The Archives 2008

June 26, 2008 Chaconheads Shawn Chacon's career with the Houston Astros ended earlier today, and while that ending may have been neither the strangest nor the saddest in team history, it may very well end up being the most acrimonious. After the Astros requested waivers on Chacon today, the Player's Union vowed to take action on behalf of Chacon if another team does not pick up his contract by the end of the month. While the Player's union may not be strong enough to actually *win* a case on behalf of a player who physically assaulted his boss, it is undeniably strong enough to bring one. For a team that has had more and more distractions as we have gotten deeper and deeper into the season, the looming struggle over Chacon and his contract promises to tower over the rest. So while Chacon can kick back with a spliff and see what the lawyers working for him can collect on his behalf, and of course wait to see if the Yankees come calling, it is the Astros who are really worried this evening. Jose de Jesus Ortiz reported on a "toxic" atmosphere in the clubhouse some days ago, and it's been some time since the general populace has understood Cooper's frequent loud proclamations that "it won't happen again!" to be the posturing of a manager who's lost control of his clubhouse. Roy Oswalt is publicly wondering why Cooper has filled out the lineup card the way he has, and whispers here and there suggest it hasn't just been Shawn Chacon who's been ignoring the advice of Dewey Robinson. Now, after Chacon states to reporters that Wade told him to "fucking [one assumes] look in the mirror," we are reminded of articles written in Philadelphia subsequent to Wade's tenure there that his temper was "legendary." How did it get this bad, so quick? Tim Purpura was proved incompetent, but Jesus Christ, you'd think he'd know how to talk to a disgruntled pitcher in such a way that the confrontation didn't escalate into assault and fucking battery. And of course Cooper is throwing people under the bus to the media left and right. When did such behavior become normal in this organization? Don't get me wrong: even Chacon admits he shoved Wade, and if that happened, the Astros HAD to release him. An organization under the direction of a professional man like Drayton McLane had no choice. But you gotta say: for Chacon, the worst is over, and for Ed Wade and Cecil Cooper and the rest of the Houston Astros, it is just beginning. The dog days as they play out may not reveal the Astros as contenders, but, as the Players Union fights on behalf of Chacon for wages claimed lost, they are sure to reveal some more less-than-flattering details about the men who pilot the Astros ship. May 24, 2008 Natural Bourn Killer I am on record here and elsewhere as saying that Mike Bourn belongs at Round Rock, and as the month of May has progressed, it has seemed that, even more than starting pitching, it was going to be our leadoff hitter that proved this team's fatal flaw. As pitchers like Shawn Chacon and Brian Moehler continued to put together respectable starts in the early and mid- parts of the month, it seemed like the only thing that could prevent this team from competing with the Cubs and the Cardinals was Michael Bourn and his .195 batting average. Flash forward to the last week. Geoff Blum, Mark Loretta, and most importantly, Ty Wigginton have gotten into the act, and despite my natural pessimism, I wonder whether the Astros' lineup might not be the most difficult to navigate top to bottom of any in the majors. And guess who's chipping in? Astros Position Player OPS 7 Days Ending May 24 Astro TPA OPS M Loretta 5 1.800 T Wigginton 19 1.196 H Pence 28 1.124 G Blum 9 1.056 M Bourn 31 .951 L Berkman 30 .892 That's right, Michael Bourn out-OPSed Lance Berkman last week. I'll let you think about that for a moment. As I was watching the Saturday night game that pitted the Phillies' Brett Myers versus Moehler, I was struck by the fact that, on a night when Myers' touch for his potentially-devastating curveball was missing, he continued to throw breaking stuff to Bourn. It was as if, I thought to myself, Bourn had somehow demonstrated that he can hit a fastball. . . . Well, I'm still not so sure. What we've definitely seen from Bourn is the same effect Willy Taveras had: simple ground balls become Reached on Error or even base hits, because the shortstop and the second baseman are so freaked out about the speed. With Taveras, this knack impressed me no end. But somehow, with Bourn, it's not pushing my button so much. I guess it's possible I was wrong. Perhaps Bourn CAN hit in the majors, and perhaps he can post an OBP in the .350's. And if so, the patience that the Wade-Cooper regime has shown with our centerfielder will be a risk that pays off in spades. Rather than a disaster that ruins our season. April 12, 2008 Oswalt's Hard Times Marlins 10 Astros 6 Although their comments were made before last night's homerfest, Richard Justice and Chip Bailey are both on record as saying that Roy Oz is gonna be alright, and who am I to argue with them? But at the same time, perhaps now that the wheels are undisputably off the track, I can state