Astros 2017: The ChipalattAwards for April

Baseball’s regular seasons fit nicely into a window made up of six months of the calendar. That first month is over with the Houston Astros putting up one of their best opening months in their history at 16-9, which is percentage points behind the 15-8 Yankees and Orioles for best in the AL and second best in all of baseball.

It is time to make a few quicky awards for the first month of the season. We’ll just call them the ChipalattAwards.

Pitcher of the Month. Dallas Keuchel. Put forth any other name and you are just being goofy. 5-0 and he left the 6th game with a 2-1 lead. At least 7 innings in every start. 2 runs is the most he has given up and that was in his 9 inning complete game win at Cleveland. First in wins in the AL, first in innings pitched, 3rd in ERA among qualifiers – he is looking even better than he did in his Cy Young season after one month and is also Player of the Month for the Astros.

Runner-up. Chris Devenski. He’s had a few bumps lately, but his pitching was critical in 5 of their first 11 wins. His 2.16 ERA and .600 WHIP are strong, but his 32 Ks vs only 2 BB in 16.2 IP is world class.

Everyday (almost) Player of the Month. Evan Gattis.  Even though he is tied for 10th on the team in plate appearances, he is tied for first with 14 RBIs.  His .321 BA/.400 OBP/.918 OPS is impressive, but more impressive is his ability with runners in scoring position. RISP – .444 BA / .476 OBP / 1.254 OPS                                                                                                                                                                                   2 outs RISP – .667 / .714 / 1.714

Runner-up. George Springer. His BA and OBP are too low, but his 16 runs scored, 7 HRs and 14 RBIs have meant a lot to the team. Brian McCann is right here also due to what he has brought the team behind the plate as well as at it.

Looking in a mirror winners. No contest here. The twin brothers of different mothers award goes unanimously to Brian McCann and Evan Gattis

Biggest Surprise (Positive). Brad Peacock. For a guy who only made the team out of ST due to Collin McHugh’s injury, he has been an under the radar contributor to date. After 7 scoreless appearances, he did give up a run Sunday – but his numbers to date are pristine. 2-0 record, 18 Ks and only 4 hits in 11.1 IP and a 0.79 ERA.

Runner-up. This may be Yulieski Gurriel, who after a slow start this season is spraying line drives all over the place. After the first week of the season, he was putting up a pitiful .095 BA / .095 OBP / .190 OPS. At the end of the month he was one of the best hitters on the club with a .329 / .354 / .835 line.

Biggest Surprise (Negative). Tie. Carlos Correa and Carlos Beltran – The two Puerto Ricans were supposed to ride their World Baseball Classic success into a strong start of the season. Instead they both end April with only 2 HR and 8 RBIs and .650 OPS and .627 OPS respectively.

Runner-up. Not sure. Alex Bregman who is just OK, but lacking the power he showed last season? Ken Giles and Luke Gregerson who have more positive outings than negative, but crummy ERAs to date?

Best Survivor of the World Baseball Classic. Jose Altuve who has risen up to a .326/ .402 / .874 slash. Yawn. Can’t this guy do anything to thrill us like an OBP of .500? He is also the winner of the best leadoff stats for a guy who is not allowed to leadoff.

Runner-up. Nori Aoki who started off on fire and now is just solid.

Best Imitation of a Power hitter by a non-power hitter. Marwin Gonzalez who is second on the team with 5 HR and on pace for 32 dingers.

Runner-up – Jake Marisnick already has 2 HRs in only 21 ABs and also has the highest SLG and OPS on the team.

Most Likely to Get Replaced in the Rotation. Mike Fiers with his 5.12 ERA / 1.603 WHIP  and less than 5 innings per start.

Runner-up. Joseph Musgrove who is a bit better in every way and who better have a longer leash than Fiers.

Your turn. What April Awards would you like to hand out?

 

 

 

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135 responses to “Astros 2017: The ChipalattAwards for April”

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  1. In honor of Chip I think we should name these the Chippy’s which goes hand in hand with the type of game it turned into last night…..

