Quiet Time

Posted on January 31, 2001 by Andyzipp in Brushback

By Breedlove
Editor’s note – This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com on January 31, 2001.

Super Bowl XXXV is now in the books. The Baltimore Ravens are the National Football League champions by virtue of defeating soundly the New York Army Ants, and they were so scary-good they should have gotten two trophies. It will never be said in baseball that one team beat the other simply because they were bigger, stronger, faster and more feral. Baseball remains a pursuit that treasures skill as much as talent and smarts as much as brawn. There is no such equivocation in football, where a Big Apple team can have the body language of the undersized child pretending not to hear his tormentor’s comments from the back of the bus.Read More

Hidaglo: Big Deal

Posted on January 18, 2001 by Andyzipp in Brushback

By Breedlove
Editor’s note – This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com on January 18, 2001.

In a well-timed announcement, the Houston Astros sent folks home for a January weekend with the promise that their biggest star on the rise, Venezuelan-born Richard Hidalgo, was inked with the team for at least four years. In his first season out of the shadows of Carl Everett and Derek Bell, Hidalgo responded by posting mouth-watering statistics and avoiding controversy — he was given the ball and he ran with it.Read More

Have The Astros Missed Their Fair Share?

Posted on January 17, 2001 by Arky Vaughan in Bleacher Rap

Editor’s note – This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com on January 17, 2001.

After Jeff Bagwell signed a five-year, $85-million contract extension last month, ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian used Bagwell’s performance in MVP voting to emphasize his value to the Astros. From 1994 to 1999, Kurkjian noted, Bagwell received more National League MVP votes than any other player.Read More

Have the Astros Missed Their Fair Share?

Posted on January 17, 2001 by Arky Vaughan in Crunch Time

After Jeff Bagwell signed a five-year, $85-million contract extension last month, ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian used Bagwell’s performance in MVP voting to emphasize his value to the Astros. From 1994 to 1999, Kurkjian noted, Bagwell received more National League MVP votes than any other player.

Smith Family Lovefest or Building for 2001

Posted on December 19, 2000 by Andyzipp in Bleacher Rap

By Jeff Brown
Editor’s note – This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com on December 19, 2000.

Several national pundits have pounded the Astros recent trade with the Tigers. Most notable among these (at least to me) was ESPN.com columnist Rob Neyer, who I usually agree with on just about everything. These “experts” give the Tigers an easy “win” on the trade, mostly based on the Stros giving up Mitch Meluskey. I disagree. Read More

Running In Circles

Posted on December 12, 2000 by Andyzipp in Zipper Flap

Editor’s note – This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com.

Dear Santa… Please Bring the Astros a compass for Christmas.
My head is currently bleeding profusely from the scratching I’ve been doing since Sunday afternoon.
In the winter of 1998, Brad Ausmus was overrated veteran surplus that could be moved because the catcher of the future, Mitch Meluskey, was ready to step in (at the minimum salary) and take over the catching duties. Ausmus was traded to the Tigers for absolutely nothing, spread out over 6 easy players.Read More