Monday Liftoff Links

While the Astros were wrapping up there final game before the All-Star break I was putting together these links to help you threw these next few days with little actual baseball.

It's All About the Astros

Astros could be historically bad, and where do we go from here? | SportsJustice | a Chron.com blog
Richard Justice thinks the Astros could be bad in back to back years.

Ultimate Astros " Justice: Astros manager Mills proves he’s right man for the job
Apparently some fans don't think Brad Mills is fiery enough. Richard Justice has another take. While I don't agree with Mills' lineup construction, Justice makes a good point.

Richard Oliver: ‘Toy Cannon’ takes aim at today’s Astros - San Antonio Express-News
Some interesting comments by Jimmy Wynn about the Astros desire to play baseball. This was probably something Richard Justice was eluding to in his article.

Boots or Boats? - DRaysBay
Astros or Rays? Finkel or Einhorn? What will Andrew Friedman choose to do in 2012? The biggest thing I took from this article is that Friedman may not be that much of an upgrade over Wade. The both sound similar in their ability to identify talent and work their magic on the waiver wire. Free agency is an entirely different story.

Statistics

The Best (And Worst) Hitters At Making Pitchers Work - Beyond the Box Score
Using a junk stat I call "Pitcher Fatigue Factor," I determine which batters make pitchers work the hardest for each out. No Astros in either of the top 15 which is a good and a bad thing.

Around Baseball

Ultimate Astros " Tragedy shines light on ballpark dangers
A good article on the tragedy that occurred in Arlington recently. Should players stop throwing balls into the stands?

Another Call For Robot Umpires - Over the Monster
Edwin Encarnacion scored the tying run but was called out to end the game. Is this really an acceptable way to end an Major League Baseball game? Baseball does a pretty good job of incorporating media off the field, why aren't they doing it on the field?