Tuesday Thoughts: Astros Links and more
by David Coleman on Oct 27, 2009 3:40 PM CDT
in Link Dumps
18 comments
Well, Mills is the man and DQ has done a great job of talking about all the reasons why he's the acceptable choice now. However poorly they handled the negotiations with Acta, they got the next-best guy, which I'm happy about. Justice, of course, runs down all the reasons why Mills is the right guy. I especially like the story about Mills sliding into the dugout and staying in the game. Toughness is a virtue this Astros team could use.
Looking ahead to who will join Mills' staff, the obvious choice for bench coach is Tim Bogar, as I'm sure it'd be a step up from first base coach. I wonder if Mills will reach out to anyone he used to manage in the minors, like LaRussa bringing in McGwire this week. Any ideas on pitching coaches?
I know it's hard to imagine other news going on today, but here's a nice story on the Astros minor league from an ongoing series on FanGraphs. I disagree only slightly on both Paulino and on Cespedes. First, Paulino was coming off an injury that forced him to miss most of 2008, so maybe he just needs some more time to round into form. I could see his numbers going down next year with more time and seasoning. Cespedes, on the other hand, appears to be a guy everyone loves to call a sleeper, but who never really taps into his considerable potential. Even though he had a respectable ERA when corrected for ballpark factors, Cespedes had some real clunkers and just wasn't consistent enough to make me believe he can be successful at the higher levels. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think once someone stays a sleeper for three or four years, they lose some of their luster.
I know that Justice talked about it earlier today, but I'm not as concerned about the Astros indifference to Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman. Sure, he's 21 and a hard thrower, but who was the last Cuban player to make a huge impact in the majors? Livan Hernandez signed 13 years ago but every player from Castro's island that's signed since then hasn't really panned out that well. Kendry Morales has some potential with the Angels and Jose Contreras had some good seasons, but 40-60 million is a lot for some kid who scouts have only seen sketchily.
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Pitching Coach:
former Astro, Curt Schilling
by Evan Hochschild on Oct 27, 2009 3:44 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
He’s to busy righting on his blog and developing video games.
Although he might be able to group up with Hunter Pence in WoW.
by timmy_ on Oct 28, 2009 7:09 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Aroldis Chapman
The guy wants way too much money. Supposedly he has serious command issues and his only quality pitch is his fastball… sounds like a decent college prospect, not an MLB starting pitcher. And he’s demanding over $40MM to sign. Thanks, but no thanks.
I’d much rather see the Astros pursuing Lackey or Wolf.
by OremLK on Oct 27, 2009 4:13 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
A lefthander who can throw with his velocity is extremely rare. So, I think that is his prime attraction. I have seen some commentaries which indicate that his command and breaking pitch issues can be solved with a consistent arm slot, which any major league pitching coach would know how to address. Whether it’s that simple or not, I don’t know. (Probably not.) I do know that almost any pitching coach would kill to be given the opportunity to develop a LHP who can hit 100 and regularly pitching in the 98 mph range. Personally, I doubt that Chapman gets a $40 – $60 million contract; but I suppose it only takes one team to go out on a limb for it to happen. He actually throws two fastballs, a sinker and a 4 seamer, so if the FB is his only quality pitch, it’s really two pitches. But I have heard that his slider is pretty good, but just needs better command. So, yes, I would like to see the Astros at least investigatie the possibility of signing the guy, going to his workouts, and determining what they think he is really worth. I would also say that I think that the track record of Cuban pitchers in the U.S. has been pretty good. Contreras and Livan have been damned fine pitchers in their career. (I wouldn’t mind the Astros taking a shot at signing Contreras even as he is in his old and declining stage.) El Duque certainly has had his moments at both a reliever and starter; it’s hard to say he hasn’t had a productive career.
by clack on Oct 27, 2009 4:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Fair points, I guess, I just don’t see the attraction in paying a guy $10 million a year who is not even MLB ready, even if he’s a hard-throwing lefty. I didn’t understand Strasburg either by the way, and he got a lot less money.
Basically we’d be throwing away $10 million for at least a year (maybe more) while the guy is in the farm system developing his command and off-speed stuff.
by OremLK on Oct 28, 2009 1:27 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Good point
Even though Dice-K cost 100 million at least he was able to come over and start in the majors right away.
by timmy_ on Oct 28, 2009 7:13 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Did you not see the line Morales put up this year?
I think Chapman gets a 5-25 deal and spends 2 years in the minors at least
JD’s like, "you want some fucking pitching? Here’s all the pitching you can stand. Now choke on it, bitches!"- RCCook
by laxtonto on Oct 27, 2009 4:34 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
kendry morales
had mvp type numbers this year…a top 5 player last year in the AL
by EveryHoustonTeamRox! on Oct 27, 2009 9:04 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Am I the only one who is confused
That a guy with a surname of Chapman is a Cuban defector?
The Crawfishboxes
A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while.
by Stephen Higdon on Oct 27, 2009 10:08 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, but
Isn’t Caballero descended from Chinese slaves in Panama, or something? Or is that an urban myth?
by Danyah on Oct 27, 2009 10:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Is that true? Or sarcastic?
I’m having a hard time distinguishing this morning.
The Crawfishboxes
A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while.
by Stephen Higdon on Oct 28, 2009 8:59 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not sure
Not sure if it’s true, that is. I want to say I remember hearing something along those lines on an Astros’ Insider episode or something, but frankly I’m too lazy to look it up. I don’t think I imagined it, but it was a while back, so I may be “misremembering.”
by Danyah on Oct 28, 2009 10:33 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hahaha
Points for quoting the Rodg.
I don’t want to look it up and end up disproving it. I like having the ambiguity of it possibly being true.
The Crawfishboxes
A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while.
by Stephen Higdon on Oct 28, 2009 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Now that you mention it, I think I remember the same thing on an Astros insider piece. I don’t think that Chinese “slaves” is necessarily the correct term though.
by clack on Oct 28, 2009 10:50 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
This doesn't add much
but there is a place in Cuba called Santa Maria de Chapman. Apparently Chapman is not that unusual a name there.
Astros fan for life
by Joe in Birmingham on Oct 29, 2009 12:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
we can always look to wikipedia
The wiki biography of Aroldis Chapman states:
This is a Spanish name; the first family name is Chapman and the second is de la Cruz.
Chapman’s father was a boxing trainer and emigrated from Jamaica. According to Wikipedia, Chapman has been called one of the “three great pitchers in the world right now who are not in the majors,” along with Yu Darvish and Stephen Strasburg, and his fastball has been clocked at 102 mph by major league scouts.
by clack on Oct 29, 2009 6:45 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
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