just exactly how futzed Roy really is. First off, it's no secret that the Roy Oswalt of the last couple years gives up more hits than the one circa 2002 or 2003. Pitching in the zone has almost always been a part of Roy's plan of attack, but beginning in 2004, Roy seemed to make a conscious decision to reduce the walks, and the hit-totals be damned: Roy Oz, Hit and Walk Rates by Year Year Hits per 9 Walks per 9 ERA 2001   8.005 1.525 2.73 2002   8.305 2.395 3.01 2003   8.199 2.050 2.97 2004   8.848 2.354 3.49 2005   9.050 1.788 2.94 2006   8.973 1.550 2.98 2007   9.382 2.547 3.18 2008 (3 GS) 16.870 1.125 9.00 While the ERA has always been shiny, and was last year, too, it's worth stating that while the period 2004 - 2006 was marked by rising hit totals and lowered walk totals, in 2007 Roy posted career highs in both hits and walks per nine. And I post the '08 stats not to be alarming, but rather to show that one trend has continued so far, and the other has not. David Pinto suggest that Oswalt has gotten predictable, and while this reminds me somewhat of the chicken and the egg kind of debates that accompanied Brad Lidge's decline, mabye he's got a point. The Chronicle story this morning notes that only once before had Roy given up 17 runs in any three-game span, but I think that kind of understates the matter. It is necessary to say that Roy has NEVER been as bad over a three-game period as he's been over the three games he's pitched this year. He just hasn't. While he's been giving up hits more and more, he had never given up 30 hits over 3 games, until facing the Marlins last night. Roy gave up 23 total bases to the Fish. Needless to say that's a career high for any one game, but his three-game subtotal of 53 total bases allowed is also a career high. And sure, last night's putrid performance skews that some, but Roy's total of 30 total bases allowed in the first TWO games made those one of the 7-worst pairs of games he'd ever thrown, before he ever even had to face Ramirez and Hermida and Jacobs and Cantu Friday. Roy's bases allowed per batter faced last night was 1.095. As you would expect, that's a career high as well, and the three game rolling average of .714 this year is also a career high. More hits, and more bases, and throw in that zero-strikeout game he had vs. the Cubs. Oswalt's been the best pitcher in team history, and he's a mean sonofabitch besides, so who knows how he's going to come back. But how can you not at least wonder whether the decline is on? April 8, 2008 Tejada 'n' Pence 'n' Bourn Cardinals 5 Astros 3 First game I've watched since Opening Night, due to problems with getting the MLB package. Tejada's really stroking the ball, I might have to forget he's named in the Mitchell Report. He's a madman, no discipline whatsoever, he goes down in the zone, up in the zone and takes it to the opposite field. You always hear that kind of stuff about Guerrero, never knew Tejada was that way as well. Pence had 10 straight hitless at bats before he went opposite field, and the at bat before the triple, I was convinced he needed a refresher course in the Pacific Coast League. An absolute total mess is what he was in that AB. So alright, he hits the triple, nice swing, too. We'll let him stay up another night. The bullpen's gonna be brutal. The Houston bullpen entered tonight's game against the Cards with the worst WHIP in the National League. A night after Valverde gacks up Wandy's jewel, I learn that *Brocail* is gonna be our eighth inning guy. Doug Brocail. It's almost incomprehensible. Geoff Geary's got nothing, as we plainly saw tonight. The only ones saving this 'pen are gonna be Super Dave Borkowski and Wesley Wright, who I fell in love with during his inning tonight. The kid flings that baseball, beautfiul free and easy motion and the radar says 90, 91, 92 but it somehows looks faster than that. I bet Wright's a success this year. And after tonight's 0 for 5, I'm back to placing my chips on the "Bourn to Round Rock" square. The triple vs. the Cubs Saturday had me wondering I might be wrong, but it's plain to me: Michael Bourn IS Curtis Burke. April 1, 2008 Where's The O? Padres 4 Astros 0 Whoa, shut out on four hits. If this team is going to have a chance like they seem to really believe, it's gonna need to go like 30 - 5 in Oswalt's starts. So last night was not an auspicious beginning. But on the other hand, it went better than 2007's Opening Day, less heartbreaking, and losing to Peavy is less bothersome than losing to Zach Duke or Matt Capps or whatever. I was punishing major league baseball for the Mitchell report by not following the Spring (yeah, I know), but I couldn't help but notice that Michael Bourn hit .220 in Florida. So color me pleasantly surprised to see that he reached base twice against Jake Peavy. I noted them stolen bases well, too. I don't think Bourn's gonna hit, but I'd like to be wrong about that. The other major newcomer is of course Miggy, and while all his transgressions are not forgiven, you gotta give him props for the only multi-hit night, and the only extra base hit, a high fastball at his shoulder blades for which Tejada went up and smoked down the