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is the new forum working? I've signed up but I just get that little broken circle going around and around. I've stared at it for hours and nothing has happened worth a damn.
[/quote
yep, working and all the cool kids are hanging out over there. link
I had three wide receivers go nutso, two TDs apiece, plus lots of yards. On any other day, if you'd told me that Lamar Jackson was going to pick up 40+ points for my opponent, I would have said "well, that's an L". I've had a very lucky season: when my opponent has had a good day, my team has had a good day, too, and for the most part when my team has had a lousy day, my opponent has had a down day, too.
Jomboy’s credibility takes a hit with each video he posts.
That is a bargain. Seems like he could have got more in arbitration. Happy to have him on the team.
Yuli Gurriel’s five-year, $47.5MM contract with the Astros affords him the opportunity to opt into MLB’s arbitration system once eligible. But he’ll forgo that right and play out the 2020 season on the original $8.3MM salary dictated by the contract, tweets USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
Although Gurriel will have only four-plus years of service time when his contract expires at the conclusion of the 2020 season — as opposed to the six years typically required to become a free agent — he’ll nevertheless head to the open market next winter. Gurriel’s contract stipulates that he be released by the Astros upon completion of the deal at the end of the 2020 season, thus allowing him an opportunity to once again test free agency.
Thanks. I am a bit surprised at Pens being #3 and Lee cracking the top 10. Javier should be higher IMO.
Jim (Georgetown): There are going to be guys in the Top 101 with pretty similar AA stats, at basically the same age, as Cristian Javier. I know nothing about scouting. What keeps him from joining their ranks?
Houston Astros Top 10 Chat: So I think there's two ways to approach this. On the one hand the line between backend 101 arm and Javier isn't that big in some ways. A little less size, a little less fastball, you have to squint a little harder to find average command. But that stuff adds up, and projecting all of those bumps (and yeah, he's not getting any taller) takes us past the bounds of our 75th percentile OFP. The K numbers are nice but they imply better stuff than is there at present, and an above-average curve will always rack up Ks in Double-A. It's nice to have in the majors too, but the stuff around that limits the upside some for Javier compared to oh say Tarik Skubal or Edward Cabrera.
Also, my guess is the heavy Astros’ slant in the headline and piece is mostly Drellich’s doing. I believe Rosenthal came on a radio show and made it clear that in his estimation this is a widespread problem across MLB.
The latest from Score:
some details of how the scheme operated.
Trevor Plouffe, a nine-year veteran who last played in 2018, explained that the Astros used a live feed to capture the opposing catcher's signals to the pitcher, then used technology to relay that information to the bullpen catcher, who would then indicate whether the pitch was a fastball or offspeed by putting his hands up on the fence or keeping them down. Plouffe's information came courtesy of big-league pitcher Carson Smith as well as an unnamed source.
Verlander got 17 first place votes and Cole got the other 13.
True. If the Astros did anything wrong in this area in 2017, Beltran and Cora were in the big middle of it.
The operative word is almost. I thought that we outplayed them and outcoached them and should have beaten them by two touchdowns. We certainly would have had the game been in Tiger Stadium, but we were in the bowels of Bryant-Denny.
I know nothing about Crane Jr other than he's in his mid-30's... where'd he go to school, where'd he work afterwards? Not that it's a be-all-end-all, but it's interesting to know.
Yeah, Perez broke it down nicely on XM this morning. He also pointed out that the Yankees will probably hear a lot of whistling from Astros fans come Game 6...
I've got Sling for TV, but apparently they're in a dispute with Fox, so I likely won't be able to see the games on FS1.
Any recommendations on the cheapest/best alternative for watching Fox channels for the next month?
Yup. Baseball is not “standardized”
That’s why we like it.
About a week and a half ago I found out some things that led to Guduan getting suspended for a month. Since I wrote that, the story is maybe more complicated than that initial report, but no one is willing to talk even anonymously. Still, the story hasn't been refuted - or even addressed, really - by the Astros, Astros.com, or the Houston Chronicle.
As a recovering addict, I agree wholeheartedly with Coach. I no longer buy all the crap about addiction being a disease; big pharma has co-opted medicine. Addiction is a choice, a very reckless choice. I tell people who are suffering in active addiction that they are free to pick their own bottom. Of course, the lowest bottom is overdose/death.
People can come back with the lame reply that they can't help using, but I counter with pick your own bottom. I then tell them that my bottom was a week in the suicide cage of a very cold parish jail. I tell them about a couple of friends who weren't so lucky. But it all goes back to a fundamental choice.
This is an unspeakable tragedy and an unimaginable loss. There are no words.
While I can't get my mind around that loss, our family understands a small part of it. Our daughter and her husband are attending a retreat this weekend for couples that are grieving the loss of a child. It is led by a couple that has been walking thru that loss and sharing their journey.
Lydia - our daughter's 1st born - had seizures on her 8th day, brain surgery b/f her 2nd BD, and almost lived 10 years w/o walking or talking. She was fed through a tube. Friends would show up to bring food, wash dishes, do laundry, etc., and then leave. Lydia died in 2010. They have five children and are getting help to do the grief work.
I can't fathom the loss of a child, a spouse, and a parent (in law) at the same time - especially at the hands of a loved one.
Jomboy does the lords work
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Ha! May be a good problem to have several guys who can get outs. It will be nice if Good Pressly returns from his surgery. Interesting to me is most baseball writers thing Tucker’s year has been underwhelming. I do not disagree, and he will get his chance to impress.
Here's the disturbing scenario as reported by Astros County:
http://www.astroscounty.com/2019/08/the-reason-reymin-guduan-was-suspended.html?m=1
But comparing Chick-fil-A to Popeye’s is kind of like comparing Steely Dan to Funkadelic. Inherently problematic.