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  2. ‘U Can’t Touch This’ Award: Yuli Gurriel, for the soon-to-be-famous ‘swim slide’ that totally made Odor look like a fool last night.

    ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Award: Josh Reddick for his amazing leaping grab at the wall in Cleveland to rob Kipnis of a home run.

    ‘Baby, Come Back’ Award: Lance McCullers’ Jr., for the finding the backdoor to Mike Napoli’s heart.

    ‘Your Still the One’ Award: Dallas Keuchel, for . . . well, for still being the ‘one’.

    ‘Please, Mister Custer’ Award: Mike Fiers, for being called upon to toe the rubber against another team’s ace in two starts in a row.

    ‘Time for a Cool Change’ Award: Chris Devenski, master of . . . well, the ‘coolest change’.

    ‘Our House’ Award: Brian McCann. NOT IN ‘Our House’, Mr. Bannister!

    ‘Beat It’ Award: Collin McHugh – his not so subtle message to Carlos Gomez last night.

    ‘Thriller’ Award: Kenny Giles, because one thing his appearances will never be is boring.

    ‘Those Were The Days, My Friend’ Award: Carlos Beltran. 2004 was super cool. But alas, this is 2017.

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  3. Add this to your biggest surprises. Marwin Gonzalez has a walk rate almost three times higher than last year. There is an effort on his part to improve his game.
    Even though Bregman is not hitting great, his BA is only 11 points below last season, his OBP is way up over last season, his BB rate is up and his K rate is way down. His SLG is down, but is Bregman a slugger? He’s a SS playing 3B.
    One of the biggest differences in this team is the fact that they are 25th in baseball in striking out. The other big difference I see in this team is that they are like sharks when the other team pulls their starter and puts in a reliever. That is an “eye” observation. If anyone can find some stats to back that up it would be appreciated.
    The better Dallas Keuchel pitches, the more the batter has to swing at that stuff below the knees. His velocity is only a smidgen higher on his fastball, his cutter and his slider. The biggest difference I see in his pitches is that his change up is over 1 mph slower and he is throwing it 5.5% more than last year.
    Fiers has the highest ERA, but he is also the #5 starter. It would be interesting to see how he stacks up against other team’s #5 starters.
    I think Gurriel is the biggest surprise because he has hit and his fielding has been terrific. He has been an above average fielding first baseman.
    If you lead your division and your #4 and #5 hitters are the biggest disappointments, there is something to look forward to. One is super young and the other is super old in the world of baseball.
    It seems to me Evan Gattis is an improving player. His BB rate is up and his K rate is way, way down, from 25.5% last season to 13.8% this season. I think he is starting to see that he doesn’t have to carry this team on his back every time he steps to the plate and that is leading to patience.

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    • Maybe Beltran’s old bones need some warmer weather – last April he had 4 HR and 9 RBIs and was slashing .253 /. 276 / .710 and then he got rolling in May onward

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      • I expect Carlos to have a pretty decent hot streak sometime soon. Tonight would be good, if he’s in the line-up.

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  4. Pitcher: 1. DK 2. Tie with 3. But I won’t name them.
    Almost: 1. Gattis. 2. The Bullpen.
    Mirror: Agree, no contest, except Gurriel and …. (nope, no need to do that).
    Surprise: 1. Aoki being on waivers tied with Peacock. (Beltran and Correa are getting good wood on lots of ABs. I hope it is similar to Bergman 2016- they need better luck.
    Survivor WBC: 1. Altuve 2. Altuve when he is slumping.
    Best Imitation: 1. Aoki. I hope Jake and Margo are for real and keep hitting.
    Rotation Replacement: I hope you are right, my concern is ??? when injured.
    Manager of the Month: Hinch, even if he won’t listen to me and continues winning.
    Executive of the Month: Luhnow. God that pains me, but so far, he brought in Thoroughbreds and no turkeys.

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  5. Just FYI. In 32 games last year, Cole Hamels hit only 8 batters.
    In just 5 games so far this year, he has already nailed 4.

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  6. Giles’s save last night was his 7th and the team’s 8th. The Astros got their 8th save of 2016 on May 13th and Giles got his seventh save of 2016 on August 31st.
    Giles threw 1 pitch Sunday and 9 last night. Is he available if we need a save tonight?

