Houston Astros @ Pittsburgh Pirates, 12:35 PM CST

I wonder if there is another team in baseball with as many platoon's as we have?

We have platoon's at RF, 3B, SS, 2B, 1st(sometimes) and C.

I'm sure some of you agree(as well as some totally disagree) that a platoon in any position is a BAD decision 90% of the time... I don't think it's good for anyone.

Borrowing from Tim Purpura again, "It was totally unexpected."

Phil Garner must not have watched last night's game or any game with Loetta batting third.

Now we enter the House of Mirrors or the House of Horrors.

Hunter Pence cannot hold the bat all the way through his swing; or swing it as he runs to first. No way he'll be able to make a throw in center; and batting looks like it aggravates the injury.

On the other hand, maybe I'm overreacting.

but I'd take him out anyway

Chris Burke to center

Luke Scott in right and batting second

as Kata dribbles one to second for a hit

0-0

Three up three down however in the fifth

with a lead off out.  

We need Rastro to compare Burke's first at-bats when he leads off to Biggio's first at-bats when he leads off.

Also how each does with at least two men on 2 outs.

leans way in Pirates dugout to catch a foul that many players would have given up on. he had to catchit on the tipof his mitt and flip it up to get more solid grip on it.

Since Pirates had men on first and second at the time, that ranks as a major play of the day.

Pirates centerfielder McLouth made a great diving catch of Carlos Lee  ball back in the fourth.

On what should have been a base hit by Woody through the middle, Izturis makes a play about 15' on the 2nd base side of 2nd base to throw out Woody.

Newly acquired Pirates shortstop Cesar Izturis goes about two steps past second to nab a Woody Williams grounder. He had a litle head start since Asumus who had singled was on his way to second on a hit and run, and Izturis was moving to cover second

for 1-0 Astros lead.

Give Luke Scott a chance to play! Astros need those two out RBI singles.

I figured I'd come over here to see what my Astro fan friends were up to.

Woody Williams went sprawling toward third base line to pull in a tricky dribble-bouncer(?) and on his side slung the ball on one bounce to Mike Lamb at first to end the inning. Nice play by Mike Lamb on the receiving end, too.

Besides his fielding prowess and being robbed of a critical hit, Woody has pitched six scoreless innings, allowing 4 hits and striking out 2 while not walking anybody.

over the park today - must be a great day to be outside in Pittsburgh

engages in its new seventh inning tradition of stopping on me. At least this time it picked between innings instead of a crucial time in the game. It's back.

on his right leg as he bats.

He hits a foul ball off his left leg and hops around for our amusement.

and as a group
Burke, Loretta, Lee,Ensberg, Lamb, Bruntlett and Williams are 0 for 18 (Loretta has a walk)

hitting and fielding star today  gets his second hit of the game.

Earlier I asked how Burke batted with men in scoring position and two outs. I didn't think he did much. He's up in that situation to prove me wrong. Ausmus on second with two outs.

Full count

Walks

 Picture of Hunter Pence in the dugout with his right hand and wrist wrapped.

up with two men on and two outs. Last time up he drove in Astros only run of the game - two outs then too.

This time he strikes out.

Side retired.

I view platoons as very smart tools for a manager, because it enables a team to convert two mediocre players into a single good player at a position.  The Hardball Times has a multi-part series of articles on the best platoons of each era...and it really shows how the practice has been used well for almost as long as baseball has been played. (My favorite platoon: McCovey, the lefty, and Cepeda, the righty, in their first couple of ML seasons...that is a scary slugging combination.) The fact that the Astros have so many platoons is more of a commentary on the fact that the Astros have so many flawed players.  If Lamb could play defense or Ensberg could hit better, there would be question about a full time 3d baseman, for instance. I have advocated playing Scott full time, mostly to see what his future role should be, but I wouldn't argue that his performance has justified a full time role either.  

I call the the "oh shit" catch, but cause I'm sure that's the first thing he thought before catching it.

he is pitching a beauty of a game here in the 8th. Anyone think he can pitch another complete game?

By the way, sorry I didn't place my post on platoon next the discussion earlier in the thread...I didn't think about the location when I wrote it.

Another stellar catch by Woody Williams -this time in part a matter of self-preservation as he catches screamer back to mound.

AS I typed this the crowd roared as a Pittsburgh batter hit long warning track fly for out three.

After 8 -- Astros 1 Pirates 0

Wish we had more posters today. Woody deserves  more compliments than two of us have been able to give him.

please please please

One Out  - Lidge looked great

well.. besides our offense just barely doing enough for us to get a win.

Woody was great and Lidge was(well minus the hit) unhittable.  

Tha Astros win!

as well... He got the loss.. but he only gave up 4 hits.  Nice game by him as well.

Wow.

sayeth the Houston Chronicle

I saw this Astros-related entry on the Pirates "Buc Dugout". They have a picture to go along with the story but the picture didn't make here.:

What a night.  

I went to the Pirate game Saturday with my brother and a couple of friends.  We all have bobblehead plans, and tonight (80s and 90s logo man night) was the last game on the plan.

We went down real early for batting practice.  My brother and his friend went down to the right field corner (near the handicap seats) and watched the Astros relievers warming up.  Of course they were being peppered left and right by kids demanding balls.

My brother's friend decided to get a leg up.

Friend-"Hey Lidge!!  I'll give you this bobblehead for a ball!!!"

Lidge-walks over. "That sounds like a decent deal"  

The trade takes place, and Lidge proceeds to place the bobblehead and his water on the ground.  It remains there for a good 10 minutes.  Then the players went further into the outfield for windsprints.  Just before though, Lidge was kind enough to pose with the bobblehead.  Lidge then took it out furthur in the OF and set it down again, and started talking to other team mates.

After another 10 minutes or so, Lance Berkman comes trotting out to chat.  He talks to a few relievers, who point at the bobblehead box, and then over at us.  Berkman laughs, and grabs the box, and throws it, then picks it back up, removes the bobblehead, and throws it.

Next, the relievers, led by Chad Qualls, start throwing balls at it.  The logo man managed to dodge most of the projectiles.

Later on, Lidge returns, and asks where his bobblehead is.  Berkman walks over, picks it up, puts it back in the box, and hands it to Lidge, and points at Qualls, as if to blame him for the mess.

Just a few minutes later, Qualls knocks the box out of Lidge's hand and again chucks it.

Finally, BP ends, but before they leave the field, they remove the bobblehead from the box and set it on top of the box, and leave it in right.

It remained there until about 10 minutes before the lineups were announced.

How funny is that?

Adam

Not to throw cold water on anybody's enthusiasm but look at the Astros upcoming opponents for the next four weeks:

Los Angeles Dodgers (3)
San Diego Padres (4)

Atlanta Braves (3)
Florida Marlins (3)

Chicago Cubs (3)
Milwaukee Brewers(3)

Los Angeles Dodgers (4)
San Diego Padres(3)

This could be a long-drawn-out ugly (and Roy Oswalt misses at least one start with that rib inflamation)

On the other hand, an 18-8 run could really boost morale.