Concept and culinary wise, Georgia-founded Chick-fil-A exudes, for a fast-food franchise, a streamlined, sophisticated vibe softened with “my pleasure”-punctuated customer-service. Popeye’s is endearingly funky. Everything about it. The food, the look, the service. A natural, given Popeye’s Louisiana origins and Louisiana-influenced menu.
Honestly I'm too chicken for most of the roulettes.
Interesting story! It's a comeback for speedster Anthony Gose, this time as a pitcher finally using his 100 mph fastball. This 2017 article tells the story about Gose telling teams not to try to make him a pitcher for almost a decade b/f making the transition.
He is barely an "ex-Astro". Gose was on the Round Rock roster briefly twice - as a hitter during 2010 as part of the Roy Oswalt trade to the Phillies (he was then flipped to Toronto for Brett Wallace) and during 2018 when he was claimed on waivers as a LHP b/f being returned to the Rangers. (The 1st link provides his transaction history.)
The first five batters were the good Whitley. The rest were ass.
No kidding. Every time I (infrequently) go there, I find myself asking my girls what all the fuss is about.
Popeyes, on the other hand, is as close to nirvana here in earth as you’ll come.
Wojo today.And Trent Thornton today for the Jays
The fact that Lunhow got players back for White, Kemp, and Stassi is pretty remarkable considering there was an unavoidable roster crunch underway.
does he primarily play corner IF? I was wondering if he had Rojas' versatility?
In the early '90s, Reynolds had done well enough in Class AA to be invited to player winter ball in Venezuela. At the time, Reynolds recalled, only Class AAA pitchers or fresh big leaguers were typically invited.
The straight shooter Strom was coaching down there.
"He watched me throw a couple games and then he asked me a question one day when I was throwing a bullpen," Reynolds said. "He goes, 'You want to play one year in the big leagues or 10 in the minors?' He goes, 'Let's do this.' He completely changed me. He helped me with the two-seamer, the sinker and a small controlled curveball and taught me the split-finger. That in a nutshell is the only way I got to the big leagues and had a fairly successful career. It was him. … I love Brent Strom."
The started it last year.
Brett Phillips last 38 games:
- .313/.429/.643
- 3 doubles
- 7 triples
- 7 HRs
- 29 strikeouts/23 walks
Considering what he was hitting his first 39 games (.165/.331/.306), this is a great turnaround.
The thing that sells to me that he wasn't planning on bowling over Lucroy is the hardcore flinch the last time he looks up as he's launching forward in to his slide.
That flinch looks to me like "Oh, fuck. What's he doing there?"
Owwww! The old Jermaine Dye injury.
“Dauri Lorenzo is an athletic and projectable 16-year-old switch-hitter,” said Roman Ocumarez, Astros assistant director of international scouting. “He has a smooth, compact swing with a great ability to hit and solid defense. We had the chance to see him several times, and he always stood out for his hitting ability. Lorenzo also has great makeup and attitude on and off the field. We are very happy to acquire him.”[/quoteQuoteThe other players signed by the Astros are catcher Fernando Caldera (Venezuela), outfielder Everett Cooper (Bahamas), outfielder Denfry De La Cruz (Dominican), infielder Luis Encarnacion (Dominican), right-hander Elvis Garcia (Venezuela), outfielder Richi Gonzalez (Dominican), infielder Danyuri Guzman (Dominican), right-hander Eurys Martich (Dominican), outfielder Christopher Morales (Dominican), infielder Josue Payano (Dominican), outfielder Luis Perez (Dominican) and catcher Juan Santander (Venezuela).
I found this short video of one of his workouts in Alaska.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFxzohbXLSo
According to the complaint, as the 2017 season drew to a close, Boras tried to lure Martinez to his agency. Lee got wind of this (presumably from Martinez) and became curious. Lee hadn’t heard of Boras (clearly he wasn’t a baseball fan), but a few Google searches later, he understood that Boras regularly negotiates huge deals for his clients. And that, says Garber, is when Lee decided to double-cross his friend and hitch his star to Boras. The motive? If he steered Martinez to Boras, Boras would thank him by introducing his clients to Lee for financial and wealth services. A win-win for everyone, except for Garber.
According to Garber, Lee started telling Martinez that Garber was washed up and would sell Martinez short in his upcoming contract negotiations. Lee told Martinez to fire Garber and go with Boras. And that’s exactly what Martinez did.
He was not running. Thought it was routine out.
There is no Tri-City 2019 header, so I thought I would use 2018. I see that Joe Perez is back-hopefully he can have an injury free season.
UConn completed their rout of Nebraska and will rest up for their game with Oklahoma State later. It will be an elimination game for the Huskies.
Dallas Baptist are feasting on crappy Gator pitching and are still in the top of the fourth now with a 9-2 lead.
Elsewhere: West Virginia leads Texas A&M 7-1 in the top of the 7th in an elimination game for both teams.
UCLA leads Baylor 6-4 in the top of the 5th. TCU leads Central Connecticut State 4-3 in the top of the 4th
Having seen many of those games, including all of Vandy's wins, you're spot on. Their lineup is relentless.
But Justice.
Jacob Nottingham recalled today by the Brew Crew.
I have two solid sources who have said that Ivey has been suspended for an undisclosed number of games. I am going to go out on a short limb and assume that the suspension is related to an incident in his April 12th start in Amarillo in which he was removed from the game after a foreign substance was found on his glove. In any event, Ivey was not in Corpus Christi during my time there from Friday through Sunday and has not pitched since April 23rd. I reached out to the Astros for comment, but have been unable to obtain any further information at this time. I am, however, confident in my sources. UPDATE: One source is telling me that the suspension is for 14 games.
Boras, get ready for it, says that teams using all the data available are all coming to the same conclusion about the value of a given player. He argues that this is often a false value (read: way less than what he asks for in a multiyear contract).
The quotes from Boras are limited but exhausting to read.
Really I got nothing.
OK, I'm subscribing.
That was a misfire from Laser Ramon
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This team has never really invested in a DH.