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  8. More Rock-N-Roll Themed Astro Awards for 2017:

    The ‘Here, There, and Everywhere’ Award goes to Marwin Gonzales – because he can and does play ‘- you guessed it . . . here there, and everywhere’.

    The ‘Can’t Get Next to You’ Award goes to Jose Altuve, because all too often when he tries to get back to first on a pickoff play, he just can’t seem to get back where he belongs.

    The ‘No Particular Place to Go’ Award goes to Tony Kemp, who was brought up for a few games while Marisnick was injured, but found out that on the 2017 team he had no particular place to go.

    The ‘You’re Gonna Love Me Award’ goes to Brad Peacock – because nobody thought he would, but dang it, after all these years, he really is kinda starting to grow on us.

    The ‘Proud Mary’ and ‘Rocky Mountain High’ Awards both go to . . . well, since he left a good job in the city, nobody on this blog really wants to read his name ever again.

    The ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ Award goes to Alex Bregman, because so far . . . .

    The ‘Let it Be’ Award goes to the entire Astros team, as we look at the standings every day, see our Stros’ firmly in possession of first place in the Division, and get our hopes up even as Mother Mary whispers her famous words of wisdom: ‘Let it Be!’

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    • A quick nod to the Stones

      Springer kept LMJ from being a Street Fighting Man. The Rangers left the game thinking that they Can’t Get No Satisfaction. When they look back at their domination of the Astros in 2015 and 2016 they have to be thinking that could be The Last Time.
      Though I’m not big on throwing behind hitters, it is tough to have Sympathy for the Devil. So maybe Hinch will look at Bannister and know that he is “Under My Thumb.”

      Well Wild Horses couldn’t get me to ignore my Astros now and I’m feeling so high I just have to tell everyone to Get Off My Cloud. The Rangers can just write off the rest of the season and Paint It Black,

      Well the Rangers were the division champs last year but It’s All Over Now. When I see McHugh harassing Gomez it just makes me Miss McH(you). Dallas sure looks like the re-newed Beast of Burden for this team.

      I know the odds of them winning is like Tumbling Dice, but 2017 has been an Emotional Rescue for me.

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      • Carlos Gomez kept saying ‘Here comes my 19th nervous breakdown’. Meanwhile, I think Orbit ought to go into the Rangers locker room, pile up their gear in the middle of the floor, and ‘Paint it, Paint it, Paint it, Paint it Black’

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  9. Well, Fresno’s starting pitching situation isn’t getting any better any time soon. Brady Rodgers is out for the season after having surgery today on his UCL.

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  10. Mr. Bill…..I saw that today. I hope he can come back and be as good as new next year. I’m sure his wife will take good care of the young man. I’m a gambler, and I told my husband I bet you $5 dollars Marwin is in the lineup tonight! YaY I won!!
    Oh by the way Beltran is is the DH and batting second tonight. I’m waiting for that snotty little 2nd baseman to get into it with someone this series….his name matches his personality STINKY. I’m sooo glad McCann is here in Houston, he brings so much to this team! And for that, he gets the day off along side Reddick!! Speaking of our resident wild man, he ordered a 1st. Base mit, and it was delivered yesterday. He’s lobbing Hinch to let him play 1st base every once in a while!! LOL you gotta hand it to him, he’s almost as crazy as Rasmus was last year!! Hinches answer to that question was…..no!! STAND TALL again tonight boys!

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  11. I wish I had the time I used to for the Chip. However when I do get a chance you all are informative, clever, and funny as ever TY!!

    I have to add Loved seeing the Astros Grow a pair last night. I said it a lot the last couple years we were to nice and soft. Loved last night GO Stros, and keep it up Chipsters!

    Becky Keep a fighting.

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  15. I’m so fed up with Fiers. It’s still entirely plausible that we come back and win this game, but you can’t keep going back to this guy when he puts the club in a hole every time out. Let’s get Peacock stretched out.

