Baseball Letters

Dear Eric Munson The Hottest Houston Astro

2007-08-24T11:08:00.000-07:00

Dear Eric Munson,

I really like you. I am not sure why management and Alyson Footer think of you as merely a back-up catcher. Oh, for sure Brad Ausmus is the master. You should feel honored to have such a teacher. He truly knows baseball. However, I think you have learned your lessons well and Brad Ausmus probably will not be around next season. So my words to you are about encouragement. Stick with it. Soon everyone will see your value. Not to mention you are probably the hottest guy on the team. Oops! Did I write that for the world to see? Anyway, I am female and sometimes those thoughts cross my mind when talking about baseball. That is why I feel bad for guy baseball fans. They don't get the added dimension of lusting after those athletic bodies. I digress. I just want you to not worry about living in the shadow of Brad Ausmus. Brad is Brad and will probably someday manage the Astros. What if Lidge would have worried about living up to Wagner? Or Berkman worried about living up to Bagwell? They each bring something special to the team and just let their own personal abilities shine. So show the world what you got Eric Munson. I know you will be great. Plus, you can hit homeruns. It has been a LONG time since the Astros had a catcher that has that kind of potential. (I am not bagging on Brad Ausmus- his strengths have always been defense and knowing the opposing teams' batting trends)

your number one fan,
Daphnewood

Jason Jennings

2007-08-20T18:12:00.000-07:00

Dearest Jason,

I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around you. I know you are a good pitcher. I know that the guys really don't give you any run support. I know you have had problems with your elbow. I know all of these things. I just don't understand how you can be so on fire one minute then give up mega runs the next. I like you Jason. I want you to remain in Houston. However, I am not feeling the love from other fans. Maybe since you are a Dallas boy you hate the Astros & love the Rangers. I don't know. I just hope that your next few starts (tonight is already a goner) have you pitching to potential. I am rooting for you. I know you have the stuff. Let's go show it off, okay?

much love,
Daphnewood

ps. I love the fact that you can hit the ball too. Most pitchers suck when it comes to batting. You are a true athlete.

Please Consider Us Mike Lamb

2007-08-19T17:24:00.000-07:00

Dear Mike Lamb,

I know so many rumors are floating around about your future with the Houston Astros. Many people have said it would be stupid for you to stick around without being given a starting position. I am inclined to agree but my selfish nature takes over. I don't want you to go! I cannot imagine you in any other uniform except Houston's. You are an AMAZING player. Just today you robbed so many batters of hits because nothing was getting past you on first base side. I have often prayed and pleaded for Garner to give you a starting position. I know when you play we will see some offense. In the past you have not been known for your glove but I think times have changed. You can really play defense superbly. I know your number by heart too. Number 26. When I play the lottery I pick that number sometimes with thoughts of you. For a while I avoided numbers 21 and 22 because of 2 certain Yankee players. But if you were to go to another team I would still think of number 26 as lucky. I just hope you consider staying with us. We love you Mike Lamb, my clam. I hope we offer you the money and the playing time. You deserve it.

much love and adoration,
Daphnewood

Did I Jinx You?

2007-08-18T22:48:00.000-07:00

My Dear Roy Oswalt,

Did I jinx you? I saw you had to leave the game early tonight because of an oblique strain. I hope you are not out for the rest of the season. You were just getting into your groove. I have decided to rename this blog "Baseball Letters". I am getting fond of writing to you all. Uh, excuse me I meant to say "y'all". So RoyO, you are in my thoughts and prayers. Right now I must go write another letter to Carlos Lee. Please get well soon. I love watching you pitch!
Love,
Daphnewood

Dear Carlos Lee,
I am sorry you were injured in tonight's game. I do hope it will heal quickly and you are back playing in no time. A lot of people complain about how much money athletes (baseball players in particular) get paid but I think you are worth every cent that your contract demands. Maybe you have mini-slumps and sometimes you don't hustle down first base line (that has to stop btw) but Carlos, you steal second quite often. People don't think at your size you would attempt to steal but you do and you steal WELL! I think my favorite part about you is how much you smile and how it looks like you are always having fun. Don't ever stop that. The other night when you swung the bat so hard it made you fall down, most guys would have died of embarassment but not you. You stood up and laughed and took a bow while the fans cheered you on. That was AWESOME. I hope you get better soon because the Astros are not the same without El Caballo in left field.
much love,
Daphnewood

A Letter To Roy Oswalt

2007-08-14T08:50:00.001-07:00

Dear Roy,

I just have to say I love you. This season has been very heartbreaking for Houston Astros fans everywhere but you, with that wonderful car battery shocked arm and Southern boy attitude have kept some constistency in a topsy turvy season. You play to win everytime. You show up and respectfully let the umpires know that your pitch painted the corner of the plate for a strike instead of the outside ball call they gave you. They know it is true because the next pitch they call it right. You run to first to cover the bag for Berkman without hesitation. Your hustling skills are inspiring. I know if you were a pinch runner you would steal second everytime. You can pitch well into the 7th and 8th inning without breaking a sweat. I know the A/C at MMP isn't that good. You aren't afraid to bean a cocky player either even though you have to pick up the bat sometimes. I noticed Roger Clemens only started beaning players again once he got back into the AL. Not you. Heroes don't back down. I love when you have complete control of your curve ball. The other teams shake in fear. They know it will be a long game with very few hits. And if they get lucky and hit the ball you NEVER panic! You get that smirk and go at it like it never happened. I love that about you. But the thing I love most about you is that you wear a star on your hat and Houston on your jersey and you wear it proud. All the baseball announcers say you aren't very big but what they don't realize is with your hero status we Houston fans see you as 10 feet tall. And that is bigger than any other player out there. Please number 44, don't ever leave us.