I’d forgotten this, but they’ve finally started using MLB balls at AAA this season. And early returns show the ball—by design or not, no need to rehash that here—is flying farther and faster than ever. Expect some AAA hitters and pitchers to put up career high home run totals.
Of course, because it’s the MLB ball now, I guess those “inflated” AAA numbers should be ever-so-slightly more indicative of that we can expect when guys reach the bigs.
Link
Yeah, the Astros org is known for anemic offense.
I do not even know what to say to this. The first sentence is inane. I love it when I actually have info from someone who know, and then learn from someone here the info is wrong. Good to know high draft picks need nothing and would excel in any organization.
13) Carlos Correa, SS, Astros: In A-ball at the time the list was written but another young star, .277/.355/.476 in 2078 plate appearances, 15.7 fWAR....
15) George Springer, OF, Astros: Also a success, .266/.356/.469 in 2843 at-bats, 18.7 fWAR....
28) Jonathan Singleton, 1B, Astros: Biggest bust on the list so far, .171/.290/.331 in 420 at-bats, -0.9 fWAR; released.....
48) Lance McCullers, Jr, RHP, Astros: Another “very successful when healthy” case, 29-22, 3.67 in 454 innings, 9.8 fWAR....
51) Mark Appel, RHP, Astros: Never made the majors; one of the biggest busts in prospect history; an interesting case study that bears more detailed analysis in a full article....
And the missed free throw that would have ensured that the worst outcome was OT.
Bruce Pearl has always seemed a bit shady but no doubt he an inspire great play from his athletes.
I have Tx Tech getting to the final 4. I have may have gone a bit upset crazy and it might come back to bite me.
I have my team (Auburn) going to the Sweet 16. Don't see them getting past Kentucky.
I'm done.
RELEASED
3-27: LHP Tim Hardy (Quad Cities)
3-27: IF/RHP Antonio Nunez (Round Rock)
3-27: LHP Carlos Hiraldo (Corpus)
3-27: OF Logan Mattix (Tri-City)
3-27: IF Luis Encarnacion (Tri-City)
3-25: LHP Alex Winkelman (Corpus)
3-25: 2B Ryne Birk (Corpus)
3-25: RHP Carlos Sierra (Corpus)
This place is interesting. As an out of towner I was thrilled to find a really smart Astros baseball community.
Until I had the unfortunate pleasure of dealing with good ole Jim R - the proverbial internet tough guy.
JR decides who has the right to speak her. He demands credentials. He needs posts to be appropriately worded.
He doesn't need anyone else to contribute. He is MR CONTRIBUTOR.
I had this crazy ass notion that being the fan of the same team made it OK for 'outsiders' to post here.
But no, good ole JR just wants to play a colossal game of dick out deciding who gets to talk Astros baseball and who doesn't.
So when I mention at 10pm at night that I saw Verlander was in final stages of contract negotiation, and I look at the headlines and don't see it
mentioned, I figured what the hell, no one could possibly find fault with me sharing that insight.
Wrong.
Good ole JR decided that he had to attack even that innocuous post. Personally.
You guys have a helluva website. And I know you are a tight knit community, so leaving this here isn't going to make any friends.
But it truly sucks that one tired, bitter old man can spew his shit with immunity.
Good Ole JR, kiss my internet loving As-tros. goodnight.
I haven't heard the Podcasts yet, but it sounds like you're saying that she's not a fraud but a failure. I'm gonna start listening now.
No one compares to Ricky. A better Suzuki comparison is Lou Brock. Or Rod Carew, or Tim Raines.
I know nothing about this woman's story. Y'alls interest intrigued me, so I looked her up and see she's a scam artist, and her father was at Enron. Are these related and addressed in the podcast? Seems like a fascinating coincidence.
I knocked Duke out against Mississippi. I hate them.
I thought the book was the best of last year. Are these podcasts/documentaries adding new information?Not read the book or seen the documentary but the array of people they interviewed was impressive.
Is there a way to see the other bracket picks?Not until they lock. That way there is no strategy from knowing what others have picked.
Here's the list of changes from MLB.com. In addition to the ones I mentioned above:)[/li]
- 2020: Aside from extra innings or blowouts, certain designated two-way players will be eligible to bat and pitch:
- "A player can only qualify for this designation if he accrues at least 20 Major League innings pitched and at least 20 Major League games started as a position player or designated hitter (with at least three plate appearances in each of those games) in either the current or the prior season."
[/list]
So how does one obtain this designation if it requires you doing it in the previous year which you can't do with out the designation?
My first thought is the Angels might have to rush Ohtani back to the mound to qualify him as a two-way guy for 2020 unless MLB makes an exception.
If I can hear you eating you should know I'm secretly planning your death.
Davis Daniel left a game this weekend with a forearm injury. Dr. Andrews paying a visit.
Daniel, who left Friday’s game after two innings with tightness in his right forearm, underwent an MRI on Monday. The MRI alleviated the worst fears, an injured or torn ulnar collateral ligament. Orthopedist James Andrews has evaluated the results of the MRI and determined there is no UCL damage. He is expected examine Daniel on Wednesday and determine when he can start to throw again.
Pitching Ninja is the best account on Twitter. And based on the podcast he seems like a great guy as well.
I am staring to think winning these hearings is less important to Luhnow than following his plan. Part of the plan is determining what the players are worth budgetwise and offering only that amount. The club will consider a reasonable compromise to a number within the plan and go to a hearing if the player is not interested in the compromise number. The club puts on its best case in a businesslike professional manner without getting personal or denigrating the player’s efforts or contributions to the organization, and if the arbitrator rules for the player, so be it. Luhnow stuck to the plan without emotion or rancor, and the club did not piss off the player. Going to a hearing is merely a business decision based on an impersonal evaluation of monetary value, and win or lose, the decision is not a personal attack on the player or his accomplishments and contributions to the team and its season.
All of this stuff exists only in my head, of course, but I starting thinking this might be Luhnow’s approach when Correa complimented management on its professionalism after his hearing.
