Bourgeois transaction?

[Bench]

LeTweet

Astros close clubhouse. Nothing confirmed but it sounds like Jason Bourgeois transaction in works. Healthy scratch. Mills wouldn't discuss.

The healthy scratch part is confusing. 

[austro]

LeTweet

Astros close clubhouse. Nothing confirmed but it sounds like Jason Bourgeois transaction in works. Healthy scratch. Mills wouldn't discuss.

The healthy scratch part is confusing. 

I think that just means he was scratched from the lineup, but not because of any injury.

[Bench]

I think that just means he was scratched from the lineup, but not because of any injury.

That makes sense. 

[jbm]

If he is gone, let's hope Schafer stays healthy.  Maybe Bogusevic can play the position, but Shuck really can't IMO. 

[Limey]

If he is gone, let's hope Schafer stays healthy.  Maybe Bogusevic can play the position, but Shuck really can't IMO. 

"Shuck" should be an adjective to describe what he does in the outfield.

[Ty in Tampa]

That makes sense. 

Don't watch much hockey?

[Anit]

Brian McTaggart ‏ @brianmctaggart
Quintero hugging teammates in clubhouse

Brian McTaggart ‏ @brianmctaggart
Jason Bourgeois tells teammates goodbye

[Jacksonian]

And the media is not allowed in the clubhouse.

[Bench]

Don't watch much hockey?

Not with the sound on. 

Honestly, I didn't even think about "scratch" in terms of the lineup.  Injury, money, a euphemism for "scoop" that I hadn't heard before.  All of that was running through my head instead of the obvious meaning. 

[Jacksonian]

Chatter says they're going to the Royals.

[MusicMan]

MLBTR says both are gone, but destination not yet known.

[Bench]

Chatter says they're going to the Royals.

Always a good system to do deals with.

[Bench]

MLBTR says both are gone, but destination not yet known.

They float the Phillies for their need of catching depth.  That would be comfortably familiar.

[Jacksonian]

Most reporters are saying Royals now.  Apparently they've been scouting Q lately.

[Ron Brand]

I'll miss Q. Clearly the odd man out but it was fun watching that tough SOB gun guys down.

[Mr. Happy]

I'll miss Q. Clearly the odd man out but it was fun watching that tough SOB gun guys down.

I will too. He wasn't as effective last season, but I think that he was hurting. And, the baserunners learned the hard way to stay alive when Q was behind the dish.

[Bench]

I'll miss Q. Clearly the odd man out but it was fun watching that tough SOB gun guys down.

Me too.  He also gave fantastic interviews.

[jbm]

I'll miss Q also.

Curious as to what position they will get back.  I was thinking about a fourth outfielder who could play center, but that is what they are giving up, so ..........

[OregonStrosFan]

I'll miss Q. Clearly the odd man out but it was fun watching that tough SOB gun guys down.

REALLY liked Q.  Exactly what a team should have in terms of a back-up catcher.

[MusicMan]

REALLY liked Q.  Exactly what a team should have in terms of a back-up catcher.

Sure, but he usually had to start.

[MusicMan]

@MarkBermanFox26
OF Jason Bourgeois & C Humberto Quintero confirm for FOX 26 they have been traded. Neither player can say where & Astros have no comment.

[Mr. Happy]

To Royals for lefty Kevin Chapman and a PTBNL.

[moriartp]

To Royals for lefty Kevin Chapman and a PTBNL.

High-strikeout, high-walk relief prospect. Stats

[MusicMan]

High-strikeout, high-walk relief prospect. Stats

Not among Sickels' top 22 Royals prospects

[Bench]

Pro career:  80 innings, 110 K's, 36 BB's. 

[NeilT]

DoRay had the third edition fielding bible author on recently, and asked him who was the Stros best defensive player.  He said Q, with about 12 saved runs.  Made perfect sense to me.

Wonder why the Royals need Bourgeois?

[Bench]

Not among Sickels' top 22 Royals prospects

Baseball America says Chapman had the best slider in the Royals system.

Link

[Mr. Happy]

According to Danny Knobler, the trade was a good job for Dayton Moore (Royals GM).

[Mr. Happy]

Wonder why the Royals need Bourgeois?

Doubts about Lorenzo Cain, apparently.