a desperate fan,
Daphnewood

Welcome Ty Wigginton

2007-08-02T04:39:00.000-07:00

Morgan Ensberg got released and Dan Wheeler got traded to Tampa Bay for Ty Wigginton. He is a pretty good player and already has some hits for the team which is big news since the Astros can't seem to get their offense going. Carlos Lee is in a slump. Not a horrible one but he is not hitting as well as he normally does. So today is August 2nd and for the past 2 days I have watched the Astros play TERRIBLE baseball. The Braves have gotten double digits on my guys in the first 2 games of the series and I am just cringing at what tonight may bring. They just don't look good out there and there has also been a lot of errors too. It is time to get my pompoms out or sacrifice a chicken. We need a win. Go Astros!!!!

Good-Bye To The Killer B's

2007-07-26T09:31:00.000-07:00

Hunter Pence has been such a joy to watch this season. He definitely has been one of the bright spots in this dismally played season so far. He hurt his wrist and was put on the DL for 4-6 weeks. They brought up Jason Lane and so far he is doing pretty good. Burke has been getting more starts at 2B but compared to Loretta I do not think he is the one that should get the job permanently. Biggio announced his retirement and on the same day hit a tie-breaking grand slam. It was something out of the movies, I swear. He is such a great guy. A family man, loyal to his wife, a team player for the SAME TEAM and a stellar career. Still with Biggio leaving I think the times of the Killer B's is a thing of the past. I say time to move on to the Killer L's.

Carlos Lee
Lance Berkman
Mark Loretta
Mike Lamb
Luke Scott

Somehow we gotta work an "L" into Hunter Pence's name. He is awesome at the plate.

I am still rooting for the guys to make it to .500 by the end of the season. I want Biggo's last year to be a winning one.

*edit* I just saw a thread on the Astros.com board about the "Lethal L's". This person came up with it way back on June 30th. I swear I wasn't copying but they had a better idea anyway by calling them "Lethal" oh yeah, I likey very much.

Will They Even Get To .500?

2007-06-25T11:54:00.001-07:00

I have been moaning and wailing a lot because of my beloved Astros. Houston is the team I like. They are the only ones I really care about. I try to get involved with KC now since I live here but it is hard. I know I like John Buck behind the plate more than LaRue. Mark Teahen and David DeJesus are awesome to watch. But they still lose a lot and if I want to watch losing games I just watch my Astros. My poor Astros. They have so much talent that is NOT be reached. Last night they managed to win but only after Dan Wheeler blew the save twice and went into extra innings. The bullpen sucks these days and Lidge is only guy looking like a winner. Of course he is on the DL and is not available to pitch. Qualls is next best but he is going to be serving a 3 games suspension soon. Still, starting pitching has been pretty good. Even Woody Williams. I know a lot of fans don't like him but the offense should be able to score more than 3 runs in a game. My question is: Will the Astros play .500 by the end of the season? I am beginning to have my doubts. It is okay though. As long as they play their hearts out and give their all, I love them for that. All you can ask is for someone to give it their best shot, right?

Mojo

2007-06-21T06:49:00.000-07:00

The Astros have been playing very well lately. After poor Adam Everett got his leg broken the offense has finally turned on. Some people say it is because Everett is out of the starting line up but I do not think one broken leg can account for 8 other guys FINALLY hitting the dang ball. They swept the Mariners over the weekend but the real story was the amount of runs the guys consistently put up last week. Then they went to LA to play the Angels and lost game one 9-10. That was still a lot of runs against a team that is supposedly smokin' hot themselves. They won game two 9-5 and lost game three 4-8. It is game three that got me thinking of mojo and flow. The guys were doing well. Winning 4-2 then the homeplate umpire went beserk. He got made at a facial expression that Wandy Rodriguez made and actually went out to the mound and yelled at him. Now that was uncalled for on the umpires part. But as soon as it happened, I felt this shift. The mojo was gone. The umpire got everyone all fired up and Mike Scioscia capitalized on it. Great manager for noticing when to pounce, total asswipe for taking advantage. Anyhoo, after Garner got mad at the ump and Wandy got a little emotional then things went from bad to worse. The umpire started making sure no borderline calls went to Houston at all. What a jerk. It was blatant payback for daring to question his skills as an umpire. But that's baseball.

Sunday Losses

2007-06-11T08:33:00.000-07:00

Baseball in recent years has been a game of stats. I discovered one myself this weekend. I noticed that it seemed like the Astros never won on Sundays. When they lost to the CWS yesterday I decide to look it up for myself. Here you go:

April 8: LOSS to STL
April15: Rained out
April 22: LOSS to MIL
April 29: LOSS to MIL
May 6: LOSS to STL
May 13: WIN to ARI
May 20: LOSS to TEX
May 27: LOSS to ARI
June 3: LOSS to STL
June 10: LOSS to CWS

one win and one rain delay out of all that. I hate Sunday baseball this season. This stat needs to be shuffled around a bit, don't you think?