I think that is not the first time I've seen Altuve compared to Billy Herman.
Rangers sign Hunter Pence to a minor league deal with an invite to major league camp.
Managing a clubhouse — rather than the game — is a big part of being a manager in most places, but Hammock soon realized he was trying to paddle a boat with a pitchfork. Winter league clubhouses do not march to the drumbeat of whoever is sitting in the manager’s office. That guy changes too often. “You’re like a stepdad that’s coming in every year,” he said. “A new stepdad that comes in every year to look over the household, make out lineups and try not to mess up the pitching moves.”
- Cesar Cedeno--the 68-year old ex-Astro was a hitting coach for the GCL Astros last year but apparently wasn't retained after 31 years with the organization.
Always a good idea. Me an idiot. Only a slight gain and he never got less than 35%. The voting trend on him seems to indicate he's still an enigma for the voters.
Dana Holgorsen is a walking couch fire. Please take him UH. Morgantown doesn’t want him. He’s a mess personally and has chased off more top level recruits than he’s brought in. Enjoy.
I'm not worried how it affects our team just don't like to see other franchises benefit from it.
Jumping on someone else's bus for a minute. My cousins kid is in the AFL with the Rafters - Bullpen arm from the Marlins Kyle Keller. Went from High A to AAA this year.
The Tampa Bay Times reported last week Linares, 41, had emerged as the leading candidate for the job. He also fills the Rays' need for a Spanish speaker on the coaching staff in what will be his first major-league assignment after 22 years with the Astros.
"I was speechless, it took me a little while to gather my thoughts after I was told. It was such a blessing," Linares said Wednesday. "I immediately started crying and I called my dad right away. It was just a special moment. You work your whole life to get to the big leagues and now this opportunity arises. It's an amazing feeling."
Maybe just maybe this is the week.How do I go from sucking to challenging for most points in a week?
Dang. My only excuse (and a piss-poor one at that) was that was during my sabbatical from the website.
Profile from last year of Astros' Puerto Rico scout Joey Solá. He was involved in the scouting and signing of Correa and Kiké Hernández. Solá has been with the organization 15 years and is also involved with the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy & High School (PRBAHS) and is the GM of the Santurce Crabbers in the PRWL.
https://www.lavidabaseball.com/joey-sola-scout-behind-carlos-correa-kike-hernandez/
Blind squirrel finds acorn. Maybe just maybe it will lead to my first win this season.
32 points from the Denver defense. Wow.
Thanks for dropping so many points! It seems this year my team has only been able to stay alive by the other team having disasters.Disaster describes my whole season thus far.
"You son of a bitch! You took the rolly chair with the good wheels!"Lumbar support is very, very important to some folks.
Myles Straw wraps up the regular season with his 70th steal--35 in AAA and 35 in AA. Caught just 9 times.
The Astros’ system is once again loaded with power arms, speed, athleticism and power bats and it’s the reason the Astros are not just built for the short term, but should be legitimate contenders for most of the next decade.
Possible but not very likely. Astros players lost in minor league phase of Rule 5 draft:
2017--0
2016--0
2015--0
2014--1 (Ariel Ovando)
2013--1 (Enderson Franco)
2012--0
2011--0
very good insight into the Fresno mgr. and long-time Astro MiL mgr.
https://www.milb.com/milb/news/manager-rodney-linares-a-rising-star-for-houston-astros/c-290089670?tcid=tw_article_290089670
"He told me, 'Jefe, no matter how much work you do with these guys, they're not going to get better, because they're not very good,'" Linares said. "That kind of threw the monkey off my back. But then we started to develop some guys."
OF Alex McKenna promoted from TRC. He'll become the 8th member of the 2018 draft class to have played at QC this season.
Hidden Brain is my favorite. It explores the whys behind what people do.
https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510308/hidden-brain
Car Talk makes me laugh the whole way. It’s not being made anymore, of course, but it is timeless.
https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510208/car-talk
This American Life producer Brian Reed, also has a podcast called S-Town that is so interesting and captivating.I really enjoyed it until (spoiler alert) the deaths of the main character. At that point it made me uncomfortable because of the intimate details of his life they were sharing. I saw recently the man’s estate has sued them.
Sounds like there are good conversations happening right now.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/astros/article/Astros-officials-to-meet-with-representatives-of-13142821.php
This would be a great time for the club to announce they are working with that women's shelter again.
3 doubles and a single last night as he and Hauschild helped out their former organization by defeating the Mariners.
Currently .249/.305/.491 on the season.
Indeed, a great story - for him and the Astros! Good PR is needed now.
How much can he earn during the rest of the season?
Maximus!!Dropped him in my fantasy league this week. He will now start hitting. It is called the duman effect.
It's felt like a spring training lineup recently.
Not a fan of this at all. If what I’ve heard about the incident is true, things probably get worse down the road. Just seems really unnecessary to ad a distraction like this to the team. I’m all for 2nd chances, but beating up harming women is a lot different than DUI, drugs, theft, etc... you got some real issues if you are getting violent with a woman. Issues that probably mean you need a year or so off and getting real counseling/help.
Hopefully Osuna comes in, says the right things and more importantly does the right things. Donating a bunch of his time to local DV charities would be a good start.
Only team in all of MLB that can say that. Every 5 days, just like clockwork.
Actually a player-friendly move by the organization. Hauschild was going nowhere ever with Houston, but is probably worth a look as an inning-eating swing man for a second-division club at the MLB level. I will be surprised if he stays unsigned for long, and not surprised at all to see him back in MLB before the end of the season. I don't see him with a long career, though.
I really like the move. Luhnow got a good, established catcher, which is a position of concern if another injury occurred, in exchange for currency, i.e., a prospect and some international pool money. Very safe and prudent move.
I think that's actually Federowicz.
Now leading the league in both WHIP (0.43) and ERA (0.39).
