Saturday Liftoff Links

by Timothy De Block on Aug 20, 2011 5:00 AM CDT in Link Dumps

While the Astros were taking on the defending champs I was putting together these championship like links for your viewing pleasure.

Checking in on the Past

Hunter Pence System Malfunction - Hot Corner - Baseball Nation
Ah good ol Hunter Pence.

Houston Astros 2011 Top 20 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review - Minor League Ball
John Sickels reviews his Top 20 list from December 2010. The take away, good contributions this year from several Minor League players and things are begging to look up.

Astros History: August Trades - The Crawfish Boxes
Here's my article from last year which has a primer on how the waiver trade period works.

Stuff Involving the Astros

Giants-Astros Series Preview " Giants Nirvana | SF Giants Blog
I was asked answer some questions regarding the Astros for the Giants Nirvana blog, who you guessed it cover the Astros.

Covering The Plate: A Baseball Catcher Tells All : NPR
Brad Ausmus has been called one of the best catchers in baseball. He spent 18 seasons in the big leagues, playing for teams like the Dodgers and the Padres. He details what it's like to crouch behind home plate, deal with umps and make pitching calls.

Other Stuff Involving Baseball

Joe Posnanski " Posts That Was For Duane Kuiper "
I love short stories like these.

Jim Hendry Fired From Cubs' General Manager Post - Baseball Nation
With the Chicago Cubs mired in fifth place for a second straight season, owner Tom Ricketts has fired general manager Jim Hendry after more than nine years on the job. I'm sure losing a series to the Astros didn't help either.

Joe Mauer Shows That Right Field Is The Easiest Job In The World - Baseball Nation
Thursday night, due to unforeseen circumstances, Twins catcher Joe Mauer was forced to play right field. It turns out that right field is an embarrassingly easy position to pick up.

Five Different Things Baseball Players Can Do With Their Bats - Baseball Nation
Videos of players doing weird things with their bats, including Jose Constanza, Melky Cabrera, Aaron Rowand, Cody Ross, and Carlos Perez.

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When I first heard that the Cubs’ Hendry was fired, my initial reaction was that the series loss to the Astros played a role. But apparently not. Hendry said that he was fired on July 22, but was asked to keep it quiet and stay on until the draft picks were signed.

If the Astros will be in the market for a new GM, they may be in competition with the Cubs. And the Cubs seem to have a leg up, time wise, with the Crane ownership still in limbo. The Cubs’ owner, Ricketts, seemed to describe GM quailifications similar to what we have heard that Crane wants. The media already has speculated that the Cubs could try to swoop in on Friedman.

by clack on Aug 20, 2011 7:22 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs

that hunter pence gif

Looks like something out of a cartoon!! Truly awesome

Karate? The Dane Cook of martial arts?

by Rocket94 on Aug 20, 2011 8:33 AM CDT via mobile reply actions

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Current Series

3 game series vs Dodgers @ Dodger Stadium

Fri 05/25	WP: Lucas Harrell (4 - 3) SV: Brett Myers LP: Clayton Kershaw (4 - 2)	3 - 1 win
Sat 05/26	WP: Kenley Jansen (4 - 0) LP: Wesley Wright (0 - 1)	3 - 6 loss
Houston Astros The Crawfish Boxes @ Los Angeles Dodgers True Blue LA Sunday, May 27, 2012, 3:10 PM CDT Dodger Stadium J.A. Happ vs Chris Capuano Partly cloudy. Winds blowing out to right field at 10-15 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 75. Complete Coverage >

NL Central Standings

	W	L	PCT	GB	STRK
Cincinnati Red Reporter	26	20	.565	0	Won 1
St. Louis Viva El Birdos	25	22	.531	1.5	Lost 3
Houston The Crawfish Boxes	22	24	.478	4	Lost 1
Pittsburgh Bucs Dugout	22	24	.478	4	Won 2
Milwaukee Brew Crew Ball	19	27	.413	7	Lost 1
Chicago Bleed Cubbie Blue	15	31	.326	11	Lost 11