[MusicMan]

According to Danny Knobler, the trade was a good job for Dayton Moore (Royals GM).

Really depends on the PTBNL, doesn't it?  The Pence deal looked even better once Santana was identified.

[jbm]

DoRay had the third edition fielding bible author on recently, and asked him who was the Stros best defensive player.  He said Q, with about 12 saved runs.  Made perfect sense to me.

Wonder why the Royals need Bourgeois?

It's looking more and more that defense doesn't factor into Luhnow's decision science.  

[austro]

It's looking more and more that defense doesn't factor into Luhnow's decision science. 

Welcome to the AL, baby!

[Ron Brand]

It's looking more and more that defense doesn't factor into Luhnow's decision science.  

Ks + hitting over defense is the New Way.

[EasTexAstro]

I'll join in with the chorus. I'll miss HQ.

[HudsonHawk]

Ks + hitting over defense is the New Way.

Looking at the Astros last year, they had two HUGE problems...one, they had trouble getting a lead and two, they couldn't hold it if they *did* manage to get one.  Trying to upgrade the offense or the pen on *this* team isn't necessarily a sign that the GM doesn't value defense.

[MusicMan]

Looking at the Astros last year, they had two HUGE problems...one, they had trouble getting a lead and two, they couldn't hold it if they *did* manage to get one.  Trying to upgrade the offense or the pen on *this* team isn't necessarily a sign that the GM doesn't value defense.

Getting talent - period - onto this team is priority one.  Both of these guys are spare parts even on this sad-sack team.  You just hope and pray that they turned into one usuable talent.

[Mr. Happy]

Who is this fucking guy?

Per Ted Berg on Twitter: Jason Bourgeois has been dealt for a Crate and Barrel catalog and a Thomas Kinkade painting to be named later.

I saw Chapman throw at Florida against LSU. He's raw but has talent. And he's a lefty.

[Bench]

Getting talent - period - onto this team is priority one.  Both of these guys are spare parts even on this sad-sack team.  You just hope and pray that they turned into one usuable talent.

Exactly.  Bourgeois and Q, as much as I like both of them, very well might not have made the big club for opening day this season.

A lefty fire-baller with two years of professional service?  That could definitely be useful.

[Ron Brand]

He's raw but has talent. And he's a lefty.

This right here.

[jbm]

Getting talent - period - onto this team is priority one.  Both of these guys are spare parts even on this sad-sack team.  You just hope and pray that they turned into one usuable talent.

I agree with this if we are just isolating this move, but overall, his moves scream "offense first."  Cust, Lowrie, Wallace at third?, jettisoning Q and Bourgeois.  None seem to even a pay a glancing nod to defense.  Maybe it is the future, or the AL.

[Bench]

Luhnow pulled a Kate Middleton, turning a Bourgeois into a Royal.

[Mr. Happy]

Luhnow pulled a Kate Middleton, turning a Bourgeois into a Royal.

Golf clap, counselor.

[Ron Brand]

Q was on the outs, getting older and more expensive. Boojwah was a tweener with limited offense to offer. Neither of these guys would make a difference on the 2012 Astros, no how no way. This team needs everything, and it needs it young. They got just about all there was to get from Q and Boojwah.

Cust is a flyer for walks and power. Lowrie was probably the best shot they could take to have a SS with some offense too. Wallace is about to get squeezed out of a position. I don't see the problems with these moves.

[MusicMan]

I agree with this if we are just isolating this move, but overall, his moves scream "offense first."  Cust, Lowrie, Wallace at third?, jettisoning Q and Bourgeois.  None seem to even a pay a glancing nod to defense.  Maybe it is the future, or the AL.

All of these are attempts to get talent on the field.  Did you really expect them to pay $11M to Clint Barmes?  Wallace has talent, why not try to get him in the lineup?  Cust was nothing more than a flyer, and I'll be shocked if they keep him.

Sorry, but I feel like you're seeing patterns where there are none.

[NeilT]

I agree with this if we are just isolating this move, but overall, his moves scream "offense first."  Cust, Lowrie, Wallace at third?, jettisoning Q and Bourgeois.  None seem to even a pay a glancing nod to defense.  Maybe it is the future, or the AL.

I'm sorry to see Q go, and I liked Bourgeois a lot, but Castro is this team's primary catcher, and Bourgeois was a spare part.  If they got anything for the trade, that's value given the team they need to field.