I just want to say that this is really detailed/useful/interesting information (the quotes from the BC pitching coach). I don't skim through the writeups from Milb.com, but is it common for them to give out this quality of info, or is this article an outlier?Last year, MILB started using stringers to write the game stories instead of having team employees doing it. So hopefully, this will improve the quality of the game reports.
I'm currently showing 254 players in the Astros system. Since the Astros eliminated one of the Dominican Summer League teams and the Greeneville team, there will be approximately 25 more players than there are roster spots once the three short season teams start play in June (even after backing out those currently listed on the DL). And that doesn't count the approximately 35 players that the Astros will likely sign in the 2018 draft. So, there will probably be quite a few more releases to come over the next month to make room for the new draft picks.
The Dr. Andrews’ group developed a procedure where McLain’s ligament was adhered back together with a collagen-coated fiber tape and a few sutures. The tape is ultra strong and allows for a much quicker recovery time, typically five months to return to throwing.
The surgery is seen as preferable for young athletes because generally the tendon’s tissue is still strong unlike Major League veterans who have put a lot of stress on their elbows over decades of use and abuse. In those situations, replacing the ligament can be more fruitful.
The story of how he discovered he had sleep apnea traces back to 2015, when his roommate with low-Class A, a pitcher named Ryan Thompson, complained of James’ intolerable snoring and encouraged him to get it checked out by a doctor.
During his 2016 season in high-Class A , James felt exhausted, his velocity lagged into the high 80s and he began to gain weight. As a result, James decided to see a sleep specialist in his offseason hometown of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He underwent a sleep study that he said revealed he was waking up almost 30 times a night when lying on his back and another 15 or so when on his side.
Yep - 105 - highest for a 9 inning game. There are some of those crazy 13 inning no hitters that score higher but that his the high for 9.Cole’s performance last night earned a 100 in the original game score and a 106 in the game score 2.0 version. Woods game against the Astros gets a 112 in 2.0.
Also a score of 50 is considered the league average.
Very interesting. I wonder if his FB will tick up in relief. He's what, around 87-89 mph?
As for specific ideas he passed on to Luhnow, Mejdal would rather not say, beyond greatly improved food options for players.
Isn't Kerry Wood's 20K 1 hitter the highest "game score" ever?
Ok, I give up. WTF is (are?) “Game Scores?”An attempt to objectively evaluate a pitchers performance in a game.
No. A work ID is an employer asset. Just like a laptop or chair. Evidenced by the fact that they will take it back when an employee separates.
Agree.
I'm guessing that Keuchel will get more rope because of seniority and track record, but if McCullers rolls out a couple more jewels like the last one, the calls are going to grow pretty loud to replace him with McHugh.
He was interviewed by the local paper after the game.
All runs count, whether earned or unearned. If you meant that the scorer has discretion to count it as an earned run, I'm not sure what you're getting at. The scoring rules are pretty clear.
He served his five-game suspension. He lost his five days of pay. He's now on a 15-day disabled list stint. I think what they did was completely consistent not only with the rules but with the intent of the rules,” said Manfred, who was at Minute Maid Park for the Astros'...
It would have actually saved them a game if they had placed Gurriel on the DL first. Season-opening DL stints were retroactive to March 26, meaning Gurriel would have been eligible to begin his five-game ban Thursday and return April 11 at Minnesota. By putting him on the DL Tuesday, the Astros will be without Gurriel until April 13 against Texas. (They are off April 12.)
Read the Rules.
In high school I hit cleanup because my coach told me “you’re the only guy on the team that can hit a curveball”. I guess he expected the cleanup guy to see lots of them. I hated hitting cleanup, but my senior year we had a really good lead off man, so I managed to drive in a fair number of runs. Seems like that guy was always on base.
Fantastic article!
What does "'Chase the outs, if I shake, first sign,' I replied," mean?
You people should be banned from the internet. This is cruel.
Sure, but agents always use recent contracts to argue that their client should get the same or more.
Altuve's contract extension had the largest AAV for a position player agreed to this offseason. And I am assuming that that is why Duman said that it would set the market....
But if I am a GM, I am using Altuve as my comp to establish the ceiling for Harper and Machado.
Why would Boras be okay with this? He's looking for a lot more for his free agents next season -- both in terms of years and money. If Altuve sets the market, then next year's free agents are not going to break the bank.
In terms of total WAR from 2012-2017, Altuve's WAR is 29.3, Machado is 28.0, and Harper is 26.1.
From this standpoint, Altuve is the most valuable of the three and he ONLY got a 5 year contact with an average salary of $25 million. How does this help Machado and Harper. And it's not like Altuve is much older -- he's only 2 years older than both Machado and Harper.
Just looking at the top 3 for the past 12 years is an eye-opener.
2017 - Martes, Tucker, D.Paulino
2016 - Reed, Martes, Bregman
2015 - Correa, Appel, Velasquez
2014 - Correa, Springer, Appel
2013 - Correa, Singleton, Springer
2012 - Singleton, Cosart, Springer
2011 - Lyles, DeShields, Villar
2010 - Castro, Mier, Lyles
2009 - Castro, Norris, Seaton
2008 - Towles, F.Paulino, Patton
2007 - Pence!, Patton, Albers
2006 - Hirsch, Patton, Nieve (
Other notable names: Max Sapp (#9 in 2007), Colin Delome (#9 in 2008), Jon Gaston (#9 in 2009), Chia-Jen Lo (#5 in 2009), Austin Wates (#9 in 2010), Tanner Bushue (#8 in 2010), Mike Foltynewicz (#9 in 2011), Nick Tropeano (#9 in 2012), Asher Wojciechowski (#10 in 2013) and Brett Phillips (#5 in 2014).
Do I have such a spreadsheet? Yes. Have I spent time asking how to properly weight “not listed” and “honorable mention”? Also yes.
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SI has a nice analysis of the trade.
But you can’t help but feel that the Pirates could have done better, particularly given the expressed interest of the prospect-rich Yankees.
