Brett Myers

The Astros Will Suck, But They Do Have A Good Plan

The Houston Astros are a subject of much derision. They're a bad team with very few, if any, names on the roster recognizable to the average fan. They'll probably struggle to win 60 games. And there are national writers who think that the Astros are an embarrassment to baseball. I'm often critical ... More >>

If You Boycotted The Astros, Would Anybody Notice? Would It Make Any Difference?

Listening to sports talk radio yesterday afternoon, I heard a caller demanding that the fans boycott the Astros. First, it's pretty evident from the lack of attendance this season that many of you are already boycotting the ballclub, but secondly, just what it is that you want the Astros to do? Thi ... More >>

Dear Astros Fans, Repeat After Me: Rebuilding Is A Good Thing

There are some Astros fans who are kind of upset about the veteran purge going on with the team at the moment. These fans profess to understand the team's need to rebuild, finally. But they don't want this rebuild to come at the expense of the big league club. What has to be understood is the Astr ... More >>

The Astros Appear to Actually Have a Plan

It was quite the busy weekend for Astros GM Jeff Luhnow. He unloaded pitchers J.A. Happ, Brandon Lyon and David Carpenter on the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, and he sent closer/clubhouse cancer Brett Myers to the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. Frankly, I'm shocked that any team in the American Lea ... More >>

Ten Reasons to Keep Watching the Astros

The Astros, post-All-Star break, have been much like the Astros pre-All-Star break. They're still losing -- they were swept by the San Francisco Giants over the weekend. The offense is still awful. They're decimated by injuries. And management is still making tons of head-scratching decisions. So yo ... More >>

Astros Rebuilding: Going Back to the Future Can Be Fun

The 1991 Houston Astros finished the season with a record of 65-97. They were last in the old NL West, and they were one of the worst teams in the majors. But the fans who watched the team that season had reasons to be excited about the future. Jeff Bagwell had been converted from third to first ba ... More >>

25 Random Thoughts on This Upcoming Astros Season

The Astros season starts today, and since I'm always in search of a cheap and easy post, I thought I would throw out some random thoughts about the Astros heading into the season. 25. The first Astros pitcher to collect a loss will be Brett Myers when he blows a save -- that save will probably be ... More >>

Forgive Ed Wade? Why?

As the regular season start of Season One of the Jim Crane Era approaches, one can't help but finally get some sense of optimism when it comes to the Astros. A sense arising primarily from the feeling that the adults are back in control of the franchise, something that couldn't be said since the day ... More >>

25 Positive Thoughts As The Astros Head off to Spring Training

Jed Lowrie could be the Astros' best all-around shortstop since Dickie Thon, if he stays healthy​Spring training begins for Major League Baseball next week, and that means the Astros will be reporting to camp in Florida and prepping for the upcoming season -- yes, despite whatever happened las ... More >>

Astros Media Day Kicks Off 2012 Season -- 5 Early Storylines

In sandlot football growing up, we always had a saying after touchdowns that "losers walk," meaning the team that scored stays at that end of he field to kick off and the "losers" on defense have to march to the other end of the field to receive. So it's probably appropriate that, due to the NBA c ... More >>

15 Reasons To Keep Watching The Astros

Watch Ed Wade try to line up another job with the Phillies​I know most of you have probably tuned out on the Astros by the now. Hell, most of you probably tuned out on the Astros back in March. But it's still over a month until the Texans start disappointing everybody again. The NBA may not ... More >>

Astros Pitching Coach Brad Arnsberg Fired: Four Things to Watch

You're outta here.​"It was philosophical differences between a manager and a general manager and a pitching coach. I don't want to get into the details. It's just been kind of rearing its ugly head the last two, three weeks, and I guess they felt like they had to make a move for the betterment ... More >>

20 Things the Astros Can Do Now to Save the Season

And today's scapegoat is...​When you're the worst team in the major leagues, and when attendance is falling off, and when the only thing people want to talk about is you switching leagues so they can see the Yankees and Red Sox more often, then you're a team that has problems. Serious problem ... More >>

Astros' Pitching Musical Chairs -- Somehow Brandon Lyon Got A Seat

Jeff Fulchino: The latest casualty​"Fulchie's got the stuff, and he's had some success here the last couple years and we wanted him to go down and work on command of his pitches and being able to throw the ball over the strike zone with consistency," manager Brad Mills said. Okay, first thing ... More >>

11 Modest Suggestions For Jim Crane

​After the Astros lose to the Chicago Cubs this afternoon, the 2011 MLB season will be one-thirds complete. And while it was expected the Astros would be bad, being the worst team in the National League was not expected -- an injury-depleted Minnesota Twins are the only thing keeping the Astr ... More >>

The Astros Suck. Is It Their Music?