[Mr. Happy]

I'm sorry to see Q go, and I liked Bourgeois a lot, but Castro is this team's primary catcher, and Bourgeois was a spare part.  If they got anything for the trade, that's value given the team they need to field.

+1

[jbm]

All of these are attempts to get talent on the field.  Did you really expect them to pay $11M to Clint Barmes?  Wallace has talent, why not try to get him in the lineup?  Cust was nothing more than a flyer, and I'll be shocked if they keep him.

Sorry, but I feel like you're seeing patterns where there are none.

I thought Barmes was about 5 mil per year.  You may be right that there is no trend; it just looks pretty evident to me.  

Besides, even though it is not the way I see baseball, I'm not really knocking his approach.  He may be right afterall.  I hope he is.  

[HudsonHawk]

I agree with this if we are just isolating this move, but overall, his moves scream "offense first."  Cust, Lowrie, Wallace at third?, jettisoning Q and Bourgeois.  None seem to even a pay a glancing nod to defense.  Maybe it is the future, or the AL.

No it doesn't scream "offense first".  It screams "we need to get better". 

[Jacksonian]

Luhnow said the PTBNL is the key component of the trade.  Let's hope Q and Bourgeois get lots of time and play well.

[Limey]

Luhnow said the PTBNL is the key component of the trade

Peyton?

[MusicMan]

Luhnow said the PTBNL is the key component of the trade. 

Sounds to me like we should be reviewing their 2011 draft to see candidates for the PTBNL.

[austro]

Peyton?

Soria's elbow ligament.

[Mr. Happy]

Levine just tweeted that with the trade, the Astros have only six players 30 and over on the 40 man roster.

[Limey]

Levine just tweeted that with the trade, the Astros have only six players 30 and over on the 40 man roster.

That's 6 too many.

[Bench]

That's 6 too many.

We're trying to field a ball club, not staff a plane. 

[Navin R Johnson]

Did you really expect them to pay $11M to Clint Barmes? 

Not to mention that but by letting Barmes go the Astros received the #41 pick overall in this years draft. 

[chuck]

Peyton?

Hell no, he can't shake anybody off anymore.

[MusicMan]

Not to mention that but by letting Barmes go the Astros received the #41 pick overall in this years draft. 

That's hard to believe.  And awesome.

[MusicMan]

Hell no, he can't shake anybody off anymore.

So nobody else was expecting him to walk to the podium in Denver and bark out an audible to Nashville?

[Ebby Calvin]

We're trying to field a ball club, not staff a plane. 

Bravo.

[MusicMan]

Sickels scouting report on Chapman

[Mr. Happy]

I like the move, but in the grand scheme for the club, it won't matter that much.

[NeilT]

I like the move, but in the grand scheme for the club, it won't matter that much.

You say that now, but Luhnow already has a scheme to trade Chapman to the Red Sox for the next Bagwell.

[Mr. Happy]

You say that now, but Luhnow already has a scheme to trade Chapman to the Red Sox for the next Bagwell.

I like how you think, Neil. But I hope that Chapman is as big a character as Larry Andersen is. That'd be fun.

[juliogotay]

All part of the Luhnow plan. See 5th paragraph from bottom. (sorry, don't know how to pull that out and post it). http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/luhnow-starting-from-scratch-with-astros/article_4d23c5fc-8652-55b9-8a2f-bbde4e04dac2.html

[juliogotay]

I like the move, but in the grand scheme for the club, it won't matter that much.

Maybe too early to judge this deal. http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120320&content_id=27440120&notebook_id=27440130&vkey=notebook_kc&c_id=kc

And right below is the annual red herring report on Paulino.

[Jacksonian]

All part of the Luhnow plan. See 5th paragraph from bottom. (sorry, don't know how to pull that out and post it). http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/luhnow-starting-from-scratch-with-astros/article_4d23c5fc-8652-55b9-8a2f-bbde4e04dac2.html

Bottom paragraphs 5 and 6, for context:

"On Tuesday, Luhnow traded two potential starters from his lineup, catcher Humberto Quintero and outfielder Jason Bourgeois, to Kansas City for minor-league lefty Kevin Chapman and a player to be named."

