men on base. Not a good way to start there Ichiro. Nevertheless Japan, the favorite in this group, notches its first victory on what they hope is a return to the finals and a repeat of the title. Up next, Korea, who won the Olympic gold in Beijing, takes on the Chinese Taipei team.

Man, a weird game for me to watch was yesterday's exhibition between the Houston Astros and the team from Venezuela. Who was I suppose to root for? Betray my country or betray my favorite team? Luckily for me the game ended, fittingly, in a 4-4 tie. Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers and Jose Lopez of the Mariners provided the firework with two RBIs each for the Venezuelan team. On the other side, Astros 2005 first round pick pitcher turned outfielder Brian Bogusevic went 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI to pace their offense. He is now hitting .500 this spring. Not bad.

It looks like Alex Rodriguez is going to miss playing in the Classic after an MRI done to his hip revealed an internal cyst on the right side that requires immediate surgery. Apparently the recovery for this kind of procedures is about 10 weeks and that might also force him to miss part of the regular season as well. This is another blow for A-Rod who was hoping to concentrate on playing baseball after having gone through his worst and most contorversial offseason to date.

And finally it's official...Manny Ramirez is back with the Dodgers. The enigmatic outfielder re-signed to the nifty tune of a 2 year 45 million dollars contract. I wish I was on that guy's Christmas list. The contract plays out like this: $25 million in 2009, $20 million in 2010 with a player option after the first year. If Ramirez decides to stay, payment will be deferred over five years without interest at $10 million each for the first two years and $8.33 million each for the next three years. If he opts out, he'll receive $25 million over the course of four years, $10 million, $5 million, $5 million and $5 million. In other words: ka-ching!

Oh and by the way, there are only 31 days until the regular season starts. And then after that 6 months of pure baseball! Can't wait!

World Baseball Classic 2.0

Finally, after a three year hiatus, the Classic is back! I was excited when the inaugural Classic played out with Japan beating Cuba in a thrilling final to take the first Classic trophy. I was finally glad that baseball took the time to incorporate this tournament as a staple much like the soccer World Cup as been since the 1930’s. Although the baseball talent pool significantly thins out after the 16 team assemble here, there is hope that a tournament like this can bring out interest around the world for the game as they look to increase the number of participants for the next Classic. This year teams are the same that came together last time in ’06, the venues in which they are playing this time are slightly different. Let’s look at this year groups:

Pool A- (playing in Tokyo, Japan)
China
Japan
South Korea
Taipei

Pool B- (playing in Mexico City, Mexico)
Mexico
Cuba
South Africa
Australia

Pool C- (playing in Toronto, Canada)
Canada
Venezuela
USA
Italy

Pool D- (playing in San Juan, Puerto Rico)
Puerto Rico
Dominican Republic
Panama
Netherlands

The rest of the tournament will be played out in the cities of Miami, San Diego and the final in Los Angeles. If I have to decide which team is going to win it all this time, I have to be bias and choose Venezuela. The beauty of a tournament like this though, is that every single team (well, almost) has a chance to win this thing. It’s hard to predict. So let’s kick back and relax and watch as this tournament gets under way tonight from the Tokyodome. May the best team win!

Astros Insights: Hampton, Ortiz pass first test.

Well, well, well. The moment that I have been waiting for since Brad Lidge closed out the Rays in last year World Series is here... baseball games!! I know the regular season is about a month away but Spring Training games gets my blood pumping. Not only that, we have the World Baseball Classic coming up as well (GO VENEZUELA!!)
But first, the Astros' first game of the Grapefruit league is finally in the book. A 6-3 win over the Nationals. Now, I know that this games are more of a tune-up for the real thing since both pitchers and batters are tinkering with their machanics and what not, but it is still fun to talk about it. Of note, I want to bring up Mike Hampton and Russ Ortiz, two pitchers the Astros are hoping to round out their rotation behind Roy Oswalt, Wandy Rodriguez and Brian Moehler.
Both pitched two innings to start out the game and neither allowed a run. Hampton started the game a little shaky, hitting the first batter he faced and walking the next two to load the bases with no out (ay!) but then struck out the next batter and induced a double play to get out of the inning unscathed and proceeded with a 1-2-3 second inning. Not a bad Houidini impression there. Ortiz followed suit and got the next nine outs with little problem other than a harmless hit and a walk. He struck out three.
Although it's only the first game, it is a good sign that both pitchers, who have lost significant time due to injuries the last few years, are on the right track. If both can regain the form that made them former all-stars and are able to avoid the injury bug, the Astros will contend in the NL Central. Simple as that. They are the wild card of this Astros team. Those who have counted the Astros out in each of the last 5 years have learned that we are always the sleepers of the NL Central.
In other front, a couple of rookies made good impressions on manager Cecil Cooper. Infielder Drew Sutton took over second base halfway through the game and went 2-2 with 2 runs scored. And third baseman Chris Johnson launched a solo home run in his only hit of the day. Both Sutton and Johnson are trying to make the case to be in the 25-man roster on opening night and they didn't dissapoint. There are still many Spring games left but it is an encouraging beginning. Go Astros.

