“We didn’t hand it to them. They had to win. This team kept fighting.” Darin Erstad
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Lance Berkman on his season, “The numbers look pretty good, but remember that scene in Vacation where Chevy Chase has his pants on his head and he’s staggering towards the filling station out in the desert?” he said. “That’s what I feel like right now. I’m staggering towards the finish line.” Link
The 2008 season, unfortunately, will probably always be remembered as the year of Ike. The Astros had won 14 of 15 and had shot up the Wild Card ladder when Ike, a Category 2-borderline-Cat-3 hurricane swept through southeast Texas, knocking out power and turning two cities — Houston and Galveston — into one unfortunate circumstance. Link
The Houston Astros … had the best record in baseball after the All-Star break with three weeks left in the season. Then Ike struck Texas on Sept. 13,…
(The team was 15-9 in September, including a sweep of the Cubs in Chicago to start the month. Coming into the Milwaukee game they had won 6 in a row.)
The Astros finished 86-75, a 13-victory improvement from 2007. They went 42-24 in the second half and finished third in the NL Central.
“Third place sounds a lot better than fourth,” said Cooper,
Houston went 11-27 between May 28 and July 8, plummeting from a tie for second place to last in the division.
“If we’d played .500, (during that stretch) we’d be standing here with 92 wins,” said Wade. Link
The Astros set an NL record for fewest errors, committing only 67 this season. Link
Coaching staff returns
Astros general manager Ed Wade said Friday the entire major league coaching staff has been invited back for next year.
(says) Bench coach Jackie Moore, … “I have at least another year left in me,” said Moore, 69, who’s been in baseball 52 years. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this. I know there’s some disappointment at the end of it here, but overall, and not making excuses, I think the guys have really dedicated themselves.” Link
Roy gets sentimental
Roy Oswalt, presented Ausmus with a personalized watch prior to Friday’s game. The watch was engraved with the number of pitches Oswalt has thrown to Ausmus during their eight years together, as well as Oswalt’s record when Ausmus has started behind the plate, along with the words “Thank you.” Geez get a room.
“It was unexpected,” Ausmus said. “It was unexpected (Thursday) night when he came out in the seventh inning to shake my hand on the field. That meant a lot to me. Giving me a watch, that is something I’ll keep for the rest of my life.” Link
Meatball
“I tried to throw a fastball away,” Hampton said. “I just didn’t get it where I wanted. It wasn’t very heater-ish, and it didn’t get away.”
Regarding Hampton “He’s one of my favorite people in the game,” Ausmus said. “I was banking on him giving me a courtesy first-pitch fastball and I guess I guessed right.”
Link
Hampton will be a free agent in a few weeks, and he confirmed after the game that he would be interested in signing with the Astros.
“I’ve always loved this place. Definitely. I’m sure there will be interest on both sides. We’ll see if we can work something out. I’ve always loved it here.”
Link
Good, give Wade a chance to punch a pitcher.
Saving radio
Beginning Oct. 8 and running every Wednesday leading up to Spring Training, radio announcer Dave Raymond and television color analyst Jim Deshaies will host a show on 790 KBME called “J.D. and Dave’s Excellent Offseason Adventure” — a one-hour extravaganza from 10-11 a.m. CT that will cover a little bit of everything, with baseball as the focal point, of course.