"We're trying to take a farm system that by many third-party views is in the bottom five of baseball and turn into a top-five system," Luhnow said. "Part of doing that is acquiring prospects any way you can. We have to deal from areas where we have depth. And we're going to do it again, too."

[Ty in Tampa]

"We're trying to take a farm system that by many third-party views is in the bottom five of baseball and turn into a top-five system," Luhnow said. Part of doing that is acquiring prospects any way you can."

Another part is continuing to suck for the foreseeable future.

[Jacksonian]

Another part is continuing to suck for the foreseeable future.

This is the part that most interests me:

"We have to deal from areas where we have depth. And we're going to do it again, too."

Where do they have depth enough to deal for prospects worth a damn?  Other than chunky first basemen of course.

[OregonStrosFan]

Where do they have depth enough to deal for prospects worth a damn?  Other than chunky first basemen of course.

I think your referring to 'width', not 'depth'.  Don't worry, I get those two confused myself sometimes...

[MusicMan]

Where do they have depth enough to deal for prospects worth a damn?  Other than chunky first basemen of course.

Bingo.

They're waiting for a team to need a DH/1b, and then (I'm guessing) Luhnow has sold Crane on eating Lee's contract to deal him.

[austro]

They're waiting for a team to need a DH/1b, and then (I'm guessing) Luhnow has sold Crane on eating Lee's contract to deal him.

If he can convince Crane of that, I could see them actually getting something interesting in return.

[roadrunner]

This is the part that most interests me:

"We have to deal from areas where we have depth. And we're going to do it again, too."

Where do they have depth enough to deal for prospects worth a damn?  Other than chunky first basemen of course.

Well it did seem crowded at AAAA/MLB backup level outfielders and catchers.  Turning that into 2 prospects doesn't seem like a bad move.

[Phil_in_CS]

Another part is continuing to suck for the foreseeable future.

It won't ever get better until they admit where they are and start to deal with the situation. Working the farm system is the right place to start.

[MusicMan]

It won't ever get better until they admit where they are and start to deal with the situation.

You don't think they've done that already?

[Ebby Calvin]

You don't think they've done that already?

Are you kidding?  We're just one player away!

[hostros7]

 a lot of insinuation from Footer and others on twitter that the PTBNL is a) a pitcher and b) the centerpiece of the deal and "will become obvious" why he's not named yet.  So, does that mean a recent draftee? 

[Ebby Calvin]

I think they have to wait til June or something before they can include a player from the 2011 draft in a trade.  I read that somewhere, I swear.  Would make sense why he would be a PTBNL.

[jbm]

I hope it is someone promising, but realistically, why would it be?  Unless KC is really stupid (and I assume they are not), it would be surprising for them to give up bigtime potential for two players like Q and Bourgeois.  Most likely, this is a trade where the Royals gain some ready-to-play average players, and the Astros obtain some possible future players with slightly above average potential. 

[Ty in Tampa]

It won't ever get better until they admit where they are and start to deal with the situation. Working the farm system is the right place to start.

My point, while sounding like (and being) a jab, is that continuing to suck is a way to build the farm system.

[Jacksonian]

a lot of insinuation from Footer and others on twitter that the PTBNL is a) a pitcher and b) the centerpiece of the deal and "will become obvious" why he's not named yet.  So, does that mean a recent draftee? 

John Lamb is who I'm watching.  A previous top 10 prospect who had TJ surgery last summer.  Appears to be a little ahead of recovery schedule.  If he gets all the way back he's a possible middle of the rotation LHP.

[MusicMan]

a lot of insinuation from Footer and others on twitter that the PTBNL is a) a pitcher and b) the centerpiece of the deal and "will become obvious" why he's not named yet.  So, does that mean a recent draftee? 

Haven't seen the pitcher insinuations.

[hostros7]

Haven't seen the pitcher insinuations.

That's interesting.  I just looked back through her tweets from last night, and the reference didn't appear in her timeline.  Given the timing of the tweet, the information/speculation may have come from Astroline. 

[roadrunner]

I'm sure it's Bubba Starling.

[Gizzmonic]

My point, while sounding like (and being) a jab, is that continuing to suck is a way to build the farm system.

Yeah, that's what cracks me up when people say "We should build our team like the Rays..."  Step 1 of that process: suck for 10 years so you can get a bunch of high draft picks.

