Astros’ All Star quiz

Before jumping into the subject of this post, let’s spend a few minutes discussing how the Astros fans’ attitude towards having their favorites on the All-Star team may have changed over the years.

Back in the old-old days (60’s and 70’s), the Astros were not competitive most years. So, one of the few times our players would get recognition was when they were named to the All-Star Game. Most of the time this was a single player as mandated by the league and it was exciting if that one player got into the big game at all.

After awhile the team was a bit more competitive off and on from the 80’s to 00’s. The ASG was not the only time our players were recognized. They were also part of pennant races, runs at awards, and playoff series. During this time, we enjoyed having the recognition of better teams with a few more players at the ASG and even having some start the games.

This continued through to the 10’s, but obviously by the early teens with the awful crash of the rebuild and the problems with the team even appearing on local cable, a lot of fans did not even care much about the team and who might have made the ASG.

Finally, we have had the current wonderful run of successful seasons with the team winning the two championships, making four World Series, and making six ALCS. Many Astros have gotten the recognition of Cy Young Awards, Rookie of the Year Awards, an MVP, Gold Gloves and All-Star Game appointments.

So, here we are in 2023 and frankly it feels like having players named to the ASG just does not matter. After losing Jose Altuve to an injury in the WBC exhibitions, do we really want the exposure of our players in the ASG? At this point we really want our players and pitchers to rest and come back fresh after the break. It doesn’t matter to us if we have 3, 5 or 1 player named to the team. We just want our team to come flying forward after the break. Note – Dusty just said that he won’t be pitching Framber Valdez on Tuesday. Good.

Quiz

Just for fun – here is a link to a quiz from 2013. OK, maybe fun shouldn’t be in the same sentence as 2013. All Star thoughts and a quiz from Dan – CHIPALATTA

Below is a quiz based on what has happened since 2013 for the Astros. Remember even though 10 seasons have taken place between 2014 and 2023, there were only nine ASGs due to the pandemic cancelling 2020.

1. In the 10 seasons from 2014 to 2023, the Astros had sixteen different players named to the ASG. What were the splits between position players and pitchers?

a. 9 position – 7 pitchers

b. 8 position – 8 pitchers

c. 7 every day – 9 pitchers

d. 6 every day – 10 pitchers

2. Since some of the players were named more than once – the 16 players were named 35 different times. That ended up being a 15 to 20 split between position players and pitchers. Which was the 15 and which was the 20?

3. Altuve made the most ASGs (7) in that 2014 to 2023 time period. Which two of the following were tied for second?

a. Alex Bregman

b. George Springer

c. Justin Verlander

d. Dallas Keuchel

4. Carlos Correa was named twice to the All Star Game in his time here. Two other Astros SS’s were named twice in the team’s history. Name them.

5. Three Astros’ relievers were named to the ASG between 2014 and 2023. Were any named twice?

6. Nine of the Astros’ sixteen all stars between 2014 and 2023 came up to through the organization. How many can you name? (Note – I’m counting Yordan Alvarez since he never played with the Dodgers – so there is one).

7. How many of the other seven who came up through or started with other organizations can you name?

8. How many of the Astros’ all stars in this time period were left-handed pitchers, and can you name them?

9. Which of the following players did not make the All Star Game as an Astro?

a. Will Harris

b. Yuli Gurriel

c. Chris Devenski

d. Charlie Morton

10. What two positions have not been represented on the All Star team by Astros in this 10-season time period?

Take a shot at this, and I will put out the answers sometime before the All Star Game….

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56 responses to “Astros’ All Star quiz”

  2. I will answer #10 because I think it is easy. We have not been represented at 1B or catcher because we never were good enough there.

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    • How could you forget about Jason Castro so soon? My guess is for #10 is CF and 1B. I think this is a little bit of a trick question as we should have had a CF selected, but Hinch kept playing Springer out of position.

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  3. I’m going to have to pass on the quiz, as I might fail miserably and lose whatever remaining dignity I have here with the Chipalatta faithful. But I’m with 1OP on the last question. I think we’ll finally fix the catcher position in 2024. First base remains a big question mark.

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    • …and therefore the answer to 9 is B. Number 10 was the only one I thought I knew the answer to, also.
      I’ll take a stab at number 1 and say C. 7 every day – 9 pitchers
      I think B. George is probably the answer for 3.

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    • Are we going the high risk, high reward route? Don’t know anything about either guy, but our 6′ 8″ second rounder had TJ surgery in high school and was shut down early this year with back issues.

