Spring Training is beginning to wind down, and the beginning of the season is ever so close, with Opening Day for the Astros taking place on March 31 against the Padres, with Jake Peavy taking on Roy Oswalt in a preview of what could very well be two Cy Young Candidates at the end of the season. This past week, I ventured down to Florida for the first time to watch the Astros play in Kissimmee, Florida and take in some of the sights. I was lucky enough to watch two very good games, as the Astros played the Dodgers on Thursday the 13th, and the Braves on Saturday the 15th.
Here are some of my thoughts about the whole experience:

Osecola County Stadium is a beautiful little stadium, modeled after Minute Maid Park with the same color scheme and feel. There wasn’t a bad seat in the park, and the temperature was just right for some afternoon baseball on both days.

Most of the Astros regulars, including Carlos Lee, Hunter Pence, Lance Berkman, Miguel Tejada, Michael Bourn, Ty Wigginton, Brad Ausmus, and Geoff Blum looked to be in solid shape and were hitting the ball well. Berkman hit a home run in the Braves game, and Tejada had several doubles while I was there. It makes you feel good knowing that this team is going to be scoring a lot of runs this season, and we may need it.

Pitching-wise….Eh. We may be in for a rougher season. I saw Shawn Chacon on Thursday pitch fairly decently for a few innings before giving up 5 runs in the fourth inning. Maybe he wore down a little bit, but he definitely had a hiccup in that inning. The good thing is that he kept the ball on the ground well, which is a must at Minute Maid Park.

Doug Brocail also didn’t look too solid in his relief appearances. He gave up several runs to the Braves on Saturday, which was mostly comprised of minor-leaguers and Javy Lopez. he gave up 5 runs in one frame. However, Oscar Villareal is looking mighty fine after pitching an inning on Saturday without giving up a run. His spring ERA? 0.00. He is definitely the lead man for the 8th-inning role.

Some other solid relievers? Chad Hines and Geoff Geary. Both have pitched decently this spring, and show merit themselves with a couple of bullpen spots. Expect Welsey Wright to also earn himself a bullpen spot.

As for the starters…It’s really a toss up. The one, two and three slots in the rotation have all been filled, with Roy Oswalt, Brandon Backe, and Wandy Rodriguez all earning those spots. After that, it’s pretty much slim pickins, with your choice of Chris Sampson, Shawn Chacon, Jack Cassel, and Woody Williams vying for the four and five spots. My guess is that Chacon and Sampson will get the last couple of spots, with Woody Williams having an abysmal spring. It may come down to whoever can perform best in their last couple of starts in the spring.

The Astros should be in good shape. The offense, defense, and relief pitching seem to be shaping up, and one can hope that the starting staff will get it together soon. Overall, I was impressed by the Astros play over the weekend, and I think that if we can execute in certain areas, then we’ll be set to go for the season.

Hey everyone,
Its been a little bit hectic these past couple weeks, and I’ve neglected the blog, so I thought I’d right the wrongs and post a few of my thoughts on Spring Training. Here goes nothin’!

Spring Training is one of my favorite times of year, not just because it’s the beginning of the baseball season, but because it’s the ONLY time of year that the score at the end of the game doesn’t matter. Heck, if the Astros decided to go 0-30 in Grapefruit play, I wouldn’t care less. Save the winning for when it matters!

Spring Training is the time to look at all the players as individuals, not the final team product. It’s a good time to evaluate who is ready for a shot in the Majors, and who needs a little more seasoning in the minors. This season, I’m especially interested in how our pitchers seem to fare at the end of the games, and see if any players are really standing out on the mound. While it’s still early, here is a little list of who I like/ don’t like for the 2008 Astros roster.

Don’t Like:

1) Woody Williams. This guy hasn’t had a decent start this spring, and I just can’t see him improving at his age. I really hope we decide to move him to the pen, or just flat out drop him. I think the Astros have much more promising young arms that merit a shot in the rotation.

2) Stephen Randolph. As of Friday, I believe he had a 48.00 ERA in Spring Training. I think he’s given up a run in every appearance, save for one 0.1 IP appearance, in which he did allow one hit. Oh yeah, and he’s another Astro that was in the Mitchell Report. Just not ready for any Major league work, and I’m beginning to wonder if he ever will.

3) Doug Brocail. He’s our supposed setup guy, but he’s allowed 7 runs in only 4 innings of work. That needs to be turned around, or he won’t be around very long with the Astros.

Who I Like:

1) J.R. Towles. Man, this guy is tearing it up out there! 7-15 this spring, with 1 HR and 5 RBIs. He is picking up where he left off in September for the ‘Stros, and I sure hope he carries this into April.

2) Carlos Lee. While not playing so much, El Caballo has notched 2 HR’s, along with a pretty .500 average. Not too shabby, Carlos!

3) Jose Cruz. Jr. Cruz has been making his case for the fourth outfielder spot by posting some decent numbers early in Spring Training. He would be a solid addition to the bench.

4) Mike DeJean. A righty whose only given up…3 hits in 4 innings. No runs. Could he possibly make the bullpen and be our new set-up man?

I’ll be heading down to Florida later this week to take a look at the Astros in Kissimmee, as well as tour the area a little bit. I’ll be sure to blog on my random rumblings from Central Florida. Until then, take care!

J.R. Towles

Mike DeJean