Baserunning

Posted on June 6, 2001 by JimR in From The Dugout

Editor’s note – This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com.
Many fans and commentators believe there is no longer a place in baseball for baserunning as an offensive weapon. As more and more teams pack their lineups with bulked-up sluggers, the conventional wisdom seems to be that baserunning skills no longer are needed and that aggressive baserunning is too risky and too low percentage in this era of the home run. Taking the extra base when the opportunity arises, however, can enable a team to score on plays other than hits. Intelligent baserunning can help a team compensate for a lack of speed and can complement a strong hitting team rather than detract from it. Unfortunately, the 2001 Astros apparently do not believe this.Read More

May 2001 in Review

Posted on June 5, 2001 by Arky Vaughan in Crunch Time

What have they done?

Like April, the Astros excelled the first half of the month, going 11-4 through May 17. The rest of the month they went 3-9, including an eight-game losing streak. The offense and pitching both declined during the collapse, but given that the staff continued to post a decent ERA, the line-up was chiefly to blame:

Dates       R/G   ERA
---------------------
5/01-5/17  5.33  3.73
5/18-5/31  4.58  4.78

Double The Alou = Double The Fun

Posted on June 1, 2001 by Andyzipp in Bleacher Rap

By Baylor Boy
Editor’s note – This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com on June 1, 2001.

With Felipe Alou getting canned by the Expos, it’s time for the Astros to make a move of their own. Houston can and should “reassign” Larry Dierker within the organization and go after Alou.Read More

Home Cooking Gone Bad

Posted on May 30, 2001 by Arky Vaughan in Crunch Time

Sometimes there’s no place like away from home. At least that’s what many Astros fans thought after the team followed a 6-1 road trip with a 1-5 homestand. The can’t-win-at-Enron-Field explanation of what’s ailing the Astros was punctured, though, by a sweep at Los Angeles last weekend. The ineptitude against the Dodgers suggests that the problem isn’t the ballpark, but the ballclub.

MLB 2001: A Baseball Odyssey

Posted on May 25, 2001 by Waldo in Bleacher Rap

By Waldo
Editor’s note – This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com on May 25, 2001.

When a team gets off to a bad start, its fans will generally say “It’s still early, we can still turn it around.” I, for one, was guilty of that with the Astros last season. I’m not quite sure how long I allowed myself to use that excuse before I finally realized how much the team actually sucked. The expectations one has for a team can often make him/her blind to the cold, hard truth, and I’m fairly certain that I wasn’t the only victim of that last season (at least, for a little while).Read More

First Things First

Posted on May 24, 2001 by Andyzipp in Brushback

By Breedlove
Editor’s note – This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com on May 24, 2001.

“Leading off for the Houston Astros… Number 7… Second-baseman… Craig… Biggio.”

It’s been awhile since we’ve heard those familiar words. They’re warm and fuzzy and they feel like home… and it will help the Astros win if we hear them again.Read More