Fighting Spirit

2007-06-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

Last night Lance Berkman got thrown out of the game for arguing a strike call. He was fuming. I had never seen him so crazy with rage. Last season he got pretty mad about an ejection but this year tops them all. Then the very next inning Lee got beaned by a pitcher. He got into words with the guy and the benches cleared. No punches were thrown but Garner got thrown out of the game. Lots and lots of yelling. I was expecting Garner to throw a folding chair like last season but he just yelled alot. The Astros had lots of spunk. Tonight they have already scored 4 runs. Unfortunately so have the Rockies but I still feel like my guys will prevail. I love seeing that anger in their play. There is lots of life left in the Astros. I believe it is the start of something good.

Second Place

2007-05-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

My boys are 6.5 games out of first place as of tonight. The Brewers are losing some games now. I was impressed with their winning streak. I mean they really did get on a tear but if a person was really honest, they would realize the Brewers had been playing easy teams. Now they lost the series with the Mets and lost the opener game with the Phillies. Sweeping the Nats is still a sweep but it is the Washington Nationals and I think many can claim to do that over the course of the season. So tomorrow the Astros are playing the Giants. They have won their last two series and I am hoping for them to take yet another over the next three days. So my hope is for the Brewers to keep losing and the Astros to keep winning. The key to that though is WINNING! The Astros need to make it happen for themselves in stead of waiting on poor playing by the other teams. Let's go 'Stros!

So Long Roger Clemens

2007-05-06T20:23:00.000-07:00

picture taken from http://www.scoutdickens.com/images/bronxback-mountain.jpg thanks scout97!

Roger Clemens signed with the New York Yankees. Well that sucks. It sucks because 1) he won't be pitching for Houston anymore and 2) I hate the Yankees and 3) I will have to root against him. I like Roger Clemens. He is a great player and if anyone says anything different, they are big fat liars. I do have a few unanswered questions about it all though. I know it wasn't about the money because all teams were willing to pay out the nose for him. There is talk that he wanted to play for a team that could win the WS. If that were true, why didn't he play for Boston? They have a MUCH better team than NY this year. If it were about ego, then why didn't he stay in Houston where everyone treats him like a god? I don't know. Maybe someone can answer these questions for me. I wish the Rocket well but I truly hope the Yankees crash and burn. They are so evil. I wish every season for the Yankees to come in last place but it will never happen. Wanna know why? Because if the Yankees were losing real bad by the All-Star break then Steinbrenner would just spend another $200 million re-designing the team to win. Money is no object for someone like him. It really sucks.

So Roger Clemens, good-bye. I am glad you were an Astro for a while. Thanks for the great memories. Effectively immediately though, you are the enemy. Maybe once you retire I will be able to smile upon your smug countenance once again. And for the record, I don't believe the homosexual rumors about you and Andy Pettitte. No way.

Woody Williams Needs Some Run Support

2007-05-05T19:40:00.000-07:00

The Astros are doing better. Still below .500 but winning here and there. This post however, is solely dedicated to Woody Williams. I love this guy. He is hasn't gotten a W yet this season but it isn't because he is pitching poorly. It just kills me how the offense just shuts down every time this guy pitches. I am getting angry about it! Okay last night Williams pitched and gave up 3 runs. St. Louis ended up winning the game 3-2. So today Matt Albers pitches and the Astros get a freaking 13 runs?! They won 13-0. If just half of those runs had been scored the night before Woody Williams would have gotten his first W as an Astro. So many people are down on him as a pitcher. I don't understand that. No he is not a strikeout type of guy and relies a lot on getting batters out with fly balls or grounders. He is a contact pitcher. Nothing wrong with that. What is wrong with the picture is the anemic Houston offense that doesn't lift a darn finger to back this fine pitcher up. Let's go Astros. You did good with Wandy Rodriguez (but the bullpen blew that one). Let the man get a win next time around. Please. He is doing his job, so should the bats.

Last Place Astros

2007-05-02T06:28:00.000-07:00

My boys are playing rather sucky-ish. Jason Jennings has been on the DL and Albers has taken his place. Last night Albers didn't even last 3 innings. Or maybe it was 4. Either way the game was a washout at 11-2. Guess what the problem is. Offense! surprise surprise! Why does this team have problems hitting? The good news is that they called up Hunter Pence and this kid plays with much enthusiasm. Like the rest of the team should play. In fact only Biggio, Oswalt and Pence look determined out there. Well I have to say Woody Williams also looks hungry for a win. Poor guy is like 0-4 because no one hits the damn ball when he pitches. A total Clemens treatment. Unfortunately Woody isn't as good as Clemens and allows a few runs so he doesn't have the luxury on a no-decision. He gets pegged with the loss. Berkman is in a slump and somehow got a chip on his shoulder. Adam Everett is hitting and playing like a stud as usual but when he and Biggio are the only ones hitting....oh well. April was a terrible month for the boys and so was May 1st but tonight I expect a change. Light a fire under their butts or tsit them. I don't have time to watch a team who doesn't put their heart into the game. Baseball is fun. It is time they remembered that. I still love my Astros but am very disappointed at the lame excuses they are making. Still, I have my pom-poms ready to go.

Playing Above .500

2007-04-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

I haven't updated because I moved my regular blog over to wordpress and sometimes I forget to check into this one. But after a slow start the Astros are playing above .500 as of last night. The win last night gave them a record of 7-6 but the best part was the 5 runs in the 8th inning. I think wins like this are important to the team to show them that they can win with just 2 innings left. They are tough guys. Anyway, Ensberg and Lamb have been sharing playing time at 3rd. Both look real sharp. Everett and Loretta have been sharing time at shortstop and both are awesome. Loretta has more power at the plate but Everett has a great hitting streak going too. Luke Scott and Jason Lane have been sharing time in right field and both have been doing spectacular. Scott made an awesome run saving throw to Brad Ausmus a few night ago. Burke and Berkman have not found their groovebut last night Berkman looked like he was coming out of it. Carlos Lee is a monster and has hit run after run after run. I am not complaining at all. Awesome. Anyway the big news was the cold weather the first two weeks of baseball. Lots of postponed games because of rain and snow. I just think it was a shocking start for a shocking season when the Astros finally come out on top.

