What hurts Ensberg's statistics is his range. He ranges far to his left (our right)and gets into awkward throwing positions or the ball careens off his glove. Lamb and Loretta do not have that range and thus don't into the high error potential situations. Ensberg is better than the other two on balls hit in the normal third base range and he is better charging to the plate and pitchers mound.

Note the second best fielder Astros have according to the list is Craig Biggio at second.

The runaway winner under virtually any formula is Adam Everett.

UZR has the same issues.  Except with fielding stats, they are even less reliable than hitting stats.

Instead, look at the 2003-2007 data, rather than 2 months of 2007. Adam Everett is the best fielder in MLB over that time period.  UZR loves this guy.  Ensberg is also an above average 3B according to UZR, using 462 games. Biggio is a big minus in CF in that time period.

As for why Loretta appears multiple times, he played multiple positions.

I'd encourage you to download the data, made freely available, and look at the data yourself, rather then relying on someone giving up a snippet of two months.

i haven't had as many moments with Loretta at third where i've wondered if Ensberg would make a play that maybe he didn't as i've had with Mark playing short, but i also don't remember Loretta making many spectacular plays that might indicate to me that he's an above average defensive third baseman, like Mo does.  i'm not being very scientific here, but i stand by my contention that Ensberg is still a substantial upgrade in the field over both his counterparts.

And exactly who is it that I "attacked" and how did I attack that person?

If a website shows that the 4th worst ERA in MLB in 2006 as of June 1st was Andy Pettite:
http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2006/DL06012006.htm
(in 2005, he was 2nd best), would you tell that website to stop releasing the data so early?

I am simply cautioning against taking any conclusions based on 2 months of data in a vaccum.

I don't think anyone would disagree with you.

Them
Taveras, CF
Matsui, 2B
Holliday, LF
Helton, 1B
Atkins, 3B
Hawpe, RF
Tulowitzki, SS
Iannetta, C
Fogg, P

Pence doubles over Willy's head

Berkman grounds out to first, Pence to third

Lee goes down swinging a full count, stranding Hunter at third

As the radio guys said, at least we got a baserunner in the first frame.  how long has is been since we did that?

 Thankfully, defensive phenom Morgan Ensberg handles the grounder for the third out.

Shaky start.

 Now I must try to get some work done (with the game on in the background of course).

Game tied 1-1

Mo draws a four-pitch walk.  Two on for Everett.

on a 1-2 count, a wild pitch advances both runners.

Everett rolls it to Atkins at third, slow enough to score Scott, and almost slow enough to get an infield hit.  Mo also moves up on the bang-bang play.  nice work to put it in play and get a run across.

Brad grounds to Matsui, who looks Mo back to third before throwing on to Helton.

Roy flies out to short right to end it, but not before the score is tied 1-1.

Roy battles back from 3-0 to get the first K of the game on Ionnetta.

Fogg pops out to Lance in foul ground.  good work to keep ducks off the pond for the power-hitting center fielder.

Willy grounds out to the mound.  quick 1-2-3.  hopefully more of that to come.

Drives in Pence, who'd reached on an infield single.

3 - 1 Stros

Pence sends Tulowitzki deep into the hole at short and beats the throw for yet another multi-hit game (somebody want to throw out the absurd stat?)

Berkman promptly launches a bomb to right!  3-1 good guys.  maybe the recent success really does portend a bit of a turnaround for our struggling hero. (HR measured at 421 ft, btw)

Carlos misses a back to back jack by a matter of feet down the left field line.  after a few more foul balls, he doubles to deep left center.  some good solid contact this inning so far.  let's keep it up Luke.

Scott triples into the gap in right center, scoring Lee.  no throw from the cutoff man.  Taveras playing him shaded to left for some reason.  4-1 Stros!

Mo hits it hard, but on the ground right to short.  Luke can't score.

Everett flies to deep center.

Phil quipped that the goal line was 8 runs last night.  well, after three we're half way there.

Dave shouted from the broadcaster's box down to him, "Hey buddy, you're bunting!"

That's too funny.

Tulowitzki (how old is this guy, he looks about 12--does everyone look younger when you're getting older?) hits a double.

Iannetta (how the heck is this name pronounced?) singles, the kid on 2nd scores.

Fogg grounds out to Wee E.  Two away.

Willy T up and out as he grounds out to Loretta.

