Did Hank Schulman say the Astros couldn't afford Beltran in 2004?

Source: Astros County by Astros County

Yes:

Carlos Beltran had been traded twice by long-term employers, the Royals and Mets, and knew the relatively low-budget Astros could not afford him after he nearly carried them to a National League pennant in 2004.

Yes, Beltran signed a 7-year, $119m deal with the Mets in 2005. The Astros opened with a 5-year, $75m deal with an option for a 6th year (which would indicate that it was at least a $90m offer), and ultimately offered six years and $102m before the Mets came in with the same math and an extra year.

So no, the "low-budget" Astros "could not afford" Carlos Beltran. But not for a lack of trying.

From the Office of the County Clerk - G37: Astros v. Brewers

Source: Astros County by Astros County

As Hal Smith put it in 1962, "We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son." Astros win, 8-3.

*The win gives the Astros an 11-8 record at home, which ties them for the 3rd-best home record in the NL. Unfortunately, the 5-13 road record is the worst in the NL.

*The Astros scored eight runs on eight hits - that's the second time this season they've scored 8+ runs with eight or fewer hits. It's also the 12th straight game the Astros haven't reached double-digit hits, but the seven walks sure were nice.

*Bud Norris got the start, and walked Ryan Braun with two outs in the first inning - which was the first time Norris had walked a batter in the 1st inning this season (and the first time since September 9, 2011). He also walked Travis Ishakawa in the 2nd inning, marking the first time since August 12, 2011 that he walked a batter in each of the first two innings.

*Carlos Lee led off the bottom of the 2nd with a single, followed by a Jed Lowrie double (scoring Lee), and a Justin Maxwell single (scoring Lowrie), to take a 2-0 lead after two innings. The Astros are 10-5 when starting the 3rd inning with the lead.

*Norris led off the 3rd with a single (his 4th hit of the season, breaking the tie in the neck-and-neck race with Lucas Harrell for most hits by a pitcher). With a Jose Altuve single and a J.D. Martinez walk, Carlos Lee brought in Norris and Altuve with a single. After Jed Lowrie reached second on an error by Corey Hart (Martinez scored), the Astros had a 5-0 lead after three.

*That gave Carlos Lee three RsBI, a season-high, and his 5th multi-RBI game of the season.

*Corey Hart homered to lead off the 4th inning. It was the 1st homer he's allowed that led off the inning, but the 4th (of six) he's allowed with 0 outs. The last time Norris gave up a jack was April 24...at Milwaukee.

*Jason Castro led off the 4th with a walk, and after Norris bunted him over to 2nd, Jordan Schafer came through with an RBI single. This gave him hits in back-to-back games, the first time that's happened since his eight-game hit streak came to an end on April 29/30.

*After Martinez's sac fly in the 4th gave the Astros a 7-1 lead, Randy Wolf and Vinnie Chulk and Tim Dillard set down nine Astros in a row until Carlos Lee hit a monster shot in the bottom of the 7th. The 431-foot homer - according to HitTrackerOnline - was the longest HR hit by an Astro this season, and the longest HR hit by Carlos Lee since September 11, 2009, when he hit a 432' homer off of Pittsburgh's Jesse Chavez. He hit four homers over 430' in 2009. And one - last night's - since.

*So things just sort of trucked along at 8-1, until the 9th inning when Rhiner Cruz - coming out for his 2nd inning of work - walked Aramis Ramirez and Corey Hart to start the inning. Edwin Maysonet flew out, and pinch-hitter Jonathan Lucroy tripled to score both baserunners, and provide the final 8-3 margin. Cruz has allowed seven hits and eight walks in 11.1IP. In his last six games (6IP), Cruz has given up 3H/4ER, 3K:8BB.

*Of course the Astros won, and that means that they are 7-1 in games Bud Norris starts on the season.

*Man of the Match: Going with Bud Norris here, who came off his last appearance against the Brewers (that's the one loss) with 9H/7ER, 3HR to post a 4H/1ER, 9K:2BB outing.

*Goat of the Game: No Goat. Too good a mood.

*The Point At Which This Game, In Particular, Changed, For Better Or Worse: The 3-run 3rd inning, starting with Bud Norris' single. Five of the first six batters of the inning reached base, and the Astros rode it out from there.