right field line. And I'm not expecting all that much defensively, but he had also gone back to his right and snagged a shot, getting the ball to Loretta for a fielder's choice during one of Oswalt's many situations with baserunners and fewer than 2 out. Things to root for Tuesday that were absent Monday: 1. Carlos Lee 2. Hunter Pence 3. Maybe our starting pitcher could go 6, or give up hits in the single digits. February 17, 2008 Sign Him Up Not for nothing, but I can't help but notice, as Spring camps open in Florida and Arizona, that Barry Bonds still hasn't signed with anyone. Why don't the Astros take a look at him? He'd be a good match. I'm sure that most teams are scared off the Home Run King by the stench of steroids that hovers around him, but these days, I don't see that as being a problem of consequence for the 'Stros. I mean, the signing of Miguel Tejada--not to mention that two of the three key figures in last week's hearings on Capitol Hill were very recently Astros--has pretty much established the team's laissez faire attitude when it comes to PEDs, don't you think? For me, nothing summed up this new Astros attitude--and erased any doubts about the club's true direction as dictated by McLane, Wade, and Smith--better than that picture you saw floating around the internet last week of the scumbag Brian Mcnamee wearing a pair of Astros shorts. Alright is what I said to myself when I saw that. Fucking character reference supreme! So yeah, man, Barry. It'll be the big ticket this summer; you know how McLane loves his promotions. You think a power-hitting lefthander like Barroids wouldn't wear out the Crawford Boxes? They could call it "Fifty Homers in Fifty Games" or some shit. I know that with his age, and with the brittle tendons from the 'roids, Bonds won't much for the field, but hell, we're going into the season with Michael Bourn as our centerfielder, so there are sure to be plenty of late-inning at bats for a lefty off the bench. And I bet we could find some judicious spot starts for Mr. 73, too, sit Bourn every once in a while (that'll be happening anyways, is my thinking), and go Lee-Pence-Bonds left to right. Not much for defense, true, but that, also, seems to be the way the organization has been moving. So it all fits. I know that even after being ignored all winter, Bonds won't come cheap. But I figure this would be a good use for the money that McLane won't be paying to Nolan Ryan going forward. I can see the press conference now, Bonds clutching one of those oversized checks for 10 mil, and Drayton stammering on about how nothing's been proved and "we're glad to have him" . . . . .It's too perfect. December 24, 2007 About our New Shortstop From The Mitchell Report: In 2003, Adam Piatt's locker was located next to Tejada's in the Oakland Athletics clubhouse. According to Piatt, Tejada asked specifically if he had any steroids. Piatt believed that Tejada asked him because Piatt was in good shape and generally friendly with him. Piatt had several conversations with Tejada before a transaction occurred. Piatt admitted he had access to steroids and human growth hormone and agreed to obtain them for Tejada. Piatt recalled that he provided Tejada with testosterone or Deca-Durabolin, as well as human growth hormone. Piatt emphasized that he did not know whether Tejada actually used the substances. Piatt's bank provided two checks deposited into Piatt's account that had been written to him from Miguel Tejada. The checks are dated March 21, 2003 and are in the amounts of $3,100 and $3,200 respectively. . . . one is shown below. [Major distributor Kirk] Radomski recalled receiving a call from Piatt during which he said he needed extra testosterone because "one of the guys wanted some." In a later conversation, Piatt told Radomski that the testosterone was for his teammate, Miguel Tejada. Radomski never spoke, or sold performance enhancing substances, directly to Tejada. Radomski provided this information to me without knowledge that I had spoken to Piatt or that I was otherwise aware of Piatt's alleged sales to Tejada. Similarly, Piatt was unaware of any statements by Radomski on this subject when he was interviewed by my investigative staff. Tejada is also mentioned in two books on the subject. In Juicing the Game, the author Howard Bryant wrote that during the 2002 season, an airport security screener found a syringe in Tejada's briefcase. Tejada reportedly explained that he received a supply of vitamin B12 from the Dominican Republic that he administered to himself. In his book Juiced, Jose Canseco wrote that, in 1997, when he and Tejada were teammates on the Athletics, they discussed the use of performance enhancing substances: I started giving him [Tejada] advice about steroids, and he seemed interested in what I was saying. Tejada and I had a secret weapon: We could speak in Spanish, which made it easier to talk about whatever he wanted, even if there were reporters around.   Good going, Ed Wade. And after stressing morals in this organization for 15 years, Drayton McLane should be ashamed of his current hypocrisy in saying about Tejada that "we're glad to have him." I sure as hell ain't.