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  17. What can you say. I guess Hinch is gonna leave him in there until everyone of them hits a homerun off him. No idea what to do at this point…..but I’m betting Fires is not in the rotation after this game.

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  18. Our guys went brain dead when the found out that Hammels wasn’t going to pitch tonight. WAKE UP YOU RUBES!!!

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  22. Is it just me, or Blummer who is normally jovial and good color commentary just a complete dud, making Brownie cover everything?

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      • That’s Gregerson for you. When he was the closer it seemed like he got lit up in every non save situation. Now that’s he’s not, he gets lit up whenever it is.

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  26. Well when you go down 5 zip, you’ve got to take the win anyway you end up with it. But is there now not a good enough reason to pull Fiers from the rotation? 12 homers in 25 innings? I think that’s what it is. Hoyts effectiveness makes it easier to move Peacock or Devenski into the rotation.

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    • Fiers makes me furious..what is it with this guy? Does he have pictures of Luhnow in a bikini with a mountain goat or something?

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  27. Yes, that run in the 12th inning by Buies Creek was a Kyle Tucker home run to win the game. Come on, we knew it the minute we saw the box score.

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  28. I am speechless. The Astros come back from a 5-0 deficit to the Rangers and then have the nerve to win a one run game. Fiers was bad and Gregerson was bad and somehow the Astros still won.
    I am in shock.

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  30. As an Astros fan and former Rangers fan, I would like to encourage everyone that is an Astros fan to maintain class and dignity on this and other blogs when commenting about the current series between these two teams. Show some level of maturity.

    YEAH….. RIGHT…..

    Watermelon Watermelon Watermelon Rind
    Look on the scoreboard and see who’s behind

    We’re number one, can’t be number two
    We’re gonna beat the Whoopee out of you.

    What’s a good word? Beat the Rangers.
    What’s a better word? Beat Hell out of the Rangers

    #BTSOOTR

    Like I said, maturity.

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  32. Well, it looks like daddy has packed up and moved 200 miles south down I-45. It couldn’t have ended any better than a Carlos Gomez special swinging at 2 pitches in the dirt to end the game. There is something amazing happening with our favorite team this year and I am going to enjoy the ride. Yes, there will be a few bumps along the way, but this team has the look of a team that knows it is good and can win on almost every night.

    Also, Fiers has been horrible giving up the HRs, but he had 9 Ks and only 7 hits (unfortunately, 4 were for HRs) in 6 IPs. I am sure Hinch is going to give him his next start. I know it can be painful to watch, but the team is 18-9 and the bullpen, as constructed, is a huge strength. Let’s see if he (Fiers) figures it out in his next start, which will be against the Angels on Sunday.

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  33. Tim, you are a glutton for punishment. But because of that 18 – 9 record, you could be right, Fiers might still remain in the rotation for now. The thing that gets me is that he does not even seem to be fazed when he throws yet another crappy pitch that results in a launched baseball. It’s nice that he struck out 9 guys but 7 hits in 6 innings is an unremarkable effort even without the four dingers. Are there any advanced stats that suggest better things to come from our 5th man in the rotation?

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    • 7 hits in 6 IPs would be very good for a #5 starter if 4 of them weren’t HRs. You’re not going to get TORP numbers from a #5.

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  34. Thoughts –
    – I guess if I keep saying Marwin could not possible hit 20 HRs – he’s going to hit 30 instead
    – Good to see Beltran with 3 hits last night – really need him to warm up in the middle of that lineup
    – Is Mr. Hoyt going to supplant Mr. Gregerson at some point? Luke seems to have caught some of that World Baseball Classic flu
    – The Astros had not won a game trailing 5-0 since 2008 and then they do it 3 times in the first 27 games of 2017
    – There is no way the Astros win either of these games the last two seasons against the Rangers – in fact they would have lost it just as excruciatingly as the Rangers just did
    – After being so strong for most of the first month of the season, the Astros bullpen feels shaky right now. Maybe it is using guys outside their normal roles, but they are acting like the 9th inning is not just another inning – which every nerdish wonk knows it is
    – It is not easy for a guy with a .228 BA like MarGo to have a .957 OPS
    – At one point in the mlb box score last night it showed Harris pitching 1.1 innings (4 outs) though he only pitched the 9th. It only seemed like 4 outs when we were watching it…..

