Let's talk Houston Astros baseball.
It's weak, and it's embarrassing. Look I love the Astros. Always have, and always will. Pursuing a degree in journalism and hopefully working in some form of sports media job in the near future will not by any means stop me from unabashedly cheering for my hometown hardball team. But I can't stand to see what's going on in the sports section of the Chron.
Drayton is selling the team. Thank goodness. The man who notoriously looked for has-beens to eat up payroll in order to "get us back to the World Series" is out the door and looking to sell. But frankly, who wants to buy this sorry mess? We jettisoned Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt last summer, which I fully agree with in terms of team development, but what does that do to put butts in seats? The attendance numbers dropped significantly from '09 to '10, and it's an owner's nightmare to be inheriting a team that has little promise in the future in terms of fan support. Looking for a bonafide owner is not going to be easy, especially with buffoons like Richard Justice suggesting stupid things like signing Jeff Francis or Rafael Soriano to raise attendance numbers. Somebody call Jim Crane, because it seems to me like he will be our only chance. A hungry guy who's failed before in buying teams makes a good owner. Plus he chills with Mark Cuban.
That aside, the 'Stros still have a couple of promising players through which they could contend next season. It doesn't help if you stick them on the trade market. Announcing the availability of Matt Lindstrom and Jeff Keppinger was another dumb move by management, and if the club loses one or both of them, it will be a serious blow to the chances of rectification in 2011. Sure, Lindstrom messed up his back and was far from a consistent closer. Yes I can understand that Brandon Lyon makes a competent replacement at closer. But Lindstrom is a hungry (Mormon) fireballer who has the potential to be the next Billy Wagner. And who sold more seats than Billy the Kid? If ya gotta guy who can touch 100 on the gun, you keep him. Don't shop him for more middling talent that you end up sticking in a major league-worst farm system anyway.
In terms of Kep, why oust one of the only two productive bats from last season? He lead the team in batting average, and came up with some clutch hits down the stretch. Payroll is a concern, but Keppinger really isn't earning that much, and he obviously loves to play in Houston. Pair him up with Clint Barmes, and you actually have a formidable infield. If you wanna give someone away, shop Tommy Manzella. He's young and terrible at the plate, but has plenty of defensive upside, which this team is already rich with. A good prospect could yield some draft picks or an average bat.
All in all, the Astros have a bonafide star in Hunter Pence, and should continue to build around him, Chris Johnson, Jason Castro, and J.A. Happ for the future. This team went 59-52 after June 1, and honestly has a shot (in my mind) to be the 2011 version of the San Diego Padres. Locking up Brett Myers was a huge step forward, as he was the team's workhorse, and with Wandy Rodriguez and Happ behind him, Houston will actually have a decent front half of the rotation. If the aforementioned bats can get it in gear, there's the makings of a young playoff team here, albeit in a couple years. Don't cry when Lance comes to town in a Cardinals uniform, and you should be fine.
After all, it couldn't get much worse than this from a management standpoint.