Astros History: Cheito's 38-Game Career In Houston

Source: The Crawfish Boxes by David Coleman

For Game No. 38, we're going to look back at one of just three players to play in exactly 38 career games in Houston. It's not Rick White, journeyman reliever who had two different stints with the team. It's not Ronn Reynolds, the backup catcher who hit the only homer run in the group.

No, our guy is none other than Jose Cruz Jr., son of one of the most famous Astros ever in Jose "Cheo" Cruz.

Cheito was drafted third overall after setting the college world on fire at Rice for three seasons. He was drafted by Seattle in 1995 and

Astros hope for another outburst vs. Brewers

Source: MLB.com by Josh Liebeskind

Left-hander J.A. Happ, who's struggled during his past two outings, heads to the mound for the Astros on Thursday against Shaun Marcum and the Brewers at Minute Maid Park.

Astros set for their final Interleague in NL

Source: MLB.com by Brian McTaggart

They may be Interleague opponents this year, but the Astros will soon get to know their American League opponents very well.

Brewers-Astros Preview (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Now that Milwaukee's lengthy winning streak in Houston has ended, the Brewers hope Shaun Marcum can help them get back on track.

On the Astros: Slumbering bats finally answer their wake-up call

Source: The Houston Chronicle by Steve Campbell

The Astros put the unpleasant recent past to rest with an 8-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park.

J.D. Martinez gets show of support

Source: The Houston Chronicle by Steve Campbell

Astros left fielder J.D. Martinez was quick Wednesday to caution, “It’s just one game.”

7 Reasons the Houston Astros Can Actually Contend for the NL Central Title

Source: Bleacher Report

The Houston Astros have been a pleasant surprise so far this season for the fans and currently are 16-21 after beating division rival Milwaukee Wednesday night. The question Astros fans want to know is how long they can sustain this for and whether or not they can contend for the division title.

To even have this discussion before the season would have been considered insanity, and many thought Houston would be fighting for the No. 1 pick in next year's draft. However, with how this season has played out it is plausible, though still a long shot, for Houston to sneak up and grab the NL Central crown.

These are the top seven reasons Houston can contend for the NL Central title.

Begin Slideshow

Bud Norris: Make or break season may determine ace status

Source: The Houston Chronicle by Chip Bailey

At times, Bud Norris looks like the ace the Astros have needed. Other times, not so much.

NL Capsules (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

ATLANTA (AP) Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer and possibly saved two runs with a diving catch and the Miami Marlins beat the Braves 8-4 on Wednesday night, adding another win to their impressive May record.

Astros Bats Awaken, Beat Brewers 8-3

Source: The Crawfish Boxes by conroestro

It's good to be home as the Astros celebrated their homecoming by breaking out of an offensive funk to put up an eight spot against the Brewers Wednesday night. Sure the Brewers didn't arrive in Houston until 4 this morning, and Randy Wolf had an ERA of 5.63 coming into the game, but it was night to see the offense break out of their slump. Hopefully the offensive uprising will also show up tomorrow against Shawn Marcum.

Pitching

Perhaps slightly overshadowed by the offensive outburst was

Astros 8, Brewers 3: Astros wallop longtime nemesis Wolf

Source: The Houston Chronicle by Steve Campbell

The Astros worked over longtime nemesis Randy Wolf early and often, scoring two runs in the second, three in the third and two in the fourth. For the Astros, it was a welcome respite from having scored only 16 runs while batting .197 in the previous nine games.

Astros Bats Awaken, Beat Brewers 8-1

Source: The Crawfish Boxes by conroestro

It's good to be home as the Astros celebrated their homecoming by breaking out of an offensive funk to put up an eight spot against the Brewers Wednesday night. Sure the Brewers didn't arrive in Houston until 4 this morning, and Randy Wolf had an ERA of 5.63 coming into the game, but it was night to see the offense break out of their slump. Hopefully the offensive uprising will also show up tomorrow against Shawn Marcum.

Pitching

Perhaps slightly overshadowed by the offensive outburst was

Norris fans nine to help Astros snap skid

Source: MLB.com by Brian McTaggart

Carlos Lee went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and Bud Norris struck out nine over seven strong innings as the Astros beat the Brewers, 8-3, on Wednesday at Minute Maid Park.

