Opening Day - Astros vs. Rukakkies

[OregonStrosFan]

In case you missed it, a TRULY INSPIRED series preview from Craig.  LINK

Now, for you're 2012 NL Astros Opening Day Line-up.... (drum roll please)...

1B: Who
2B: What
3B: I Don't Know
SS: I Don't Care (aka 'I Don't Give a Darn')
LF: Why
CF: Because
RF: ?!?
P: Today
C: Tomorrow

Or, if that isn't helpful then here you go (courtesy of Limey courtesy of Footer)...

NL Astros

1. Jordan Schafer - CF
2. The Altuve - 2B
3. JD Martinez - LF
4. Carlos Lee - 1B
5. Brian Bogusevic - RF
6. Chris Johnson - 3B
7. Jason Castro - C
8. Marwin Gonzalez - SS
9. Wandy Rodriguez - P

*And no, Limey, I don't know why there is a 'P' batting in this game...  Needed to get a switch-hitter into the lineup perhaps?!?

[Mr. Happy]

Wandy is obviously amped and is overthrowing his heater. He gets the first two before CarGo doubled down the line. After a walk of Tulowitski, he got Helton to fly out to end it. 0- Bottom 1

[pots]

Alwalkve, nice

[pots]

Lee rbi single, Altuve scores Astros 1-0

[Mr. Happy]

El Caballo with a two out single to CF, scoring Altuve.

[OregonStrosFan]

Wait, did I just see The Altuve take a walk?!?  And then score on an RBI single by Carlos Lee?!?  Awesomeness!

[pots]

Yeah, according to Milo, Altuve was never asked to take a walk before this spring.  Apparently all they needed to do was ask.

[pots]

Top of the second, Milo misses an entire play.  Doray with the postplay cleanup

[OregonStrosFan]

Top of the second, Milo misses an entire play.  Doray with the postplay cleanup

I see that Milo is in mid-season form then!!!

[pots]

Castro worked a walk, nothing else interesting.  1-0 Astros after 2

[moriartp]

I see that Milo is in mid-season form then!!!

And so is the Astros' defense.

[OregonStrosFan]

Crane: "And I didn't think anyone particularly cared about the Mets...".  Excellent... 

[moriartp]

Crane: "And I didn't think anyone particularly cared about the Mets...".  Excellent... 

He certainly knows how to please the crowd. Aside from that whole AL thing.

[OregonStrosFan]

THE ALTUVE with a nice dive and toss to stop the bleeding in T3!  Middle 3: COL 3, HOU 1

[OregonStrosFan]

"And I hope the Astros come back from last year. They were terrible last year." -41

[Mr. Happy]

"And I hope the Astros come back from last year. They were terrible last year." -41

41 is starting to sound a little senile.

[austro]

Well, no TV here (even on 77), but Sonos/SiriusXM/MLB got their shit together and now I can listen via internet radio without the various reception hassles that I have with KVET.

That's the good news. The bad news is that it's still Milo.

[Savage]

Well it certainly looks like this team is going to be a defensive power house!

[moriartp]

Kabong!

[OregonStrosFan]

KABONG crushed that one!!!

[austro]

Bogeybong!

[moriartp]

...and Bogusevic makes it back-to-back dingers. Really got all of it, too—not an easy pitch to take out of the park.

[OregonStrosFan]

And BOGUSEVIC crushed his even farther...  Tie ballgame in B4!

[Savage]

This team is going to be fun to watch...

[Mr. Happy]

This team is going to be fun to watch...

The fielding has been suspect thus far, but I agree that it will be more fun than watching the club that opened last season.

[OregonStrosFan]

Shaeffer got caught leaning... Fortunately 1BU missed it...

[moriartp]

Shaeffer got caught leaning... Fortunately 1BU missed it...

Yeah, that was a friendly call.

[Hornstros]

i'm just glad Schaefer got away with it this time.  we can't have another public relations fiasco

[OregonStrosFan]

Nice leadoff 2B by JD Martinez in B6!

[Aussie Astro]

41 is starting to sound a little senile.

He made a cogent assessment of last year’s performance...

[moriartp]

The Rockies may have done one or two more infield drills this spring than the hometown nine.

[Hornstros]

Nice leadoff 2B by JD Martinez in B6!

he's had a couple good ABs tonight...really squared the ball up that time

[Mr. Happy]

He made a cogent assessment of last year’s performance...

The pertinent (and accurate) word was "terrible."

[Ron Brand]

Internet is real spotty here but great seats, crowd is still here and into the game. A good night at the ballpark.

[moriartp]

Good throw by Castro, but Gonzales didn't make the tag.

[moriartp]

Keystone motherfucking Kops. 4-3 Rox.

[Mr. Happy]

Internet is real spotty here but great seats, crowd is still here and into the game. A good night at the ballpark.

Is everyone safe and not yet in jail?

[OregonStrosFan]

Keystone motherfucking Kops. 4-3 Rox.

I blame that one on Ron Brand.  They were having a pretty flawless night defensively until he decided to grace the GZ...

[Mr. Happy]

I blame that one on Ron Brand.  They were having a pretty flawless night defensively until he decided to grace the GZ...

I'm glad to see him here.

[Ron Brand]

Is everyone safe and not yet in jail?

So far. It's early.

[Ron Brand]

I blame that one on Ron Brand.  They were having a pretty flawless night defensively until he decided to grace the GZ...

Pretty flawless? Hahahahahahahaaaaaa...

[Ron Brand]

I'm glad to see him here.

Aw, thanks Mr. Happy.

[OregonStrosFan]

Off to Good Friday service, so if the Astros pulll this one off I'm taking full credit for it!!!