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  5. Hey team, just returned from mini southeast Texas visit and caught Kirby owning the Astros in person. They didn’t help, swinging out of the zone alot. It was as obvious in person as it is on TV.

    Sorry I missed my very own blog! Pena is a fan favorite. He can park one. I am a fan. But he is no superstar. He doesn’t control the zone the way that Correa can. When you look at age/stat comparisons on baseball reference he is in the same club with a who’s who of has beens and never was. What his out of zone swing rates and BB/K ratios say are not destination superstar. I get it, they all have some struggles as young players, but most guys that take walks – which indicates they can control the at bat not the pitcher – most were doing it from day 1. Can he improve? Sure, Altuve did. But for every one guy that improves, the stat sheet graveyards are littered with thousands that couldn’t. That’s why Khalil Greene was out of baseball by 29. So – if I can get a steady hand at the 2 or 3 spot of my rotation for a playoff run, and I have another year of control after this one with a chance to resign the player, I would take it. I wouldn’t trade Pena for Bieber for example, despite the fact that he is the best pitcher out there that could be traded, because he is a FA this year and will get a contract that is probably outside of Houston’s ability to match. I might remove Cease from that list as well – after all, he has been in the major leagues for 5 years and has exactly one stellar season. The rest of the time he has looked like a 4 starter not an ace. And like I said, Dubon is a better player, both offensively and defensively.

    I would love to end up wrong. On this very blog in 2013 I said Altuve can’t tell a ball from a strike with enough frequency to become a superstar. And boy was I wrong. But Jose can hit pitches other guys can’t. He can go 8 inches out of the zone and still put solid contact on it. I see alot of that in Yainer. I don’t see Pena improving unless he suddenly learns to control an at bat with more frequency. I hope as much as anyone else that this is a repeat of 2013 and Jeremy Pena is destination superstar!

    I think it’s very possible (and maybe warranted) that this club stands still at the deadline. Brantley, Yordan and Urquidy could be enough of a shot in the arm to work as deadline deals, as well as Altuve staying on the field, Bregman getting more consistent, and Yainer being in the lineup more. I want Chas in there the same way you all do, but Dusty is going to keep trotting Jake the (non)rake out there half the time. It could be Julks that suffers from Yordan’s return as I can see Yordan playing a bit more left so that Yainer can continue to DH.

    I am confident that this team is a playoff team. I am also fairly confident that they will pass Texas and win the division. I still think 95-96 wins are within reach. My concern is the playoff rotation. Framber can’t pitch 7 games. Javier is throwing eggs at 91. Hunter seems to do well then gives up 4 spots out of nowhere. Dusty trusts Urquidy so much that despite being healthy, available, and on the playoff roster he saw exactly 0 innings in the 2022 playoffs. This looks like a team that is going to lose a first round short series because some pitcher gives up a big inning.

    Oof those are tough questions especially for a guy that has never watched an all star game. I’m an Astros fan, not a baseball fan.

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    • Lots of interesting stuff there Steven. I have a problem saying that Dubon is absolutely better than Pena. Their competing slashes this season are Dubon – .279 BA/.303 OBP/.701 OPS vs. Pena .246/ .301/ .700. I know the BA is less for Pena, but he draws more walks than Dubon and has more power. I mean I do like how Dubon goes the other way, but he rarely takes walks (none in June). And Dubon was not very good in 2021 and 2022, but that might have been usage.
      I do agree that Pena may not change. (By the way I was putting out posts back in that 2013 time period about the Astros unloading Altuve – so you were not the only Doubting Thomas back then). Pena has that early Altuve/ late Biggio disease of diving at those sliders.
      I would hate to lose Dubon’s flexibility to play both 2B and SS (and even a little 1B) and the outfield including centerfield. I guess I’m sitting here going that before Correa we’ve really struggled many times to get a decent SS, much less a 25 year old that came up clutch in the most important part of the 2022 season. I’d sure like to give him up until his arbitration time to see whether he improves.

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      • Me too Dan! I am not saying I WANT him gone, I am saying that if he is what it takes. You are not getting something for nothing.