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  36. Is anyone else willing to support my belief that Marwin’s 2018 option is not too expensive? I’ll say it again – he provides more versatility than anyone else on the roster, switch hits, and gives you a chance when the chips are on the line. Now, I’m perfectly willing to accept any arguments that Mike Fiers is overpaid in 2017 and will be too expensive by far in 2018…although if he keeps giving up HR we might get him for the league minimum.

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    • My son who is not really into baseball has been watching with me all season. We had this discussion last night about those we need to keep next year. I said, “I just don’t think we can afford Marwin next year.” He asked why not when I listed salaries of McCann Beltran Reddick.

      I know it’s about consistent offense, because nobody seems to give him enough credit defensively except his most ardent supporter – Uncle Jeff.

      With that in mind, will Kemp White Moran be ready in 2018? I truly believe the answer to *that* question looms. From a clubhouse standpoint, Marwin being passed over will not sit well. He reminds me of the workman who never really gets his due, or the walk-on who invariably beats out the scholarship athlete. People don’t notice him as much since nothing really pops out about his game. Always always having to prove his worth.

      I go back to one thing. Compare his numbers at age against Jose Vizcaino. Marwin is still young, and there’s plenty in the tank with multiple tools.

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  37. The Fiers question is a real tough one. I admit when it got to 5-0, I changed the channel. Kept coming back, it was 5-2. Then, 5-3. I started kicking myself for not believing! Not because I didn’t believe in the team, but that Mike just doesn’t give me confidence.

    Except, it almost seems on (Mc)queue that if he can settle in, he’ll get his innings. May not be pretty, but ask yourself this: if MK Peacock Feliz (or Martes) were at the same position of the game down 5-0, who would you want trying to complete a quality start of those 4? Someday in the not-too-distant future when Collin comes back (just like when LMJ was coming off DL and Mike Fiers the no-hitter Aug 22, 2015), the question will be front and center yet again based on his shaky outings..

    I truly think the answer lies in Strom’s able judgment. Not ours.

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  38. This discussion about Marwin is a good one.
    There are obvious favorites in the Astros dugout. Hinch talks about situations dictating the lineup, but the situation of his cleanup hitter being the worst guy in the lineup has not dictated any change. The situation of the leadoff guy not getting on base enough has not dictated a change
    Marwin has made changes. Last night he saw 25 pitches in 4 plate appearances, which was the most, by far, of any Astros batter. Altuve saw 21 pitches in five plate appearances.
    Up until this year, Marwin was a sucker for any breaking ball at or below his knees. Last night, the Ranger tried that pitch on him a dozen times and most of the time he let it go and a couple of times he pulled it foul.
    By laying off the pitches that used to get him out, Marwin is seeing more pitches, recognizing them, and jumping on fastballs when they are in his wheelhouse and he saw two of those last night.
    You will notice that you don’t hear or see rumors about Marwin. He gets raises every year, avoids arbitration, causes no problems and constantly solves problems. This year the Astros gave him another raise and a larger option for next year. It’s pretty obvious they like him and want to keep him.
    The new players on this team are rubbing off on the entrenched players about patience at the plate. Beltran, Reddick, McCann and Aoki have quietly transferred the message about how the rest of baseball viewed Astros hitters in recent years and their bad habit of no patience and strikeouts being OK. The team has taken this message to heart and the results are in: 18-9.
    The improved, patient version of Marwin Gonzalez is dangerous. It did not come easy. He has really been working on this.

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    • The improvements you cite backed up by the numbers are the exact keys I mentioned from last Summer until today, and regarding plate discipline, the keys that Gattis has improved upon as well. You could see from last Spring Training that Marwin was making the changes that allowed him to see better pitches. It makes sense that what Julia was reporting about Beltran “holding court” with Marwin Altuve and Correa’s chairs all in a circle listening at the feet of the Master, those who have ears ‘let ’em hear’ – Marwin has taken it to heart with bat in hand. When someone believes in you (Luhnow and teammates), it can do wonders. It can make the other side of 1-29 feel like paradise!