[OregonStrosFan]

Pretty flawless? Hahahahahahahaaaaaa...

I thought you'd appreciate that one... [And I see Mr. Happy's sarc-meter is in mid-season form as well...].  Peace out y'all, be safe, and enjoy!!!

[austro]

Abad with his specialty.

[believin]

Abad with his specialty.

First earned run given up of the season.  He's killing our team ERA

[Mr. Happy]

I thought you'd appreciate that one... [And I see Mr. Happy's sarc-meter is in mid-season form as well...].  Peace out y'all, be safe, and enjoy!!!

No, I knew what you meant. I was merely expressing gratitude that our friends made it safely to the yard.

[pots]

Bah, damn you Astros for getting my hopes up

[gwat]

Jim Crane sounded very disinterested tonite. He certainly wasn't playing catch with his TV audience.

[Mr. Happy]

Jim Crane sounded very disinterested tonite. He certainly wasn't playing catch with his TV audience.

He sounded subdued, didn't he?

[JaneDoe]

Great to see everyone tonight!!

Hardly recognized Mark and Andy.  You guys look fantastic! Keep it up.

4 friggin errors...this season could get long in a hurry.

[pots]

Carlos and Wandy having good nights helps.   

[BizidyDizidy]

Am I wrong to think you re not supposed to throw behind the runner in thAt situation. Where did that idiot one from anyways?

[Mr. Happy]

Am I wrong to think you re not supposed to throw behind the runner in thAt situation. Where did that idiot one from anyways?

You're supposed to get the runner to commit before throwing. Castro fell for the first move. If I was coaching, I'd always say throw to 3B if you are going to throw it at all to force the runner back.

[chuck]

What was the context of Crane's comment about the Mets?

[BizidyDizidy]

You're supposed to get the runner to commit before throwing. Castro fell for the first move. If I was coaching, I'd always say throw to 3B if you are going to throw it at all to force the runner back.

We were saying here he should've just run towards the runner until he broke for a base.

[Mr. Happy]

We were saying here he should've just run towards the runner until he broke for a base.

You're correct.

[OregonStrosFan]

What was the context of Crane's comment about the Mets?

He evidently visited the Met's Spring Training facility in St. Lucie(?) and it was reported almost immediately via Twitter and some other places.  The comments about not thinking anyone actually cared about the Mets were related to the comments/reporting on his visit to the facility.  *CAVEAT: IIRC

[HudsonHawk]

We were saying here he should've just run towards the runner until he broke for a base.

Actually you *want* to throw behind the runner.  Sort of.  You're supposed to force the runner back to base from whence he came and make the play there. That way if you don't get him, no damage, and if you somehow fuck up and throw the ball into centerfield, he doesn't get two bases.  So Castro gets double miles points for that one.

[Mr. Happy]

Actually you *want* to throw behind the runner.  Sort of.  You're supposed to force the runner back to base from whence he came and make the play there. That way if you don't get him, no damage, and if you somehow fuck up and throw the ball into centerfield, he doesn't get two bases.  So Castro gets double miles points for that one.

I disagree with you, although this may just be a matter of semantics. I was always taught to force the runner to commit, forcing him back to the base from which he came, and to then throw. Castro went on first move, which I think was wrong, because baserunners always try to fake you out and to get you to make a mistake. If you force him back to the base and he makes it, no harm and no foul. However, if you throw and fuck it up, he scores, just like last night. Castro should have run up toward the runner and chased him back toward 2B.

[HudsonHawk]

I disagree with you, although this may just be a matter of semantics. I was always taught to force the runner to commit, forcing him back to the base from which he came, and to then throw Castro went on first move, which I think was wrong, because baserunners always try to fake you out and to get you to make a mistake. If you force him back to the base and he makes it, no harm and no foul. However, if you throw and fuck it up, he scores, just like last night. Castro should have run up toward the runner and chased him back toward 2B.

All of that is exactly what I just said.

[Mr. Happy]

All of that is exactly what I just said.

That's why I said that it really was a matter of semantics.

[Mr. Happy]

I was usually just listening to that part of practice since no one really wanted a pitcher to touch the ball after it was pitched.

[HudsonHawk]

That's why I said that it really was a matter of semantics.

I'm just curious as to the part with which you disagree.

[Mr. Happy]

Actually you *want* to throw behind the runner.  Sort of.  You're supposed to force the runner back to base from whence he came and make the play there. That way if you don't get him, no damage, and if you somehow fuck up and throw the ball into centerfield, he doesn't get two bases.  So Castro gets double miles points for that one.

I guess that I assumed that you meant always throw behind the runner. You qualified it with what you said after that. So I only focused on the first and last sentences. Castro didn't earn double miles points with me on his execution of a fairly simple and straight forward play.

[Andyzipp]

It's been many moons, but if I was in that situation, I would have thrown to third, in order to keep the runner at second.  It's a more conservative approach, to be certain.

[Mr. Happy]

It's been many moons, but if I was in that situation, I would have thrown to third, in order to keep the runner at second.  It's a more conservative approach, to be certain.

That's certainly better than throwing it toward a moving infielder. But had Castro simply did what he was supposed to and forced the runner to commit to a bag, the same result may have taken place, i.e., a poor throw, but it would have been less likely.

[HudsonHawk]

. Castro didn't earn double miles points with me on his execution of a fairly simple and straight forward play.

I meant he gets two dings against him...one for not chasing the runner back to 2nd and one for throwing the ball into CF.

[Mr. Happy]

I meant he gets two dings against him...one for not chasing the runner back to 2nd and one for throwing the ball into CF.

Okay. That explains it. I simply misunderstood.