More photos » Charlie Riedel - AP

4 days ago: Houston Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez throws during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday, March 17, 2010, in Kissimmee, Fla. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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Another day, another Astros victory over the Washington Nationals. I know it's not the case, but it seems like Houston has played them every other day so far this spring. In fact, the teams have played each other three times, with the Astros taking all three games by a combined score of 34 to 14. They were actually scheduled to play Washington in another game that was rained out last week.

Of course, the Astros haven't faced possibly the Nationals best pitcher in Stephen Strasburg. That leads me to my question of the day: is it a good thing that Houston has played such a bad team so often? Does their competition level play a role in preparing them for the season, or is any team capable of tuning them up in time? I guess it boils down to whether preparing for the regular season is about the process or the results?

More photos » Charlie Riedel - AP

Where does Carlos get drafted?

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We are five days away from the TCB Fantasy draft, so let's have an open thread to talk about where guys should be drafted. With a 16-team league, this is going to be one of the deeper drafts that I've hosted, so where should guys like Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman go?

For that matter, who goes in the first round? As a reminder, our point system does reward defense. Does that push Hanley Ramirez up to the top? Or is Albert Pujols still the unquestioned No. 1?

The other interesting thing about this league is that there are no rate stats. It's purely based on counting stats. Should that change the draft boards?

As a reference, here's the top 10 for our scoring system that was provided by CBSSports.com

This projection system doesn't include any of the fielding stats or HBP. As a comparison, here's the top 10 pitchers (while HBP and holds aren't projected).

We also need to come up with a good way to select draft position. I'm not averse to picking out of a hat, but if someone has a more creative idea, I'm all for it.

Oh, and here's a look at the divisions and team names so far. Some of the teams are still "Team 11," but we've got some creative entries so far.

If you haven't signed up for your league yet and are looking for a site to host it, the Commissioner League is 50 percent off for SBNation users. Just follow this link to get the discount. As an added bonus, any SBNation user who signs up for a league will get a free TCB t-shirt for the league champion. Pretty sweet, huh? We can also run your league standings in our monthly update post during the season and you can keep us updated on how things are going with FanPosts. Reason enough to sign up, right?

CBSSports.com is an SB Nation partner and paying sponsor of the SB Nation baseball communities.
This post is one of a series of sponsor endorsed posts related to the CBSSports.com Fantasy Baseball
Commissioner League.

More photos » Charlie Riedel - AP

It's time for the Rally Caps

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Happy St. Patrick's Day!

UPDATE: The Astros cut 12 players from camp Wednesday, reassigning Fernando Abad, Brian Bogusevic, Evan Englebrook, Chia-jen Lo, Matt Nevarez, Yordany Ramirez, Lou Santangelo, Wladimir Sutil, Polin Trinidad, Jose G Valdez and Henry Villar to minor league camp. The team also gave Alex Romero his unconditional release, meaning he becomes a free agent immediately. Any surprises here?

Let's lead this off with another note from Morgan Ensberg's excellent blog. In this one, he responds to a user's question about whether he used steroids with a very well-thought out and insightful answer.

The only thing I saw in the clubhouse was "greenies" which I have done about 10 times. Greenies are basically "uppers" and they didn’t do anything to me. I am not sure if that is a good thing.

I drink a ton of coffee and would drink something like 2 redbulls before a game if I felt sluggish.

I always use this analogy. In Hermosa Beach, where I grew up, there were a bunch of kids who smoked weed. I was asked if I wanted to smoke, but I said no and that was the end of it.

I eventually smoked in college about 30 times and I liked it. But I noticed that it made me eat a lot and I didn’t need any help in that department.

Back to the point, I didn’t smoke so I wasn’t in "that club". If you are not in the group then you have no idea what guys are doing it. The same thing happened in college with cocaine. I have never done cocaine, but some of my buddies did and I had no idea. I just thought that they were really hyper.

