Monday Liftoff Links

While I was torn watching George Springer take on my beloved Carolina Gamecocks, I put together these emotion inducing links for your drama needs.

The Astros Front Office

General manager Wade calls for Astros to be more consistent | astros.com: News
I don't like this throwing the team under the bus, especially with a new owner on the way in. Obviously some moves need to be made, but that would require Wade and Mills moving away from the veterans they love so much. It took me back to the Fire Joe Morgan days with the use of the word consistency multiple times.

2011 MLB Draft: Houston Astros Review - Minor League Ball
John Sickels gives the A-OK on the Astros selections in the draft. It appears Bobby Heck and Ed Wade made some solid picks overall.

Astros Sunday Roundup: Hunter Pence 34 Games From Joe DiMaggio's Record - SB Nation Houston
With the Astros imploding again, at least Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn's hitting remain steady. Joshua Powling AKA AstroB gives a nice roundup on several of things involving the Astros this past week.

More on Moving

MLB Realignment? Bring It On - Baseball Nation
Would Major League Baseball really be worse off with the Astros in the American League? Or with an interleague game almost every day of the week? Change isn't always the worst thing, even in our hide-bound National Pastime. Rob Neyer with his take on the recent Realignment talk.

Early Talk Of A Potential Switch To The American League Fosters Strong Emotions From Houston Astros Fans - Around the Loop - SB Nation Houston
Twitter went boom when the Houston Astros were mentioned as a possible candidate to move to the American League. As a longtime Astros fan, I'm all for it. I love the idea of kidnapping Tampa's front office when they come to town.

Statistics

Not Just Black And White: Color Surnames In MLB History - Beyond the Box Score
White, Black, Brown, Green, Gray, and Blue. Which color surname has produced the most WAR in baseball history? I'm a sucker for this kind of research.