Musgrove, 25, is another former first-rounder, but he’s been unexceptional as a swingman; last season, he was ripped for a 4.77 ERA in 109 1/3 innings, mostly out of the bullpen, with 18 home runs allowed in that span. He’s a back-of-the-rotation starter with limited upside.
Here is the link....
Reactions To The Gerrit Cole Trade https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/01/reactions-to-the-gerrit-cole-trade.html
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Lyles gets a $750,000 salary next year under the deal announced Sunday, and the Padres' option is for $3.5 million with a $250,000 buyout.
His 2019 salary would escalate to $4.5 million if he is selected comeback player of the year in 2018 by Sporting News. If the option is exercised, he could earn performance bonuses of $250,000 each for 15, 20 and 25 starts, and of $125,000 apiece for 40 and 50 games pitched.
Altuve and the rest of the team are always spot on in their treatment of fans. I don't know whether Crash worked with them on their cliches or not, but it seems to come naturally to them. It's why we're convinced that they're not only great ballplayers, but good people.
This is a good Series. The ghost and I are pulling for the Astros. I’d rather lick a billy goat between the eyes than root for a Dodger.
The ghost wears an Astros hat. He once owned a million ball caps, but had never paid for a single one.
He was a steelworker who dangled from iron rafters, welding. Sometimes, he worked on roller coasters.
Once, he took me to an amusement park during business hours. He unlocked a chainlink fence to a secure area beneath a roller coaster. When the roller-cars rode the upside-down loops, it rained ball caps. Fifteen or twenty hats fell, every ride.
After a few weeks, he’d collected caps from almost every American team.
That is, except the Dodgers. We didn’t keep those hats. We dipped them in blue cheese and lit them with an acetylene blowtorch.
I’m listening to Hinch’s ALCS press conference from earlier today, and he heaped a lot of very genuine-sounding praise on Beltrán and his leadership, intelligence, and stature among his teammates. An interesting thought occurred to me: if Alex Cora, as expected, gets a managing gig somewhere, and Beltrán, I’m assuming, retires as a player... I wonder if they’d make him the new bench coach.
What a great article. Cool to have some insight into a hitter's approach in a given AB.
Also:
"Oye. Vamos vamos."
Now I love Yuli when more.
Reference:Who the heck is Marco Duarte?
... he can do whatever he wants. I'll just lay back and enjoy it.
The current Astros 40-man roster is full to overflowing right now with the 60-day DL stints of Jandel Gustave and Brady Rodgers making them the 41st and 42nd player respectively. And, oh, what happens when David Paulino is eligible to play again? Hmmmm, getting a little crowded, isn't it? And, to make matters just a wee bit more complicated, at some point before late November, the Astros are going to have to figure out who to add and who to subtract or risk losing a player or two to the Rule 5 Draft.
RHP Arcenio Leon was signed by the Astros back in 2005 out of Venezuela and pitched in the organization through 2012 (he even spent 2 years on the 40-man roster, first being added after the 2010 season). He later pitched in the Brewers and White Sox organizations before moving on to the Mexican League in 2016. Signed by the Tigers in the offseason, a nice spring in big league camp for them (when he wasn't pitching for Venezuela in the WBC) got him assigned to AAA Toledo at the outset of the season. The closer for the Mud Hens, he notched 10 saves with an 0.85 WHIP.
At age 30 (and after 12 minor league seasons), yesterday he was called called up to the big leagues for the first time. Hope he does well for Detroit.
PhrasingI hear the phrase is actually "tea bagging"
Cleveland has set an American League record for consecutive victories, and they are now chasing the 1916 New York Giants, who hold the Major League record with 26 wins in a row.
That's just fake news, ESPN. 1 other team won 21 "consecutive" games.
Any idea what their plan is?
Deciding game is scheduled for tonight after getting rained out last night.
This indeed is the gospel truth. In my opinion, pitch counts are the concession that travel ball coaches make to make a pitcher throw all year, which simply wears their young arms out early and which is, in my opinion, highly inadvisable. Then they never get to build up any endurance.
It's telling that the Astros got away without having to send any top prospects.
Regardless, this series in St. Petersburg could be must-see television given that Houston is fully aware the Rangers could have made the Astros’ lives a bit less chaotic, and deservedly so. Until now, they’d only rolled their eyes at Rangers manager Jeff Banister’s fist-pumping. Now they may be genuinely annoyed, if not infuriated.
Now, that paragraph simply reads:
Regardless, this series in St. Petersburg could be must-see action.
I do agree, though, that Aoki is missed at the bottom of that lineup. He is a tough out that makes contact and uses the whole field.
It makes sense that this is their response, since not one member of that union knows how to call a strike.
GB arrogantly overrated his prospects.
CS percentages among some of the catchers in the system:
- Brandon Benavente (DSL Blue)--65% (26-40)
- Nerio Rodriguez (DSL Blue)--63% (10-16)
- Jake Rogers (BC/QC)--51% (29-57)
- Jose Alvarez (DSL Orange)--49% (19-39)
- Chuckie Robinson (QC)--48% (29-60)
- Gerry Castillo (DSL Orange)--43% (13-30)
- Anthony Hermelyn (BC)--39% (12-31)
- Garrett Stubbs (CC)--39% (15-38)
- Juan Centeno (FR)--30% (13-44)
- Max Stassi (FR)--18% (10-56)
- Jamie Ritchie (CC)--18% (6-34)
Just tossing this out there: despite the many problems with milb.com transaction reporting, I wonder if this season they decided to start reporting these suspensions for team rules violations whereas in the past they might not have done so. So it's not that they're occurring more frequently, just that we're more aware of them because they now show up on the transactions pages. So if a guy missed a couple of games in prior years, due to the lack of reporting we might simply have chalked it up to rest or a minor injury rather than a suspension.
