My memories of AstrosConnection will always be associated temporally with two things: watching perhaps the best right side of the infield in baseball history, and enjoying four division titles in five seasons. Granted, Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio are now in decline, and the Astros never got within six victories of the World Series. But sharing some of the 40-year-old franchise’s finest moments with an electronic community of devoted fans was pleasurable nonetheless.
The media has been full of blather lately about how baseball is doomed if the players walk off the job this week in the sport’s ninth work stoppage since 1972. While another late-season strike that threatens the postseason would by no means be a good thing, if the players are only off for a week or so, the damage isn’t likely to permanently diminish baseball’s appeal.
Roaring back into the division race, the Astros have minted a 26-13 record since the beginning of July and a 22-11 mark after the All-Star break. The club has rediscovered itself at the plate and on the mound.
Third place, 6.5 games out, 41-45 wouldn’t have sounded too promising leaving spring training. Given where the Astros looked to be heading a couple of weeks ago, though, it’s a fairly decent accomplishment. Since dropping three of four to the Brewers and two of three to the Mariners in mid-June, the Astros have run off 10 wins in 13 games, moving to within four games of .500. That’s progress considering that the Astros finished the Seattle series 10 games below even.
Their first 28 games of 2002, in spring training, the Astros went 19-9. They followed that with a dismal 14-21 performance, finding themselves in fourth place on May 11 and leading many of their so-called fans to write them off with just a fifth of the marathon that is the regular season completed. Since that time the Astros have won seven of eight games, putting them at one game below .500 after passing the quarter post last week. In 2001 the Astros languished at one game below .500 as late as May 29, when they were 24-25. They failed to get over .500 permanently until June 18.
Who Needs Rookies?
The rookies aren’t hitting, and this apparently has Jimah spooked. During spring training, new manager Jimy Williams declared rookie Morgan Ensberg his starting third baseman, but Ensberg stumbled out of the gate. Ensberg is batting .250 with just two extra-base hits in 40 at-bats, although he has half as many walks as hits, giving him a .348 OBP. Given that it’s just three weeks of performance, those numbers don’t mean much. Nonetheless, in the last 10 days, Williams has started career utility player Geoff Blum four times and Ensberg five times at third base.
