Author: Chip Bailey
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Choo, Tanaka and other Astros’ stuff
Just a few scattershots while wondering if Jeff Luhnow’s cell phone is smoking after all the calls, emails and texts this week. The Astros don’t need Shin-Soo Choo. Seems as though some Astros’ fans want the team to get back into one of those Carlos Lee-like contracts. Sorry, at this point in the rebuild, I…
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Luhnow’s bamboo tree beginning to sprout growth
Perhaps Jeff Luhnow has adopted the growth and maturity timeline of the Chinese bamboo plant. The growth pattern of the Chinese bamboo tree is unusual, virtually unlike any other plant on the planet. Farmers plant the seed and then for four years, water, nurture and carefully care for the seedling, which shows absolutely no outward…
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Rule 5 draft gives Astros a quick break from the Christmas rush
We take a momentary break from the mad Christmas acquisition rush to tune in to the 2013 Rule 5 draft. With the #1 pick again, there’s little doubt the Astros will once again be players. No matter how you cut it, there isn’t a Josh Hamilton, Johan Santana or Roberto Clemente in this year’s Rule…
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Acquisitions begin to change the face of 2014 lineup, rotation
The past week has taken me to Charlotte, Greensboro and Virginia Beach. Meanwhile, the Astros have also been on a bit of a journey. And, Jeff Luhnow suggests he’s not done. As this week winds down with two new players in the fold, Luhnow has turned his attention to the bullpen and the Rule 5…
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Non tenders increase pool of possibilities for Astros
As I sit waiting for the plane to take me on what will likely be my last business trip of the year, I can’t help but wonder when the Astros are going to get into the game. By “game”, I mean the off-season game, of course. Everyday, players come off the board. Everyday, trades are…
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Maybe it’s time for Luhnow to adopt the Epstein Thanksgiving Plan
Maybe it’s time for Jeff Luhnow to spend Thanksgiving at somebody’s house. “Somebody”, as in a difference-making pitcher or hitter. Remember where then-Boston GM Theo Epstein at his Thanksgiving turkey in 2003? While the Red Sox weren’t coming off back-to-back 100-loss seasons, they had suffered through a humiliating loss to the Yankees in Game 7…
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Crane, McLane lead Houston’s most-despised sportsman list
Well, so much for “…and they lived happily ever after.” For everyone who thought Jim Crane was in cahoots with Drayton McLane, guess again. Apparently, if they were close or involved in some sort of conspiracy as some have alleged, the honeymoon is over after Crane filed a lawsuit against McLane, Comcast and NBC Universal.…
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Astros set 40-man roster, prepare for maneuvering
It would seem like a regular ol’ day at the office, but Wednesday was important for the Astros. It’s just another step in the overall winter, off season process, but Houston has now set its roster heading into what should be the most important two months of Jeff Luhnow’s tenure thus far. Important, why? Simply…
ALL THINGS ASTROS 