[Ebby Calvin]

@jluhnow:
Just watched Kevin Chapman pitch his first two innings as an Astro. Impressive. 90-93, threw strikes, 2k, 4 gb outs. Hard 81 slider.

[BlownRanger]

Who is this fucking guy?

Per Ted Berg on Twitter: Jason Bourgeois has been dealt for a Crate and Barrel catalog and a Thomas Kinkade painting to be named later.

I saw Chapman throw at Florida against LSU. He's raw but has talent. And he's a lefty.

When trying to endear yourself to your cohorts in the twittersphere, trashing the Astros is never a bad move.

[jester9450]

This team has no speed now.

[Ron Brand]

This team has no speed now.

Yeah, Boojwah's wheels are the only reason they won 56.

[jester9450]

Yeah, Boojwah's wheels are the only reason they won 56.

No crappy play helped was but his speed helped the team currently has only 1 player with more than 10 stolen bases in the majors.

[Ron Brand]

No crappy play helped was but his speed helped the team currently has only 1 player with more than 10 stolen bases in the majors.

If you're making a case for missing speed, wrap it around the loss of Bourn. Overall team speed has probably increased slightly from youth replacing older players, but it doesn't mean much if you don't get on base.

[drew corleone]

Can't steal first.

[MusicMan]

No crappy play helped was but his speed helped the team currently has only 1 player with more than 10 stolen bases in the majors.

Do these kids have more than 10 games in the majors?

[Ron Brand]

Do these kids have more than 10 games in the majors?

That guy who has more than ten steals does.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

You can't motherfucking coach speed. Man.

[Mr. Happy]

You can't motherfucking coach speed. Man.

Our old track coach, the late great Boots Garland, would disagree with you. He made a lot of people at LSU much faster than they were.

[Bench]

That guy who has more than ten steals does.

Carlos Lee IS team speed!

[Reuben]

Altuve, Bogusevic, Martinez all are faster or better baserunners than the guy who played their position last year. I haven't seen him run since the knee surgery but I'm guessing Castro is still faster than Q. And Schafer, if he doesn't quite have Bourn speed is pretty close. Lowrie vs. Barmes, dunno, Johnson vs. ...Johnson is a wash, Lee vs. Wallace, um...

So overall maybe they're not a Fast Team, but they're probably overall faster than what they started with last season, and they could have 3 guys steal 20+ bases, so there's that.

[Ron Brand]

Realistically, steals don't mean much. Team speed, speed on the base paths, range in the outfield, this does mean something although smart base running to me is more important than just good wheels in a straight line.

[Reuben]

Realistically, steals don't mean much. Team speed, speed on the base paths, range in the outfield, this does mean something although smart base running to me is more important than just good wheels in a straight line.

Agreed. See Pants, Thunder.

[Ron Brand]

Agreed. See Pants, Thunder.

Elvis, Fat.

[juliogotay]

I'm not saying Luhnow is a Beane clone but Beane eschewed the steal as a part of the game. Not to say his managers don't use it but it is not an integral part of the game. The Cards of the last few years weren't that quick of foot either.

[Ron Brand]

It's all about scoring more runs per outs than the other guy. If the team has a guy who successfully steals 75% of the time, I'm sure he'd be a big part of the scheme but you go with what you've got, not try to make what you've got go the way you want.

Not sure that is very articulate. Me not know.

[Mr. Happy]

Realistically, steals don't mean much. Team speed, speed on the base paths, range in the outfield, this does mean something although smart base running to me is more important than just good wheels in a straight line.

+1

[jester9450]

Guys all i'm saying is we're going to need someone to come off the bench that can get around the paths .

[jester9450]

That guy who has more than ten steals does.

You know thats there is know one on this team that has more.

[Ron Brand]

You know thats there is know one on this team that has more.

I'm not sure what you mean here, but I'll put my chips on the table:

Steals don't mean shit, unless the frequency and success are far beyond league average. The correlation between steals and wins is very low.

Jason Bourgeois stole bases at a better than league average rate in 2011. For the 31 bases he stole over 93 games, he only scored 30 runs.

Jason Bourgeois was a little better than a replacement level OF in 2011. Right-handed pitching killed him - .219 / .241 / .255.

He had a good first half - .353 / .371 / .422, and a bad second half - .250 / .287 / .309. and he had 11 more starts and 42 more plate appearances in that second half.