Marco TorresHunter Pence, Buzz listener?​Wandy Rodriguez is Rocks Off's new favorite Astro. ​Not because the Domincan southpaw has actually posted decent numbers for Houston's hometown cellar-dwellers this year (3-3 W-L, 3.41 ERA, 53 strikeouts), but because Rodriguez has one of the few ... More >>

Houston Astros' Sobering Salary Story: Grading Ten Players

Carlos Lee: Helping others in the grading curve.​I recently saw some sort of metric that indicated that the top five percent richest Americans combined had amassed more wealth than the other 95 percent combined. Don't quote me on that, but it was one of those "look how woefully disproportiona ... More >>

Play Ball, Baby

A new season for the Astros, and hopefully a new team.

Astros 2011: It Ain't Going to Be Pretty

Bad news: The Astros are actually playing baseball this season.​The Astros are probably opening up the season tomorrow -- they're scheduled to play, but the weather in Philadelphia might not cooperate. And if the stories that have been kicking around are true, this might be the last opening d ... More >>

Astros Spring: Please Save Jordan Lyles from This Club

Is Jordan Lyles this season's savior of the Astros?​The news from Astros camp last week was that Carlos Lee had to DH in some games because he had a tired shoulder. Which begs the question of don't you actually have to use the shoulder for something before it can become tired? Is this what co ... More >>

Dear Drayton, Just Say No to Michael Young

Michael Young wants to be on the Astros?​I understand that the Texas Rangers' third baseman, Michael Young, has requested a trade. I also understand that one of the teams for whom Young has approved a trade is the Houston Astros. In years past I would most strongly approve of a trade for M ... More >>

The Year In Astros Baseball: 25 Things, Including Thank God For Jennie Finch

Mrs. Casey Daigle actually made some Astros games watchable​Let's face it. The Houston Astros suck. They sucked last season. They're going to suck this season. As long as Drayton McLane and Ed Wade are involved with this team, they're going to suck. But it's the end of the year, so let's tak ... More >>

Dear Drayton: Be Like Nolan Ryan And Lower Some Prices

This could be you, Drayton​Dear Drayton,I know that you probably don't pay any attention to anything that I say. If you did, Ed Wade would be on the unemployment line, Carlos Lee would be playing rancher fulltime, and Pedro Feliz would be playing baseball in some independent league where he belong ... More >>

The Catastrophe That Is Your Houston Astros

Optimism -- not in the cards​The Houston Astros made some much-needed moves last week, dealing Roy Oswalt for a bottom of the rotation starter and some prospects and sending Lance Berkman to the Yankees for some middling prospects.There are problems with the deals -- with all of the money Drayton ... More >>

Game Time: Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman -- Five Thoughts

Photo by groovehouseActually enjoying a game at Minute Maid?​I know it's only three games. I know they were playing the Brewers. I know my judgment may be clouded by the fact that they actually won all three games, getting great pitching in the process. But I actually enjoyed going to an Ast ... More >>

The Post-Oswalt Astros: Oy

Bye-bye, dude​The seemingly impossible happened yesterday, as the Astros front office found a moment of competence and finally found a way to trade Roy Oswalt.Of course, this being the Astros' front office, Oswalt ended up with the Philadelphia Phillies in a deal about as surprising as Gary Kubiak ... More >>

Roy O Traded To Phillies: The Rich Get Richer

Thanks for trying, Roy.​Roy Oswalt is leaving town, taking his four-pitch repertoire to the two-time defending National League champs, the Philadelphia Phillies.The trade was pending league approval as of Thursday afternoon, since the Astros are also sending cash. The trade is expected to go throu ... More >>

Roy Oswalt: Don't Blame Him For Astros' Front-Office Incompetence

Drayton McLane and Ed Wade are effing this up​In a way, it's probably all kismet. The stars were perfectly aligned (thanks to a little magic fairy dust from Drayton McLane applied to the pitching order), the scouts were in attendance, and the event had been hyped for awhile.Roy Oswalt was pitchin ... More >>

Game Time: Astros' GM Ed Wade Is Making His Booty Call To The Phillies

I'm Ed Wade and I miss you, baby​booty call n. (BOO-tee kahl) A late night summons -- often made via telephone -- to arrange relations on an ad hoc basis. -- Urban DictionaryActually, if you look up "booty call" on urbandictionary.com, there are about a dozen different definitions, all meaning ab ... More >>

