Category: Astros
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
2014 Astros: The minor league review
This is going to be a review of the Astros’ 2014 minor league performance, highlights and lowlights. Folks like old pro can throw in their more detailed 2 cents into the mix on these reviews. The review will not include rookie ball or Dominican league players. Class AAA – OKC Redhawks Preseason review – https://chipalatta.com/2014/04/03/okc-redhawks-preview-players-on-the-cusp-or-hanging-by-a-thread/ Well, we…
-
2014 Astros: The View from 10,000 Feet

Well, there’s more wins in the win column. The 2014 Astros finished the season with 70 wins, the American League batting champion, a guy in the top six in ERA and another pitcher who might be even better. Houston’s top slugger was one of the best power hitters in baseball. And the hometown nine had…