The important thing for an offense is to score runs. You accomplish that by getting on base and being driven in to home. Very few players steal enough bases to make a significant positive effect in that equation. Bourgeois stole bases at an 84% success rate in 2011, which is above average and in the realm of positivity, yet his overall contribution to runs scored was minor.

Team speed is important. Overall team speed is likely better in 2012 than it was in 2011.

Getting on base is most important of all. That's the key you should focus on here, not something flashy but meaningless like stolen bases.

[S.P. Rodriguez]

I'm not sure what you mean here, but I'll put my chips on the table:

Steals don't mean shit, unless the frequency and success are far beyond league average. The correlation between steals and wins is very low.

Jason Bourgeois stole bases at a better than league average rate in 2011. For the 31 bases he stole over 93 games, he only scored 30 runs.

Jason Bourgeois was a little better than a replacement level OF in 2011. Right-handed pitching killed him - .219 / .241 / .255.

He had a good first half - .353 / .371 / .422, and a bad second half - .250 / .287 / .309. and he had 11 more starts and 42 more plate appearances in that second half.

The important thing for an offense is to score runs. You accomplish that by getting on base and being driven in to home. Very few players steal enough bases to make a significant positive effect in that equation. Bourgeois stole bases at an 84% success rate in 2011, which is above average and in the realm of positivity, yet his overall contribution to runs scored was minor.

Team speed is important. Overall team speed is likely better in 2012 than it was in 2011.

Getting on base is most important of all. That's the key you should focus on here, not something flashy but meaningless like stolen bases.

In short, it's great to be fast but if you don't get on base enough to use said speed, it doesn't mean jack. 

Is that a fair assessment?

[jbm]

The important thing for an offense is to score runs. You accomplish that by getting on base and being driven in to home. Very few players steal enough bases to make a significant positive effect in that equation. Bourgeois stole bases at an 84% success rate in 2011, which is above average and in the realm of positivity, yet his overall contribution to runs scored was minor.

Team speed is important. Overall team speed is likely better in 2012 than it was in 2011.

Getting on base is most important of all. That's the key you should focus on here, not something flashy but meaningless like stolen bases.

It's not about stolen bases in my mind, it is about taking the extra base, beating out a DP, getting to that batted ball, etc.  This team is slow.  Saying that they are faster than last year is cold comfort.

[Ron Brand]

It's not about stolen bases in my mind, it is about taking the extra base, beating out a DP, getting to that batted ball, etc.  This team is slow.  Saying that they are faster than last year is cold comfort.

Cold comfort? It shouldn't be any comfort at all, because the difference is minimal. If this team can get guys on base, it'll be more successful. It's as simple as that.

[Ron Brand]

In short, it's great to be fast but if you don't get on base enough to use said speed, it doesn't mean jack. 

Is that a fair assessment?

Partly, but more that it takes a team to win. One fast guy doesn't mean a lot unless he's Rickey Henderson or a similar player whose tide carries all boats. That's not Boojwah, and the Astros need a flood of talent.

It should be telling to casual observers that Astro regulars are spare parts to other teams.

[Reuben]

Partly, but more that it takes a team to win. One fast guy doesn't mean a lot unless he's Rickey Henderson or a similar player whose tide carries all boats. That's not Boojwah, and the Astros need a flood of talent.

It should be telling to casual observers that Astro regulars are spare parts to other teams.

Who are you referring to? I don't think Boojwah or Q were Astro regulars, even though Q played more than any catcher last year. He was certainly a spare part at the time of the trade.

[S.P. Rodriguez]

Partly, but more that it takes a team to win. One fast guy doesn't mean a lot unless he's Rickey Henderson or a similar player whose tide carries all boats. That's not Boojwah, and the Astros need a flood of talent.

It should be telling to casual observers that Astro regulars are spare parts to other teams.

As much as I liked Bourgois and Bourn, neither is anywhere near the player Henderson was, even later in his career.  Hell, they aren't even close to Biggio.  The beauty in Henderson's game was that he wasn't just fast and very effective at stealing bases, he also drew walks, hit for power, and carried a solid average.  As a leadoff hitters pitchers had to pitch around him or give up what was likely going to be a double.  He would then create havoc on the basepaths like few others could.  Think Craig Biggio in his prime, only much much better.  That is not a knock on Biggio, by any means.    Bourn was a nice player, very fun to watch in Centerfield.  Bourgois was a 4th/5th OF on a good team. 