Houston Astros: 17 Reasons To -- Believe It Or Not -- Watch The Rest Of The Season

Reasons to be cheerful, part three: Deadline trades​The Astros return to action tonight, and with a record of 36-53, you're probably wondering why it is that you should give a damn about the rest of the season. Especially since Houston Texans training camp is not far off, college football is ... More >>

Ed Wade: This Team Is Yours (Unfortunately)

He's no Gerry Hunsicker​I know that Houston Astros general manager Ed Wade has some defenders in the city. They say we can't judge Wade, supposedly, because he's hamstrung by contracts that were given out before he arrived. We can't judge Wade because, supposedly, he's still putting his blueprint ... More >>

Astro All Stars: They Have To Have One, Right?

Back in the day, when All Stars had sideburns​Today is your last chance to cast your vote for Kazuo Matsui to start in the MLB All Star Game. And the voting ends at 10:59 p.m., so get to it while you still can.But no matter what happens, no matter how many times you vote today, no Houston Astros ... More >>

Game Time: 2010 Houston Astros -- Will I Ever See A Tasing? (w/ VIDEO of PHILLY FAN TASING)

Oh, he's going to tase you, bro​The Philadelphia Phillies are the defending National League champions and less than two years removed from winning a World Series. The Astros finished last season on a 4-16 skid and have never won a World Series in the history of the franchise.The Philadelphia Phil ... More >>

Astros Live Down To Expectations In First Series

Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher​Three games in. Three losses down. If there's one thing to say about the Astros, they know how to play down to expectations.A still-injured Roy Oswalt had one bad inning on Opening Night, but one bad inning was all that the San Francisco Giants needed as they defeated ... More >>

The Official 2010 Astros Preview, And It Ain't Pretty

​So it's Opening Day today, a day generally reserved for baseball optimism. Unless you live in Pittsburgh or Kansas City, or...Houston. I know that Lance Berkman thinks  that this team can compete, but seeing as how the Big Puma is starting the season on the disabled list with a balky knee, ... More >>

Game Time: Prediction Monday -- Men's Hoops Finals And The Astros' 2010 Season

​NCAA MEN'S HOOPS FINALS (Butler vs Duke, 8:21 PM tip-off)When I ranked the list of NCAA Finals permutations from "Most Compelling" to "Least Compelling" in this space last week, I had Butler vs Duke ranked as the most compelling. The figurative "Cinderella" (although let's not forget that Cinde ... More >>

Astros Are Looking Like A Hospital Ward....That's Not A Good Sign

​Can you feel it yet? That tingling that comes from Opening Day? It's just around the corner, so to speak, as the Houston Astros open the season and immediately fall out of contention, next Monday night when Roy Oswalt supposedly faces off against Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum of the San Francis ... More >>

11 Things To Ponder As The Astros Open Spring Training

​Pitchers and catchers are reporting to Houston Astros camp today. The first workout is tomorrow. It's going to be a spring training full of questions for the Astros as management, the media, the players, and the fans try to figure out just what exactly this year's team is going to be like. As ... More >>

Baseball Is Coming: 25 Things To Love About The Astros This Year

Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher​Believe it or not, but pitchers and catchers are reporting for the Houston Astros on February 19, 2010. Yes, the Astros are going to suck this year, but it's baseball, and I love baseball. That said, I realize that some of you might want some more specific reasons to get ... More >>

Are The Astros Worth What Drayton Is Asking?

Photo by verndogs​So Drayton McLane has made it known that he's really, really willing to sell the Houston Astros. And as his price, he's asking for $650 million.I'm sure the potential buyers are putting every aspect of Drayton's baseball empire under the microscope, but I thought I would pr ... More >>

Brett Myers And His Checkered Past Come To The Astros

​Congratulations to Brian McTaggart over at MLB.com. Since he left the Houston Chronicle to handle the Astros beat for MLB.com, he has scooped his former employer time after time after time again. The latest coming on Friday afternoon when he scooped the Chron by hours as to the Astros signing of ... More >>

John Royal's World Series Pick: Rays in Six

Notes on the Baseball Playoffs

Notes on the Baseball Playoffs

Astros-Dodgers: Extra Innings Not Enough

Astros-Brewers: The ‘Stros Hold onto First Place (in Homers Surrendered)

Astros-Phillies: With Pitching Like This, It Might As Well Be Lima Time

Astros-Phillies: Roy Oswalt Gets the Job Done