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  39. Marwin can make you happy / ecstatic as he did last night and he is a tremendously versatile player. He is leading the team in RBIs and tied for the lead in HRs in about 60% of the ABs of the starters.
    He also just got through a nasty 1 for 27 slump.
    The team is 9-7 when he starts a game and 9-2 when he doesn’t.
    The team is 13-9 when he plays in a game and 5-0 when he doesn’t.
    All of that might be small sample-it is and nothing to do with him. Just weird.

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    • You make some good points. I would like to point out, however, that during that 1 for 27 slump Marwin went through, he drew 5 bases on balls. He was a guy who only walked 22 times all last year in 518 plate appearances. He is on a pace to have 50 BBs in 400 PAs this season.
      Also, Marwin’s BABIP is .171, which means he has been very unlucky at the plate this year. That luck has followed him around the bases this year also, as he has scored only 8 runs and has 7 homers. No matter who has hit behind him, they haven’t hit when he gets on base. That from a team with the highest BA in the AL. Marwin has excelled while being totally snake bitten.

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    • Yeah op – I am not trying to say he’s a bad player or even responsible for the team doing worse when he’s playing – it’s just plain weird. Sometimes stats are misleading I think.

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  40. This comment is not a defense of the current Rangers and their predicament. Rather, it is a comment regarding to the predicament the Rangers put themselves in when they decided to turn their team into an old team.
    Cecil Fielder is gone and he hurt us last year.
    Adrian Beltre is hurt.
    Cole Hamels was babied this spring and he hurt himself last night.
    The old pitching staff is old and one of their old, gone guys used to beat the Astros like a drum and he is not pitching for them anymore.
    Their payroll is high because they kept retooling and then traded the farm for an old guy and blocked a lot of their prospects with old guys. Hamilton? Gomez?
    Cole Hamels feasted on Miami, Washington, the Mets and the Braves in their down years, but is not a guy the Rangers could ride to a world series, and that was seen last year.
    I’m not saying the Rangers can’t turn it around, but without two of their best players, Beltre and Fielder, the prisoners have taken over the prison and things are not going well and their chances are diminishing.

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  41. Marwin has done some pretty remarkable things as of late. Right now, he’s worth every bit of next years extension. It’s not like the club will not be able to afford him. It’s more about whether or not they think they’ll have a better option(s). Today, it does not look that way.

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    • I didn’t mean by afford they wouldn’t have the money, just that if Tyler White gives you close to the production and defense, what are you going to do with that $5M difference? Is his presence worth that money? This is after all a business, and we’ve all been around long enough to see ties that bind, and cutting ties.

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      • There’s probably a baseball math term that makes the Marwin equation easier. In poker, it’s called ICM.

        The one factor that’s never really understood as a fan is the clubhouse. Having his presence usually cannot be quantified in dollars.

        So, obviously we can afford him if we feel he can potentially make the reward greater than what seems to be the case today (pedestrian batting average, and so on).

        Why do we all forgive Correa for slumping – because we know he’ll get back to what we’ve seen. A guy like Marwin gets more chirpers calling for his head in such slumps, simply because as Op wrote most people didn’t expect he’d make the adjustments. As a platoon guy, or sub, the assumption is the league catches up to him. This year he’s turned the tables on them.

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      • Tyler White is not capable of playing 7 or 8 different positions. Marwin can, and actually does. I’m not saying White wont be on the team next year, but I don’t think he matches up well in the Super Utility position. He could match up well at 1B or DH, depending on what happens this year with Beltran, who is a free agent next year at age 41.
        Gurriel could move to DH and White to 1B. Reed could move to 1B and Gurriel to DH. Gurriel could stay at 1B and either white or Reed at DH. Who knows?
        Something tells me that if Marwin keeps up the walks and the power and keeps down the Ks, he will be on the team next year, unless some team makes the Astros an offer they can’t refuse.