My opinion is this. I can’t fault anyone for doing steroids because they are trying to do everything they can to get to the big leagues. I played in the Dominican and Venezuela and nothing you say will change my opinion on a guy making a decision to feed his family. This isn’t apples and apples.

I don’t even think that those guys who did do steroids pushed me out of the game. I had the ability to play the game at the highest level and that is really cool to me.

It's an interesting analogy made about the pot smokers and the non-users. Extrapolating it out further, doesn't it make sense that guys who were 'in the club' like Jose Canseco would want to paint more people with the same brush stroke? What was the real percentage of users in baseball? My guess is that it was lower than the Mitchell Report would have us believe but higher than they admitted at the time.

Another interesting point is made about Latin American players. How many of these guys have been popped for steroids? Miguel Tejada is the only one I can think of off the top of my head. I know there have been some minor leaguers recently hit with 50-game bans for taking controlled substances, but was there anyone from that late 90's era? Just an interesting point to ponder.

The more major leaguers and former major leaguers we can get to talk about these things, the better. This blog by Ensberg is the one thing baseball fans lack lots of time: first-hand interaction with guys playing the game at its highest level. I can't wait for more posts!

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More photos » Charlie Riedel - AP

I just like pictures of outfielders diving...Move along.

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Here are some tidbits from last night's 30 Clubs in 30 Days:

• Mitch Williams claims that if Berkman just had debris cleaned out of his knee, he should be back in no time. In fact, Williams said he had the same procedure when he was with the Astros and was throwing within three days.
• Berkman says he's back into baseball activities within a week and a half to two weeks. He downplayed the possibility of starting on Opening Day, saying he'd rather be healthy than rushing back for "one game." Sounds like he might not have even had the surgery if it happened during the season.
  
• It's a good thing too, because I saw on the scroll that Darin Erstad is still unsigned. I just hope Wade doesn't get trigger-happy and call him in if Berkman misses too much time.
  
• Roy Oswalt said the younger guys do come to him for advice, but the real problem is getting "Cudly Budly" to shut up at times. He also said that the important thing about a pitching coach is not to try and change mechanics during games. He said Brad Arnsberg had talked to him about changing a couple things on his hand and glove placement, but they haven't changed anything since then. Sounds like the problem Oswalt may have had with Dewey Robinson was messing with his delivery during the game.
  
• Roy said Wandy has the best curveball in the majors. He even said, "guys sit on his curve and still can't hit it." Surprisingly, he didn't mention any of Brian Moehler's pitches in the same glowing terms.
  
• Both John Hart and Roy said the biggest concern with Bud Norris is his control. Roy mentioned his problems are keeping the ball down in the zone while Hart and Williams both commented that Norris has top-of-the-rotation stuff if his control is good.
  
• The studio guys have been talking a lot about Myers as a reliever. Williams said Myers is in Houston because Wade is a "loyal guy." He also said Myers has "different gears" when on the mound and implied that he might take some effort off at times when he's starting.
• Terms used to describe Manzella "not good range," "steady," "fundamentally sound." Why does that not conjure up images of Ozzie Smith? Williams did make the point that he's got to be an improvement over Miguel Tejada, who "was a third baseman by the middle of last season." That made me chuckle.
• Also funny: Carlos Lee hitting like Ichiro in batting practice. Because, you know, he can beat out so many infield hits.
• The talk about the minor leagues was predictable and what we've heard before. Top ten of note: Jay Austin, Jason Castro, Collin DeLome, Jon Gaston, Chris Johnson, Chia-jen Lo, Jordan Lyles, Tommy Manzella, Jio MIer, Ross Seaton. Hart liked Mier best, saying he's got the best upside in the system. Hart also went out on a limb and said Jason Castro could make an impact this season.
• The homegrown all-time team? Craig Biggio at catcher, Ken Caminiti at third, Julio Lugo at short, Joe Morgan at second, Lance Berkman at first, Luis Gonzalez in left, Cesar Cedeno in center, Rusty Staub in right, JR RIchard as a starter, Billy Wagner as reliever. Apparently, Jimmy Wynn wasn't eligible since he came up as Reds property. What do you think of this list?
• Hah. Funniest Geoff Blum lines: "Lance who?" while in the cage, "This is the Lance Drill" as he ran to third and then put his hands on his knees to catch his breath. AND HE QUOTED BULL DURHAM! I know I've been down on Blum this offseason, but that's too awesome. Geoff Blum for MVP!
  