Now for a confession. I have been watching when Andy Pettitte pitches. I really don't want him to pitch poorly but I don't want the Yankees to win either. The problem is that if he pitches good then the Yankees win. I hate the Yankees. But he looks a whole lot happier there than he was in Houston. It is kind of sad for me. I think us Houston fans were just deluding ourselves that Andy liked it in Houston. Well, he is a great player and I wish him well but I really hope come October he is sitting out while Houston goes on for the finish. Not to be nasty or anything but a Yankee is a Yankee and even if Craig Biggio himself became one I would have to say the same thing.

Sucky Beginning

2007-04-03T19:45:00.000-07:00

Okay, two games down and two that the Astros have lost. Yesterday Roy Oswalt pitched a pretty good game. When he left the game the Astros were winning 2-1. Then in the top of the 9th Brad Lidge blew the save. This poor guy was handed over to be skewered this morning by every sports writer there was. I felt so bad for him but at the same time, he can't keep blowing saves! It was like last season never ended. Biggio got one hit yesterday and ZERO today. He just didn't look that sharp but I know it is early. I am not panicking. Not by any means. Tonight was another loss but I have decided a few things about the Astros. The starting pitching (so far) has been OUTSTANDING. Jason Jennings did a great job. The relief pitching is not doing well at all. There is no closer that stand out from the rest except Dan Wheeler but he didn't do so hot tonight. Chad Qualls looked much better tonight and after the first batter, Rick White did very good. The Final thing I have noticed is that the offense has NOT improved. The only guys hitting the ball are the ones competing for jobs Luke Scott and Jason Lane. Last night it was Luke Scott's homer that got the Astros on the board and tonight it was Jason Lane. I guess I am just waiting for Berkman and Lee to show us why they get paid the big bucks. BUT it is only game 2 and there over 150 more games to go. I know they will all come around.

Opening Day!

2007-04-02T04:55:00.000-07:00

Oh this was such a LONG winter break for me this time around. I can't believe that I read baseball news everyday which basically amounted to a bunch of rumors and no real news. However, today is the day I have been waiting for and Roy Oswalt will take the mound tonight against the Pittsburgh Pirates. I like the Pirates. They are a nice team with nice fans so it should a night of fun and a good game. The starting rotation for the Astros was a bit of a shock to me but I don't understand much about waivers and such. the five starters are:

Roy Oswalt
Jason Jennings
Woody Williams
Wandy Rodriguez
Chris Sampson

I am ecstatic about Chris Sampson making the starting rotation because I think he has what it takes. But Wandy Rodriguez? He is merely in the line-up because he is a southpaw/leftie. I think that is a terrible reason to keep him around. Hopefully Wandy will rise to the occasion and if he doesn't then Garner has enough sense to send Wandy's butt back down and QUICK. Nieve and Albers were sent to Round Rock while Rick White and Brian Moehler landed bullpen spots for long relief. A lot of fans don't like Moehler but I think he is going to be a very nice surprise. So I will be back tomorrow ranting and fawning over the opening game. I keep thinking how one game kept the Astros out of the play offs last year so every game matters. Let's go 'Stros!

Spring Training, MLB.com and Houston Astros Fan Forum

2007-02-26T13:53:00.000-08:00

It's spring training and I am one happy Houston fan. Of course there is the Roger Clemens drama whenever he takes a step outside of his house but I truly believe that is not his doing but the freaky media. Burke looks like he got the centerfield position while Biggio and Loretta platoon second. Loretta is going to be giving Adam a rest at shortstop some days too. I am very excited about the new season. Just one more month (and a few days) before opening day!

I got an email from MLB.com asking if I wanted to add this blog to the MLB fan blogs. I am not sure about this. I mean, I am not a diehard statistics person and I only really like the Houston Astros. I am trying to find love in my heart for the KC Royals too since moving to this town but I go overboard with the Astros. I feel so intimidated when talking about the Astros because no matter what you say, people throw out these numbers that are supposed to mean a whole bunch but really don't amount to diddly-squat when the player is having a good or bad day. So I think for now, I am going to leave this blog off of the MLB site. Still it was nice to be asked.

I visit the Houston Astros fan forum regularly. I do not post regularly though. For the most part, there are some nice people like a couple of grannies, a guy named Marshall and I like Oswaltbabe too even though people fight with her. I don't get that. Oh and there is this adorable Josh (fan of bruntlett) that I love. But overall, the place scares me and I don't say much on that board because inevitably someone will start talking smack. If you really want information about the Astros, it is a good place to go. You just have to weed around the 'trolls' and look for sound posting. I don't understand all the statistics but if you are a stats fan, many posters back up their talk with stats. I am more about feelings which is a cardinal sin to most fans. Oh well, it doesn't mean I love the Astros any less and for the most part, the fan forum agrees.

Gawd I can't wait until opening day! I hope I get to see another game this season. In a way I am glad I saw Pettitte pitch last time since he will be wearing Yankee strips this year. SUCKER.

