I hear ya. If it were me, I'd flip Pedro and Blum...Pedro just has more pop than Blum, and I don't always agree with the lefty/righty switch thing. I'd rather have the right guys hitting in the right spots.
So Chris Johnson made the 25 man roster, does that mean he's starting at 1st or third for the opener? I hope we don't start blum for the opener.
I think you'll just see Johnson being a bench player until Berkman comes back, then head back to AAA. I still think Blum will start at first opening day.
Neither of them have any pop. You shouldn't just look at Feliz' HR totals from several years ago. Slugging percentage is a better indicator of "pop" and Feliz has none of it. He had the second worst SLG% of all qualified NL 3B last season and was barely better than Blum: http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=3b&stats=bat&lg=nl&qual=y&type=1&season=2009&month=0 In a hitter-friendly park over the last 2 seasons, his SLG% was well under .400. That isn't just bad for a 3B. It's horrible and he's getting older. At least he's a pull hitter coming to MMP. Still, he'll almost assuredly be one of the worst offensive 3B in all of baseball. His career OBP is an alarming .293. That is unsightly. For comparion, Adam Everett has a career OBP of .297, which is also horrible. His career OPS is a terrible .714 and he's been worse than that for the last 4 years, declining each season. He's pretty good defensively. That is it. Both he and Blum are awful hitters for their position and despite Chris Johnson's monster ST, his years and years of minor league numbers translate to another terrible hitter at the major league level.
I've never been less excited about an Astro season as I am this year. No new big name stars in the line up. No up and coming young players to be excited about. Our star players are already hurt. I'm ready for the Texans already.
Really? I'm more excited about this year than I have been in some time. I can't wait to see how Bud /Paulino pitch in their first full season. Also got J.R. and Castro (when he gets called up) to watch, as well as Tommy. Also, who doesn't like watching Hunter play? Plays the game harder than anyone. I can't wait for the season to start.
Also, Berkman's injury isn't something that will linger on during the season. It will have to be a completely new injury. They said he'd be out 2-4 weeks, and if I remember right, he's just now at the half way point of those 2-4 weeks. He'll be fine barring any other injuries.
Unexpected swelling of the knee of a guy in his mid-30's is never a good sign, and it's certainly something that can continue to be an irritant. Hopefully it's just his age causing a slower recovery, and it will be something minor that dissipates. But if fluid keeps building up, then you potentially have another minor surgery or possibly something larger to deal with.
gonna post a link to this in case some of you don't go to the hangout. I feel like some of you baseball fans would enjoy the read (msn, nick, madmax, major, etc.) if you haven't seen it already: Inside the head of Jake Peavy and Andre Ethier as they go pitch-by-pitch through an at-bat against each other: http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=184560 Sorry for going off-topic, but some baseball fans stay in this area..
I was talking about his actual injury to which he is sidelined for. It was written when that injury first came out, there it was something that they just had to clean out, and that it wouldn't linger on one bit, besides the time he would need to rest it. They said it would have to be a new injury if it were his knee again. He said his knee swelling up was him just going out there and maybe rushing it a bit too soon. Don't forget, they said 2-4 weeks, he's just now reaching the half way point I believe. I think he'll be fine, or maybe that's just the optimistic side of me.
Just out of curiousity, while we wait for the season opener, what do you guys think the standings will look like come October? My guess would be... 1. Cardinals 2. Brewers 3. Cubs 4. Astros 5. Reds 6. Pirates
Good analysis (+1 rep). I agree that neither has any pop, but if you put a gun to my head and asked me which one had more, I'd pick Pedro.
Just caught this on astros.com: [rquoter]The Astros plan to start Feliz at first against lefties, with Chris Johnson starting at third base. Geoff Blum will typically start at first against right-handers, with Feliz at third. The Astros could face as many as three left-handers in the first week of the season: Barry Zito, Cole Hamels and Jamie Moyer.[/rquoter] And this from Tag's Lines: [rquoter]With manager Brad Mills saying Thursday right-hander Felipe Paulino would start the fifth game of the season -- assuming his ailing back is healthy -- the Astros rotation is set: Roy Oswalt, Wandy Rodriguez, Brett Myers, Bud Norris and Paulino.[/rquoter] Looks like the club is going to let the young guys get their chances.