• Prime 9 Astros moments: 9) Roger Clemens moves up on strikeout list 8) Craig Biggio gets 3,000th hit 7) MIke Scott's no-hitter clinches NL West 6) Mike Scott strikes out 14 in NLCS 5) Denny Walling sac-fly in 1980 NLCS 4) Jeff Kent home run in 2004 NLCS 3) Chris Burke walk-off in 2005 NLDS (falsely reported as being in 2004) 2) Nolan Ryan throws fifth no-hitter 1) Astros advance to World Series in 2005

Let's end on this. Discuss those moments and anything else from the program.

More photos » Charlie Riedel - AP

7 days ago: Former President George H.W. Bush tips his hat for a photo as he watches a spring training baseball game between the Atlanta Braves and the Houston Astros Sunday, March 14, 2010 in Kissimmee, Fla. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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That's right, TCB's (soon to be sponsored) Players of the Week is back. Who are this week's honorees?

Hitter of the Week: 3B Pedro Feliz - Continuing a hot streak, Feliz was 7 for 13 last week with three runs scored, two RBIs, three strikeouts, two doubles and a home run. His slash line of .538/.538/.923 helped him to a team-high 6.46 runs created, a .667 BABiP and a .618 wOBA. He, like many of the Astros this spring, hasn't walked much at all. In fact, Feliz doesn't have a walk yet in 21 at-bats. However, his defense has been sparkling. If he can keep hitting with a little average and keeps his average up around .260, he'll do very nicely in the sixth hole.

Pitcher of the Week: RHP Matt Lindstrom - Two scoreless appearances this week saw Lindstrom throw three perfect innings with two strikeouts. He also had a 2/5 GO/FO ratio and an FIP of 1.87. Lyon will start throwing in live, though 'controlled,' games Wednesday. Is that too much time for him to unseat Lindstrom as the closer? Evan brought up the salient points about the battle earlier today, but this may become more about time and innings pitched than stuff.

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More photos » Gene J. Puskar - AP

This guy is hurrying to get back to his league's draft.

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Here's a rundown on the rules we've set up for the fantasy league. Feel free to chime in on whether you like the rules or not, if you have suggestions on additions or if you just want to be snarky. I'm not picky about comments here.

Player universe: Mixed

Positions: C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, LF, CF, RF, UTIL, five SP, 2 RP - Made the decision to split up the outfielders to make it a little more realistic. Also should make draft strategy more intriguing.

Position limits: 2 DL players, 2 minor league players, 5 reserves

Waivers: Yes

Daily Roster moves

Scoring system: Head-to-Head, total points scored - This is like how fantasy football head-to-head leagues are scored. Each stat carries a certain number of points and the team with the most points at the end of the week gets a victory. In the case of a tie, the team with the most reserve points gets the W.

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David J. Phillip - ASSOCIATED PRESS

He's got the whole (Astros) world, in his hands...

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As this post goes up, the Astros will have played a week's worth of spring training games. Some guys, like JR Towles, Matt Lindstrom, Jason Castro and Kaz Matsui, have impressed thus far. Others- Michael Bourn, Wandy, Chris Sampson, haven't fared as well in extremely limited action.

That's the thing about the spring: small sample sizes leads to every performance being placed under the microscope. This is just the nature of the beast for writers, bloggers and fans. We would all like to seize on certain topics and occurrences and draw out some sort of long lasting effect from them. Baseball though, does not lend itself to being judged in one at bat increments. 

