2007 Astros

[vega51]

James, i agree completely.

The organization has no vision of what they are doing and it all starts with Biggio.

Thats why i don't care about the 3,000 hits and i will not care the day he gets the mark because i think that move has cost the progress of players for 3 years.

An organization following the track of 3,000 over wins??? Can you imagine the Red Sox or Yankees doing that??? Well, Ask Wade Boggs or Bernie Williams.

[Coach]

James, I agree about the Astros silly notion that they can convert anyone in to an outfielder.

The problem with Biggio is that he has a loyal fan base and he knows it. Biggio knows the Astros will cave in if he goes public with his gripes. Biggio is only a microphone away from geting his way.

[jamesa46]

Another example of how directionless this team has become. They acquire Jason Jennings out of desperation and trade two of their top pitching prospects for him.
Where has Jennings been spending all his time? Right on!..on the DL.
Jennings supposedly injured his arm in a starting assignment for the Astros. Or did he?

Did Jennings have this problem all along and wasn't telling anyone? Which in effect means - the Astros received damaged goods for one of their top pitchers in the minor leagues.

I don't have the links to the articles but I'm sure most of you read the story about several scouts commenting that they had noticed over the last two years that Jennings was losing speed on his fastball and his breaking pitches not breaking as sharply. From that some of those scouts determined that Jennings was possibly hiding an injury.

Now, ponder this scenario. Jason Jennings is in the final year of his current contract. Initially, the Astros priority was to hopefully re-sign Jennings to a multi-year deal. Do you want to give a pitcher who obviously is now prone to injury an extended contract and then he ends up spending most of the time sitting on the bench nursing an arm injury?

Or, do you bite the bullet and let him walk?

Was Purpura taking a gamble on Jennings hoping that some of the stories coming from some of the scouts that Jennings was damaged goods only opinion and not fact?
Or, has Purpura gotten a reputation from the other team GM's as being easy pickings for dumping your damaged goods?

One thing we do know, Jennings is hurt and not pitching and that happened almost from the get-go. In my opinion, Jennings was hurt when the Astros acquired him but when one is desperate and has no clear cut direction on the future of the team, this is the kind of trades you make.

As for Phil Garner - I don't think he has a clue. He certainly doesn't know how to handle a pitching staff and the guy constantly is playing musical chairs with his defensive positioning.

I think Garner's job was to set up Chris Burke to fail by putting him in centerfield to take pressure off of having to sit Biggio so Burke could get some playing time at second base.
Well, Burke is gone and Biggio is now able to continue to play every single day at second base while his batting average continues to plummet toward the Mendoza line.
And, God forbid any balls get hit to his left or right because they're automatic base hits which any second baseman with normal range get's to every day.

[Coach]

Or, has Purpura gotten a reputation from the other team GM's as being easy pickings for dumping your damaged goods?

Or did Purputa just run outta time again? LOL I think he's getting a reputation as a sucker.

[vega51]

To trade your top minor league prospect for a number 3 pitcher with 1 year left in the contract is stupid, to do the trade giving that top prospect PLUS a regular cf and a starter is MAD.

A trade like this should cost Purp's job but it wont, no idea why. Ohhhhh,yes, right, this organization is playing for Biggio to get his 3,000 hits no matter what happens to other players and the team.

Do you think players don't notice that? Why better players are not playing? Why send Burke and continue to play Biggio? Berkman was pissed at that stupid move, has Berkman hit? Hmmmmm, maybe one thing leads to other, i don't believe this team feels comfortable with management nor manager, they feel lost outhere. why win if organization don't care?

Giving a top prospect for 1 year guy??
STUPID.

[jamesa46]

vega-
I knew exactly how you were going to respond to this topic!
You and I think alike.
Were seeing some illogical and stupid moves reminiscent of the days when the Judge had his fist crammed up GM Spec Richardson's rectum and forcing some of the dumbest trades in team history.

The Astros need to focus on the future, meaning get young and get better.
But, what are we seeing, old guys like Ausmus, Woody Williams, Orlando Palmiero, Lamb and stiffs like Lane and Ensberg all on the 25 man roster.
For what? We already know what these guys can do - which isn't much, plus they're not going to get better because their better days are already behind them!

If the Astros are going to continue getting their collective butts handed to them everyday in 14-1, 9-1 blow outs, The younsters from the minor leagues can do that! Problem is, they don't have much to offer in the way of top prospects at their AAA level. Their farm system and scouting sucks!