Speaking My Mind About Andy Pettitte

2006-12-14T18:15:00.000-08:00

Okay, so he left the Astros. He didn't just leave, but ran away, fast. Real fast. I think he lied to the fans but not really intentionally. People mess up; I know I have and Andy now has to deal with a lot of angry ex-fans. If he just would have said "I love you guys in Houston but I started in NY and want to finish up my career there" we would have been sad but patted him on the back and wished him well. Instead he said horrible things like "NY wanted him more" and "God slammed the door on Houston". I dare him to find one person in NY that wanted him to play for the Yankess more than I wanted him to play for the Astros. In a sense, Andy Pettitte broke my heart. Still, I do not wish him ill will. I hope he stays healthy and finds the happiness in NY that Houston and the Astros couldn't seem to give him. Of course that doesn't mean I hope he pitches well because he playing for the Yankees afterall. The Yankees are evil. They are the dark side. A group led by George "Darth Maul" Steinbrenner. The Astros are Jedis. If you don't believe me, just ask Luke Scott. Use the force Luke!

ps. this means that Roger Clemens needs to stay in Houston to bring balance back to the force, don't you agree?

I Think I Pissed Him Off

2006-11-12T10:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, we all know my first love in baseball is the Houston Astros. I also like a lot of other teams. The LA Dodgers will always hold a special place in my heart since I grew up going to those games, eating Farmer John hotdogs while developing my first crush on a "famous" person: Steve Garvey. I think he is the reason why I still get turned on by men with hairy arms. Anyway, I get super angry when sports writers only talk about teams from NY or Chicago. It is getting really old in my opinion. During this past World Series they had article after article about how terrible this WS was, or how NY was bored because they had no one to watch. Basically, the Detroit Tigers and the St. Louis Cardinals were teams that were nice. They had no attitude problems, no drama, no superstars that make cameo appearances on various Hollywood shows or Late Night w/David Letterman. These guys played baseball for the love of the game, not for fame. Both teams represented middle America and I for one was glad to see it. It didn't matter who won the WS in my eyes because for once NYC nor Chicago nor Boston had anything to do with it. John Heyman from Sports Illustrated felt differently. After reading his article I just snapped and sent this letter:

Submitted by Daphne (whimsygirl02@yahoo.com)
Hometown Kansas City
Question
It must really eat you up inside that a team playing this bad in the WS BEAT the Yankees and another team that only has stellar pitching so far BEAT the Mets. I am sick and tired of hearing about poor NY not having a team to watch. If they are so important in baseball why don't they just start their own league?! Then the Mets and Yankees can play each other the entire season and they would always make the post season. You are forgetting that there is another coast to this great nation that also has to watch their teams sit out. You are so arrogant and full of hot air!

Here is his reply:

i think the 83 wins bothered me. that and the cold. the series was better on tv, though not especially well played in my estimation. thanks, jh

Do you think I pissed him off? I do.

Beginning Of Off Season

2006-10-14T15:39:00.000-07:00

So the Astros made a late season surge but missed the cutoff. Better luck next year. It was still a fantastic season. Yeah, there were some real rough patches but it was never boring. Some updates about the team. Roy Oswalt will play for the Houston Astros until 2011. Not bad. The Wizard is awesome. There is no news either way about Andy Pettitte next year. I hope he comes back. Craig Biggio will probably only play one more year. He is near the 3000 hit mark. What an outstanding player. I wish Jeff Bagwell could play along side him. Luke Scott made quite an impression the tail end of the season. He has a great batting average. I think he has earned a starting spot. I haven't heard if Aubrey Huff will return nor have I heard about Morgan Ensberg. I think they need to whip Brad Lidge into shape over the break and then acquire a strong bat to boost offense. Other than that, the team really wasn't that bad. One more update is that Phil Garner will stay on as manager but Jim Hickey was fired. That didn't make any sense to me since pitching was a strong part for the Astros. Plus, he was really cute. I had to add that.

Season Is Winding Down

2006-09-03T15:20:00.000-07:00

Well there is only 26 games left or so. This past week has been FUN. They swept the Brewers. Then the Mets came to town. The Astros ended up losing 2 out of 3 but the games were awesome to watch. RoyO, now a starting pitcher for Houston for 5 more years (yes!) pitched great today. There are some fights on the fan boards whether or not luck has anything to do with winning. Many Astros fans thought the Mets got lucky with their wins because Everett (who almost never has errors) had an error in the first game that cost a run and Biggio had an error in the second game. Of course, the Mets fans feel that their team just played superior baseball. Astros fans think the Mets got lucky. Now after today's game the tables are turned. The Mets feel the Astros got lucky and the Astros feel they played superior baseball. I should clarify that the FANS feel this way, not the teams themselves. Well some of the fans. I personally believe that baseball is a mixture of skill AND luck. I, being an Astros fan, believe that they are the BEST team around. I feel that they are under-performing while teams like the Mets and Phillies are just over-performing for their skill level. Fans of those teams would disagree but this is my blog and my views. I say, win or lose, the Astros rule!

Is It The End?

