Tuesday Afternoon Astros, etc Round Up

Bud Norris received reassurance after his recent poor outing against the Diamondbacks, and seems to be taking it in stride. All young starters get their lumps, and even the top prospects like Clay Buchholz are still figuring it out on the big league level. This offseason is going to be extremely important to his development, obviously. Further developing his changeup and honing the rest of his repertoire should be his objectives.

Zach Levine is in Round Rock, checkin' out the Express. JR Towles is set to make his return, while Doug Brocail and Wes Wright are making rehab stints.

Get this: Mike Hampton can hit!

Gabriel Garcia an Astro minor leaguer is the most recent Astros prospect to be suspended for using performance enhancing drugs. He is not alone, as drug related suspensions have increased 44% from 2008 to this season.

Did the Pirates do something right this season? I would have guessed no, but apparently Garrett Jones is absolutely raking of late. It almost pains me to see that team succeed in any way. Am I a bad person as a result? Ehhh....maybe.

The worst stadium in the history of stadiums? Colt Stadium, former home of the Colt .45s, says one stadium expert. His criteria to evaluate the stadiums are:

• Field asymmetry: Are field dimensions balanced from right to left field? Do outfield fences have unusual angles or heights?
• Architectural design: Does the form fit the function?
• Seat proximity: (and sight lines in general) How well can most fans see the action on the infield diamond?
• Location: Is it close to downtown? Is there a scenic backdrop or notable landmark?
• Aesthetics: That hard-to-define "look and feel"

The Astrodome ranked really high in architectural design, but apparently wasn't asymmetrical enough to be rated all that highly.

Here's an interesting concept: business big-wigs can learn from baseball people. Pick a post, any post, and I practically guarantee you'll come back for more.

Drew Locke hit home run #20 for the CC Hooks last night. Congrats to Drew and here's to hoping he can find his way to the Astros some day, some how.

Finally, let's help out TangoTiger with his annual fan's scouting report. He does so much to further intelligent baseball thought and discussion, so let's spend a few moments doing him a solid.