[vega51]

I agree with you except Lamb, this guy has hit for us in the past and we should have him hitting 5th in our lineup.

He should play 1st for us with Berkman in RF.

I wanted that since day 1 because i don't trust Scott, now, i expected Ensberg to hit more but i was wrong about him.

[jamesa46]

agree with you except Lamb, this guy has hit for us in the past and we should have him hitting 5th in our lineup.

He should play 1st for us with Berkman in RF.

vega-
Your right about Lambs bat. The problem is if you pencil him into the line up everyday, he's going to be giving away games with his glove. Lamb is not just a kind of bad defensive player, he's down right atrocious.

I'd dangle Lamb out there to the American League where he could DH and could get his bat in the line up everyday and hopefully somebody will throw a top prospect at the Astros near the end of the season when the playoff run gets hot and heavy.

Lamb is a pretty good hitter but he's not a head-turner. Lamb will never "astound" anybody with his "tremendous" hitting. He is what I would consider steady with the bat but Lamb is at an age where you know that he's not going to get better so get something for him while he still has some value.

[vega51]

I think he could be an average defensive first basemen.

I would love to see this lineup:

1. Burke 2b
2. Loretta 3b
3. Berkman rf
4. Lee lf
5. Lamb 1b
6. Pence cf
7. Bengie Molina, sh*t, we don't have him, Ausmus
8. Everett ss
9. Pitcher

[redbaron]

I'd like to see Pence hitting in the third spot with Berkman hitting fifth.

[vega51]

Scott struck out AGAIN looking.

This guy is the left handed version of Ensberg.

This guy sucks.

[redbaron]

jamesa46 said:

I think the problem with this team goes deeper than the 9 that walks out onto the field everyday.
Both Purpura and Garner have a lot to answer for with the direction this team is taking. Add to the mix the fact that the entire organization is being held hostage by one Craig Biggio which in effect has dampened any progress this team may have seen this season.

An example is Chris Burke. Now, I'm not saying that Chris Burke had the potential to be a solid everyday major leaguer but putting him in centerfield, in my opinion, certainly put the skids to any progress he might have made this season.

The fact is, Burke was never going to be a good outfielder. As late as last season, Greg Lucas told me that Burke simply was not going to be a good leftfielder. For one thing, as Greg alluded, Burke cannot handle fly balls that he has to go back on, meaning balls over his head.
So, what does Purpura and Garner do? They put him in centerfield and basically set him up to fail. This had to get inside Burke's head and really mix him up.
And, what was the motivation for all of this? Because Biggio has to play second base everyday so he can get those 3000 hits. The plan was to rest Biggio regularly and let Burke play second but that went out the window in a hurry. My take on that was Biggio simply was not going to sit, no matter how bad his range was and how much his batting average plummeted.

One other point in this mix of total failure by this team is the farm system.
I don't know what or who is calling the shots as the Farm Director but I know Purpura was in charge before Hunsicker left, and again and again, supposed prospects have continually been over-sold to the Astros front office.
I don't know if it's the scouts working for the Astros or just where to pinpoint it, but the scouting for the Astros has been seemingly exaggerating the potential and skill of many of their prospects.

Also, going full bore with this Venezuela program is another setup for failure. I don't know whose idea this was but sinking all your efforts into a country whose leader is openly supporting the killing of our troops in the middle east was downright ignorance.

The fact, is many of the current stars are coming from Asia and the Astros have been completely silent on any effort to scout that area for potential future major league ballplayers.

I believe the farm system needs to be completely re-worked with a completely new direction along with replacing all of the current scouts working in the organization.

That's just my opinion but I have to say, I haven't seen such a directionless ship since the days of Spec Richardson and Harry Walker.

James, you are exactly right on all counts. But, Biggio has been holding this team hostage ever since we were forced to let Jeff Kent walk so Biggio could move back to second base. This team is doing exactly what Drayton planned to do.......put Biggio's 3,000 hits ahead of winning. The sooner we get Biggio off this team, the better it will be. He's killing us.

[vega51]

Agree, this team should have Kent at 2nd and Bengie behind the plate.

[redbaron]

Is there a slower left-fielder anywhere than Lee??

[vega51]

or a slower 2nd basemen or weaker arm at 2nd?