2006-08-21T19:02:00.000-07:00

I hope not. I told someone that I believed the Astros could still make it to the playoffs. That was before their loss tonight. If they beat the Reds in the next two games then I will feel better and hopeful. If they don't, then I will hope for the best and root for the team I like best next. It won't be the Reds or Cubs YUCK!!! And no AL team at all UNLESS it is the Texas Rangers or KC Royals which won't happen. I'll see who makes it to the finals. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will be a team with a star on their cap and their name rhymes with Castros ;)

My Hopes Are Fading

2006-08-19T18:57:00.000-07:00

Gosh I love the Astros but this season seems like one big mess. Here are some things that have upset me. They got rid of Preston Wilson. I loved that guy! People called him a strike out king and king of the double play (meaning he hits into a lot of DPs). I didn't care. The guy played his heart out. Another thing I am upset about is all the freakin losing! I wouldn't mind so much if it weren't losing by WALKING runs in. Our pitchers have under-performed, our batters have under-performed and our managers have under-performed. And the fans have turned evil. They want everyone traded and right this minute. Why? Just make our guys play to their very best. It is very frustrasting.

I pray they make it to the playoffs but I am worried. At the very least, I still get to watch about 40 more games. Go 'Stros! Win or lose, I love ya!

RoyO Homers!

2006-08-10T20:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I saw history. Roy Oswalt hit his first homerun. It was funny because everyone in the dugout gave him the silent treatment. No high fives or anything but they were just joking. They came around and cheered him good. Also, the crowd gave him a standing ovation. Whoohoo! And tonight, with the talented, powerful and pretty darn cute Rocket Roger Clemens on the mound, the Astros swept the Pirates. Yes fans, that means they have won 5 out of the past 6 games. Is this a streak? Do they live? Only time will tell with less than 50 games left in the season. I am rooting for you 'Stros.

They Live!

2006-08-05T20:56:00.000-07:00

The Astros are playing a whole lot better. They are on a winning streak if you can call 3 out 4 games a streak. The only problem is that they are winning kind of ugly. They can't seem to win more than 2 in a row. The other thing is that the games are taking so long! I went to bed without watching the rest of the game last night against Arizona because it started late (Pacific Standard Time). I woke up to find out that the Astros finally won it 8-7 but of course poor Oswalt didn't get the win. Lidge almost blew it. I feel so bad for the guy. The fans in Houston have turned on him which is terrible. I think that he will never recover his dominant pitching as long as he stays in Houston. He needs a new city with new fans that are happy to have him. The way Houston fans scorn him, they don't deserve Lidge. He will pitch great again someday (probably as soon as next season) and then they will be very sorry if they do run him off.

Anyway, the game is taking forever AGAIN tonight. It is 9-3 in the top of the 8th as I write this. Rocket pitched tonight. He is so hard on himself. I think the announcers were right that he is a perfectionist. My gosh, the Astros are winning but it isn't good enough for Roger Clemens. He gets mad at every little basehit the opposition gets. I am glad he is so competitive but I bet his blood pressure is out the roof. Well, I hope the 'Stros can hold on to the lead. Our bullpen is up. I'll let you know how it turns out.

oh one more thing, Luke Scott is tearing the MLB up!!! This kid is on FIRE.

Looking Dim

2006-07-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

The guys aren't playing so well. I am worried that they will not make it to the post season. I am giving them this week to get a little fire in their blood, hunger in their eyes, whatever it takes to win ball games. The Astros will always be my favorite, win or lose but I hate to see them doing so poorly when they have such talent. I am going to say a prayer today especially for them. I will pray for the ol' Astros heart. Go 'Stros!

Please, Wake Up Astros!

2006-07-19T07:39:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that STL, CIN and MIL lost last night and the Astros couldn't capitalize on it because they lost too. I do not want to say that the Astros suck because even below .500 they don't suck. They are just playing "sucky". Huff and Burke hit the ball pretty good yesterday scoring the only two runs. It breaks my heart that these guys just can't seem to get it together this season. Here is where my girlieness takes over: I wonder if it has anything at all to do with Jeff Bagwell. Last year he was at every game just cheering on the guys. He is a leader and a mentor to the younger ones. They are missing that. Backe was a huge cheerleader too. In fact, right after he got hurt he was still in the dugout acting hyper cheering everyone on but as soon as he got placed on the 60 day DL, the Astros plummeted. I think they just need some positive vibes flowing. They don't look happy and RoyO is right, they need to have fun.

Crazy Weekend

2006-07-15T18:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Roger Clemens himself was pitching and the announcers couldn't shut up about it. I hate when I have to listen to the opposing teams announcers. So far MLB.TV hasn't let me know how to choose J.D. and Brownie for every game. Until they do, I am at the whim of the draw. Back to the Clemens game: he didn't look so good out there. Now don't get yor panties all twisted in a knot, Clemens is still the man in my eyes but he wasn't the normal sexy dominating pitcher just for that game. He looked mad at himself too but I am a girl and see phantom things like that all the time. Anyway, the rest of the guys didn't give him any run support (as usual) so they lost.

Fast forward to today: Andy Pettitte is pitching and he looks like a fresh faced rookie pitching his heart out (after the first inning) and he was DAMN good. The rest of the team decided to hit the ball too and won 12-0. What a difference a day makes. I am sure Roger is ready to open up a can of Texas sized whoopass on the "non-hitting while Clemens and Oswalt pitch" team mates of his. They deserve it too. Just this once. Good job by the 'Stros today and hopefully tomorrow will be more of the same. Highlight of the game for me: Andy Pettitte hits an RBI single. Gosh I love that man.

