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Astros’ head scratchers: What happened? What to do?
Baseball can be one of the most non-linear of sports when individual performances are looked at month-to-month or season-to-season. With that in mind, here are a few head scratchers as the Astros wind down on a better, but not good, 2014. Jason Castro In 2014, Jason Castro was an All Star. Yes, he was not…
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The Astros’ rotation is driving a solid finish
We know how this goes: Consistency in anything can end up with a person, group, product, company, etc. being taken for granted. The Astros’ starting pitching may be headed in that direction as they are the one part of the team not named Jose Altuve that has been very consistent this season, especially down the…
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MMQB: Luhnow’s guys, predictions and opinions
So maybe it’s just this simple: Jim Crane and Jeff Luhnow want their guys in the key positions. That means players, coaches, managers and the stat geeks alike. If you joined the organization before Luhnow, the key for you is adaptability. Can you hang with the plan, the numbers and the philosophy? Clearly, players like…
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FREE blog weekend II: It’s time . . .
Tom Lawless got his first loss as Astros’ manager Saturday, a loss that was snatched from the jaws of a win. Needing one win over the last few weeks to avoid a fourth consecutive 100-loss season, Chad Qualls struck again, this time with his sixth blown save of the season. So, as the team streaks to…
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FREE blog weekend: Maybe Crane was right and how ’bout that Carter?
Nothing better than a day off after a new manager gets two wins under his belt and the Astros ponder their future. Maybe, just maybe, Jim Crane was right? While it wasn’t an outright prediction, Crane suggested last spring the Astros could be a .500 team in 2014. At 61-79, if you factor in 12…
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A fan’s observations of last night’s game
Thanks to my good friend, Charlie from my church choir, I got to watch the second game of the Tom Lawless era (yes, it may be a one month era) in the comfort of some great seats in the club level just to the 3rd base side of home plate. So – what did I…
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Starting over: Astros’ mid-week questionnaire
Some basic mid-week questions after a feel-good win in the first game for what’s-that-new-manager’s-name? Should we circle the September 1 date on the calendar with a big red marker as the day things changed for the better for the Astros? What are the odds that the Tom Lawless–Adam Everett combination gets the Astros’ manager/bench coach job in 2015?…
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The Astros’ puzzle: A winter of decisions
The new manager search may be the latest headache for Jeff Luhnow, but the roster puzzle may be his biggest this winter. It could be akin to trying to stuff 40 marbles into a 10 oz Mason jar. Even as the roster stands today, there are 44 players that will need to squeeze into the 40-man…
ALL THINGS ASTROS 