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  8. Astros round 3 pick

    Jake Bloss RHP, Georgetown

    AGE 22
    BATS R
    DOB 06/23/2001
    THROWS R
    HT 6′ 3″
    WT 205

    Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 45 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 50 | Overall: 40

    Bloss spent three years at Lafayette, largely pitching out of the rotation, while getting his undergraduate degree with a double major in math and economics. He moved on to Georgetown both to further his studies as a graduate student working towards a master’s in finance and to keep pitching. His stuff has all ticked up, as well as his ability to use it, in 2023 en route to him being named Big East Pitcher of the Year and turning into one of the more intriguing senior signs in the class.

    The 6-foot-3 right-hander has the makings of a legitimate four-pitch arsenal. He’s added some velocity since his Lafayette days with a fastball that averages around 93 mph and has touched 97 with good riding life to it, allowing him to miss a good amount of bats. He throws both a true overhand mid-70s curve and a harder, tighter low-80s slider, with the former typically a touch better than the latter, though both can flash above-average and elicit swings and misses. He doesn’t throw his changeup often or land it for strikes consistently, but it does show some fade away from left-handed hitters at times.

    Bloss has done a much better job at finding the strike zone this year, but it’s still control over command. Though he is a graduate student, he was just 21 for the entire spring season. Maybe he’s a bullpen arm when all is said and done, but he could be a very good Day 2 value.

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  9. The Astros third round pick is interesting:
    https://www.mlb.com/prospects/draft/jake-bloss-814005
    I predicted months ago that they would go with the best college SS left on THEIR board with their first round pick. My reasoning was that they needed a bona fide SS in their system who would provide real backup capability at SS as well as being a future candidate to compete for the job or to find a role as a capable super utility player with a legitimate bat.
    Later I said that they would go after college pitchers in the next few rounds. So far that is holding up.

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  10. One of the ways to solve the Jake vs Chaz problem is for Dana Brown to handle that difference of opinion at the trade deadline. You no longer have a battle if one of the two is traded.

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  12. The Astros might try to make a deal because their fifth round pick is a Colorado All-State SS, Chase Jaworski, from Rock Canyon HS. If they can accumulate enough money from their Top 10 round picks allotments, this is a guy they might try to sign.

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  13. And Dan- the reason I highlighted Cease and Burnes – Burnes is not a FA until 2025. Cease is not a FA until 2026. Neither one are half season rentals. That probably doesn’t affect the conversation about Pena – absolutely a plus player despite his warts – but they are not old dudes or about to hit FA.

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    • I misread their baseball reference pages Steven and thought they were rentals – yeah it’s different if we can get some extra years from them.

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  14. For those interested – here are the answers to the quiz – so this is my spoiler alert….
    1. c. 7 everydays – Altuve, Correa, Springer, Bregman, Brantley, Yordan, and Tucker and 9 pitchers – Keuchel, Will Harris, Lance McC, Chris Devenski, Verlander, Gerrit Cole, Charlie Morton, Pressly, and Framber
    2. While more pitchers have been named than position players, the position players made the game 20 times, while the pitchers made it 15 times. It helps the position players to have Altuve and his 7 makes in these 9 games.
    3. Springer and Verlander are tied for 2nd with 3 ASG’s in this time frame
    4. I know folks may have guessed Dickie Thon, but unfortunately, he only made the ASG once. Denis Menke (1969-1970) and Miguel Tejada (2009-2010) were the two Astros SS’s who made the ASG twice.
    5. The three relievers who made the ASG in this time period were Will Harris, Chris Devensky and Ryan Pressly. Pressly was the only one who made it twice in 2019 and 2021.
    6. The nine who came up thru the organization – Altuve, Keuchel, Correa, McCullers, Springer, Bregman, Yordan, Tucker, and Framber.
    7. The seven from outside – Harris, Devenski, Verlander, Cole, Morton, Brantley, and Pressly.
    8. Two left handed pitchers – Keuchel and Framber (sometimes it feels like those are the only two leftys we ever had)….
    9. b. Yuli was the only one of the four listed who did not make the ASG with the Astros
    10. Along those same lines – no 1B or catcher made the ASG for the Astros between 2014 and 2023. The last catcher to make it for the Astros, made it right before this period – Jason Castro in 2013, who made it because someone had to…. The last 1B was Lance Berkman in 2008 and I’m not sure if that seems like 15 years ago or longer.

    Enjoy!

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  16. Dan, It’s a shame that the best second baseman in baseball misses his 8th All-Star appearance strictly as a result of the WBC. Even his oblique problem is surely the result of not having a normal spring training.
    I blame Manfred. Boo this guy every chance fans get.

