Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Astros 1
Padres 2

W: Young (1-0) | L: Backe (0-1) | S: Hoffman (1)

Ms. Footer’s submission
AP via Yahoo!

GZ
0-2 in 2008. Good or bad? Discuss.

An enthusiastic welcome goes out to the new-look SpikesnStars and a toast to everyone who made it happen. And what’s a new-look site without a new-look team to go along with it? Houston Astros v4.0 is what’s been kicking around in my head as this this team looks nothing like the one I’ve been used to for, oh, about 20 years. Busting with bats and butt-haulin’, it seems this team’s been designed for scoring loads of runs with the hope that starters 2-5 hold it together enough for the ‘pen to bring it home. Apparently, prodigious Petco Park is not exactly the ideal locale to open things up for this team as the Padres held the Astros to one walked-in run to muck up a pretty strong outing by Brandon Backe and drop game 2, 2-1.Read More

Astros at Padres, 3/31/08
Padres 4, Astros 0
W: Peavy (1-0), L: Oswalt (0-1)
HR: None (it’s PETCO, after all)
AP recap
The first Daily Footer 

I must admit, the pressure of writing the first SnS game recap was getting to me.  Fortunately, pravata dragged out this gem from the vaults of NYCU:

‘Three words — pitching, speed and defense.’ I said ‘Where’s hitting?’ He said ‘If you do those other three right, the hitting will work out,’

So let’s evaluate:

Pitching – Roy looked OK.  Not great, not bad, but OK.  A liner from the bat of Kouzmanoff that either caught Roy’s hip square, or was deflected by quick glove work (replays were inconvlusive), did not help matters; Roy was not crisp with his pitches, leaving a few too many up for sharp singles and doubles.  On the other hand, I counted at least four or five bleeders that dropped for the Pads and not the good guys. Roy’s biggest sin was letting the bottom of the order beat him – Peavy drove in 2 of the 3 scored off roy.

In the pen, Wright and Geary were sharp, Borkowski muddled through, and Moehler gave up the fourth run on two hits and a walk.

Speed – Michael Bourn is a fast, fast man. So fast that his only issue on the bases appears to be oversliding the base. Two SB’s for the youngster on the night – granted, Peavy is not renowned for holding runners, but Bard might as well have eaten the ball both times for having no shot at him.

The less said about Tejada’s attempt at a double in the 9th, the better.

Defense – Bourn saved 3 runs by tracking down a long drive to RCF. Wigginton and Berkman chipped in nice plays. Tejada looked fine at SS, although he did play one ball to the side that immediately brought out Lou Brown screaming, “What is this ole bullshit?”

Where’s hitting?  It will come, my friends. If Bourn can keep having AB’s like this; if Pence can adapt to the 2-hole; and if we don’t have to face Jake freaking Peavy every night – oh yes, it will come.

Backe tries to even the tally tonight, 9:05 CDT.

Astros 3
Braves 0

Craig Biggio, accustomed to leading his team out on the field, ran out on the field today for the last time, all by himself. We didn’t get a chance to see this with Jeff Bagwell and I doubt he would have embraced the role as completely as has Biggio. These teammates created the Houston Astros, brought them from a team that competed sometime to a team that is always expected to compete. They brought the franchise the respect they now enjoy throughout baseball.Hunter Pence, Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee will try to build on that, but they will never mean what Biggio and Bagwell mean to us. They could be just as good, maybe even better, but it will definitely be different. The beginning has ended for the Astros.

But this game meant something different for Felipe Paulino, 6 innings allowed 2 singles and no runs, and for Hunter Pence. Maybe something different for Brad Ausmus and Mark Loretta, Cooper took them off the field in the 5th to let the crowd give them ovations. Maybe farewell, maybe see ya later.

Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman got their curtain calls in the 6th. Lee flung his hat into the crowd as he went into the dugout. (I got the hat flinging wrong, Footer “… Loretta threw his hat to the crowd…Berkman also threw his cap into the stands after hugging Biggio …” Link)

It was definitely a different game for Braves pitcher, journeyman Brandon Carlyle, who waited patiently while Biggio waves to the crowd before his first at bat. There was also Clint Sammons rookie catcher for the Braves getting the first hit of his career in his second at bat. C Jones competing hard for a batting title and also for A. Jones who was a spectator today, watching the future he has rejected.

In the first Biggio doubled. Classic straight up stance, bat up, talks to himself, “come on” rock back, the vestigial remnant of the leg kick, slashing swing, liner to left.

Carlos Lee, paying tribute in his own playful way, used Biggio’s bat to knock Craig in from 2nd.

The difficult part was in the field, forcing his aching shoulder for one more good throw to complete a double play in the 2nd.

In his second at bat, he just got beat on a routine grounder to short.

Had a little trouble getting in the box in the 5th. Taking a long look around at the standing crowd before stepping in.

Even more trouble in the 7th, making his way to the plate he tapped the rookie catcher on the shin guard with his bat, classic good luck move, waved to the crowd, homeplate ump Angel Hernandez walked around to the front of the plate then the pitcher Mahay stepped off, everyone was trying to stall for as long as possible. Biggio laid off a slider away and finally bounced three steps to the left of 3rd, Chipper hesitated, then threw Biggio out by a step.

Cody Ransom replaced Craig Biggio at 2nd in the top the 8th. He waved, hugged everyone, walked into the dugout and was gone.

Biggio was a player who talked to the media in clichés and embodied every one of them. He understood exactly what day to day meant. Sure, no one knows what will happen tomorrow, but what that meant to Biggio is that you play today as hard as you can and enjoy what you do while you’re doing it.

Today’s game is always the most important game of the season, until the next day’s game.