Quotes about A-Rod

"One thing that really upsets me a lot is when you hear everybody say it was the 'Steroid Era' and everybody was doing it. Well, that's not true. Everybody wasn't doing it." – N.Y. Yankees captain, SS Derek Jeter.

"I'd welcome him if he got elected to the Hall of Fame. I always seem to walk down the middle of the fence. I understand the old hard-line guys that use the words, 'He cheated. He cheated.' And the other guys that go, 'It was a culture thing back then.' If you played then, you would have been tempted, too. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. I don't want to get that wrong. We've all got some things in our closet."- Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt.

"On behalf of Major League Baseball, I am saddened by the revelations concerning Alex Rodriguez's use of performance-enhancing substances. While Alex deserves credit for publicly confronting the issue, there is no valid excuse for using such substances and those who use them have shamed the game.” – MLB Commissioner Bud Selig.

"When you get beyond that, for him, I think there's going to be some redemption. Because when you come clean the way you should come clean, and you face a problem or an issue, that's human nature how somebody deals with a problem. [Either] you store it up inside and it compounds into a bigger problem, or you say, 'This is something I did,' and admit that it was a problem, and it was wrong. And from there, it'll take some time, but I think there'll be some redemption." – Detroit Tigers pitcher Nate Robertson.

“A-Rod's numbers shouldn't count for anything. I feel like he cheated me out of the game. The few times we played them, when he got hits, it could have cost me a game. It could have cost me money in my contract. He cheated me out of the game and I take it personally, because I've never done [PEDs], haven't done it, and they're cheating me out of the game."- Houston Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt.

"I think it had to be a big monkey for him to get off his back. It's another big cloud over all baseball, and his accomplishments, but I think it will be good for him in the long run."- Cleveland Cavalier All-Star LeBron James.

"I feel personally betrayed and deceived by Alex. He was supposed to be one of the hardest working players in baseball. He had legendary offseason workouts that he told me lasted five hours a day in Florida. Now I don't know who to believe or what to believe." - Texas Ranger owner Tom Hicks.

"I consider myself a friend of A-Rod's and someone I had a lot of faith in and trusted and, I don't know, he's lied before when he did the '60 Minutes' deal and now he comes out ... and says 'Well, I did do it. But I only did it for two years.' Where does the circle of trust end here? It's a real bad story. The one thing I am impressed with is he came right out and admitted it. But I don't think that that's going to -- I mean, God, the poor guy, his career's ruined, and, for what? Just trying to compete with everybody else." – Hall of Famer George Brett.

"I knew we weren't taking Tic Tacs."- A-Rod

What’s your take? Does A-Rod still belongs in the Hall of Fame? Take the poll and let the world know. Also If you have any other interesting quotes feel free to share them with me in the comment box.

5 Names to Know in Baseball for 2009

With pitchers and catchers reporting to their respective Spring Training camps, I want to dish out who I think are the top 5 prospects that everyone should know about. Every spring, rookies set out to impress their managers, battling out veterans to compete for a starting job and trying to make a case for the Rookie of the Year award. In past years, a new crop of impressive rookies have dazzled major league baseball with their hustle, enthusiasm, and eagerness to be thrust into the spotlight. Last year it was Evan Longoria and Geovanny Soto who captured the ROY award. Before that it was Ryan Braun and Dustin Pedroia. We also had Hanley Ramirez and Justin Verlander to name a few more. But without further ado, here are the 5 guys to watch this year.

1. David Price, 23, P, Tampa Bay Rays: The first overall pick in the 2007 draft is now a bone fide, genuine phenom. Last year was a year to remember for this hurler, going a combined 12-1 with a 2.30 ERA in 19 minor league starts between the A, AA and AAA level. And, after being called up Sept. 14 to the bigs, he yielded a 1.93 ERA with 12 K in 14 innings in five regular season appearances. Never mind the playoffs, in which he compiled a 1-0 record with a 1.59 ERA, including a save in game 7 to close out the Red Sox in the ALCS. He is poised to have a breakout year and become the ace of this young Rays team.