Astros bats wake up – But was it enough?

Source: Climbing Tal's Hill by Greg Thurston

Entering Wednesday’s game against Milwaukee the Astros offense had scored three runs or less in each of the last nine games. That streak would come to an abrupt end against former Astro Randy Wolf. Houston hitters showed some patience against the crafty left-hander, coaxing three walks and forcing Wolf to throw 82 pitches in four innings.

… [visit site to read more]

Astros bats wake up – But was it enough? - Climbing Tal's Hill - Climbing Tal's Hill - A Houston Astros Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Lee drives in 3 to lead Astros over Brewers 8-3 (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

HOUSTON (AP) Carlos Lee had three hits, including his first homer since April 22, and three RBIs to back another solid outing by Bud Norris, and the Houston Astros beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-3 on Wednesday night.

Photos from Astros-Brewers series

Source: The Houston Chronicle by Ultimate Astros

The Astros are Mic’d up and unscripted. First up: Bud Norris.

Source: Alyson's Footnotes by mlblogsfooter1

Just when you think you know everything there is to know about someone, you find out that you’ve barely scratched the surface.

I mean, until recently, I had no idea what Bud Norris does to pass the time during games, on days he’s not starting. Turns out, he does plenty. He eats sunflower seeds. He chats up teammates. He gives virtual high-fives from the dugout when one of his mates does something spectacular on the field.

He also discusses movies, swats at bugs and reveals details about his sister’s pending engagement.

Now, all of these fun details can be viewed, dissected and discussed while watching on your laptop or smart phone. The Astros have put together a series of light, funny videos titled “Mic’d Up,” where they record a player’s every move, unscripted and unfiltered (although edited later for content, of course), and lay it all out there for public consumption.

Not everyone can simultaneously chat with a teammate AND swat mosquitoes. So sneaky, that Bud Norris.

Norris’s was the first video released by the club, but you can expect many more. On deck: J.D. Martinez, Carlos Lee and Chris Johnson.

Enjoy!

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Phillies pitcher Worley put on 15-day disabled list (Reuters)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

(Reuters) - Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Vance Worley has been placed on the 15-day disabled list because of an inflamed right elbow, the Major League Baseball team said on Wednesday.

Robinson, Astros honor Alif for essay

Source: MLB.com

The Houston Astros and Sharon Robinson, the daughter of legend Jackie Robinson, honored Sugarland seventh-grader Aeliya Alif in a ceremony before Wednesday's game.

Lyles to stay in Astros rotation, start on Sunday

Source: MLB.com

Jordan Lyles, called up to start Tuesday's game in Philadelphia, will remain in the rotation and is scheduled to make his third start of the season for the Astros on Sunday against the Rangers.

Milwaukee Brewers At Houston Astros, May 16, 2012, 7:05 PM CDT

Source: The Crawfish Boxes by Timothy De Block

Current Series 2 game series vs Brewers @ Minute Maid Park

Milwaukee Brewers Brew Crew Ball
@ Houston Astros The Crawfish Boxes

Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 7:05 PM CDT
Minute Maid Park

Randy Wolf

Astros lineup 5/16 vs. Brewers. Roof closed. First pitch: 7:05 p.m. CT

Source: Alyson's Footnotes by mlblogsfooter1

Defense rips accuser in Clemens' perjury trial (Reuters)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top defense lawyer in ex-baseball star Roger Clemens' perjury trial attacked the credibility of the star prosecution witness on Wednesday, asking, "Do you sometimes just make stuff up?"

Wednesday’s good reads: The bad read edition

Source: Austin's Astros 290 Blog by Austin Swafford

I noticed this from Zachary Levine today — Rebuild is rough when old haunts keep haunting. While I appreciate that finding topics on any given day is difficult and while I grant his premise that Hunter Pence and Lance Berkman have hurt the Astros from time to time since trading them…can you really call it haunting?