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  17. I think Dubon best serves the club as our utility guy. Hopefully we’ll have a roster soon that allows him to go back to spelling guys ready for a day off. I still think Pena has more upside, both defensively at short and at the plate. Could he be maxed out in his second season? I hope not. But as Yordan gets well, I’d go back to sticking Pena right in front of him in the 2 slot. This club needs last years late surge from Pena again in 2023.

    I’m not sure if moving an outfielder resolves the rotation issue. Dusty might just add Dudon to the mix.

    I’m open minded about Bregman. If we move him, do we get better, perhaps with a starting pitcher? Who do we put at third? Please, not Frenchy. I don’t think that’s a solution. I just think Dubon has shown us the best of his offensive game.

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  18. I’m also not expecting Dana Brown to come up with any miracles at the deadline. I’d much rather go with most of what we’ve got in house today than move guys that might have made the club better in 2024. I would not mind a bit going into the post season as an underdog come October. I think we’ll get there utilizing our present resources.

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  19. Halfway through the 20 round draft – the Astros have picked 9 college players vs. 1 high schooler (as Old Pro was talking about). They have chosen 4 right hand pitchers, 3 shortstops including the high schooler, 1 OF, 1 2B and 1 3B. They did not choose a catcher or a 1B so far – which ironically are the two positions without an All Star in the last 10 seasons.
    Of course, it seems like they are fairly solidly covered in the catcher area between Yainer Diaz and Korey Lee.

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  27. Astros 17th round pick for the Astros is from a JC near here. He is Colby Langford, a wild young LHP from Murray State JC.

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  29. The Astros 19th round pick is a raw, but athletic HS outfielder from Florida, Andrew Duncan. He is a Florida State commit who might be talked into pro ball.
    The Astros continue to be going for upside in this draft, rather than safe and secure.

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  33. Anyway, my favorite pick of the entire draft was the one I didn’t mention.
    Tenth round pick Austin Deming had a 2023 at BYU that most baseball players dream about and most GMs dream about, too. Look him up on Baseball Reference. Those 2023 batting stats were accumulated while playing all his games at 3B.

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      • Dan, he was injured for 10 games. also. So those numbers would have been even more impressive. He was Player of the Year in the WCC and an All-Amercan. Somebody to follow for sure.
        But, that was college and he will now face the best pitchers in baseball. That is what makes our perspective so much fun. We will wait to see him play, but I also saw that he actually came to BYU as a pitcher, so he must have a pretty good arm.

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  34. When I told you about this guy, https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/astros-select-nehomar-ochoa-jr-in-11th-round-of-2023-mlb-draft, I provided you with a prospect report that said he was rated the #54 HS prospect in the country.
    He is forgoing his college commitment to sign with the Astros because his parents are not well off financially. He loves the Astros and especially Altuve because he and his family came here from Venezuela. He is headed to the Astros training facility in Florida very soon.

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    • Heckuva story OP. Maybe we will see some Dana Brown draft magic for Ochoa and Deming and others!!
      Brown wants to draft at least 4 major leaguers per draft class

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  35. I’m intrigued by a couple of these later picks. 24 year old guys are being called too old by some of the critics. But why? A 24 year old guy has already had the benefit of 3 to 4 years of college coaching. If they excel in our minor league system and can play MLB, we’ll still have them under teem control for 5 or 6 years, their best years. As we’ve watched over the years, most guys are not going to be around for a decade or more.

    And I’m sure looking to watch what Nehomar Ochoa might do. He’s a long shot, but so are the vast majority of draft choices.

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    • This assumes the conventional wisdom that players will peak at about age 28 is correct. The number of guys who turn into star prospects in the minors after age 24 is pretty low. It really comes down to physical development though. Excepting the period where the entire league was juicing you mostly know how much muscle a hitter will carry by that age. I think we’re briefly in a weird window where the predictions will be all over the place, though. The 2020 covid year giving extra eligibility meant more players went back to college because they had that option. The transfer portal letting players move around freely also impacts things – I’m sure there are a number of pitchers especially who would never have been a prospect had they stayed at their original commitment.

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  36. The future is secured. Captain Kirk has convinced us that our starship is about to boldly go where no team has gone before. Oh wait – what’s that, Mr. Pointy-ears?

    “One can begin to reshape the landscape with a single flower, Captain.”

    “Where the laws do not operate, there is no reality. All of this is unreal.”

    “No one can guarantee the actions of another.”

