Houston Astros Information
After a not so stellar spring training in ‘07, the Astros started the season with a 10 loss in a row streak. Things looked up in June, however, beating the Athletics for the first time in Astros history. By the end of June, second baseman Craig Biggio managed to be the 27th player to make 3000 career hits. After 20 seasons with the Astros, Biaggio announced his retirement from the sport in July. They will also have to try to take the NL Central title without Jeff Bagwell, who retired after the Astros declined an option on his contract. After losing other key players like Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, the Astros beefed up their roster by signing Jason Jennings and Miguel Asencio. They also signed Carlos Lee to a 6 year, 100 million contract, the biggest in franchise history.
In 2004, the Houston Astros will look to put away the reputation that they can’t win the big games. The Astros have never advanced out of the first round in the playoffs, but they’re regrouped in the off-season, and they’re very confident that this year is their year. Jimy Williams (still, no one knows where the second “m” went) goes into his 11th year as manager, 3rd with the Astros. He has a 6-11 record as a manager in the postseason, although none of those games have come in his tenure with the Astros.
The Astros play their home games in Minute Maid Park, named for the organizations affiliations with the beverage producer. The stadium opened in 2000, and features a retractable roof and seats down the lines that are only five feet from play. With short porches down the left and right field lines, the “Juice Box” will give up many “soft” home runs, but if you attempt to challenge the park to center field, you’d better make sure you get every bit of it. To deep center, it’s 435 feet, easily the farthest in the majors, but that’s not all. There is a mound the elevates the playing field at the base of the center field wall, and the flagpole sits in play. In 2003, Milwaukee Brewers first baseman hit a ball approximately 520 feet, but because of the placement of the hit (center field, off the flagpole), he was held to a “routine” double. For center fielders that don’t make a conscious effort to practice before the game, you could find yourselves lying on the mound and feeling quite embarrassed.
On offense, the look is similar to what it has been over the years. Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, and Lance Berkman (affectionately known as the killer bees) will hit at the top of the lineup. All-star second baseman Jeff Kent and Richard Hidalgo will have many chances to increase their rbi totals throughout the season.
The pitching is the reason many feel the Astros can contend and win it all in 2004. A solid rotation and bullpen has, for the most part, been bolstered in the off-season. The biggest acquisitions were former New York Yankees starters Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte. Both Clemens and Pettitte are from the Texas area and wanted to finish their careers closer to home. Clemens was actually talked out of retirement by the organization and by Pettitte himself. Those two will join the likes of Roy Oswalt, Wade Miller, and Tim Redding to form one of the top two starting rotations in baseball. In addition to the starters, the relief pitchers from Houston also are among the top in the league. Dan Miceli, Brad Lidge, and Ricky Stone are all solid relievers, and their job will be to get into the 9th inning so new closer Octavio Dotel can finish off the opposition. Last season, Dotel was arguably the best set-up man in baseball, but the off-season trade of Billy Wagner to Philadelphia has pushed him into the finisher’s role.