The Astros got two of their top prospects (Jarred Cosart and Jonathan Singleton) when the dealt Pence in what I considered to be one of the few truly good deals of the Ed Wade era. Those two are doing great in Double-A while Pence is putting up mediocre numbers and still playing really bad defense in Philly. While it’s true that Pence’s homers were the difference in yesterday’s game, it’s also worth noting that there never would have been a second homerun if not for a Pence error in the top of the ninth.

So, on balance with that trade — Astros get two top prospects; Pence beats Astros in a meaningless May game in a season where they’re not expected to win more than 80 games anyway.

Win to the Astros.

I think the Lance Berkman trade is even more glaring because of what is currently happening as a result of the trade. The Astros dealt Berkman for Mark Melancon, who Jeff Luhnnow then turned around and dealt for Jed Lowrie and Kyle Weiland.

Berkman is still playing well and still hurting the Astros, it’s true. However, Melancon is now in the minors for the Red Sox while Lowrie is tied for the league lead among NL shortstops in homeruns (despite missing time due to injury) and is second among NL shortstop in OPS. And, while Weiland pitched poorly before going on the DL, he has good stuff and is only 25; Berkman is 36 and Melancon is a 27 year-old middle reliever.

Again, I think the Astros win handily there.

I know some of this depends on future development of young players, but I hardly feel haunted by those trades. I think the Astros made out very well and can handle a loss here and there at the hands of former players in exchange. That’s kind of the nature of trades, anyway, isn’t it?

Something something something Twitter follow @Astros290

Clemens accuser McNamee: 'I didn't make it up' (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) Roger Clemens' lawyer toyed with Brian McNamee's memory and attacked him from several directions at once. The attorney even put an easel next to the witness with the words: ''MISTAKE. BAD MEMORY. LIE.'' Eventually, there came the inevitable question: ''Do you sometimes just make stuff up?''

Time to stick with Lyles?

Source: Austin's Astros 290 Blog by Austin Swafford

He'll be doing this in an Astros uniform for at least one more start

Jordan Lyles turned in another solid start yesterday against the Phils. He’s made two spot starts this year and each time he’s pitched six innings and allowed three runs (only one of which was earned yesterday). He has a 3.00 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and .227 batting average against, all of which easily best every Astros starter but Wandy Rodriguez. And news came yesterday that Lyles would get another start. The Astros sent David Carpenter to Triple-A to make room for Lyles and it looks like he’ll be there at least for another five days.

The question they need to start asking themselves right now is,  should they keep giving him chances even when Kyle Weiland returns?

Lyles is looking good and would have been even better yesterday if it hadn’t been for a two-out error by Jose Altuve. If they’d gotten that out, that would have been one less homerun allowed, two fewer runs allowed and fewer pitches thrown. Maybe he goes another shutout inning and the line looks a little more like this — 7 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 1 ER.

I’ll take that.

There are a couple of glaring things that stand out. He has already allowed three homers in 12 innings. Even acknowledging the homerun that shouldn’t have happened yesterday, that’s trouble. His K:BB rate (2.25) is also not knocking my socks off, but again, it’s better than everyone else in the rotation but Wandy, and it’s miles ahead of Weiland and Lucas Harrell.

This doesn’t mean that I don’t have high hopes for Weiland. Even with how he’s pitched this year, I like him a lot. He’s young and has good stuff and I’m not convinced he wasn’t pitching hurt. It’s hard to truly evaluate what a pitcher was doing when he has to step off the mound for an injury. We don’t know how long he’d been bothered by whatever eventually caused him to go on the DL.

But, for this year, I think it might be time. My one real reason for him being in the minors is that he doesn’t have the stamina for the big leagues yet. But is there any reason they couldn’t bring him along like the Nationals are with Stephen Strasburg? Couldn’t they make sure he never goes more than 6 or 7 innings per start and then sit him after he reaches a certain innings limit? It makes sense, and he’ll get experience against major league hitters.

My view on this has started to change. I said they should leave him in the minors this year but after the way he’s performed in these two games, I want to see more. I’m not 100% convinced as we do have to keep in mind that these starts were against the Reds and Phillies — two teams that are in the bottom half of the league in runs and bottom 10 in OPS.

But would it be worse than continuing to watch Happ and Harrell struggle to make it through six innings? Harrell hasn’t had a quality start in a month and Happ’s ERA of his last four starts is 7.18.

Either way, I think it’s time for the Astros to make a decision on Lyles. Keep him in the minors or keep him in the majors, but either way, stop sending him down and calling him back up and sending him down again. It’s not good for a kid. They need to make a decision one way or the other soon…and I’m leaning towards keeping him. For what that’s worth.

Keep on keeping up with Astros news on Twitter @Astros290

Astros History: Larry Andersen's Age 37 Season Is A Good One

Source: The Crawfish Boxes by Timothy De Block

Coinciding with game 37 on the season we're going to look at quite possibly the most important and lopsided trade in the history of the Houston Astros, and maybe even baseball.

Signed in 1986 by the Astros Larry Andersen would become notorious, not only for his work on the mound but for what the Astros got in return by trading him to the Boston Red Sox in 1990, Jeff Bagwell.

At age 37, in his fifth season with the Astros Andersen was off to another fabulous start as a relief pitcher. Through 73.2 innings he posted a 1.95 ERA with

Corpus Christi Hooks - Anatomy of a Losing Streak

Source: The Crawfish Boxes by WTHB

Starting on April 29th and ending on May 7th, the Corpus Christi Hooks went on a nine-game losing streak. I was baffled. How could a team with that much talent be losing this badly? Was it the hitting? The pitching? Were the opposing pitchers simply that dominant? It turns out the answers are yes, yes and in a couple of cases, yes.

I knew, at a glance, as I wrote the daily recaps for my site that the hitting was off. In six of those nine games, the Hooks were only able to scrape together five or fewer hits. In two of the games, there were zero extra base hits. Did the entire team suddenly forget how to hit? Almost. See below for batting averages before the losing streak (BTS), during the streak (DTS) and since the streak (STS).

Wednesday's Three Astros Things

Source: The Crawfish Boxes by David Coleman

Here's some stuff to talk about as we go into extra innings again...

1) Homestand approaching - The Astros are still in need of a break for this current funk they're in, but maybe this eight-game homestand will do the trick. It's not going to be easy, as they have to play Milwaukee and Texas for five of those games, but they get the Cubs to finish things out.

Houston is 10-8 in home games this season, scoring 80 runs in that stretch. It'll be tough to win at that clip this time around, but still possible. Given the teams they'll be playing, how many wins do you think will make a

Phillies Looking Better but Need to Do More: A Fan's Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Are the Philadelphia Phillies gaining momentum? They just might be after their thrilling 4-3 win over the Houston Astros. By winning the game, the Phillies accomplished a couple of firsts on the young season. The win gave them their first three-game winning streak of the season. It also gave them their first victory in extra innings.

George Springer scouted

Source: Astros County by Juvenile Court Clerk - Bryan Trostel

The same site that gave us last night's report on Jonathan Meyer just posted a report on teammate George Springer. Despite the good numbers Springer's putting up, Baseball Prospect Report suggests he still has a lot to work on.

You don’t write him off right now, of course, but he needs at-bats and patience.

This season Springer is hitting .313/.362/.571 with 8 HR and 8 SB, but he's also struck out 44 times in just 147 AB, which would translate to over 150 strikeouts over a full season of at bats.

Astros Minor League Recap May 16th, 2012

Source: The Crawfish Boxes by Subber10

The two main prospects from the Huner Pence trade are well known. But, Jonathan Singleton and Jarred Cosart aren't the only prospect we received in return. Josh Zeid was the other prospect named at the time of the trade, so he is fairly recognizable. But, the final prospect in the trade, the PTBNL, is actually a bigger prospect than Zeid in many opinions. Domingo Santana has all the tools scouts drool of, and right now, he's playing like a toolsy prospect.

What do I mean by that? He's swinging the bat and doing things that get you

Astros History: Larry Anderson's Age 37 Season Is A Good One

Source: The Crawfish Boxes by Timothy De Block

Coinciding with game 37 on the season we're going to look at quite possibly the most important and lopsided trade in the history of the Houston Astros, and maybe even baseball.

Signed in 1986 by the Astros Larry Andersen would become notorious, not only for his work on the mound but for what the Astros got in return by trading him to the Boston Red Sox in 1990, Jeff Bagwell.

