Welcome to the Void

Posted on November 30, 2010 by Noe in Austin in Featured, Glad You Asked

It is that time of year again when the air gets a little nippier, the wassel flows, good cheer and glad tidings abound and absolutely no baseball is played unless you’re a fan of the AFL or Winter Leagues. If so, then party on my good people. But for most, the Void is that time just before the Winter Meetings and right after free agency goes into full bloom. It is that time of year when little is done publically, like the announcement of a new addition to the team via signing or whatnot. All is basically work done before the hot stove heats up and the free agent spending spree by the Yankees begins, while some other organizations follow suit, and then some do not.

So are we, the SnS, going to post all the goings on and whathaveyou’s of the Void? Nope, not interested. How about some rumors, like Cliff Lee is thinking about coming to Houston because he loves cowboy boots? Nope, not interested. You can find plenty of that elsewhere, even in our forums. We welcome it there, we invite you to join in. But as far as the SnS spending time and energy reporting every sneeze, cough, sniffle that emanates from Ed Wade… well… we pass.

Enoy the Holidays any way and try not to hurt yourselves out there. We want you back in 2011!

Roy Oswalt Traded

Posted on July 29, 2010 by Noe in Austin in Featured, News You Can Use

In a move that surprises no one except maybe Astros Fans hiding in a cave for the last three months, the Houston Astros traded away one time ACE Roy Oswalt to the Philadelphia Phillies for much more than a horse or a bulldozer. Indeed what Houston got back in return was J.A. Happ, a tall left handed pitcher who has basically been a promising ready for the majors #2 or #3 starter. Haap experienced elbow problems this year setting him back several months, however, Astro fans are used to this sort of thing (*cough* Paulino *cough* Norris *cough*), so no worries.

One would think though that if you’re talking ACE (even former ACE), you would get back a boat load of prospects, dinero, flowers, wine, dinner for two at Chili’s and a hat. Nope, besides Haap, it seemed like for all the world GM Ed Wade was a living example of what concourse fans believe him to be: a horse trader with no horse sense. What Wade got back along with Haap was not 18 year old first base phenom Singleton, the rumored best prospect to expect in the deal, but shortstop Jonathan Villar who might be good or might be a JAG depending on what concourse fan you talk to and then the surprise get of Gose, a speedy outfielder with top of the scale defensive skills and no bat. A poor imitation of Michael Bourn so it seemed. That got the juices flowing in the Astros fandom, at least all those who decided to care again for the time being.

Before the masses could reach the MMPUS with the torches, lynch rope, tar, and feathers though, Ed Wade flipped Gose to the Blue Jays for pudgy offensive, almost ready, okay if you have to go ahead and bring him up now, first baseman Brett Wallace. The kid with Earl Campbell thighs and lightning quick left handed bat made everyone stop in their tracks and question everything they thought holy and righteous in their world beliefs. Ed Wade made a great trade? Huh? Are you kidding me. That pretty much put the wheels in motion to find something, anything that could possibly be wrong with Brett Wallace, projected to be a better bat in the majors than take-the-mlb-world-by-storm Buster Posey. Other than the aforementioned thigh muscle mass, Wallace was deemed a first baseman with no elegance defensively. He was also derided for not walking to first base more, nevermind he runs to first pretty well on singles, doubles, and triples. Perhaps he can walk to first on his homerun trots to satisfy the fanta-geeks in all of us. Next came the coup-de-grassy knoll: the kid has now been traded four times.

*DING, DING, DING*

The world was safe again, Ed Wade is a GM with no appreciable skills to handle the job any better than… well… me! Oh, yeah, before we leave this report: Roy Oswalt failed to become the winningest pitcher in the history of the beloved Houston Astros, so if he plans to capture that record, then sometimes in the distance future maybe as a reliever he can come back to the Astros and bird-dog a win.

#RoyDemands

Posted on July 23, 2010 by MusicMan in Featured, News

GM’s, look at your pitchers. Now look at me. Now look back at them, now look at me.

Sadly, they aren’t me.

But if you stopped using prospects and traded them for me, then they could be me.

Look down. Look up.

Now you’re standing on the pitcher’s mound with the man your pitchers could look like if you traded for me.

What’s in your hand? I have it.

It’s an oyster, with my contract in it – with only one year left!

Look again – the option is now picked up!

Anything is possible when you trade for Roy Oswalt.

I’m on a bulldozer.

April 2010 Spike and Star Award Winner

Posted on May 6, 2010 by Noe in Austin in Featured, Monthly Awards

potm The winners or better yet, winner, of the April Spike and Star Award for the month of April in 2010 has been chosen. It was not a good month for the team overall, suffering some of the worse performance by the team in perhaps all it’s history. Two eight game losing streaks, un-timely hitting, lots of miscues on defense, some relief pitching gone awry, just overall lousy play. Yet through it all, at least one player emerged from it all not only performing to great standards, but displaying the hard nosed attitude and passion in doing so. Who might this player be? Well, let’s not wait any longer to honor the man.