I Don't Have the Heart to Axe Anyone

2006-07-13T21:49:00.000-07:00

I think maybe I should quit following baseball. I love the Astros. I do not have a favorite player because they are a team, they win as a team and lose as a team. They are One in my eyes. I was really happy to hear that they signed a new player, Aubrey Huff. Welcome! say I, welcome indeed. However, that meant that someone had to leave the team. Oh my Jason Lane has been sent to the minors. How could that happen? He is apart of the One, is he not? I know he has been hitting near the .200 mark but come on, he is Jason Lane! And now there is talk of ditching Morgan Ensberg too? I don't have the heart to run a baseball team. I would keep them all even if they lost and that is not good for business. So dear team leaders, Drayton, Tim and Phil, I trust you and your judgements. After all, the Astros won tonight with the new acquisition hitting a 3-run homer. You are heartless men but smart. The win was great but it was bittersweet. If you do end up selling Ensberg and Lane could you send them to the KC Royals? That way I can watch them play LIVE!

All-Star Break

2006-07-11T19:39:00.000-07:00

Only a few things have really bugged me about this All-Star event. First, how many times are we going to have to hear "Allstar" by Smash Mouth? Gawd, that song grates on the nerves after 50 times or so. The other thing I am sick to death of hearing is "AL is dominant over the NL" shut the hell up! Yes, they kicked the NL's butts during inter-league play and they have won the past 9 all star games. However, who won the homerun derby? hmmm? Ryan Howard of the Philles a NL player! As I type this, the NL team is winning at the bottom of the 7th with 6 hits and 2 runs over the AL's 3 hits and 1 run. I hope the NL can keep it together and win this thing so the sports writers will shut the hell up. But if the AL does lose, I can hear it now:

oh, the AL was suffering from the missing Manny Ramirez
the AL did not play their best game
the AL had trouble with the PH issue
if there had been DH's instead, the AL would have won it all

It doesn't matter. The poor NL is damned if they do, damned if they don't. If they lose, the headlines will say "of course" and if they win the headlines will say "what happened to the AL? they were robbed" blah blah blah blah blah

GO NATIONAL LEAGUE!!

*UPDATE*
the NL lost in the top of the 9th. oh god, I cannot even listen, read, watch, view, peruse, glance, overhear, lip-read or whatever it takes to communicate about baseball for the next two days. Garner, I am praying for you. The natives will tear you to pieces and exhalt that loud mouth Guillen tomorrow. Love ya Gar! You did great.

Back to .500

2006-07-04T21:30:00.000-07:00

It has been a good holiday weekend for the Astros. It started out with a loss to the Texas Rangers but then they came back to take the series. Now they are back in Houston and have won the first two games against the Cubs in a three a game series. The offense is still going strong. Clemens got a win, Pettitte got a win and tomorrow will be RoyO's turn. I hope the guys can keep giving these awesome pitchers run support. Berkman, Lamb and Preston Wilson have been the big bats of late. I just love Preston Wilson. He has struck out so many times but you can see him giving it his all whenever he plays. You can't fault a guy for trying. And he ALWAYS smiles. I like that. He is having fun. Some players have come and gone for a season to play for Houston but Preston Wilson fits. I hope they keep him. I look forward to seeing him in the lineup every game.

The Silver Boot Series

2006-07-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

Eat that Rangers! Give us the boot back right now. It's ours for a year! It was fun playing the Rangers and I was amazed at how many Astros fans were up in Dallas. I have been told that it has been that way for years. It is reversed in football though. Many Houston residents cheer for Dallas Cowboys instead of their Texans (in previous years the Oilers). Funny how that works out. It isn't like the Rangers or Astros were ever big winning teams. I bet it has everything to do with Nolan Ryan.

In regards to how the Astros actually played, OFFENSE was scorching. Especially Mike Lamb (game 2) and Preston Wilson (game 1). And Taylor Buchholz has shutout the Rangers everytime he has faced them. Way to go rookie!

Lance Berkman is the only Houston team member playing in the All-Star game. Do I care? No way. That game is lame anyway. They should have just made it a Mets/Cardinals vs. Sox (red and white)/Yankees match up. They have most of the players anyway. Who cares about that? I think no more than two representatives per team should be permitted. If that doesn't give enough for a roster then 3 per team. This year's roster is a JOKE for both leagues. Still, go NL!

Ejected!

2006-06-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

Berkman and Garner both got ejected from the game against Detroit tonight. Berkman was livid. He really is one of the nicest guys and doesn't get mad very easily. That ump pushed his buttons real good. Garner just got thrown out because he was trying to, as support to Berkman. Cruz did a good job of stepping in between the argument so Lance didn't get himself into even more trouble. Then after Garner got thrown out, he threw a chair in the dugout. A lot of people are scolding him for that move. Whatever. I think the umps were a little "Detroit" sided tonight anyway. Not the home plate ump so much but the first base ump for sure (and I heard tomorrow he is behind the plate). He called a strike on a checked swing if it was Houston batting and he always made close calls at first in favor of Detroit. It was getting kind of obvious to me. In fact, I had this horrible feeling come over me as I watched the game. Maybe, sometimes, the games are rigged. Do you think that can happen? I certainly hope not.

Not since the White Sox threw the World Series over 80 years ago has the subject been brought up but maybe umps can be bought out too. I have never supported instant replay in the major leagues as argued calls are part of the game, but I am beginning to think that umpires need to have some accountability too. They have been making some horrible calls and it is all over. It is a shame because most of them are honest, hard working guys that just love baseball.