[MusicMan]

The beauty in Henderson's game was that he wasn't just fast and very effective at stealing bases, he also drew walks, hit for power, and carried a solid average.  As a leadoff hitters pitchers had to pitch around him or give up what was likely going to be a double.  He would then create havoc on the basepaths like few others could.  Think Craig Biggio in his prime, only much much better. 

Bill James said it best: You could have split Rickey Henderson into two players and both would have been Hall of Famers.

[Ron Brand]

Who are you referring to? I don't think Boojwah or Q were Astro regulars, even though Q played more than any catcher last year. He was certainly a spare part at the time of the trade.

Yeah, last year was an anomaly so maybe I was wrong in calling them regulars, at least in 2012. Boojwah was the regular in LF before his injury if I recall correctly and Q had 90-odd games at catcher. I'd be very surprised if either of them got that kind of usage in KC this year.

[chuck]

Team speed, for chrissake, you get fucking goddam little fleas on the fucking bases getting picked off trying to steal, getting thrown out, taking runs away from you. Get them big cocksuckers who can hit the fucking ball out the ballpark and you can't make any goddam mistakes.

[JimR]

Team speed, for chrissake, you get fucking goddam little fleas on the fucking bases getting picked off trying to steal, getting thrown out, taking runs away from you. Get them big cocksuckers who can hit the fucking ball out the ballpark and you can't make any goddam mistakes.

Earl, is that you?

[Mr. Happy]

Team speed, for chrissake, you get fucking goddam little fleas on the fucking bases getting picked off trying to steal, getting thrown out, taking runs away from you. Get them big cocksuckers who can hit the fucking ball out the ballpark and you can't make any goddam mistakes.

And you said that you had lost interest!

[Limey]

I know that the Astros are flushing 50 years of history, but have you lot really forgotten, already, "Rapid" Roger Cedeno and Glenn "Feets Don't Fail Me Now" Barker?

Speed is probably the only tool that requires at least one other tool to make it usable.

[EasTexAstro]

Glenn "Feets Don't Fail Me Now" Barker?

first person i thought of

[Ron Brand]

I know that the Astros are flushing 50 years of history, but have you lot really forgotten, already, "Rapid" Roger Cedeno and Glenn "Feets Don't Fail Me Now" Barker?

Speed is probably the only tool that requires at least one other tool to make it usable.

Violating the spirit, but there aren't enough opportunities to mention Joe "Shoes" Pittman.

[MusicMan]

Glenn "Feets Don't Fail Me Now" Barker?

Great nickname, or greatest nickname?

[Navin R Johnson]

Chuckie Carr doesn't like the tone of this thread.

Regards,
Chuckie Carr

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Eric Yelding was successful 64 out of 89 attempts in 1990.

[Ron Brand]

Eric Yelding was successful 64 out of 89 attempts in 1990.

Despite that, Jim Clancy was 2-8. WTF?

[subnuclear]

Eric Yelding was successful 64 out of 89 attempts in 1990.

I started watching baseball regularly that year because I liked to see Eric Yielding try and steal.

[drew corleone]

Chuckie Carr doesn't like the tone of this thread.

Regards,
Chuckie Carr

Chuckie's hacking on 2-0.

[OregonStrosFan]

MLBTR says both are gone, but destination not yet known.

MLBTR is saying something akin to this again... (which is a shame, as I like Q a lot, and like Bourgeois as well)

06/27/12: Royals Designate Humberto Quintero for Assignment (Bourgeois was DFA'd a month or two ago).

[geezerdonk]

Pick him up.

[Mr. Happy]

MLBTR is saying something akin to this again... (which is a shame, as I like Q a lot, and like Bourgeois as well)

06/27/12: Royals Designate Humberto Quintero for Assignment (Bourgeois was DFA'd a month or two ago).

Bourgeois got called up today.

[Reuben]

Bourgeois got called up today.

Yeah, looks like Q DFA'd to make room for Boojwah (who's not having anywhere close to the success he had last year).

[Mr. Happy]

Yeah, looks like Q DFA'd to make room for Boojwah (who's not having anywhere close to the success he had last year).

That's ironic.