Roy is at 67 pitches.  We lead 4-2.

Fogg sacs the runner to 2nd, before Willy grounds to Loretta to end it.

4-2 Stros.

 Astros're scoring like crazy, thanks to hitting phenoms Everett and Ausmus

6-2 and inning continues

Luke flies out to Willy.

Mo K's.

Wee E is at the plate and Caballo steals 2nd.  Couple pitches later, E singles.  Men on the corners for Ausmus.

And he doubles to center.  Woot Woot.  Wee E follows Caballo round the bases we get two more on the board.

Roy batting and Ks.

We lead 6-2.

Holliday steps in and pops out to Lance.

Helton grounds out to Wee E.

That was easy work for our Roy.

Loretta grounds out to Matsui.

Hunter boy strikes out.

Berkman fouls a ball off and loses his bat in the process. He hops around a little but he's ok.  On a 2-2 count, he checks his swing and the appeal goes to 3rd but the ump is scared of the growling Puma and says no way he went on that one.  He walks.

Caballo pops up to Tuloyoungboy to end the inning.

We lead 6-2.

Hawpe sends Hunter to the wall, a little too close to the wall.

Tuloyoungboy sends one to right and Luke goes back but no dice, that's gone.  

Brownie says there's action in the bullpen.  Roy is at 90 pitches.

Iannetta singles into right.  

Spilborghs is batting for Julio and he k's.

Willy bunts, Mo fields and throws to Berkman but Willy is safe.  That was awfully close.

Matsui lines to Everett.

And we escape relatively unscathed, at least still leading 6-4.

I hope Lidge pitches the Seventh.

 Meanwhile this Sixth inning is getting sticky. Even the first out was hard hit (about 412 feet fly out to Pence in Center).

Phew - Adam Everett's UZR goes up another notch.

Two Rockies runs scored, but could have been a lot worse.

Luke flies out to right.

Mo up and he grounds out to Tuloyoungboy.

Wee E drops a ball into left.  

And Ausmus gets the third out with a fly ball to right.

Instead, Holliday singles to center.

And now Roy leaves and Trever Miller trots out to the mound.  I think he scares us fans more than opposing hitters...but I would love to be wrong.

Helton up and he flies out to Luke.  Ok, I was wrong.

Trever gives way to Qualls...

Atkins in and he ks.  Two away.

Hawpe up and singles to center.  We had a shot at getting Holliday but he made it back.  

1st and 2nd, C'mon Qualls.

Tuloyoungboy works the count 3-1 then grounds to Wee E who makes a great throw to Berkman.

We managed out of that one.  Just.

Still 6-4

I've got bad vibes.

First batter immediately singles - um um um.

Garner making a switch. That's good. Now who's coming in? Please be Brad Lidge.

Arghhhh- it's Trever Miller

First batter easy fly to right  -- that's good

and Trever Miller is out. Chad Qualls in.

Strikes out Atkins - 2 outs - I took a quick breath, and smiled a little - just maybe we'll get out of it.

Single to center. Runners on first and second.

Tuklowitzki batting -- has has hot series -- 2 for 3 today -- a double and Home run -

This time grounds to Adam Everett for OUT THREE

I'd be happpy if they ended the game right here. We've gotten nine innigs of entertainment. Why play the last two innings.

Biggio batting for Qualls and he ks.  

Loretta up and he walks.

Hunter up and he ks.

Berkman up.  Wouldn't it be nice to see him get on here (obviously) and see Caballo step in, see what happens between the Panamanians?  And as I finish typing, he lines out to Matsui.  Should've kept my thoughts quiet.

We lead 6-4.

And I surrender my PBP duties.  Volunteers?

c'mon Wheels, we need to hang on to this one!

With one out and Lee on first, ball hit to short, Second base mishandles the catch and has a hard time picking up the ball. Lee anticipated a clean catch and stopped running and started jogging off to center field to avoids the relay toss before he realized he had a chance to make second, but too late. Instead of two on, one out , it was one on and two out.

Adam Everett walked , but instead of bases loaded one out , it was two on two outs, and Ausmus stikes out to end the inning

Runners on the corners with one out.

I'm sick to my stomach.

 Ths is tough to take.

Sigh...Go Astros!

SeoulStro

http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070608&content_id=2013 531&vkey=pr_hou&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou