Walkin’ Maybe, but These Boots Aren’t Made for Hitting
Sometimes I wonder if the Astros really want that Silver Boot. The Boot has been a source of pride and sign of accomplishment in this state for years and years. It’s like Lombardi Trophy, Heisman Trophy, World Cup, and Silver Boot. And yet the boys handed the Rangers the early Boot lead. Like all Houstonians I dread hearing the calls to the station this week because I’m sure 99% of them will be Rangers fans calling to tease us about being down 2-1 in the quest for the Boot. First the Texans lose to the Cowboys and now this? Oh well, I guess Texas was going to eventually win its first series on the road and it might as well come against its most fiercest rival. New York-Boston…whatever. Buckeyes-Wolverines…bo-ring. Duke-North Carolina…yawn. Last time I checked none of those “rivalries” have a piece of footwear in silver that goes to the winner and that, my friends, is the true hallmark of a genuine rivalry. Seriously on the prestige meter does Silver Boot fall above or below, say, a Certificate for Perfect Attendance?
--Honestly how many players do the Astros have that have no right being up in the Majors much less with a team that has postseason aspirations? Orlando Palmeiro is now 0 for his last 16 and has 4, I repeat 4 hits on the entire season. Wandy Rodriguez has 3 hits. Jason Lane hits .163 against lefties and yet Garner keeps this stupid platoon going. Luke Scott has more hits against lefties than Lane does. Is Lane married to Purpura’s daughter? How many chances does he get? Brian Moehler’s has been done for a while and yet the Astros have him and his 6.00 ERA taking up a spot. Lefty specialist Trever Miller has an ERA approaching 6.00 and he can’t get lefties, righties, or switchies out. I haven’t even brought up Mo-fer. Ridiculous. If the kids on the farm are no better then Houston, we have a problem (how clever and original am I?).
--I'm not good at photoshopping, but can't we put Palmeiro, Lane, Ensberg, and Everett in a movie poster for 300 and put .300?! I'm looking at you Chance.
--Because you need to know this…you have a 1-563 chance or .17% chance to catch a foul ball. Presumably that number drops at Minute Maid seeing as how the home team rarely makes contact be it foul or not.
--Andrew Jones had a Sunday that would have made you think he was an honorary Astro for a day. Andruw went 0-5 (horrible), 5 strikeouts (terrible), final out of the game with tying run at the plate (no good, very bad).
--Since 2005 the Astros are 5-13 in interleague road games. The Dodgers are a sparkling 1-20.
--Remember a couple of weeks back when Derek Jeter had his 20-game hitting streak snapped. His new one is now up to 16.
Coulda been an Astro.
--Last year at this time Albert Pujols had 22 home runs. This year the Cardinals, as a team, have 20. Ouch.
--Cleveland’s Fausto Carmona outdueled Johan Santana last week leading Torii Hunter to utter this great quote about dude’s sinker, "It's not normal. He's not even human. It was so scary, I thought I was hung over.''
Quick Hitters and Random Thoughts
--I’m not saying it wasn’t time for Jeff Van Gundy and the Rockets to part ways. I am saying the organization looked foolish in the process (senior consultant?) and just handing the job to Rick Adelman without so much as interviewing anyone else makes zero sense.
--And now our long national wait for a new season of The Office begins. Hopefully we get some webisodes this summer to tide us over. Obviously a great finale. And we’ll see what happens with those crazy kids Jim and Pam. They belong together as do the boyfriend and girlfriend from hell combination of JD and Elliot on Scrubs. For shame, foooooor shame.