April 2010 Spike Award Winner

Michael Bourn has been elected the deserving one of the Spike Award this month by the TalksZone citizenry. The masses have spoken and the SnS agrees, very good choice. Often it’s said that if we were to chose the one action that we would expect from a Spike winner it would be running through a wall for the team. Many players have reputation of doing such and some player look like they’d be the type, but with Michael, it is that he just goes out and does it night in and night out. His ability to play defense at a level that puts him in the stratosphere of the best of the best just proves he is going to be tough to beat every month as the perpetual winner of the award. Then again, if everyone played defense like Bourn, this team wouldn’t be in the dire situation it finds itself in terms of winning ballgames.

April 2010 Star Award Winner

Michael Bourn swept the SnS awards this month as he was the overwhelming choice for the Star award this month by the TalkZoners. Again, the SnS agrees with the choice as does the statistical evidence. Michael led the starters on the team in batting average in April to the tune of .311, while posting a .407 OBP and a .387 SLG percentage. Bourn also stole 9 bases, several of which contributed heavily to rare wins by the team who struggled offensively in April. His 23 hits in 21 games in April was impressive as he continues to use what he learned last year and applied to an everyday approach for success at the major league level. Michael did have a high number of strikeouts in April, not many of which were about being a free swinger though. He had a stretch where he looked like he was taking too many pitches in order to comply with the duties of a leadoff man and that got him behind in most counts leading to the high strikeouts. He’s seemed to have made an adjustment and remains aggressive but controlled with his approach as the leadoff man. Right now, Bourn is on pace to be the lone Astros representative in the All-Star game and if the SnS Star Award is a launching pad for said recognition, all the better.

2010 SnS Spike and Star Awards

Posted on March 29, 2010 by Noe in Austin in Featured, Monthly Awards

potm At SpikesnStars.com, the rich tradition of handing out monthly awards to top performers for the Houston Astros continues as we enter into the 2010 baseball season. The coveted Spike and Star Award are individual prizes that recognizes the tough as nails play (Spike) and the upper echelon MLB play (Star). Winners are chosen by our very own TalkZone members from a list of candidates pull from a cap… errr… compiled from extensive statistical research and keen baseball observation.

This year, winners might also get any type of coupons we can acquire from local eateries. Calls to the Whataburger food chain has not been returned, but we’re trying and we won’t take no for an answer, unless they call the police and put a restraining order on us. So be prepared to provide your input at the end of every month as we honor those worthy of honoring from this honorable site.

Chuck, Adios from Kissimmee

Posted on March 24, 2010 by OregonStrosFan in Featured, TRWD

special-report-chuck Sure Footer, Fallas, McTaggart and Levine provide plenty of Spring Training coverage from Kissimmee, but if you want to hear about the real happenings – SnS style – the buck stops with Chuck. Chuck is a long-time SnS’er and has been an Astros Spring Training season ticket holder for the past four years. This year we’ve conned and cajoled him into periodically writing about his Spring Training observations for us here at TRWD. Enjoy!

Chuck, Adios from Kissimmee

Monday, March 22: STL at HOU, L 6-4

Starter Wandy Rodriguez was touched up for five runs in the top of the first inning as visiting St Louis held on for a 6-4 win. Despite the ugly first inning there was plenty to like in this game. Wandy had no life on his fastball in the first and could not throw his curve for a strike at all. But in the three subsequent innings he looked like the pitcher we all hope he’ll be, finding some zip on the fastball and, more importantly, spotting the curve for strikes.
Sammy Gervacio worked some Dominican voodoo in two more scoreless innings, striking out the side in his final frame. I love seeing him pitch earlier in games rather than later so that he has the chance to face some of the major leaguers who have made the trip. But it doesn’t seem to matter whom he faces, he’s been infuriating batters all spring. He’s effectively wild, and the pitches he throws for strikes all have serious movement. Wilton Lopez followed and was equally effective if not quite as entertaining. Lopez and Gustavo Chacin are two pitchers who are both quietly having excellent springs and should give the team some bullpen help along the way.

Geoff Blum got a rare start at SS and treated fans to a couple of very nice plays. He dove to his left to steal a base hit and sprung up to throw the runner out easily. Another inning he timed his jump perfectly to snare a sure base hit. Pedro Feliz smashed a homer in the second and his eventual replacement Chris Johnson was busy at third looking more and more comfortable defensively.

Finally, Carlos Lee easily had his best all-around day at the plate going three for three. He sharply lined a single up the middle but fought out a pair of hits on two-strike flares to the opposite field, one of which went for a double.

Chuck and another random dude at Spring Training I wish I could have remained in Kissimmee for the entirety of the spring. I know that those of you who will attend the upcoming games will have an outSTANDing time.

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