At age 37, in his fifth season with the Astros Andersen was off to another fabulous start as a relief pitcher. Through 73.2 innings he posted a 1.95 ERA with

PreStros Farm Report: May 15

Source: Astros County by Juvenile Court Clerk - Bryan Trostel

PreStros: May 15

Oklahoma City (22-17) 

The RedHawks used four home runs to defrock the Tucson Padres (SD) 7-4, completing the four game sweep.

Sergio Perez, pressed into the starter’s role after Jordan Lyles’ call up, gave up 4 R on 5 H and 2 BB with 3 K in 2.2 innings. Mickey Storey went 3.1 innings, allowing 3 H and 1 BB with 4 K. Enerio Del Rosario, Xavier Cedeno, and Jose Valdez each pitched a scoreless inning to finish out the game.

LF-Brian Bixler was 2x4 with 1 R. 2B-Jimmy Paredes was 2x4 with 1 SB and 2 R. 1B-Mike Hessman went 2x3 with 1 BB, 2 HR, and 5 RBI. 3B-Scott Moore was 1x4 with 1 HR. CF-Brad Snyder was 1x4 with 1 HR.

Man of the Match: Mike Hessman

*Notes: This was the RedHawks fifth straight win, tying their season best. Prior to this game OKC had played in five straight one run games. Jose Valdez is eight for eight in save chances this season, and was nine for nine last year.

Corpus Christi (16-22) 

The Hooks finished last night’s suspended game against San Antonio (SD) with a four run tenth inning to win 5-1 before losing the regularly scheduled contest 6-1.

Game 1

Ross Seaton went 6 scoreless, allowing 7 H and 1 BB with 2 K. Kevin Chapman gave up the lone run on 3 BB in .1 innings. Josh Zeid went 1.2 innings with 1 BB and 3 K. Erick Abreu and Jason Stoffel each threw 1 scoreless to finish the game.

SS-Jonathan Villar was 1x3 with 3 SB and 1 R. LF/1B-Jon Singleton went 0x2 with 3 BB, 1 R, and 1 RBI. CF/LF Austin Wates was 2x5 with 2 RBI. 3B-Andy Simunic was 3x5 with 1 R and 1 SB.

Man of the Match: Ross Seaton

Game 2

Jose Cisnero went 2.1 innings and gave up 2 R on 2 H and 3 BB with 4 K, throwing 60 pitches. Wes Musick threw 5 innings, allowing 3 R on 3 H and 2 BB with 7 K. Arcenio Leon gave up 1 R on 3 H in .2 innings with 1 K.

3B-Andy Simunic was 2x4 with 1 R.

Man of the Match: Andrew Simunic

*Notes:  Ross Seaton hasn’t missed a turn in the rotation since July of 2009. Brandon Barnes leads the Texas League in doubles (17).

Lancaster (19-20) 

The heart of the JetHawks lineup came through to help beat Rancho Cucamonga (LAD) 7-3.

David Martinez went 7.2 innings and allowed 3 R on 7 H and 3 Bb with 1 K. Pat Urckfitz gave up 1 H and 1 BB without retiring a batter, but Kirk Clark was able to get out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth and then worked the ninth to finish with 1.1 scoreless innings, 2 H, and 1 K.

RF-Domingo Santana was 2x4 with 1 SB and 2 R. DH-Erik Castro was 2x4 with 1 HR, 2 R, and 2 RBI. LF-Telvin Nash was 3x4 with 1 HR and 3 RBI.

Man of the Match: Erik Castro/Telvin Nash

*Notes: Telvin Nash leads the California League lead with 12 HR. 19 of his 32 hits this season have gone for extra bases. Jio Mier is expected to miss about a month with a partial hamstring tear.

Lexington (18-19) 

The Legends again jumped to an early lead, but this time they were able to cruise to a 3-0 victory over West Virginia (PIT).

Luis Cruz continues to put together a fine season. This time he went 6.1 innings, allowing 5 H and 3 BB with 9 K. Carlos Quevedo threw 1.2 innings with 1 K. Jason Chowning closed out the game with 1 inning and 2 K.

CF-Jordan Scott was 1x4 with 1 BB, 1 3B, and 1 R. 3B-Matt Duffy went 2x4 with 1 BB, 1 SB, and 1 R. DH-Mike Kvasnicka was 1x4 with 1 2B and 2 RBI.

