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Astros 2012 thread: Crane era takes flight (1 Viewer)

coolnerd

coolnerd

Footballguy
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40 man roster

http://houston.astros.mlb.com/team/roster_40man.jsp?c_id=hou

58 Fernando Abad L-L 6'2" 215 Dec 17, 1985

68 Juan Abreu R-R 6'0" 180 Apr 8, 1985

67 David Carpenter R-R 6'2" 210 Jul 15, 1985

Paul Clemens R-R 6'4" 180 Feb 14, 1988

Jorge De Leon R-R 6'0" 180 Aug 15, 1987

66 Enerio Del Rosario R-R 6'2" 180 Oct 16, 1985

52 Sergio Escalona L-L 6'0" 210 Aug 3, 1984

30 J.A. Happ L-L 6'6" 200 Oct 19, 1982

64 Lucas Harrell S-R 6'2" 210 Jun 3, 1985

Arcenio Leon R-R 6'1" 220 Sep 22, 1986

59 Wilton Lopez R-R 6'0" 200 Jul 19, 1983

41 Jordan Lyles R-R 6'4" 210 Oct 19, 1990

37 Brandon Lyon R-R 6'1" 200 Aug 10, 1979

54 Mark Melancon R-R 6'2" 215 Mar 28, 1985

39 Brett Myers R-R 6'4" 240 Aug 17, 1980

20 Bud Norris R-R 6'0" 220 Mar 2, 1985

62 Aneury Rodriguez R-R 6'4" 200 Dec 13, 1987

43 Fernando Rodriguez R-R 6'3" 215 Jun 18, 1984

51 Wandy Rodriguez S-L 5'11" 195 Jan 18, 1979

65 Henry Sosa R-R 6'1" 205 Jul 28, 1985

56 Henry Villar R-R 5'11" 170 May 24, 1987

53 Wesley Wright R-L 5'11" 180 Jan 28, 1985

# Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

15 Jason Castro L-R 6'3" 205 Jun 18, 1987

55 Humberto Quintero R-R 5'9" 215 Aug 2, 1979

Craig Tatum R-R 6'1" 225 Mar 18, 1983

# Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

27 Jose Altuve R-R 5'7" 170 May 6, 1990

16 Matt Downs R-R 6'1" 185 Mar 19, 1984

23 Chris Johnson R-R 6'3" 220 Oct 1, 1984

38 Jimmy Paredes S-R 6'1" 200 Nov 25, 1988

36 Angel Sanchez R-R 6'1" 200 Sep 20, 1983

29 Brett Wallace L-R 6'2" 250 Aug 26, 1986

# Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

Brian Bixler R-R 6'1" 195 Oct 22, 1982

19 Brian Bogusevic L-L 6'3" 220 Feb 18, 1984

11 Jason Bourgeois R-R 5'9" 195 Jan 4, 1982

45 Carlos Lee R-R 6'2" 265 Jun 20, 1976

14 J.D. Martinez R-R 6'3" 200 Aug 21, 1987

1 Jordan Schafer L-L 6'1" 200 Sep 4, 1986

8 J.B. Shuck L-L 5'11" 195 Jun 18, 1987

Tranactions

 
 
Before this gets away from me, I want to say that the total of Drayon's time with the Astros was a positive one. Until the last handful of years, this has been the most successful and enjoyable period in the teams history. Biggio, Bagwell, Oswalt, Berkman provided a core of homegrown talent which was mixed Clemens and other free agent and trade acquisitions. He never went Yankees, but people who claim that he did not spend money were misguided. One personal note: probably 10 years ago, I had the opportunity to talk with Drayton. He walked up to me while my back was turned and asked how was my experience. It was only a couple of minutes, but I never forgot that. If you have seen dissatification from me with the Astros, it was about shortsided baseball moves versus anything personal with Uncle Drayton.

 
The Rangers announced Wednesday that assistant general manager Thad Levine does not plan to seek a job outside the organization, namely the Astros' GM gig.

The Astros were granted permission Tuesday to speak with Levine, but no interview will take place. Houston is also expected to be rebuffed by Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman, meaning the team will almost certainly be without a general manager heading into next week's Winter Meetings in Dallas. Former 'Stros GM Ed Wade was shown the door last week.

 
http://blog.chron.com/ultimateastros/2011/12/02/astros-interview-cardinals-luhnow-rockies-geivett-for-gm-job/

Home Levine and Campbell Justice Solomon Voices Tickets Forum Fantasy Sports chron.com

Astros interview Cardinals’ Luhnow, Rockies’ Geivett for GM job

Posted on December 2, 2011 at 8:29 pm by Zachary Levine in Astros, Astros/MLB, General

Share 0 share E-mail The Astros are two candidates into their search for a new general manager with their emphasis on building from the ground floor at the forefront.