The same can really be said for organizations as a whole. Consider the Astros. Their 2005, 2006, and 2007 drafts yielded two players, Tommy Manzella and Bud Norris, who figure to play prominent roles in this year's club. Needless to say that for a team that can't spend like one of the top tier clubs, this sort of production can and often times will lead to lean times on the big league level.

While other clubs have succeeded in planting seeds for the future, the Astros have struggled to replicate the sort of success they achieved from 1997-2005. Did the organization as a whole lose its way and forget how it came to the success it did? I doubt it. Perhaps Drayton McLane became so focused on "being a champion" at the major league level that he forgot the underlying reasons for his team's achievements? Or was his mistake in hiring a GM like Tim Purpura, whom McLane may not have had the confidence in that is necessary for a strong owner-GM relationship?

For whatever the reasons, and despite the fact that McLane is the common denominator, the Astros ship appears to have been righted in recent seasons. Now, I don't want this to necessarily be a post that unduly praises Ed Wade, because in all honesty, I don't know if he is the reason why the organization has been on the upward swing.  What I do think is that it is fair to argue that while Wade may not ever turn our heads with an out of this world trade or free agent signing, he is at the very least competent. Now the Astros' goal shouldn't be competency, because that's surely not how the team rose to the heights of professional baseball. For the time being though, competency might be just what this organization needs.

So my poll question for this Saturday, is this: how confident are you in the Astros going forward? I don't just mean the Lance and Roy led guys with the stars on their hats. I mean: 

• From the major league club to the minor leaguers on the cusp of big league-dom, to the 18 year old in our Dominican Academy. Questions that beg to be asked: Will the 2008 and 2009 draft classes progress as much as we hope? Can the Astros discover this century's Johan Santana, Richard Hidalgo and Carlos Guillen in the Dominican Republic? As for our Astros, did Wade do a good enough job to add talent while simultaneously cutting payroll?
  
• The front office. Drayton will be Drayton, and as long as he's our owner, we know it's less than likely that the Astros will pay over slot for top line draftees, and there will always be the temptation to think in the short term rather than into the future. Does Ed Wade have his ear so that these tendencies of McLane can be mitigated?
  
• Scouting and player development wise: Bobby Heck is certainly a favorite around here, but the criticism is that he has been too conservative in his first two drafts with the Astros. As I alluded to earlier, will those '08 and '09 classes make Heck look like a genius? Further down the development totem pole there are a lot of issues to shore up for the Astros to begin to have a consistent pipeline of youngsters going up to the majors. Do you think the organization will invest sufficiently in those people that we will never see, and whose names we will likely never learn?

So look at this team with as objective an eye as you can and tell us:

More photos » Tom Gannam - AP

The day the legend was born...

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Before we dive into another chock-full spring notebook, let's take a minute to talk about Bud Norris' fastball. We've spent a lot of time analyzing Young Master Norris, including all sorts of facts* and figures about his health and pitching repertoire.

*Norris caught the 'still hasn't landed' homer and used it to strike out 20 Cardinals. In one inning.

One thing that intrigued me about Norris was his fastball. The announcers on Monday were talking it up, how much late life it had. I, naturally, wondered if we could see that with Pitch F/X data.

I didn't want to do a whole writeup on this, because it's kind of a thin topic. Plus, as Harry Pavlidis pointed out in our last breakdown of Matt Lindstrom, basing this data on smaller sample sizes or more granular looks instead of the whole picture can be misleading.

In that spirit, let's look at the overhead view of Norris fastball:

Now to left-handers:

And finally to righties:

We're not dealing with many pitches, but if you look closely at the three pictures, you can tell the fastball is still moving in different directions close to the plate. Taken as a composite, it looks like his average fastball cuts towards the right-hand part of the plate as it gets closer, stopping its trajectory towards the left side. To lefties, there is a pronounces move to the right, with some tailing action just over the plate. To righties, you see the same thing, except the tailing action is less apparent and seems to break away from the hitter.

I had no other point than to see if we could visualize his late movement. After we get some data from his April starts, I'll try and look back at this to see if there is any difference. Onto more news and notes after the jump...

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