Man of the Match: Luis Cruz

*Notes: The Legends have allowed more home runs (38) than any other team in the South Atlantic League. Mike Foltynewicz leads all qualified pitchers in ERA (1.62) and innings (44.1). Luis Cruz is third among qualified pitchers in BB/9 (1.7) and K/BB (5.50).

Tri-City (0-0) 

Season begins June 18.

Greeneville (0-0) 

Season begins June 19.

GCL Astros (0-0) 

Season begins June 18.

DSL Astros (0-0) 

Season schedule not yet posted. Opening Day June 2nd.

Bryce Harper Joins Home Run Club. A Fan's Look at Baseball's Top Teenage Sluggers (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Washington outfielder Bryce Harper hit his first Major League home run Monday, May 14, 2012, against San Diego at Nationals Park.

2013 Contract Issues: Houston Astros

Source: MLB Trade Rumors by Ben Nicholson-Smith

The Astros are next in MLBTR’s 2013 Contract Issues series:

Eligible For Free Agency (2)

• Carlos Lee - Lee appears to want to stay in Houston and the Astros will need a designated hitter next year when they move to the American League West. If he's willing to re-sign for a tenth of his 2012 salary ($18MM) maybe the Astros will be interested.
• Brandon Lyon - Lyon's hot start makes him a midseason trade candidate who could be gone before the offseason begins. Neither Lyon nor Lee should expect a qualifying offer from Houston next offseason.

Contract Options (2)

• Brett Myers: $10MM club option with a $3MM buyout. Option vests with approximately 55 games finished. A $7MM net cost might be a luxury for a rebuilding team, even though Myers could probably help Houston in 2013. He's another midseason trade candidate to keep an eye on.
• Chris Snyder: $4MM mutual option with a $500K buyout. Mutual options are rarely exercised by both sides. They sometimes exist to defer salary from one season to the next. 

Arbitration Eligible (7)

• First time: Wilton Lopez, Wesley Wright, Bud Norris, Chris Johnson
• Second time: J.A. Happ, Jed Lowrie, Travis Buck

The Astros will face a relatively affordable class of arbitration eligible players. Happ ($2.35MM in '12), Lowrie ($1.15MM) and Buck ($580K) will obtain raises but will remain affordable. Lopez and Wright, two non-closing relievers, both figure to cost the Astros $1MM or so next year. I think Norris could earn $3.5-4MM via arbitration as a first-time eligible player if his strong season continues. There's a good chance the Astros' eligible players will return for a total of $15MM or less in 2013.

2013 Payroll Obligation

The Astros are spending approximately $61MM on payroll in 2012, their first season under owner Jim Crane and GM Jeff Luhnow. They only have $17MM in commitments for 2013, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. Expect Luhnow to have more payroll flexibility than he did last offseason when he transitions the team to the American League next winter.

Jeff Bagwell apparently went to rehab

Source: Astros County by Astros County

Okay, so you remember the whole Rachel Brown/Dr. Michael Brown thing, right? They're getting a divorce - he's a douche and is allegedly violent; she's been "seeing" Jeff Bagwell for a while now, one apparent reason for Jeff Bagwell's divorce from his wife. Well, today was the first of two days of hearings related to the divorce of the Browns' divorce, relating to their children.

Her relationship with Bagwell came up, where it was acknowledged that they have taken several trips together, intend to move in together at a future (unspecified) date, that they're in love, and one day hope to marry.

Then, almost as a throw-away line at the end of the recap:
She confirmed that she accompanied Bagwell when he recently left a rehabilitation facility where he was being treated for alcohol abuse before he completed the program.

/Slow whistle...

Okay, some updates. And, hey, I know. This sucks. It's not fun to talk about. It wouldn't be fun to talk about with anyone, much less one of the Greatest Astros of All Time. Still, it seems as though Bagwell did not complete the course of treatment in rehab.

Brewers-Astros Preview (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

On the verge of their longest losing streak of the season, the Houston Astros might be thankful that it's Bud Norris' turn in the rotation. He might not feel the same way, however, about facing the Milwaukee Brewers or having to pitch opposite left-hander Randy Wolf.