10) Daz Cameron, OF, Grade B-/C+: Age 20, compensation round pick in 2015; hitting .241/.317/.436 with 11 homers, 22 steals, 32 walks, 93 strikeouts in 344 at-bats in Low-A; honestly very similar to his father Mike Cameron at the same stage.
At 7 p.m., Wade’s phone rings as he’s about to head home. It’s the general manager of another team inquiring for the first time about Bourn.
Astros: Wade – Our briefcases are packed up now, all we have to do is just say novenas for the rest of the night hoping Michael doesn’t get hurt. And I’m just about 10 paces from the elevator to push the button to go down to the parking garage. I said, “Out of respect, I don’t want to waste your time. I think we’re pretty far down the road on something.” And the response is, “Even if I’m willing to give you better players?” And I said, “Just take me at my word. We’ve known each other for a long time, stay out of it.”
I really appreciate your patient response. I hate it when I fuck up that bad.
Beer.
If he makes it to the show I hope he's a "last name" guy. Because spelling that first name in the GZ 15-20 times a night could be an issue.
Have any Astros pitchers you need to trade? McCullers maybe?
Pitcher C: 33.1 IP, 18 H, 6 ER, 7 BB, 27 K, 1.62 ERA, 0.75 WHIP ?
#Astros AAA @FresnoGrizzlies have 22 runs on 22 hits (6 HR) thru 8 inn. vs Las Vegas. Scored last run off Astros '09 1st rd pick SS Jio Mier
Mier gave up 2 hits, then next 5 batters faced- Reed:sac fly; Moran:4-3; Centeno lined out to 2B; Tucker:K (swinging); Kemmer:K (swinging)
Not sure I understand how you do this just swinging the bat. Looked painful.
Two pitchers showing some impressive numbers so far this year:
Hansel Paulino - he has found some control. His WHIP last year in 42 1/3 IP was 1.42 (42 H/ 18BB). This year, in his first 20 2/3 IP, he has a WHIP of 0.87 (14 H/4BB). If he keeps this up, he could be in Tri Cities soon.
Not if he is ready to throw in the towel and retire. Rehab is hard work.Nothing is indicating retire. Even Dad's tweet says "this year".
Tony_Rasmus_IV @TonyRasmusIV
Sad to announce Colby cannot get his injured hip to a point that he believes he can return to play in the big leagues this year. Been fun!!
I know that the White Sox are loading up on prospects, but I keep wondering how they are going to manage their 40 man roster.
Just a slight addendum here: that only applies to the guys signing at age 17 or older. For the players who get signed at age 16 (which generally includes the most sought-after players), they have to wait until the following year before they're actually eligible to play. Teams want to get those guys under contract as soon as possible for fear some other team comes in and signs them (verbal agreements notwithstanding).
It probably doesn't change the consensus, but those players listed were from both the Kazmir and the Gomez/Fiers trades. And the Astros might very well have missed out on valuable post-season experience without those trades.
Ah ok. I was thinking everyone was signing now for some reason.
* Six, the jury is still out on: (Jacob Nottingham, Daniel Mengden, Josh Hader, Adrian Houser, Brett Phillips and Domingo Santana)
Last thing.... (and I certainly don't mind if all of these questions go unanswered due to it being the wrong forum...) Do you get attached to some of these prospects insomuch that a trade deadline like this one is pretty tough? In particular, I'd like to hear your thoughts on this trade deadline regarding what seem to be top flight talent in discussions for (at this point at least) a slightly lackluster 2017 trade class (no "Randy Johnson/Andrew Miller etc").
How's the new park?Very nice. Great sight lines but seats are too small for my liking. But they might be great for a date because they force you to cuddle with your neighbor.
I love all the veteran additions, but he's surprised me the most by far.
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More on Serrano's situation came out yesterday:Here is more of what he had to say.
Josh Ward @Josh_Ward Jun 14
Right now, Kyle Serrano intends to play baseball at Tennessee next season. He said he told the Astros he won't sign for less than $300,000.
Serrano said he "took advantage of a lot of situations" during his first stint at Tennessee and he "made a lot of mistakes" playing for his dad, "mistakes that wouldn't have been allowed at a lot of other places."
"I had my dad as my coach," Serrano said. "I wasn’t looking at him as my coach and I wasn’t respecting him as my coach a lot of times and I kind of got a little payback for it.
"I’m really looking forward to maybe possibly having the opportunity to play for coach Vitello and being held to a higher standard. And I think it’s going to work out really good if I got back to Tennessee."...
"I told him (Vitello) I’m actually really looking forward to playing in college and finally being just Kyle Serrano, the baseball player," Serrano said, "and not the coaches’ son."
#301 (10th round): Astros select former U of Tennessee pitcher RHP Kyle Serrano. The redshirt junior left team in midseason for "personal medical reasons". Dad is the HC for the Vols. Had TJS in 2016.
Phillips got sent back down yesterday but now the Brewers have called up Josh Hader (last of the 4 players sent in the Carlos Gomez trade to see big league time). Hader has walked 31 in 52 IP for Colorado Springs this year and his K rate is down considerably from last year.
As mentioned before, the Brewers had already called up Phillips to make his big league debut earlier this week, but he went back down when Travis Shaw returned from paternity leave and Paolo Espino was needed to make yesterday’s start. Normally a player cannot be recalled within 10 days of getting optioned to the minor leagues, but this is an atypical situation that allows Phillips to be immediately brought back to Milwaukee. There has been no official announcement regarding Shaw’s family emergency, but the timing is especially concerning given that him and his wife had a baby only a few days ago. His family will be in our thoughts and prayers.
Speaking of the Maverick (or is it just Maverick? or did that nick get left behind in the trade?), I can't get enough of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9EYyGRJXQo
OF Brett Phillips was just called up by the Brewers.
Beltran? I thought he was on a one year deal.
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In a more fill the gap-type move, Arturo Michelena also up from BC.
tell them I am available.
I think that is called "growing into his power". Even collegians are pretty young.