St. Louis Cardinals vice president of player procurement Jeff Luhnow and Colorado Rockies assistant GM Bill Geivett interviewed for the job, according to a person with knowledge of that process.

Luhnow’s position is an amateur scouting role and his previous experience with the club has included a reign over the farm system. Geivett’s job description includes oversight of scouting and player development.

The Astros have made no public comments, but that type of candidate fits with their stated mission in launching their search to replace fired general manager Ed Wade.

“We are searching for a candidate who has the knowledge, skills and experience to build a winner and a strong commitment to player development in order to sustain success,” CEO George Postolos said in the initial news release. “Our goal is to consistently compete for a championship, and we know the first step towards that goal is to develop one of the top farm systems in baseball.”

In other news, interim general manager David Gottfried signed infielder Diory Hernandez to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

Hernandez, 27, hit .157 with a .195 on-base percentage and a .260 slugging percentage in 138 at-bats with Atlanta over the past three seasons and is a .272 career hitter in the minors.

The Astros see Hernandez as a shortstop who can also play second base.

 
Hey coolnerd, are you currently living in/near Houston? If so, how often do you plan on going to Minute Maid to watch the Astros in 2012? How often did you go last season?

The reason I ask is that I live in Katy, and my family did not go to a single Astros game last year. It was the first season we haven't gone at least once, and we get free tickets (corp seats through my wife's job). I really do not plan on going again this year. I think that we will go check out the Skeeters, and probably make a few Rice/Houston college games.

My son is a ballplayer, and we spend probably three weekends a month from Feb-July at tournaments, so we are big baseball people. However, I can't find any reason to get excited about the Astros anymore, and I have followed this team since the early 1970's when we would ride a bus for 5 hours to watch a game in the Dome. I'm not sure what the Astros can do to get me back to the ballpark again. I feel like I am representative of alot of former fans.

Thoughts?

 
'Treynwreck3 said:
Hey coolnerd, are you currently living in/near Houston? If so, how often do you plan on going to Minute Maid to watch the Astros in 2012? How often did you go last season?The reason I ask is that I live in Katy, and my family did not go to a single Astros game last year. It was the first season we haven't gone at least once, and we get free tickets (corp seats through my wife's job). I really do not plan on going again this year. I think that we will go check out the Skeeters, and probably make a few Rice/Houston college games.My son is a ballplayer, and we spend probably three weekends a month from Feb-July at tournaments, so we are big baseball people. However, I can't find any reason to get excited about the Astros anymore, and I have followed this team since the early 1970's when we would ride a bus for 5 hours to watch a game in the Dome. I'm not sure what the Astros can do to get me back to the ballpark again. I feel like I am representative of alot of former fans.Thoughts?
Click to expand...
I moved from Beaumont (my wife is from Houston proper) to Arlington about 7 or 8 years ago for career reasons. i get back to Houston a handful of times a year, but ususally not in baseball seaason (actually will be there in 2 weeks). Before that point, I made a handful of games every year. If i were closer, i probably would still make one or two games just to see pro(well so-called pro) baseball. Good news is that about 125 if not more Astros games are aired here so I get to see as much Astros as I can stomach. In terms of the short term, i can see your position because the product was so bad w/o much real hope since even the best young players on the Astros are not considered true top tier prospects. The rebuild is probably going to be long with no guarantees, so I have nothing in that regrad to take your or your friends/family away from the position of not wanting to support a really bad product.
 
'coolnerd said:
'Treynwreck3 said:
Hey coolnerd, are you currently living in/near Houston? If so, how often do you plan on going to Minute Maid to watch the Astros in 2012? How often did you go last season?The reason I ask is that I live in Katy, and my family did not go to a single Astros game last year. It was the first season we haven't gone at least once, and we get free tickets (corp seats through my wife's job). I really do not plan on going again this year. I think that we will go check out the Skeeters, and probably make a few Rice/Houston college games.My son is a ballplayer, and we spend probably three weekends a month from Feb-July at tournaments, so we are big baseball people. However, I can't find any reason to get excited about the Astros anymore, and I have followed this team since the early 1970's when we would ride a bus for 5 hours to watch a game in the Dome. I'm not sure what the Astros can do to get me back to the ballpark again. I feel like I am representative of alot of former fans.Thoughts?
Click to expand...
I moved from Beaumont (my wife is from Houston proper) to Arlington about 7 or 8 years ago for career reasons. i get back to Houston a handful of times a year, but ususally not in baseball seaason (actually will be there in 2 weeks). Before that point, I made a handful of games every year. If i were closer, i probably would still make one or two games just to see pro(well so-called pro) baseball. Good news is that about 125 if not more Astros games are aired here so I get to see as much Astros as I can stomach. In terms of the short term, i can see your position because the product was so bad w/o much real hope since even the best young players on the Astros are not considered true top tier prospects. The rebuild is probably going to be long with no guarantees, so I have nothing in that regrad to take your or your friends/family away from the position of not wanting to support a really bad product.
Click to expand...
The product is bad, I agree. More than once though it has been the prospect of dropping a hundred dollars on crappy concessions while watching a bad product that becomes the decision maker on whether or not to go. Why does a beer need to cost $8? A soda $6, $4.25 for a dry hot dog, $5.50 for a bag of peanuts, $5 for two scoops of ice cream? The kids don't understand that cotton candy cost $4, they just want cotton candy.I hope the Astros figure it out, I really do. This town will support a winner, but it looks like it's going to be a long haul before that happens.
 