Carlos Lee runs into umpire, gets elbow in eye (VIDEO) (Big League Stew)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Umpires (usually) are an extension of the playing field in Major League Baseball. If a ball hits an ump in fair territory, the fielder must be ready to play the ball as if it hit a pebble on the ground, … Continue reading →

Top 50 moments: Colt .45s become the Astros

Source: The Houston Chronicle by Zachary Levine

The moment: The Astros become the Astros Moment behind the moment: The Colt .45s become subjects of a cash grab And it was a perfectly reasonable cash grab too for what is now the Colt’s Manufacturing Company. They had OKed the new National League franchise’s nickname of the Colt .45s for play beginning in 1962. [...]

NL Capsules (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) Stephen Strasburg left after only four innings Tuesday, matching the second-shortest appearance of his 25-start career, and San Diego's Will Venable had four hits, leading the Padres to a 6-1 victory over the Washington Nationals.

Facing Brewers, Norris aims to build on gem

Source: MLB.com by Joey Nowak

Following Houston's 4-3 loss to the Phillies on Tuesday afternoon, the Astros sat at 15-21 -- just a half-game behind the Brewers in the NL Central standings. The two will have the opportunity to gain some ground as they face off against each other starting Wednesday.

Jeff Bagwell apparently just got out of rehab

Source: Astros County by Astros County

Okay, so you remember the whole Rachel Brown/Dr. Michael Brown thing, right? They're getting a divorce - he's a douche and is allegedly violent; she's been "seeing" Jeff Bagwell for a while now, one apparent reason for Jeff Bagwell's divorce from his wife. Well, today was the first of two days of hearings related to the divorce of the Browns' divorce, relating to their children.

Her relationship with Bagwell came up, where it was acknowledged that they have taken several trips together, intend to move in together at a future (unspecified) date, that they're in love, and one day hope to marry.

Then, almost as a throw-away line at the end of the recap:
She confirmed that she accompanied Bagwell when he recently left a rehabilitation facility where he was being treated for alcohol abuse before he completed the program.

/Slow whistle...

NL Central Notes: Rizzo, Pirates, Appel, Cardinals

Source: MLB Trade Rumors by Mark Polishuk

The Cardinals snapped a four-game losing streak with a 7-6 win over the Cubs this afternoon.  Yadier Molina was the hero for St. Louis, delivering a walkoff RBI single to cinch the victory.  Here's the latest from around the NL Central...

• Theo Epstein was hesitant to make the trade that brought Anthony Rizzo to the Cubs since Epstein didn't want to give up Andrew Cashner, reports Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago.  It was Cubs GM Jed Hoyer who "aggressively pushed" for the deal.  Levine covers a number of different Cubs (and White Sox) topics in this online chat with readers.
• The Pirates aren't likely to make a trade to address their hitting problems, GM Neal Huntington told reporters (including Karen Price of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review).  “There are very, very few trades of substance made in May and there are few trades of substance made in June, so our solutions are going to have to come internally unless we’re willing to be less than intelligent and dramatically overpay. That’s just the way it is," Huntington said.  “We’re certainly looking externally, but the extra wild card has made it that much more of a challenge. There are fewer sellers out there, and we’re going to have to be creative.”
• ESPN's Keith Law (Insider subscription required) has released his first 2012 mock draft and he projects the Astros to take Stanford right-hander Mark Appel with the first overall pick.  "The general feeling is that they'll take the college arm over the higher-upside, higher-risk outfielder, Byron Buxton," Law writes, though he notes that Houston's decision could also be determined by which player is willing to sign for the lowest price beneath the $7.2MM slot figure for the first pick.
• Carlos Beltran and Rafael Furcal's hot starts have fueled the Cardinals' big offensive numbers, writes Scott Miller for CBS Sports.

Extra innings unkind to Astros

Source: Climbing Tal's Hill by Greg Thurston

Former Astro Hunter Pence hit two homeruns, including the game winner in the tenth inning of Tuesday’s 4-3 loss in Philadelphia. Ex-Phillie Brett Myers served up the game winner and the Astros dropped their fourth straight. Houston has lost all five of the extra-inning games they have been involved in this season.

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