You’d think having a surplus sweet-swinging outfielder would be a blessing, not a blight. Nonetheless, rightfielder Moises Alou’s return from the disabled list has raised discussion of how to solve the Astros’ “problem” of having too many corner outfielders of major-league caliber.
To the disappointment of many Astros fans, for a second consecutive season shortstop Adam Everett departed spring training headed for AAA New Orleans. His .130 batting average in exhibition games likely didn’t impress Astros management.
The good news for the Astros is the 2000 season is over. The bad news is some of the problems that plagued them, the lack of quality pitching in particular, might not be behind them. On that note, the following are some numbers that give a glimpse into what the 2001 season possibly holds.
Astros fans worried about their team’s lackluster spring-training performance probably shouldn’t be. There are plenty of reasons to be concerned about this team: the starting pitching is shaky, half the bullpen is recovering from injury, the defense isn’t exactly solid. But, as the axiom goes, spring wins and losses don’t matter.
Astros fans spent all winter hoping for a spring turnaround from Jose Lima. Adopting Hideo Nomo’s tornado wind-up isn’t likely what they had in mind. Lima fell from 21-10 in 1999 to 7-16 with a league-worst 6.65 ERA and 48 home runs allowed in 2000. Even his teammates think Lima is a yo-yo. Does that mean he can bounce back from his hideous performance?
With more than 1,200 games in a Major League season, no one sees the performance of every player every inning or even most players most innings. Nor is the average fan trained to evaluate players by eyewitness observation like a professional scout. Statistics are therefore a helpful tool to compare performances among players. A quickly calculated, easily understood statistic that attempts to combine several elements of a player’s performance is particularly welcome in this pursuit.
