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I like this team more by the inning. I like the defense and the starting pitching, and I think the back of the bullpen will be solid. I think when Puma gets back in there the lineup will be good enough.

And this Chris Johnson kid? He’s got a future, a bright one. Be still my beating heart. As for Manzella, he’s not yet the second Adam Everett, but he looks awfully good.

I wasn’t sure about the 2010 Astros when the season started, but now I’m excited. I promise you the Cardinals are looking at this team and thinking this division race suddenly is a lot more difficult than it looked two days ago.

Some of you will get your dobbers down over these two opening losses. Pshaw. You’re not able to see the big picture the way I am. You can only think an inning at a time. Don’t worry about it.

You’re lucky to have me here to review things and set you straight. Starting pitching wins. Defense wins. Now the Astros do need the stars to be stars. They need the Puma to get back out there, and they need Hunter Pence and Carlos Lee to have big years.

Click here to read the full article – By Richard Justice of Houston CHronicle

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Don’t expect the Astros to pursue veteran pitcher John Smoltz.


Smoltz was said to have drawn interest of several teams according to a report by Foxsports.com, a list that included the Astros. And while the Astros have kicked around dozens of names from the list of free agents who have filed, sources indicate their interest in Smoltz just isn’t there.

Smoltz is open to starting or relieving and could serve in the closer’s role for a team in need of help at the back of the bullpen. Astros general manager Ed Wade said late on Tuesday that he wasn’t going to comment on Smoltz.


Click here to read the full article – By Brian McTaggart of MLB.com

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Considering the Astros had the oldest Opening Day roster in the Major Leagues and didn’t add any impact players via free agency in the offseason, general manager Ed Wade knew a lot of things would have to go right for his team in 2009.


Wade couldn’t have envisioned injuries decimating his bullpen, team leaders Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt having subpar seasons or even clubhouse dissension, which helped lead to the dismissal of manager Cecil Cooper with 13 games remaining in the regular season.

It all added up to the Astros’ second losing season in three years, something they hadn’t done since Drayton McLane bought the club in 1993.

“We knew a lot of things would have to go right, including Roy winning his normal 15, 17, 20 games and Lance having a big year and Carlos [Lee] having a big year,” Wade said. “Those types of things didn’t happen for us. It was a combination of a lot of different factors.”


Click here to read the full article – By Brian McTaggart of MLB.com

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Dave Clark is a former Golden Gloves boxer, a first-round Draft pick and the brother of an NFL player. He spent 13 seasons in the Major Leagues, ending his career with the Astros in 1998, and managed six seasons in the Minor Leagues.


Most Astros fans and even the players didn’t know too much about Clark before Monday, when he was named Houston’s interim manager for rest of the regular season. Those who have played for him love him, and those he’s just getting to know have only good things to say so far.

“I think he’s going to be an excellent choice,” first baseman Lance Berkman said. “I think Clark’s got a presence about him you have to have if you’re going to manage the big league ballclub. I think guys respect him, and if anybody mouths off to him, he’ll punch them in the face because he’s a boxer.”


Click here to read the full article – By Brian McTaggart of MLB.com

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Jason Michaels got so tired of seeing his subpar batting average displayed on stadium scoreboards around the league that he decided to quit looking and quit worrying and to just start to relax at the plate.


That batting average, which for much of the first half of the season was under .200, was sitting at .242 entering Wednesday’s game against the Reds. Michaels hit .176 in the first half of the season, but he was hitting .340 (17-for-50) following the All-Star break.

“I’m going up there with a good plan and sticking with it and actually trying to have good at-bats,” Michaels said. “That’s really the one thing. When you don’t play as much, you don’t get a chance to have repetition and make adjustments quicker. I think you can easily fall into over-adjusting and fall back in the same hole.”


Click here to read the full article – By Brian McTaggart of MLB.com

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Astros right fielder Hunter Pence has been named the team’s winner of the 2009 Heart and Hustle Award and was presented with a plaque last week by former Houston slugger Jimmy Wynn.

The Heart and Hustle Award is voted on by Major League alumni and presented annually to an active player who demonstrates a passion for the game of baseball and best embodies the values, spirit, and traditions of the game.

Pence, in his third season with the Astros, made the National League All-Star team this season and is hitting .282 with 19 homers and 57 RBIs. His hustle on the bases and in the outfield has made him a favorite among Astros fans.


Click here to read the full article – By Brian McTaggart of MLB.com

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Astros left-hander Mike Hampton, who was placed on the disabled Tuesday with a strained left shoulder, was diagnosed Wednesday with a significant partial thickness tear of his left rotator cuff and has opted for rehab instead of surgery with hopes of returning this season.


Hampton underwent an MRI on Wednesday and was diagnosed with the injury by team medical director Dr. David Lintner. Hampton is 7-10 with a 5.30 ERA this season in 21 starts for the Astros, who signed him to a $2 million deal plus incentives in December.

Click here to read the full article – By Brian McTaggart of MLB.com

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Lance Berkman’s time on the disabled list will likely extend beyond Friday’s 15-day mark.

Berkman has been sidelined with a strained calf muscle.

“This morning it was pretty sore,” Berkman said before Tuesday night’s game against San Francisco. “I did more [Monday] than I had been doing. I hadn’t run on it at all since I hurt it.”

Berkman did more jogging than any real running.

Click here to read the full article – By Gene Duffey of MLB.com

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Below are links to memorabilia available for Lance Berkman.