Houston Astros Baseball

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Luke Scott vs The World

Written by Baqqs on 4:41 PM

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It must be pretty tough to be Luke Scott these days. He has yet
to recieve any kind of real support from the Astros front office.
Even though Cecil Cooper has expressed his feelings that Scott
can be an everyday player, it's not up to Coop who gets the
debated last outfield spot. Depending on your particular style
you may or may not like that way this off-season has undolfed
thus far. For me personally, I am an advocate that pitching is
what wins divisions. With that thought in mind, it would be wise
to save some cash and leave the 850 OPS Luke SCott in right.
That money can be used for next year's pitcher FA's, or Bullpen
help this year. Now, if we were to sign Hunter or Rowand would
I be upset, no. Both have proven that they can play defense,
which is what Wade has declared his new motto. Not to mention
a great addition to this lineup. We would have one of the better
middle of the orders in all of baseball. But is it all worth
10-17Mil, and a 5+ yr commitment?

Lets look at the numbers:

Hunter: .287/.334/.505/.856 (600AB)

Rowand: .309/.374/.515/.889 (612AB)

Scott: .296/.389/.563/.951 (Last 583 AB's)

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Plate Productivity

AB/HR AB/RBI

Hunter 21.4/5.6

Rowand 22.6/6.8

Scott 20.5/5.7

Defense

(RZR) Revised Zone Rating. Proportion of balls hit into
a fielder's zone that he successfully converted into an out.

(OOZ)Out Of Zone, or the total number of outs made by a
fielder on balls hit outside of his zone.

RZR/OOZ

Hunter (CF) 891/47

Rowand (CF) 861/69

Scott (RF) 918/29

Pence (RF)-(CF) 970/4 - 885/45

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All things considered, for me, it's a simple question.
Can Luke Scott stay healthy a whole season? That answer
would determine whether or not he starts on opening day.

The Ausmus Effect

Written by Baqqs on 3:53 PM

With the recent re-signing of Astros wise man Brad Ausmus, a few more pieces seem to have been permanently placed for this coming season. Ausmus will undoubtedly catch Roy Oswalt, but other than that, it looks like J.R. Towles will be given a shot to continue his hot streak. Towles hit .375/.432/.575 during his brief stint (40AB's) in the pros. If it seems to good to be true, you are not alone, however, Justin continues to shine. He was sent to The Arizona Summer League this fall to get in a few more AB's, and in only four games as back up catcher he has hit, .429/.500/.429. If he continues to hit this way, Houston fans might be in store for something new, a hitting catcher!

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Ausmus More Than a Catcher:
Now that Ausmus has been inked, and the current destruction of the Yankees one has to ask, what will Andy do? Andy Pettitte has an option to return to the Yankess for this coming season or the power to opt out and test free agency. As a huge Pettitte fan, I would like nothing more than to bring Andy back. After all, he still lives in Deer Park, and you would have to think that gives us a sizable advantage in signing him. This is where Ausmus comes in. With Brad again on the Astros and the admiration Andy has for Brad would that be even more of a reason for him to sign with the Astros. For Drayton and this past year being a disappointment, it would be wise for Drayton to try and fill the seats with a "name" like Pettitte.

Arizona Fall League Oct. 30, 2007

Written by Baqqs on 12:03 AM

Mitch has a big Day!

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Mitch Einertson, a 21 yr old prospect who spent this past season dazzling in High A Salem had a great day in The Arizona Fall League.

"Einertson went deep to lead off the fifth, smacked a two-run shot in the eighth and ripped a two-RBI single in the ninth before scoring the winning run on Jarret Hoffpauir's base hit as Mesa overcame a 12-6 deficit in the final frame. The 21-year-old Astros outfield prospect matched a career high with five RBIs. He is batting .310 with three homers and eight RBIs in the Arizona Fall League. Houston's fifth-round pick in the 2004 draft, Einertson hit .305 with 11 homers and 87 RBIs in 122 games for Class A Advanced Salem this summer, earning the Carolina League's Most Valuable Player award. It was both his third career multi-homer game and five-RBI effort."

Also worth noting, Astros Jimmy Barthmaier was awarded the win by striking out the only batter he faced in the ninth.

Greetings

Written by Baqqs on 8:56 PM

Being the huge Houston Astros fan that I am, and having a little more free time this winter/off season, I decided to write down some of my thoughts on a more permanent basis. This blog will contain current as well as archived info regarding the Houston Astros and Major League Baseball.

Being somewhat of a stat nut I will also post interesting comparisons, tid-bits, and little known facts of our favorite players.

My goal is to make this blog a one-stop-shop for all of Astro Nation as well as baseball fans across the country.

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