Finally, A Win

2006-06-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

I got to watch the game on a 42" plasma tv last night. I had never watched anything with that little "HD" logo. I do not watch much television (we don't have it in our home- only DVDs) so this was a treat. I was having a real good time while the Astros were winning. But then at the 7th inning I turned to my mom and said "if they were playing any other team I wouldn't worry. But with the White Sox, I feel like the Astros could still lose." Oh if I would have known that saying out loud could make it happen, I would have kept my mouth shut. I tried to tell myself that the Sox needed two grandslams to win. Well they got one and a half and that was enough to tie and drive the game into extra innings.

I have just two things to say about that game that I want to say above all other things. First, I feel bad for Roy Oswalt. That guy pitched one hell of a game. He really did and the bullpen ruined his win. That is so unfair. RoyO is still one of the top pitchers in the major leagues and hopefully the Astros bullpen will back him up from now on. I am really mad about that. The second thing is, the Astros won. Yeah they blew a 7 run lead and yeah it took them 13 innings but they WON. At the end of the season, that win will show up in one column for the Astros and the loss will go in another column for the White Sox. That is all that matters.

Heart Breaking Day

2006-06-24T17:56:00.000-07:00

Well, what can I say? Maybe the White Sox are just a better team than the Astros. Maybe, the Astros just don't want to win. Maybe, Satan truly does own this world and only his minions can come out on top. It doesn't matter what the reason is, Houston still lost today. They gave up a 4 run lead to a grand slam. The second grand slam in as many days. I am heart broken like it was the world series all over again. I cannot wait until we leave Chicago and get back to old fashioned baseball where it really doesn't matter if we win or lose. Like the song goes, "root root root for the home team, if they don't win it's a shame, for it's one-two-three strikes you're out at the ol' ball game!" People used to get drunk and sing along. Now they get drunk and brawl. Me, I think I am just going to go get drunk and cry and hope for a win tomorrow.

American League Baseball Sucks

2006-06-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

Houston is playing the CWS as I type this. It is the bottom of the 8th inning and of course, the Astros are behind 4-7. I think I loathe the White Sox. They are the rudest sons of bitches I have ever seen. And that is really saying something since I have witnessed many NY Yankee and Boston Red Sox games. Ozzie Guillen is remarkably quiet though. I once heard JD say how he had absolutely no interest in inter-league play. He wanted to watch only NL action. I am beginning to understand why. American League baseball is so different. These teams are dirty. They are rude and will win by cheating if necessary. There hasn't been cheating tonight but the friendly competition feel is certainly absent. I miss seeing Pujols and Berkman chat on first base because no matter who is on defense or offense they both manage to get there every game. I miss seeing Biggio congratulate Jeff Kent for a well hit double and vice versa. I like when Brad Ausmus looks out for the opposing batters when they get nearly hit by a pitch, by visiting the mound and giving the guy time to regroup. There is no fun kicking a guy when he is down. Do you think AJ Pierzynski would do that? Hell no. This game sucked and I think the whole series will too whether or not we win any. There is no fun. It is all about winning and making the others look bad. No sportsmanship AT ALL. That is so sad.

Astros lost 4-7. Tomorrow is another day.

The Return of The Rocket

2006-06-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

I only got to watch the first 3 innings of the Houston vs. Minnesota game. I felt so bad for Roger Clemens. The crowd was so loud and so excited to have The Rocket back home. Everytime he threw a strike everyone screamed and cheered. Nothing like a little pressure. He kept taking deep breaths. Besides looking totally hot in his uniform (hey I am a girl and have to put those kind of things in) he looked like he was on top of his game. Just nervous. That is it. I bet next time he will be SMOKIN'! It is now the bottom of the 9th and the Astros are trailing 2-4. Maybe it will be over by the time I finish this post.

On a side note, I saw Guillen was ordered to sensitivity training. Excuse the chat speak but ROFLMAO! How can I say it any differently? He still doesn't understand what he did wrong. I bet he will never understand no matter how many sensitivity classes he takes.

Okay Ensberg got the final out. We lost but tomorrow is another day. Oh crap! I just realized who we play tomorrow. Ozzie Guillen's White Sox. Bring it on!

Think Before You Speak

2006-06-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

I decided that I should bring all of my baseball chatter to another blog to get it out of my system. Sports fans love to talk about sports and voice their opinion so this is my forum whether or not people read it. I feel better that I have created this website.

So what do I want to talk about first? Ozzie Guillen of course. I am a Houston Astros fan but this opinion piece is not bitter grapes that Guillen's team beat the Astros in the 2005 World Series. No sir. I feel that since his win, he has turned into a freak. A hot tempered spoiled rude man that cares about no one but himself (and winning of course). I liked his crass ways at first. He never held back anything but now he doesn't even think before he speaks. First he got mad that his rookie pitcher didn't retaliate. How did he respond? A massive tirade on national television and then he sent the kid back to the minors. What a jerk! Now, a reporter has done the same thing as me, wrote something condemning Guillen's behavior. How does Guillen respond? He calls the guy a piece of shit and a fucking fag. Nice huh? And this is a guy kids are suppose to look up to.

I think something should be done about Guillen. No I don't think he should be fined or sit out a few games. I think people just need to call him on the carpet. His stocks have plummeted and rightly so. Fans, players, managers, owners and sports writers should all let Guillen know, his behavior is not welcome nor will it be tolerated any further. Guillen, baseball has a place for you, just not your hate filled rants. Don't lie and say "fag" means something different in your country. We know it doesn't and your lies insult our intelligence. We know you will never be open-minded and accepting of those different than you. We know you will always hate from the bottom of your heart. However, we ask one thing of you, and one thing only: Think before you speak!