    “I have a responsibility to this ship, to that man on the bridge. I am what I am, Leila. If there are self-made purgatories, then we all have to live in them. Mine can be no worse than someone else’s.”

    “Humans smile with so little provocation.”

    [Perhaps our pointy-eared friend said other things as well … feel free to ‘fact check’ this post to add context].

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    • Whenever I think about Mr. Spock, Mr. Bill, I think of one of the early episodes of Big Bang Theory – a Christmas episode. Sheldon finds out that neighbor Penny is giving him a gift and he obsesses about how to reciprocate – so he buys about seven different gift baskets. His plan is to excuse himself after opening his present and bring back the appropriate gift basket. (just go with it). Sheldon opens up his present and finds a restaurant napkin inside – he has a what the heck expression on his face until he sees that it has writing on it. “Live Long and Prosper – Leonard Nimoy”
      Sheldon almost faints as that is his absolute hero. Then he finds out Mr. Spock actually used the napkin to wipe his face and he says, “You mean this napkin has Leonard Nimoy’s DNA? I can grow my own Leonard Nimoy!” He then rushes off to the other room and returns with all the gift baskets and thinks it may not be enough….Classic episode

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  37. Short list of possible targets that I can see that shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg –

    Dylan Floro – RP Marlins – solid career, 32, FA upcoming, can provide one more BP arm for the stretch run that has big league experience.

    Mike Tauchmann – CF, 32, Cubs – ups – lefty bat, not as good as Meyers defensively but better than Chas, one of those guys that separates his BA and OBP, works pitchers, good baserunner – downs – little power, should be limited in role, you are not getting him to give him 5 starts a week. Tauchmann is just now arby eligible – if you get him cheap he gives you options even past this year.

    Brad Hand – RP, 33, Rockies ups – throws hard, and lefties are at .190 career wise against him – giving Baker something he hasn’t ever had in his time here a lefty that he can put out there in tough lefty spots – downs – the same as most hard throwing relievers sometimes strikes are not his friend – the note on Hand – has a team option for 2024 at 2M, could be a “not rental”

    If you want to get more adventuresome in players that might cost you something –

    David Robertson – Mets closer, at 38, FA at the end of the year, this move could save an obviously out of it NYM 5 mil, and solidifies that Montero spot from last year in the 8th

    Rich Hill – Pirates are out of it, 43, FA at the end of the year – not having a great year at 7-9 and 4.78 and probably isn’t starting in the playoffs (or maybe not even on the roster) but can definitely help the walking dead spot your rotation is in right now extending to 6, giving Javier and Valdez more time between starts, and keeps Bielek in a swingman/depth role – bad – he will probably only be a .500 pitcher at best down the stretch.

    Will have some more tomorrow after I do more digging.

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  38. Steven, I like the idea of Robertson. I don’t see Tauchmann though. While we could lose Jake or Chas in another deal, why bring in a replacement with an 89 OPS+? Heck, get Loperfido here from Corpus. Besides the fact that he’s an AA guy, just look at his numbers. Every now and then, we skip AAA with a prospect. I know I keep selling this guy, but I went and saw him play last weekend. Talk about running the bases. Hitting a homer well out to left against a lefty pitcher. Easily a better arm than our present guys in center. He’s darn polished now.

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    • My take is what Dana has said what he is looking for. He has mentioned a lefty bat multiple times, and this one will not cost him really anything. Plus Tauchmann does what so many of our hitters don’t – he puts space between his BA and OBP. His OBPs are generally 10-20 points higher than league average. We have a lot of guys, like Julks, Pena, Diaz, Dubon that are getting a lot of at bats but can’t fit a sheet of paper through their BA/OBP difference. We have given many pitchers an easy 7 innings when we are not hitting and don’t even put their pitch count at 100. This guy is a (albeit very) small step in the right direction of correcting that weakness. I am assuming he takes Meyers spot on the roster. I hope Chas doesn’t get moved because he is 100% not the issue this team has. Heck Tauchmann could get moved for Jake straight up! It would add a little more veteran presence, a more reliable hitter even if he has less power, and Chicago gets a younger, more athletic, better defender that has more upside that they can hope puts it together.

      I’ll be the first to admit I have not – nor regularly – check the box scores on the minor league teams. I often get surprised by guys and see their stats for the first time when they hit the 40 man. If Liperfido is ready he does look like a better option than half our outfielders right now. And he does look like an OBP machine. That said – the Astros are not a franchise to move people quickly, nor is Baker a manager that likes to play young players.

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