Why the 2011 Astros will be good

Webster's defines lackadaisical as lacking spirit, liveliness, or interest. 

That sounds like the 2010 Astros up until the All Star Break.  After the ASB, the impending trade deadline seemed to put a little bit of life into those that were rumored to be on the trading block.  After all, everyone likes to be wanted by others and if you're a player wanting out of town and think you're being scouted, you'll want to put your best foot forward.

For the past several years, I think the "old, aging, veteran Astros" were just too experienced to be bothered with some of the little things that make a good ball club.  I'm not blaming them as I would have probably been doing the same things that come with making millions of dollars and being held on a pedestal in hopes of bringing a Championship to Houston.

Speaking engagements, endorsements, financial planning, investements, cattle ranches, charity work, and the like start taking one's time as a player once you make it to the big leagues, especially if you're a perennial All Star. 

• Who wants to be bothered with showing up at Spring Training early, especially when it's your 10th season and you've got a guaranteed contract and a guaranteed starting position? 
• Why show up to Spring Training on time when you have a coaching staff that accepts your lame excuses about forgetting what day it started or the pilot of your private jet had an expired license or you're showing a bull at the Houston Live Stock Show and Rodeo?
• Who wants to work on their hitting skills in the off-season especially when there's 162 games, you're starting job is safe, and you know you'll get your timing eventually? 
• Who wants to take those long bus rides in Spring Training to play a game when there's some young guys that need to pay their dues and get their work in?

Well, I think I can honestly say that the guys on the team right now could answer "I do" to every one of those questions (except Lee).  Hardly anyone is guaranteed to make the team right now and nobody knows what's going to go down during free agency.

I think CJ, Castro, Sanchez, Hernandez, Wallace, Bogey, Bougeois, et al will be EXCITED about Spring Training and will be working their butts off in the off-season in order to be prepared for Spring Training to win a job.

I think Bourn and Pence will feed off of that excitement and come to Spring Training ready to play (I hear Pence has colored sliding glass doors at his Spring Training home now).

I think Kepp, Blum, Michaels will work hard and be ready in Spring Training since they have all these young guys trying to take their jobs.

I think the pitching staff is pretty solid as we've seen lately and I HOPE they're ready to go.

Mills now has a full year under his belt and should have a much better plan moving forward.  I assume he was operating off what he has always seen done - now he knows what he'd like to do for his own reasons.

Carlos Lee is the only player who may still prefer to rope cattle, chill in Panama, and not have to worry about his job because of his contract.  He's getting paid no matter what.

Take all the above into account, add a FA acquisition or two in the off-season, and that translates into an energetic team that wants to play in the Majors, is ready to play on Opening Day, and we won't have to endure another slow start that we've been accustomed to the past few years.

I think this team has a new attitude and the ability to go a long way next year and be very competetive. 

What do you think?