ST Game No. 26: Houston Astros at Pittsburgh Pirates

followed by ground single…3-0 Pirates.

The other time I remember was from the Met’s broadcast on MLB TV when he held up Daigle, which I actually understand because there is no sense in sending your starting pitcher home for a play at the plate in spring training.

I could understand if Mills gave Clark orders not to send players for plays at the plate in an effort to keep people healthy, but with Clark’s history (last season) I don’t know if that is necessarily the case. I do remember us having discussions about his abilities as a 3B coach and sending runners before.

Constantly. He made me angry numerous times last season by not sending the runner when it was pretty clear he would have scored, or at least had a much better chance than hoping the next batter would drive him in (with 2 outs).

Keppinger boots a ball….error. Kepp isn’t having a good fielding spring training.

Iwamura with a 3 run HR. Now 10-0.

radio guys earlier speculated that Mills started Maysonet and Michaels in the outfield because he didn’t want to risk injury to Lee and Bourn on the poor field conditions.

I should mention that Maysonet was the outfielder chasing the ball which McCutcheon turned into a triple earlier. Broadcasters didn’t indicate that Maysonet misplayed it. Maysonet’s throw in wasn’t great, apparently. I generally assume that a triple (particularly to LF) involves less than stellar play by the outfielder.

They are related . You hurt your leg or foot – the lower back follows

many of the upper leg muscles like the hamstring and the glutes originate on the same bone complex of the sacrum and backside of the pelvic girdle as the lower back muscles, although on different sides. Therefore, any strain in the musles of one put strain on the others. There is a balance you have to have between the two muscle groups. When you begin talking about lower back pain, the first 3 things that have to come to mind are 1. abdominal body fat (not a problem for Roy O) 2. Weak abdominals (the purpose of the core training prescribed to Roy O this off season, so likely improved) and 3. Tight hamstrings and Glutes (which is what is going on here). There are a few others like activity level which you normally don’t have a problem with when it comes to athletes.

In conclusion, i’m not surprised at all by this relation, what i am surprised about though is that lower body flexibility being a problem after undergoing core training for the off season. Core strengthening training programs usually include some lower body flexibility as a major aspect. Given the recent injury problems that are associated with muscle strains (especially lower body), the stretching program that is currently being employed may have some flaws. Given that this is spring training and the younger players are performing well and trying to make names for themselves, i think the competition is much greater this year than years past is this a product of players playing harder sooner than what their bodies are ready for.

Chris Johnson also with two errors this inning…but now announcers say the Pirates’ batter was given a hit on the last one, even though they say it should be given an error.

and that is our closer?? jeez ST is just too long. Get it over with and lets start the season already…

Sligin’ Sammy…

Blum is not a RHB; he is a switch hitter whose best side is LHB. But you make an interesting point. I have to think that Wade: (1) views Blum as the primary (and perhaps only) LHB off the bench; and (2) really loves Blum’s veteran-ness beyond normal explanation. I don’t know if that leaves Keppinger as another trade possibility.

Astros decided last fall Blum was a building block piece – one of the core guys – not a supporting role. They team was built aroufn a core group of players – Blum being one of them – maybe the weakest of the group but one of them. If that be true, I can see a reluctance to lose one of the givens going into the off season without being sure the tream receives a premium to justify takig the risk losing him might cause a ripple effect on other positions.

It’s a goofy theory i know (but that doesn’t make it wrong (or right))