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      • I hear ya, Op, about White not matching up. I mean it in more general terms, like the shuffle we’re capable of having in Moran Reed White Davis and Kemp. So the question if asked is solely about money (which it’s not), well, it would be cheaper to have 3 of those rookies serving Marwin’s role, and they all bring a facet Marwin doesn’t really have altogether, but that none of them possess themselves either. Switch hitting, good glove, decent arm, flashes power, solid clubhouse, guy that begs ya to root for him.. sounds like a helluva deal for $5M! Until we see some of the “old Marwin.”

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  42. What’s interesting about Devin’s question is, if you all will recall, he predicted that by mid season Marwin would be getting most of the starts at 1B. That’s telling that he thought (am I putting words in your mouth?), like I did, that Bregman is not a third baseman, and that not knowing if Yuli would stick at first, move back over to the hot corner.

    The kicker is that as awesome as Aoki has been, and Reddick holding his own, Marwin is forcing his way onto the field in a position which is his weakest (in terms of outfield routes). It’s speaks volumes that MarGo is even finding playing time!

    That he realizes he has to make a splash, and has as a part-timer, really warms the Gov’s heart for sure! Sorry, Tim.

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    • Gurriel is playing far better in the field and at the plate than I predicted. I expected to see a lot of platooning at 1B, and was concerned Bregman would be shifted off 3B. I hope they both continue improving and keep Marwin off 1B.

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      • I recognized that’s what you meant when you wrote, Marwin will probably get more looks at 1B. We’re all elated about Gurriel’s rise, but had no idea he’d be this good. Well, as long as he keeps getting advice from his dad to stay in the zone, the sky’s the limit.

        We’ve been on a quest for mainstays at the corners since Berkman, and Cammy.

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  43. I know I’m her that tends to say caution on yer comments lest they come back to bitcha, which I git makes me grievous unpoplar, but caution on yer comments lest they come back to bitcha. We done had too many ‘flictions with this perticlar team.

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    • We live in a world where if you’re offended, you’re right. I just try to call ’em like I see ’em, and let history decide who was correct. Which side of the isle is the least of my concerns.

      Some famous baseball player wrote: I can sum up the game in one word, “who knows?”

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  45. Chirper’s? I qualify in that regard. But let’s face it. We need to have this conversation about Marwin again in mid September. For right now though, he’s extending his at bats, as previously has been noted, and is ending up with pitches he can handle. And he sure is handling them. So he’ll keep getting work three of four days a week for now, and is great to have around if someone goes on a short DL stint. My main complaint against the guy is that he has not historically hit from the left side. Maybe he’s figured that out. If so, I will no longer be a Marwin chirper. Believe it or not, I even want Mike Fiers to succeed.

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    • It’s interesting that when a hitter makes improvements with the Astros we congratulate the player, but when a hitter struggles we quickly condemn Dave Hudgens. The increase in plate discipline is Hudgens mantra and we have seen several players improve in this area since Hudgens became the hitting coach (Altuve, Gattis and Marwin to name a few). All of these players are professional so I’m not going to give too much credit or lay too much blame on the hitting coach. I don’t blame Hudgens for Gomez or Castro any more than I credit him for Gattis and Marwin. Hudgens is/was not our problems in the past or present, in my humble (and I use that term loosely) opinion.

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      • I’ve seen Hudgens this year a lot more in the dugout talking to hitters than I noticed in year’s past. Maybe I just wasn’t lookin’.

        It definitely makes his job easier when the likes of Chris Carter and Carlos Gomez are gone!

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  46. Somewhere back up there, 1OP was talking about patience and plate discipline. Last night in the 5th (I think) my guy Altuve took 3 of the ugliest swings since Wallace went to SD. Brownie or Blummer said “I wonder what he thought he saw.” His Ks are adding up. Hinch or Beltran or Dr Phil needs to talk to him.

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    • I thought the same thing, Astrocolt, but then it occurred to me! Something I saw in Beltran too, where everyone is living on the outside of the plate when he’s LHH. If you “make yourself look bad” going after those pitches in one AB, you know exactly what they’ll do the next AB. And hopefully, the following team series will watch the video too and say, “let’s pitch Altuve low and away!” Meanwhile, Beltran is telling Jose, this is how they’re coming at you, don’t fall for it again. Thereby, causing the opposition to not throw strikes, and giving us a chance to draw more walks. All it takes is sitting on that fastball when they’ve dug that 2-0 count hole.