'Treynwreck3 said:
'coolnerd said:
'Treynwreck3 said:
Hey coolnerd, are you currently living in/near Houston? If so, how often do you plan on going to Minute Maid to watch the Astros in 2012? How often did you go last season?The reason I ask is that I live in Katy, and my family did not go to a single Astros game last year. It was the first season we haven't gone at least once, and we get free tickets (corp seats through my wife's job). I really do not plan on going again this year. I think that we will go check out the Skeeters, and probably make a few Rice/Houston college games.My son is a ballplayer, and we spend probably three weekends a month from Feb-July at tournaments, so we are big baseball people. However, I can't find any reason to get excited about the Astros anymore, and I have followed this team since the early 1970's when we would ride a bus for 5 hours to watch a game in the Dome. I'm not sure what the Astros can do to get me back to the ballpark again. I feel like I am representative of alot of former fans.Thoughts?
Click to expand...
I moved from Beaumont (my wife is from Houston proper) to Arlington about 7 or 8 years ago for career reasons. i get back to Houston a handful of times a year, but ususally not in baseball seaason (actually will be there in 2 weeks). Before that point, I made a handful of games every year. If i were closer, i probably would still make one or two games just to see pro(well so-called pro) baseball. Good news is that about 125 if not more Astros games are aired here so I get to see as much Astros as I can stomach. In terms of the short term, i can see your position because the product was so bad w/o much real hope since even the best young players on the Astros are not considered true top tier prospects. The rebuild is probably going to be long with no guarantees, so I have nothing in that regrad to take your or your friends/family away from the position of not wanting to support a really bad product.
Click to expand...
The product is bad, I agree. More than once though it has been the prospect of dropping a hundred dollars on crappy concessions while watching a bad product that becomes the decision maker on whether or not to go. Why does a beer need to cost $8? A soda $6, $4.25 for a dry hot dog, $5.50 for a bag of peanuts, $5 for two scoops of ice cream? The kids don't understand that cotton candy cost $4, they just want cotton candy.I hope the Astros figure it out, I really do. This town will support a winner, but it looks like it's going to be a long haul before that happens.
Click to expand...
Understood. I am sure that there are more entertaining ways (currently) for you to drop $100 plus dollars for a family night out.
 
Another thing about taking the family for a night out at the ballpark...do you think my wife or the kids can tell the difference between a minor league or college game and a major league game? Nope. It's a baseball game. Same sounds, same smells, and probably more energy at a minor/college game too right now. The Astros are in for a tough sell.

 
'Treynwreck3 said:
Another thing about taking the family for a night out at the ballpark...do you think my wife or the kids can tell the difference between a minor league or college game and a major league game? Nope. It's a baseball game. Same sounds, same smells, and probably more energy at a minor/college game too right now. The Astros are in for a tough sell.
Click to expand...
:goodposting: My 7 year old son actually has more fun at a Fort Worth Cats game than at a Ranger game, just due to the layout of the park, the smaller crowds and the game presentation which focuses more on the kids in between innings.
 
no one in their right mind would want the Astros GM job. Major league club is a mess, minor league system is a mess. It's not a 1-2 year project here, we're looking at 4-5 years before this team can be near .500 level.

And as far as going to the games, they can't give away free tickets to the Astros.

It's a mess in Houston.

 
Congrats to Houston for facing Pujols for 11 years, come on over to the AL West where you get to see him for another 10.

 
'coolnerd said:
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/12/08/astros-hire-jeff-luhnow-as-general-manager/Jeff Luhnow takes on the challenge
Click to expand...
Card fan here who really didnt want to lose Luhnow. 5 yrs ago our development system was rated 28th. Jeff got put in charge and now we're clearly in the top ten. He's made a lot of good picks to get there. Winning is about making good decisions and we just lost a guy who made a lot of them. Bad for us, great for the Stros.Great hire for the new guys. Stros fans will look back in a few years and see this as a pretty big turning point.
 
You guys have to be pleased with Luhnow's first haul. Lowrie should be your everyday SS.