2. Pablo Sandoval, 22, IF, San Francisco Giants: The Giants might be a little closer to be the NL West champion this year, even after four consecutive losing seasons, thanks in part to a youthful core that includes Tim Lincecum and this young, fellow Venezuelan in Sandoval. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2002 and last year he split time in AA and AAA, hitting .350 with 20 home runs and 96 RBIs by the time he was called up to the big leagues. He didn’t disappoint once he got there either, batting an eye-catching .345 with 24 RBIs in 145 at-bats. The only question mark for Sandoval is where the Giants plan on playing him. He can be their catcher, first or third baseman, but his bat will force the team to play him somewhere.

3. Travis Snider, 21, OF, Toronto Blue Jays: This 14th overall pick of 2006 is slated to become the Jays starting left fielder after a brief call-up last year in which he hit .301 with 2 homers and 13 RBIs in 73 at-bats. The Blue Jays are in dire need of a power hitter after finishing 10th in the AL in home run last year. They hope Snider, who hit a cumulative 23 homers last year, can change that. This left-hander can also hit for average and to all fields. The only catch against him is that he strikes out a lot, having done so 177 times last year between the majors and the minors. With some patience and more seasoning he should be among the elite players in its class.

4. Kenshin Kawakami, 33, P, Atlanta Braves: Granted, he is an 11 year veteran of the Japanese league, having won the Sawamura award (similar to the Cy Young) in 2004 after going 17-7 for the Chunichi Dragons. Last year, he went 9-5 with a 2.30 ERA in a 117 innings. But he still qualifies as a rookie and he will try to make his mark pitching for the Atlanta Braves in 2009. He could wind up being a better pitcher than Daisuke Matsusaka has been for the Red Sox. He’s said his style is “all about putting my soul into my pitches”. We’ll see if he has the stuff to regularly get major leaguers out, but working for manager Bobby Cox should be a plus.

5. Matt Wieters, 22, C, Baltimore Orioles: This little-known catcher played in his first pro-season last year after being the 5th round pick of the 2007 draft and had a monster year. Between A ball and AA he hit .355 with 27 homers and 91 RBIs, poising himself into the driver seat for the catching job. The top brass want to start him at AAA (the Orioles signed Greg Zaun as a stopgap) but he should be up in Baltimore by the All-Star break. There hasn’t been a dominant catcher like him since the Mike Piazza days. He will probably be an all-star himself for years to come.

There are a lot more players that deserve mention, too many to count. But these 5 players stand out the most to me for their immense potential that they carry.

Honorable Mention: Bud Norris, P, Astros; Matt LaPorta, OF, Indians; Carlos Carrasco, P, Phillies; Clayton Richard, P, White Sox; Cameron Maybin, OF, Marlins.

Guilty until proven innocent.

