Not a bad first series

[Mr. Happy]

Sure, I wish we'd have split, but I saw some real good things out there, including the following:

No errors (but one or two kinda weak throws from the cutoff men)
Bourn can play CF
Very respectable bullpen over 10.2 innings of work
Tejada can hit; I like his approach
Towles is improving behind the plate
When the hitting was there, it was good
Cruz, Jr. is a good pickup

[believin]

Agree with the above observations.  On the defense, there was a play in the second game where the bases were loaded and a ball was hit to Wiggington.  He fumbled it a bit, missing the chance for a double play, but managed to recover quickly and get the out at home.  I wish he'd have been smoother on the DP ball, but at least it didn't unravel from there.

[JimR]

Agree with the above observations.  On the defense, there was a play in the second game where the bases were loaded and a ball was hit to Wiggington.  He fumbled it a bit, missing the chance for a double play, but managed to recover quickly and get the out at home.  I wish he'd have been smoother on the DP ball, but at least it didn't unravel from there.

he did not fumble the ball. his foot slipped and he nearly fell. the TV guys discussed this play in detail the next night.

[remy]

I agree that there were a lot of positives, but the fact that they were 1 strike away from a 4-game sweep is a little scary.  Oh well, hopefully they'll murder some baby bears this weekend.

[lc_db]

...When the hitting was there, it was good...

Isn't this ALWAYS the case?

[Mr. Happy]

Isn't this ALWAYS the case?

Not necessarily. Maybe I should have been stronger in my praise. Anytime you can get four runs home against one of the premiere closers of all time with two out, that's some real clutch hitting. Cruz's AB was a thing of beauty.

[Fredia]

Berkman is having a better april than last year. if he keeps it going that iwll be a major plus also

[lc_db]

Not necessarily. Maybe I should have been stronger in my praise. Anytime you can get four runs home against one of the premiere closers of all time with two out, that's some real clutch hitting. Cruz's AB was a thing of beauty.

I wasn't calling for more praise...  It was just a rather ambiguous perception.

Let's throw in... "When we get shut out... we lose."

[pravata]

he did not fumble the ball. his foot slipped and he nearly fell. the TV guys discussed this play in detail the next night.

Am I wrong in thinking he should have been set to throw when he fielded the grounder and shouldnt have had to reset?  He definitely caught his spike when he tried to set his back foot.

[pravata]

I agree that there were a lot of positives, but the fact that they were 1 strike away from a 4-game sweep is a little scary.  Oh well, hopefully they'll murder some baby bears this weekend.

They're always one strike away from something.  Isn't that implied in the "game with no clock"  stuff?  The Padres have better pitching than most of the NL and probably less hitting.  It's premature to make any judgments about either the Astros' pitching or hitting.   The only sure thing you can say is the team is, 4 down, 158 to go.

[MusicMan]

The only sure thing you can say is the team is, 4 down, 158 to go.

I'll say for sure that they're trying to run more.  And I'm very happy to see Berkman showing some good judgement on the basepaths.

[das]

They're always one strike away from something.  Isn't that implied in the "game with no clock"  stuff?  The Padres have better pitching than most of the NL and probably less hitting.  It's premature to make any judgments about either the Astros' pitching or hitting.   The only sure thing you can say is the team is, 4 down, 158 to go.

No, no, the stats clearly reveal that, unless dramatic changes are made, this team is headed to a 40 win season.  Wins and losses is the only stat that truely matters.

[pravata]

No, no, the stats clearly reveal that, unless dramatic changes are made, this team is headed to a 40 win season.  Wins and losses is the only stat that truely matters.

Have you chosen "the blatantly obvious" as your category of the day?

[Limey]

I'll say for sure that they're trying to run more.  And I'm very happy to see Berkman showing some good judgement on the basepaths.

Small sample.  Maybe it's simply that he's still bat-shit crazy but got lucky this series.

[Limey]

Have you chosen "the blatantly obvious" as your category of the day?

Next contestant Sybil Fawlty; specialised subject "The Bleedin' Obvious!

[das]

Have you chosen "the blatantly obvious" as your category of the day?

Yes.  Did you know that the sun rises in the east and the Cubs suck?

[Noe]

"The Bleedin' Obvious!"

That would be a good name for my vanity column, if I ever got off my arse to start one.  I know for a fact if my wife ever read what I wrote as a columnista she would opine "Isn't that... ahum.... obvious?"

[Mr. Happy]

I wasn't calling for more praise...  It was just a rather ambiguous perception.

Let's throw in... "When we get shut out... we lose."

