Lets Talk Baseball

Nick Johnson, Austin Kearns, Felipe Lopez, Shawn Hill (2.70 ERA, 33 SO), Justin Bergman (2.76 ERA, 42 SO, .165 OPA) have all been impact players lately. 3/5 players in our rotation are on the D/L, and our most consistant offensive player (Nick Johnson) is still out with a broken leg. Our rotation has been one of the better saviors of this team with breaththrough performances from Jon Rauch, Jesus Colome, Saul Rivera, and Miach Bowe (Combined ERA: 2.90, Combined BA: .225). John Patterson and Chad Cordero, usual staples of the staff, have been bad lately due to rustiness, injuries, and a unusual lapses in control, all things that CAN be improved. The Nats play in a putrid NL league. I'm not saying we're on the rise already, but there are reasons to believe they can be a challenging team. Why is it so hard to believe that they can improve?

 

I wouldn't be suprised to see Cordero traded to a contender around the deadline.

 

On the bright side of things though, my team won 83 games last year & ended up winning the World Series ironically. As long as you make the playoffs, you have a legit shot at the title.

 

Cordero is still an above average or better closer I wouldn't mind seeing him in Philly we need all the bullpen help we can get.

I'd be all for giving them Pat Burrell........what a fricken bum he is.

Whoever gave him the Nickname "Pat the Bat" regardless that it rhymes should be sued. I've never seen a guy what more first 2 pitch strikes then whiff on the 3rd uhh that makes me mad plus he doesn't fit in well.

We want dirtball leave it all out there type of players. Pat Burrell wouldn't dive if he knew he was going to get dirty to save his wife if he has one IDK.

Chase Utley
Jimmy Rollins
Ryan Howard
Shane Victorino
Cole Hamels

That's a solid core but we need pitching our #1 starter last year is doing closer duties while Flash get's healthy and Freddy Garcia has shown nothing yet to be called a #1. Burrell and maybe Rowand ( I hope not that's the reason I don't have him in the core) might be gone soon.

If only we had Flash healthy and Garcia returned to form. Our top 3 would be tough. But bullpen has blown countless wins so far after solid outings from our starters.

Garcia
Hamels
Myers

 

OK PhiSlammaJamma, I'd like to get your take on certain Astros players. Personally, I want to see Ensberg, Ausmus, Everett, and Jason Lane jettisoned as soon as possible. You can predict the outcome of their at bat almost every time. The pop-ups, strikeouts, and weak grounders from those guys are numerous. They are all pretty good defensively but can't hit their weight. I know in baseball you have to be patient but when is enough going to be enough?

 

Ausmus - I agree. You almost hate to see him come to the plate. He is an offensive liability. He's old. He grounds into like 30 double plays a year too. That is ridiculous for someone with decent speed. The one catch is that all the pitchers love him for his ability to call a game. When he left for two years and we replaced him with a hitting cather, the Astros fell apart at the seems. We were horrible. And that made me rethink the whole thing. Clemens, if I am not mistaken, wouldn't even play for us if Ausmus wasn't there. So he's a catch 22. I don't know what to do. But at some point, he's gotta go. And now is as good a time as any. Maybe play out this year and if we miss the world series dump 'em.

Everett: I think he's expendable. He does save some hits on the defensive end, but I think if you have Ausmus and Everett in your lineup together, it amplifies the problem of not hitting the damn ball. Because now you have two major gaping holes in the line up. They are almost useless at bats. The pitchers have no fear when these two step to the plate. So I see Everett as expendable. We won plenty of Division championships with lesser shortstops in Houston who could hit. I think we could do it again. Everett's greatest play was his phantom tag in the playoff series. Which is kind of funny.

Ensberg: Well, he's one of those players who at least strikes fear in a pitcher. He may not be threatening, but he gives the appearance of being a threat. Which I can live with at 3b. He's an enigma, no doubt about it, but I can live with that after years of Walling and Garner at 3b, pluse some utllity guys. Caminiti was the only thrid basemen with talent that we've had, but was he any better than Ensberg, probably not. Just a little more consistent offensively and a better glove. So Ensberg, while demoralizing, and causing utter frustration, I don't mind as much.

Jason Lane: The most dissapointing thing with Jason is the rbi's. 78? That's his high. C'mon. He's gotta do better than that. I could live with 15-20 hr's if you drive some people in. But now his Batting average is a joke too, which really makes him all but useless. He has no speed, no glove, and no bat. What is the point. Seriously.

If all these players were jettisoned, I would feel a lot better. You can get young kids to fill almost every position and do just as well. Ausmus is the biggest loss. As he takes some knowledge with him. But all the rest are expendable.

 

I saw on ESPN.com today that the Braves cut Mark Redman. That has to be one of the worst acquisitions they've ever made. He was utterly terrible in his few starts this year. Everytime I saw that he was starting, I went ahead and assumed that they were going to lose. And even if the game was close, I was pleasantly surprised.