With all of baseball now talking about Alex Rodriguez recent admission of steroid use, I have no choice but to join this fray. This is truly a sad day for me. A-Rod is not only one of the best players in the planet, but also one of my favorites. I have all his rookie cards, and I have followed his entire career with excitement. The steroid monster strikes again. Soon after that, in another twist, Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada is now pleading guilty to charges from Washington that he lied to federal investigators about his own substance abuse. So much for the end of the Steroid saga. Those are two former MVP players. Since everyone is weighing in on this here is my take. I applaud A-Rod for coming clean so soon after Sports Illustrated published a report that he tested positive for steroids twice during the 2003 season, one of his MVP seasons, instead of letting it drag on through Spring Training, and I respect him more as a human being for admitting his mistakes. I feel like I understand him now, since there was a time in my life where I was also young and naïve and made some bad choices. Don’t we all? We seek forgiveness and vow to ourselves not to get down again, and I’m sure he regrets this choice. He realizes now that it wasn’t worth it. All those people who are understandably angry at him need to give him another chance. I got another chance.
There is more to this though. A-Rod was only one of 104 players that tested positive for steroids in 2003. That was the first year that major league baseball implemented a random drug test, and if more than 5% of the players tested positive that year they would continue but with penalties (104 players is roughly 14%, almost three times what MLB thought). There were no repercussions if you used prior to 2004. Curt Schilling suggested that the rest of the list be made public, and I agree. If they don’t it would be unfair to A-Rod and it would cast a shadow of doubt to every player that played in that era. Looking back at this “loosey-goosey” era, say from 1996 to 2003, there are a lot of players who might be in that list. I looked at some of the players who had career year in between those years and see if there might be a connection. There is Luis Gonzalez, who from 1999 to 2003 his numbers stand out dramatically, including a 57-homer season in 2001 when his Diamondbacks team won the World Series. On those 5 years he averaged 34 homers a season. In all his other years he averaged 14 per season. There is also Tejada who was an iron man in his Athletics days, playing in every game and winning the MVP in 2002. Ironically his production has decreased ever since Rafael Palmeiro implicated him in this scandal. Talking about former Orioles, do you remember Brady Anderson? In 1996, this leadoff hitter hit 50 homers, 26 more than any of his other seasons! Another former MVP, catcher Ivan Rodriguez, won the award in 1999 after hitting a career high 35 homers to go with a .332 average. His name is also in the Mitchell Report. Eric Gagne saved a record 84 consecutives games between 2002 and 2004 and won the Cy Young in 2003. He's been a bust since. How about Randy Johnson and Schilling himself? I mean, besides being teammates with Gonzalez in Arizona, they matched each other pitch by pitch. Between 1999 and 2002, Johnson won four consecutive Cy Young awards, winning 81 games against 27 loses. He reached over 300 strikeouts in every one of those seasons and averaged 257 innings pitched per season. Oh, and by the way, he was 36 in 1999. His names has never been brought up in this scandal, and believe me, I hope it never does. I wouldn’t be surprise though. Schilling finished second in the Cy Young voting in both 2001 and 2002, both to Johnson, and was a close friend of his. If you look at the MVP winners in this era you can see players that might also be in that list: Juan Gonzales, Chipper Jones, Jeff Kent, Larry Walker, Jason Giambi, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds. Were they all juiced up on their MVP campaign like A-Rod and Tejada were? Who knows? Unless the list is released every player should be guilty by association.

Manny being Manny and Boras being Boras

I can't believe that Manny Ramirez turned down the latest contract offer from the Dodgers of one year at $25 million dollars. I would have taken it and ran with it! I mean, he would have been the second highest paid player in baseball this season. And by the way, this is the third time that the Dodgers have tried to secure Manny's services and failed. It doesn't help either that he is represented by mega-agent Scott Boras. Manny Ramirez, who turns 37 in May, thinks that he is living in this dream world where a team is going to finally budge and give him what he wants, a 4-5 year contract probably at around a 100 mills. I think he fails to realize that his market is not as strong as first thought. In the first offer the Dodgers presented to Manny back in November, they offered him a 2 year contract worth $45 millions dollars with an option for a third year and he never responded and they took it off the table. It seems to me now that that was the best offer he's going to get this off season. Other than the Dodgers, the Giants have also expressed interest in the slugger but have yet to make an offer, and if they do, it probably will be similar to what the Dodgers have made. Boras claims that there are several teams interested and it may be true, but I think he is just trying to get other clubs to start a biding war for his client and nobody is biting his bait. If you are an Astros fan, you may remember Carlos Beltran, who bolted to the Mets much in part thanks to Boras achieving the bidding war he wanted. The longer the contract and the numbers, the more he gets paid. And if Manny were to sign for a 1 or 2 year contract, it would minimize Boras's potential profit as oppose to a 5-6 years contract. I wonder who is really running this show. I mean, it can't be the money. Certainly $25 millions is fair. If it's because it is only a 1 year contract, what's wrong with that? He'll get to explore the free agent market one more time and do whatever he wants again. Maybe he is worried that he is not going to have as good of a year as last and his stock may fall even more. By signing a 4 or 5 year contract it obliges the team to pay him his money regardless of production from the player.
Here is the thing. It's not that the Dodgers don't want to spend money, but it doesn't make sense for them to sign Manny for that long of a contract. In five years Manny will be almost 42, where will the Dodgers play him then, still in the outfield? The only way Manny will get that kind contract as far as years will have to be from an American League team where his bat can remain in the lineup as a designated hitter. But in the NL, two years should be the max offered to him. Remember on the field, routine flies are an adventure to him. The Dodgers and Manny make sense. He obviously enjoyed playing in the city, hitting .396 with 17 homers and 53 RBI's after the trade. He expressed that he liked Los Angeles and playing for the Dodgers. Then he should sign. The Dodgers should make him one final offer with 48 hours to decide. If he chooses to say no again he might find himself still unemployed by the beginning of the regular season. And then what? Neither Manny Ramirez nor Scott Boras will get paid.

The end of the Steroid Era?

