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Astros 2015: Run differential is the basis for improvement
It is time to revisit a post from November 2013…… The following chart shows how the 5 teams that made the playoffs in 2014 fared when it came to scoring runs / giving up runs and run differential. Also, shown are the same stats for the Astros for both 2013 and 2014. Team Runs Scored/…
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FREE Blog Monday: Observations, questions and thoughts
No, it’s not the weekend, but it is the off-season, so anything goes, right? Starting off a week with a Free Blog Monday, a first, but probably not the last. It’s your opportunity to opine, divert the discussion, throw in your two cents and generally steer the conversation. I’ll get us started. The Royals and…
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Astros: Following in the Pirates, Royals footsteps
Jeff Luhnow cut his teeth in the St. Louis Cardinal organization. He would love nothing better than to have a team that is like the Cards, a sustainable winner that has 11 playoff appearances in the last 15 seasons and only one losing season in that time. But to get to that spot, the Luhnow…
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Astros 2015: The path to $75 million and 85 wins
The consensus of the experts on this blog is that the Astros may top out at $65 million for its 2015 payroll. Even Jim Crane predicts the Astros’ payroll will increase by $20 million from 2014 to 2015. Depending on the figures you use, that could mean $65-$70 million. So that essentially puts the expert…
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Hey, I’ve got something to say…
So, as often happens at Chipalatta, the conversation tends to meander off course. That happened Monday night when regular commenter Becky thought it would be great for Roger Clemens to have a chat about attitude with Jonathan Singleton. I, then, suggested I would love to see Becky talk with both Singleton and Jonathan Villar. And…
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MMQB: A smorgasbord of conversation topics
As the playoffs continue — you are paying attention, right? — the Astros are planning for the next “season” when teams set their 40-man rosters and trade and free agency discussions heat up. Here are some thoughts and considerations as Jeff Luhnow and new manager A.J. Hinch prepare. How ’bout that payroll? The Astros are…
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2014: Astros Post-Season Multiple Choice Quiz
As the Astros’ 2014 season fades away in the rear view mirror like a wreck on the highway and the 2015 season appears full of potential like a mirage on the horizon, here is a multiple choice quiz that combines the serious and the whimsical. 1. If I could only have one – for the…
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2014 Astros: Time to move forward, at a faster pace
Okay, so the season’s over (for Houston) with a 19-game improvement. The Astros have a new manager, so that question has now been answered. Jim Crane seems to believe he’ll have a new TV deal in place by opening day. And, Jeff Luhnow can now turn his full attention to giving A.J. Hinch a winning…
