As we round into the last week of the first month of the MLB season, it’s time for SpikesnStars to look back and select our “Player of the Month”.  The SnS APOTM is selected not only for good to great play on and maybe off the field, but for many other factors, Spikes’nStar’s style.  First order of business for us though was naming this award to add significance to the trophy we might shell out some cayshe to purchase and award to our selection.  Would it be the coveted Zipper award?  How about giving someone an Arky?  How about the getting a Craig?  Something has to ring a bell soon enough for us to go out and have the trophy manufactured for us.  Give it some thought and get back to us in the TalkZone on that one.

So who are the candidates for this yet unamed award (other than APOTM)?  Here you go, who we think this month on the Houston roster made some interesting, exceptional and eye-opening plays to be considered.  The list for the APOTM are as follows:

• Papa Grande Valverde – in yet another amazing display of throwing his body in front of the puck (too bad this is not hockey though), Valverde once again lives to play again and avoid an extended stay in the hospital with some sort of broken body part.  Last year it was a shot to face that knocked our hero down but not out.  This year, Valverde proved it was no fluke, he really can take a baseball traveling at over 100 mph off his body and continue to pitch, as he took one off his leg to complete his first save against the Los Angeles Dodgers.  His display of literally pitching on one leg and still throw heat past the evil Dodgers was amazing and will be hard to beat this year.  But is he our best Astros player this month simply because of this one amazing feat?  Maybe so, we’re not very keen on this whole monthly thing any way, we’ve got short attention spans.

• Wandy “Eny” Rodriquez – where has this been for the last few years?  Wandy is pitching like a man who finally gets it and what better way to show we all notice than to give him our award!  Perhaps it will work as a reverse karma thing though so maybe he won’t accept it.  Wise man.  Any way, home or away, Wandy is pitching really great and if he finishes the week strong, he will have to be the front-runner for this recognition.  Right?  Well, if anything he is perhaps the one Houston Astros who should be lauded for showing up this month.

• Geoff Blum – what, you thought we didn’t notice the fine offensive work by the one time multi-colored hair one?  No, we’ve been very aware of Blum’s solid contribution this month.  Almost made the Cooper’s decision to bat him 6th a very smart move.  Smart indeed as Blum delivered this month and continues to swing a solid stick.  He should because his platoon partner, Jeff Keppinger, has delivered solid numbers as well. Keppinger even provided the first great highlight of the season with a game winning hit in his first at bat as an Astro. That it was against the hated Cubs was sweet and instantly made the man a saint in the eyes of many Astrofans. Didn’t phase Blum as he kept playing good baseball on defense and hitting the ball with authority.  Had Lee and Berkman done anything near the type of numbers they’re capable of, this team would be touted as a sleeper team right up there with Florida and St. Louis the way Blum is hitting.  Nice and perhaps worthy of an award that Blum is doing so well.  Maybe.

• Michael Bourn – when Astros GM Ed Wade said emphatically that this would be Michael Bourn’s breakout year, he raised some eyebrows.  None more noteworthy than the Astros manager Cecil Cooper.  Really?  Breakout year?  Michael Bourn?  It’s hard to have a breakout year offensively hitting #8 and had it not been for the early exit to the bench because of some sort of health issue for Matsui, Bourn would still be hitting in the next to the pitcher spot in the lineup.  But when given the chance, Bourn delivered solid play with the top of the order assignment and has remained there now for a series of games.  Oh by the way, Michael is also providing spectacular centerfield play on defense, not a small thing for a winning team formula.  Cooper, the ever sly one, says “maybe, maybe not” in terms of whether Bourn stays up in the lineup or not.  Nice of Cooper to keep playing head games with the one player tabbed as the “breakout player” by his boss.  Be that as it may, would our SnS award help the young man finally turn the corner in Cooper’s eyes?  One would hope we do not have that much power, but if Joe Schmoe walking the concourse at the MMPUS can talk Drayton McLane into firing his employees, then anything can happen.

There you have it, your first ever candidate list of the first ever SnS Astros Player of the Month award, soon to be named the… well, we don’t really know.  So, go to the Talkzone, cast your vote for the player you think deserves the award and while you’re at it, give us your nomination for an appropriate name for said award.  Please note, we did say appropriate and we mean it.  Sorta.