      Does this sound like an ‘out in left field’ analysis? Sure seems like our guys don’t fall for it as often as let’s say Hunter Pence, who could NEVER stopped flailing at low and away…

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    • The irony here Gov is that the pitcher got in a 2-0 hole with his fastball and then went after Altuve with three straight untouchable sliders.
      Altuve reminded me (unfortunately) of his predecessor Craig Biggio who could never leave those sliders alone and could do nothing with them. But, hey a guy with a .326 BA / .409 OBP/ .915 OPS does not need me questioning anything he is doing.

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      • Was that before, or after Altuve’s HR? I think you’re right, after. At any rate, our guys are picking up on trends quicker. Even Georgie got in on the act last night.

        Ya know what I really think? The Rangers pitching sucks. When we hit Sale all over the park, maybe even ESPN will notice.

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      • Yes, Dan, but my point is that this team is learning. When Altuve struck out after being ahead 2-0, I told Mrs. 1OP that those three swings were as bad as Altuve can possibly look at the plate. BUT!
        The next at bat for Altuve in the 8th was exactly the opposite:
        foul
        swinging strike
        foul
        ball
        foul
        ball
        ball
        ball
        He totally turned it around and refused to go after the same pitches he had struck out on before. The result was that he scored the second run on Marwin’s grand slam. Marwin made us forget that Correa and Gurriel failed at the plate, almost costing us that game.
        I think this team is still learning what it is capable of and is still growing individually.
        They have flaws but are fixing them. Two of those flaws will probably have to be fixed by Luhnow, however, in order for the team to be elite.

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      • oldpro, it’s also worth noting that none of the pitches in those two at bats by Altuve were over the plate. Pitchers don’t want to give him anything he can get the barrel on. If he can stay patient it will force them to do so.

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      • Devin,

        You nailed it regarding Altuve. He can square up a ball with the best of them, but he has to learn to recognize those pitches that aren’t in his hitting zone and lay off them. He’s at his best when he is patient at the plate. Of course, this is true of almost every player, but not every player has Altuve’s ability as a hitter.

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  47. This is what Gov wrote when ranking the Stros in January.

    14. Gattis – the quiet giant can really mash it. He has the absolute potential to dramatically improve if he finds better plate discipline. With less pressure to carry the team, perhaps he will see better pitches, but realize nobody *wants to throw him a strike. He’s got a cannon and impressed me with decent framing -blocking is another story.

    Last night he let a ball get by him that took away the double play late in the game. But there’s no doubt he’s forced the opposition to throw him strikes by (Bulldog)being more selective!

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  49. More ‘Rock and Roll Meets Houston Astros Baseball’ Awards are about to be handed out. May I have the envelope, please?

    The ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You’ Award’ goes to Marwin Gonzales – and everyone else at MMP last night – when that ball he hit went soaring, soaring, soaring . . . all the way into the dusty book of Silver Boot Lore.

    The ‘I Walk the Line’ Award also goes to Marwin Gonzales, for reasons which should be fairly obvious to all who have watched the replay of that grand slam.

    The ‘Hit Me With Your Best Shot’ Award goes to Mike Fiers, who seems to be inviting every opposing hitter to do just that.

    The ‘Can You Feel It Coming In the Air Tonight’ Award goes to the entire Rangers team, who, after the last two games, will have to start hearing serious footsteps about every seventh inning.

    The ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’ Award goes to all fans of Chris Sale, the Boston Red Sox, and the East Coast baseball writers, who are asking each other repeatedly ‘Did that soft-tossing, corner-painting, long-bearded guy with a name we can’t pronounce, from a little team that plays in flyover country, really win the AL Pitcher of the Month’ Award for April?

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  50. Marwin is at 1B tonight. He has hit the Rangers starting pitcher hard when they faced each other previously.

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