With recent news about Barry Bond's perjury case and his steroid scandal, I couldn't help but be taken back to the time when the home runs where flying out the ballpark in record numbers. I remember vividly the summer of 1998 when Sammy Sosa and Mark Mcwire were going back and forth trying to break Roger Maris record of most home runs in a season. For the record, Mcgwire finished with 70 to Sosa's 66. I remember in 2001 when Bonds hit 73 o f them! (Number 70 was against my beloved Astros in their ballpark, then Enron Field) Nobody seemed to question where those guys where getting their power from. Fans were loving it. Owners, I'm sure, were loving it. Heck, even I was amazed. At the time I was sure I was witnessing something of historic proportions. Something I could brag about to my kids when they get older. Since then, names of iconic baseball players have been falling out of a hat, one after the other, accused of using steroids: Bonds, Mcgwire, Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, Miguel Tejada, Jason Giambi, Andy Pettite, Roger Clemens. To a lesser extent but still damaging to the psyche were the likes of Eric Gagne, Chuck Knoublauch, Paul LoDuca, David Justice, Kevin Brown, David Segui, Mo Vaughn. All of them and more listed in the Mitchell's report will now be known as the poster child of the Steroid Era.

A lot of memories are now marred by this report, and with a former teammate of Bonds, catcher Bobby Estallela, now posed to testify against Bonds with damaging evidence, who knows? Maybe we can finally find some closure to all this. Wouldn't it be nice NOT to hear about steroids on sports radio for a change? But baseball will always survive. I get excited seeing the next wave of steroid-free superstars that are developing into future hall of famers. Albert Pujols, Derek Jeter, Ryan Howard, Dustin Pedroia, Miguel Cabrera. These are the kind of guys that we need to root for. Players who represent the true grit and spirit of the game of baseball. The new generation of baseball players. The New Era.

Baseball in 2009

Well, with less than a month until pitchers and catchers report to spring training, excitement for American pastime is back. At least for me. I'm a huge baseball fan and 2009 promises to be an exciting year. Will the Yankees, with their 400+ million dollars spending and new stadium, finally win that elusive title they've been seeking since 2000? Or will another team rise up from baseball obscurity and make it to the World Series? (i.e Astros, Rockies, Rays) Well, I know that since the adoption of the wild card, it has been possible for at least half of the teams in each league to have a serious shot at the playoffs come September, and amidst all the controversies surrounding Bud Selig nowadays, I have to give credit to the man for making baseball exciting again. Looking at each team's roster I'm almost led to believe that everyone has a chance (yes, even the Royals and Pirates) and that nobody should be counted out. Let us not forget the story of the Detroit Tigers who only a few years ago set the records for more losses in AL history with a 119 only to come back a couple of years later and make it all the way to World Series. Or even last years Rays, who has never had a winning season in their HISTORY, coming close to taking the title home. So who do you think will be team to watch this year? It could finally be the Yankees year again with a much improved rotation (Sabaitha, Burnett, Pettite, Wang, Chamberlain) and the rock solid Mariano Rivera closing out games. They have to be feeling good about their chances. The rest of the AL East , with the exception of the Rays, seems to be lagging behind. I still like the Red Sox, I'm just not too crazy about all their low-risk signing, so I have to give the Rays the upper hand based on their youth. On the other divisions, everything seems up for grab. I think the Tigers can win the AL Central, coming from a season where the expectation were really high. I've also learned not to count out the White Sox or the Twins. In the AL West, the Angels will finally have some competition with the resurgence of the A's. Holliday, Giambi and a healthy rotation could give the Beane led team an upset of their division rival. Or, will the Phillies do what no other team has been able to do this decade and repeat as World Champions? They sure seem to have, on paper, the team to be able to repeat with the return of ALL of their core players (Hamels, Utley, Howard, Lidge, Rollins, even the ageless Moyer) I guess the Mets, if they get rid of their chocking label, could give them a run for the NL East title as well. Some people also mention the Cubs, but I feel that as long as Pinella is running the team it will never win. Don't get me wrong, the Cubs have a very good team, probably the best in the NL Central, I just can't shake the notion that Lou does not respond well to his players, and viceversa. The NL West is anything but settled. It almost feel that every team on that division is going to end up tied at the end of the season. It all depends where Manny Ramirez land and whether Jake Peavy remains with the Padres. But everything at this moment is speculation. Until each team's 25 take the field, and the season begins, nothing in baseball is sure. I'm looking forward to this season with excitement and with renewed love for this game. Let's play ball!!!