Friday Liftoff Links

While the Astros were getting ready to take on the Cardinals in the finale I was putting together these delightful links for your indulgence.

Astros Stuff

15 Reasons To Keep Watching The Astros - Houston News - Hair Balls
John Royal gives us a list of reasons for continuing to watch the Astros.

The Astros are on pace to finish 53-109 | HardballTalk
So glad we have constant updates on the pace of the Astros this season. Nothing really not worthy about this link, just being snarky.

Trade Market

Hunter Pence would look really fine in Phillies uniform | Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/26/2011
From an Astros fan standpoint I like this article.

MLB Trade Rumors: Atlanta Braves Still Considering Hunter Pence - SB Nation Atlanta
The Pence trade from an Atlanta fans point of view.

The Untouchables - MLB Daily Dish
Over at MLBDD, we're keeping a running tab of all the prospects that have reportedly been deemed "untouchable" over the past couple weeks. Obviously these reports aren't definitive, but this should help fans to get a sense of which prospects aren't quite worth talking about in most trade proposals.

Source: Better than 50/50 chance of Pence deal - Yardbarker
Looking more and more likely Hunter Pence will be traded.

Ultimate Astros » Are Astros pitchers worth any (literally, any) prospects in trade?
Are Astros pitchers worth any (literally, any) prospects in trade? Zachary Levine looks at the value Brett Myers and Wandy Rodriguez provide and how a team comes to that value.

Baseball Analysis and Other Stuff

Bucketing Outcomes in Baseball (and Beyond) - Beyond the Box Score
Bill Petti | The great thing about sabermetrics is that it's lessons are applicable far beyond the baseball diamond. An interesting look at variables that affect outcomes.

Rays Rotation Is Record-Setting Fountain Of Youth - Baseball Nation
Tuesday night, the Rays are going to set a Major League record when their 704th straight game is started by a pitcher in his 20s. How long will this streak continue?

What MLB Team's Off-season Investments Look Good? - Beyond the Box Score
Bill Petti | Teams invested lots of money on positional free agents last year. Which teams' portfolios are looking like winners?

The Short and Simple SIERA Primer | FanGraphs Baseball
FanGraphs unveiled a new pitching statistic that does what FIP and xFIP won't do. Attempt to account for balls in play. It's a nice short primer for the statistics that I highly encourage you to read.