SnS is on Twitter In case you missed it, SnS is on Twitter. Not exactly sure what you can get there that you cannot on this site, but taking in a glimpse of the SITE ICON is worth the visit in any event.
In other Twitter news, the Kiss cam [at MMPUS] just makes [Footer] uncomfortable. (You would too if you had to sit by JdJO and McTaggart during games…).
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Condolences to Brownie
Bill Brown returned to the booth on Friday after missing two broadcasts to attend the funeral of his mother Hazel. Condolences go out to him and his family on their loss.
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Mama don’t let your babies grow up to be Dickities
Jeff Zimmerman at Beyond the Boxscore has compiled an ‘injury database’ from 2002 to 2008, and his findings are pretty interesting. (Link: Dissecting the Disabled List by Team, Position, Year and Injury)
Among his observations was this nugget:
“Players from Cincinnati spent five times the number of days on the DL compared to players from Houston. It was really an eye opener to see which teams seem to care about conditioning and the ones that do not.”
The numbers are staggering. From ’02 to ’08, Astros spent about 2,000 days on the DL. Reds spent over 10,000 days on the DL. Players for the Angels, Diamondbacks, Mets and Nationals/Expos spent nearly four times more on the DL than did Astros players. The closest teams to the Astros in terms of days lost to the DL were the Marlins, who lost around 3,000 days.
In addition to days lost to the DL data, the Astros also fared favorably to the rest of baseball with regards to total number of trips to the DL. Astros pitchers and position players visited the DL less than 50% of the time than did players on the Rangers and Reds. Only the White Sox had fewer players on the DL from ’02 to ’08.
Just call this reason #2,345,678 why it sucks to be a Dickity (or is great to be an Astro).
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They’re the Good Guys, of course they can’t steal for shit
Levine at Chron.com does the math on Astros base stealing efforts so far this season. (LINK)
Prior to the series opener against the Pirates, Astros not named Michael Bourn were stealing at a combined rate of 47% (15 of 32). Bourn was at 82% (18 for 22).
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The Grocer gets contemplative on the issues of youth and rebuilding
Is Drayton planning on blowing it up and starting over? Justice thinks perhaps… (Chron.com)
Drayton McLane said things I’ve never heard him say before. He spoke of the importance of scouting and player development, of getting younger and of being patient. He seemed to understand that the Astros need to be rebuilt, and this time he wants to do it the right way. Yes, he sees the same things you see.
“We have to make a stronger investment and smarter picks in the draft,” McLane said. “You’ve got to invest in young talent. To do that, you need patience, and that’s hard for me.”
***
“We need to bring the age of our pitching staff down,” [McLane] said. “We’ve got two in Round Rock (Bud Norris and Yorman Bazardo) right now that they say could be very effective next year. We got some potentially great ones in the draft last year.”
Although Pinwheel might have one think a rebuild may be around the corner, it appears unlikely. McLane hasn’t given up on ’09, and isn’t particularly sold on the concept of rebuilding in any event.
This is no concession speech regarding 2009. [McLane] still believes the Astros can win because he has seen them come from farther back than this. Yet he also understands that the franchise must change in some fundamental ways. ***
[McLane notes] [W]e were trying to be competitive every year. Look at teams that rebuild. Look at Pittsburgh. They haven’t had a winning season in 14-15 years. Look at Cincinnati and Kansas City.”
Even if a rebuild were to occur though, McLane would still like to keep Oswalt and Berkman.
I asked about trading some of his older players. He answers, sort of, saying things would be evaluated at the trade deadline. *** [McLane] emphasized he would like both Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt to finish their careers with the Astros. If either asks to be traded, he’ll attempt to talk them out of it.
McLane also confirms that there have been no discussions about trading Roy. (Davidoff/Newsday link)
[McLane] wrote me back, with a pretty definitive take on Oswalt:
“In regards to your question about Roy Oswalt, there has absolutely been zero discussion about him being traded. Roy is one of the cornerstones of our team and the personal relationship that we share is important to me as well. That is why he has a long-term contract with a no trade agreement. I am not sure where this rumor began, but it was untrue. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to make this clear.”
In other notes from the article, McLane confirms that he is NOT trying to sell the Astros.
Take a look in the TZ for thoughts on the subject.