Still kinda curious why he was watching Tigers/White Sox footage so intently. They haven't played each other in a couple weeks; maybe he was just doing early homework for the next time they play, May 26th?
I wouldn't be surprised if milb.com had one guy updating all content.
Remember that the hitters have this information too.
Daren is so damn good at data visualization.
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I missed this last week. Apparently David Paulino threw 2 innings in extended spring training on the 1st. I haven't seen anything about him since then. He's expected to go to Fresno when he's healthy. Here's hoping that will happen soon.
David Paulino is scheduled to make his season debut with Triple-A Fresno on Thursday. He had been out with a bone bruise in his elbow.
Who are four people who have never been in my kitchen?
DFA'd by the Rangers today as noted by MM above. If no other organization claims him, then must be offered back to the Astros for $50,000.
Released 4/17 per MiLB transaction page.
They are just continuing the trend last year of keeping an extra 1-3 players around all the time and abusing the "inactive" status. I expect we will see a rule change eventually if this keeps happening.
Some recently released players signed on to continue their careers in the indy leagues:
- Chase McDonald--Kansas City T-Bones of the American Association
- Mitch Lambson--Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association
- Conrad Gregor--New Jersey Jackals of the Can Am League
- Hector Roa--Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League
Our season is winding down. The latest lesson is sometimes your best isn't good enough.
The team has lost 8 of their last 10 the two wins were with my son on the mound. The team is falling apart. It is sad to watch. He will likely have one more start before the year is out.
Current line is 3-3 / 47 2/3 IP / 36 H/ 26 R/ 12 ER/ 50 K/ 4 BB/ 3 HBP/ 1.76 ERA/ .881 WHIP
LHP Cionel Perez--the recent Cuban signee needed additional time before being thrown into game competition. Sounds like the Astros do want to put him at a FS affiliate when he's ready rather than wait until the SS clubs open up.
I've genuinely enjoyed these updates/lessons, Duman.
And lest we forget the joys of childhood baseball, my 7-yr-old caught a pop fly in a game today. I couldn't see it from two states away, but I imagine it was a 10-foot bloop that somehow landed in the open glove dangling by his side. I'm certain his general obliviousness will result in many (or few) Sexy Bitch catches over the year(s).
I think your link is broken.
https://twitter.com/bobbyross/status/849982372498092034
Currently playing in Nicaragua’s MLB developmental league, Solano is said to have an arsenal that includes a fastball north of 90 miles per hour, a solid slider, and an improving curveball.
The Cardinals, Astros, Reds, Padres and Athletics all had high-ranking team officials in attendance. Those teams have already exceeded their 2016-17 international bonus pools. The White Sox, who are not over their 2016-17 pool yet, have also been linked as a possible landing spot for Robert and had special assistant Marco Paddy there. The Astros and White Sox both have separate private workouts scheduled with Robert next week.
Ben Badler on the Luis Robert showcase
Welp. There you have it. Your son apparently is learning a sad truth that usually begins to dawn on one at some point in adolescence and which adults are generally tasked to navigate all through life - some authority figures are in fact imbeciles.
“James had a real good game. He threw two pitches, they scored four runs on them two pitches. All that done was give them the fuel for the fire when that happens. James did well.”
Throwing him a "get a strike" fastball there is just bad baseball, however.
Update: I injured my right shoulder Tuesday and am in a sling - and m discovering just how hard it is to do everything with one arm, including type.
I'm sure it was. My question is why didn't he just throw a fastball well off the plate and move on to the next guy?
In regard to the juco, I felt the same way. Navarro JC coach wanted me to come play and I said no, I'm going to A&M, I ain't goin to no stinking juco. My biggest regret from teenager-hood. I say go juco for a year, play ball and stack up as many basics as you can, and work on the transition from home to college. Then after that first year, he will have a better perspective.
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Don't get behind in the count to some big bastard who can hit the ball five hundred feet.It is what the coach called
Once he was down 3-1 why did your son try to come back with a strike?
Third looks a little shaky and we know that his catcher sucks... I like how he seems already to have learned a lesson that other pitchers sometimes never learn - the solo home run doesn't mean dick. Also, I imagine he's learned this one, now, too - don't get behind in the count to some big bastard who can hit the ball five hundred feet.
Times have certainly changed, as have we and what we consider intimidating, but I can't imagine that coaches still aren't, at least to 16-17 year olds. Even without the dramatics. Perhaps I'm naïve, but if even if the coach wasn't barking and throwing things, he was still intimidating because...well, he was the coach and had demands and expectations. Again my old coach, he was the in your face yelling type, but he also had a teaching side. There were times when he would let you fall on your face, then come over and put his arm around you and say "here's what happened and why...you see now where you've got to...?" He was an asshole, but he wasn't a bad coach.
Luhnow said he expects Mejdal to "come back with a lot of interesting thoughts and ideas about how we might do things better, whether it's have better spreads for the players or better travel - things that make their life easier that maybe we're not thinking about that we could help them with.
Every time this fucking idiot comes up my general annoyance is mitigated tremendously by the happy memory of Melvin's brilliant 'one toke over Delino' which as far as I'm concerned is as funny now as ever.
What he does best is run. He showcased that with 101 stolen bases in in 2012 between Single-A and High-A. It showed, at least early on, in his bunting ability. But at some point that changed. DeShields Jr.’s approach changed at the plate, appearing to try for more home runs. It was a learning process in the field, too. He’d spend one practice at second base, the next in left, the next in center and then back at second. Ultimately, it was an environment and culture that DeShields Jr. believes stunted his growth.
“I was in a situation in Houston where they weren’t really pushing guys,” he said. “After all the good years that I did have, it was slow for me even though I felt like I was contributing on a high level. I felt like I was ready to go. For me being 21 years old, it was kind of discouraging.
“I’m not saying I didn’t care. I was obviously wanting to play, and I always play to win.”
Is it safe to say that Jon Singleton is making more money than Bud this year?
I'm not sure what to make of the Astros having no intriguing prospects available.