Perhaps you're incapable of perceiving my point? We hit the ball in one game of the four, but we would have lost that game too without real clutch hitting. This was my whole point, not that anyone else but you seems to have required it to be this spelled out.

[AtascAstro]

Kind of like the difference between El Papa Grande's approach/performance in the 8th vs 9th inning in the win.  One shouldn't ignore the run given up in the 8th, but it is very encouraging to see that killer instinct when the moment arrives as it did in the ninth.

[Taras Bulba]

That would be a good name for my vanity column, if I ever got off my arse to start one.  I know for a fact if my wife ever read what I wrote as a columnista she would opine "Isn't that... ahum.... obvious?"

Noe, for your vanity column what about something like, "I Shit Bigger Than Herman Melville."

[JimR]

Noe, for your vanity column what about something like, "I Shit Bigger Than Herman Melville."

how about "I write more words than William Shirer."

[tophfar]

how about "I write more words than William Shirer."

"James A. Michener is my bitch."

[pravata]

"James A. Michener is my bitch."

White space has about as much chance as blank paper in Stephen King's house.

[MusicMan]

I vote for "Noe: Unabridged"

[Limey]

N.O.E. Tolkien

[JimR]

I vote for "Noe: Unabridged"

how about "Noe: Unedited"

[Jacksonian]

Noelstoy

[spatula]

Gonna try and watch the game today, butt if it gets ugly, I rented Gorilla Lawn Bowling just in case.

[MusicMan]

Gonna try and watch the game today, butt if it gets ugly, I rented Gorilla Lawn Bowling just in case.

Thanks for posting.  No need for post 2.

[BudGirl]

Gonna try and watch the game today, butt if it gets ugly, I rented Gorilla Lawn Bowling just in case.

You could start watching it at 1:30.

[Limey]

Thanks for posting.  No need for post 2.

No way.  I love seeing the name and rank "s Patula Clark".

[homer]

Thanks for posting.  No need for post 2.

I blame the Secret Mission Douchebag.

[MusicMan]

I blame the Secret Mission Douchebag.

There will always be Clarks.

[Lurch]

There will always be Clarks.

As stated in Genesis, I believe.

[spatula]

That was pretty damn funny Limey. Let's hope Sampson doesn't get taken "downtown".
              

[Towlie]

I think they'll be ok this season. I thought Backe and Wandy looked good...especially Wandy because he was wasnt blowing up on the road like he would last year. Chacon has some nice stuff but he looks a bit too hittable for my liking, but he is a decent number 4.

[Limey]

That was pretty damn funny Limey. Let's hope Sampson doesn't get taken "downtown".
             

I have my moments.

[Jacksonian]

I have my moments.

Unfortunately those moments no longer occur in Limey Time.

[Bench]

I think they'll be ok this season. I thought Backe and Wandy looked good...especially Wandy because he was wasnt blowing up on the road like he would last year. Chacon has some nice stuff but he looks a bit too hittable for my liking, but he is a decent number 4.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/COL/COL200706050.shtml

[Towlie]

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/COL/COL200706050.shtml

I'm pretty sure you watched Wandy pitch last year and whenever he got into trouble on the mound on the road, he was noticeably rattled. I didn't see that this time, he looked more mature and more capable to get out of a rut. I felt good about what i saw from him.


damn you guys are so down on this team eventhough they played a very good team very well. We could have won all four games just as easily as we lost three of them. Just wait til our hitting really gets going.

[HudsonHawk]

Am I wrong in thinking he should have been set to throw when he fielded the grounder and shouldnt have had to reset?  He definitely caught his spike when he tried to set his back foot.

Not necessarily.  You have to plant your back foot to throw, and when he did it just went out from under him.  He has the presence to go ahead and get the out at home.  Just one of them things.

[Bench]

damn you guys are so down on this team . . ..

You're posting this in a thread titled "Not a bad first series"?

[Outlawscotty]

I have my moments.

toot, toot o King o' You Tube

[Towlie]

You're posting this in a thread titled "Not a bad first series"?

Well, it was though I think we weren't expecting much more from them.

[geezerdonk]

That would be a good name for my vanity column

Some variant of "A la recerche du temps perdu" I think.
Proust of the TZ, purveyor of interminable, impenetrable prose.

[believin]

Not necessarily.  You have to plant your back foot to throw, and when he did it just went out from under him.  He has the presence to go ahead and get the out at home.  Just one of them things.

Right.  My point in bringing it up was to say that it was good to see him keep his head in the game and get the runner at home, despite the trouble he had on the play.