 
'RnR said:
You guys have to be pleased with Luhnow's first haul. Lowrie should be your everyday SS.
Click to expand...
He has to be able to stay on the field but I like the Astros end of the deal better too.
 
http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111214&content_id=26163266&vkey=news_hou&c_id=hou

-- Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow made his first significant player move Wednesday, acquiring switch-hitting shortstop Jed Lowrie and pitcher Kyle Weiland from the Red Sox in exchange for reliever Mark Melancon.

Lowrie, 27, will be the Astros' starting shortstop next year, Luhnow said. The Astros' No. 1 priority this winter was finding a shortstop to replace Clint Barmes, who signed with the Pirates after one year with the Astros.

"For me, it's the classic win-win trade," Luhnow said. "Boston had the need for a bullpen arm. We're going to suffer a loss in our bullpen by not having Melancon there for us, but what we're able to get back is a guy who can play a premium position and who has had success with the bat and who has done a lot of good things. To add on top of that a young pitcher capable of being a starting pitcher in the big leagues, we felt this is an opportunity to take advantage of."

 
I actually like the Cust signing :shrug:

He's cheap, he gets on base, he has played his entire career in pitchers parks, and now gets to hit in a hitters park, second year appears to be a club option so if he's craptastic, he's easily jettisoned....he's early 30's and playing for contracts, so it's not like he's 36 and guaranteed to get paid 16million dollars whether he sucks or not....and with the Astros joining the AL next year, he would make a decent stop gap at DH....wth do they have that can play DH?

Also like the Martinez dart.

I already like this new GM.....gonna be a long few years in Houston, hopefully they can draft a few guys.

 
'guru_007 said:
I actually like the Cust signing :shrug:He's cheap, he gets on base, he has played his entire career in pitchers parks, and now gets to hit in a hitters park, second year appears to be a club option so if he's craptastic, he's easily jettisoned....he's early 30's and playing for contracts, so it's not like he's 36 and guaranteed to get paid 16million dollars whether he sucks or not....and with the Astros joining the AL next year, he would make a decent stop gap at DH....wth do they have that can play DH?Also like the Martinez dart. I already like this new GM.....gonna be a long few years in Houston, hopefully they can draft a few guys.
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Cust is a low contact hitter (lots of walks and strike outs) that if he is not hitting for raw power is just stealing at bats from some young player who might develop into more than he has shown in the minors. I mean Bret Wallace (another left-handed heavy) was not very good in 2011, but there is at least some chance for development (even if no more than equalling Cust's 3 or 4 decent power years). Outside of Cust getting hot enough to trade for a mediocore prospect or two, he is not going to help the Astros win many games now or in the future. Literally, just filling out a roster,imo.
 
Bret Wallace, sucks, the sooner the Astros come to grips with that the better. Do you think there is a reason a 25 year old prospect has already been traded around so many times? Because coaches have realized he will not be able to handle major league pitching. 5 homers, and 29 rbi's in nearly 400 plate appearances is awful. And we're talking about a first basemen here, not Jose Altuve.

No one thinks that Cust is going to be the long term answer and he is a roster filler, but a cheap one, and one that when hot, can actually hit the ball out of the park. Again, he's only had a chance to play in pitchers parks, let's see what he can do with 350 ab's at minute maid.

Look, everyone knows the short term prospects for the Astros are grim. But, we're not signing guys for 8-10 million dollars a year, and that's a good sign. If they can move Wandy and Myers for a few middling prospects and then draft better, they will have a ton of money available to start rounding this into a team again. Not gonna happen in 2012, or 2013, but maybe by 2014-15 season this team could compete again for something other than worst team in the majors....and Cust shouldn't be here in 2014.

 
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7494785/new-houston-astros-owner-jim-crane-mulls-name-uniform-change

HOUSTON -- New Houston Astros owner Jim Crane is considering changing the name of the franchise as well as its uniforms.

Crane says the team will conduct a study to decide whether or not to change the name. He says switching uniforms is something they are "highly considering."

Any changes wouldn't happen until 2013 when Houston makes the move from the National League to the American League.

Crane's comments came at an event to announce several fan initiatives. The biggest move is a 5 percent rebate on full-season and 27-game season ticket accounts that are renewed by Jan. 31. The cheapest at the park will be cut from $7 to $5.

The Astros will also allow fans to bring water and a small amount of food inside the stadium.

 
What kind of bull#### is this name change? Houston Astros is a great name, and it evokes an awesome part of our country's history.

This guy's clearly a moron. Good luck.

 
'JZilla said:
What kind of bull#### is this name change? Houston Astros is a great name, and it evokes an awesome part of our country's history.

This guy's clearly a moron. Good luck.
Click to expand...
Actually, it's a great idea. They no longer play in the Astrodome, there's no real connection with that time as the space industry isn't what it was.I suggest - to be truly historical - that they go back to THIS.

 
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