Notes: Garner biding time with Bagwell
03/07/2006
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- To call the Jeff Bagwell situation a real situation might not have things in the right perspective.
To be certain, Astros manager Phil Garner isn't looking at it as a problem that falls in the major category. It's just one of the many things that come for a manager who's trying to put together a ballclub. Besides, who can do much about an injury?
But Bagwell's health remains under close scrutiny.
The veteran first baseman didn't make the trip to Port St. Lucie on Tuesday. Garner said Bagwell was a "little stiff" from playing in a string of games, but Garner didn't see the stiffness as a concern. He certainly has no plans to rush Bagwell, who's coming off a shoulder injury.
"All I'm trying to do, from a baseball standpoint, is get him in good baseball condition and try to get his feedback in terms of playing the game," Garner said. "At that point, we'll decide where he'll go from there."
What that means is where Bagwell fits on the 25-man roster. Is he still a Major League performer? Can the Astros -- and Garner -- count on him, day in and day out? Or should Bagwell -- dare anybody speak the word -- retire?
To use that word about Bagwell isn't something that anybody seems comfortable with. Still, the Astros need him on the field, not on the disabled list. At some point, they'll need to know what he can or can't do.
That point isn't now, Garner said.
"If you're talking about a decision, that he's come to the conclusion that he can't play anymore, then that's a pretty tough decision to make and say, 'I'm done, ' " he said of Bagwell. "If he doesn't actually feel it and he needs more time, you've got to give the guy more time."
A-OK: Andy Pettitte threw off a mound Tuesday, which could be great news for the Astros.
The veteran left-hander reported afterward that he felt good, a team spokesman said. At this point, Pettitte is on schedule to throw a simulated game Friday. If that goes well, he'll likely start March 15 against the Yankees.
Farewell to a friend: Gary Gaetti remained shocked.
"It's hard to believe," Gaetti said Tuesday.
He was right. The death of former Twins teammate Kirby Puckett still stung, more so for the people who played alongside him during a golden era of Twins baseball. Gaetti, now the Astros hitting coach, was one of Puckett's sidekicks.
"I loved watching him play," Gaetti said.
He recounted the '91 World Series that turned Puckett into a baseball icon. He could still remember Puckett's rounding the bases in Game 6, pumping his fist in celebration of his walk-off homer.
As vivid as that memory is to Gaetti, it's not as vivid as Puckett's trademark: the toothy smile.
"I can't help think about the guy's smile," Gaetti said. "He had an infectious personality. That's what I'll remember."
A Classic look: Left-hander Carlos Hernandez, competing for one of maybe two spots in the Astros rotation, allowed a two-run homer to Red Sox slugger David Ortiz in the ninth inning Tuesday of the World Baseball Classic game between the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.
The question is: The Astros have had three Spring Training homes in their history. Kissimmee, Fla., is their current home, but do you know what the first Spring Training home for the franchise was?
Quote 'em: "You have a lot of guys in that clubhouse, again, counting on you to do well. They look forward for you to do that, regardless of age, regardless of experience, regardless of, you know, what other intangibles you bring. They expect you to go out there and do well, and I expect the same from those guys." -- Roger Clemens
And the answer: When the franchise joined the National League, the site of the team's first Spring Training home was Apache Junction, Ariz. The team spent two Spring Trainings in Arizona before moving to Cocoa, Fla., for 10 years.
Odds and ends: Minor Leaguers Ben Zobrist, Brooks Conrad and Mike Rodriguez made the trip to Port St. Lucie. ... The Astros have 49 players in camp, a figure that includes 38 players from the team's 40-man roster. ... Right-hander Russ Springer threw off a mound Tuesday.
Source: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- To call the Jeff Bagwell situation a real situation might not have things in the right perspective.
To be certain, Astros manager Phil Garner isn't looking at it as a problem that falls in the major category. It's just one of the many things that come for a manager who's trying to put together a ballclub. Besides, who can do much about an injury?
But Bagwell's health remains under close scrutiny.
The veteran first baseman didn't make the trip to Port St. Lucie on Tuesday. Garner said Bagwell was a "little stiff" from playing in a string of games, but Garner didn't see the stiffness as a concern. He certainly has no plans to rush Bagwell, who's coming off a shoulder injury.
"All I'm trying to do, from a baseball standpoint, is get him in good baseball condition and try to get his feedback in terms of playing the game," Garner said. "At that point, we'll decide where he'll go from there."
What that means is where Bagwell fits on the 25-man roster. Is he still a Major League performer? Can the Astros -- and Garner -- count on him, day in and day out? Or should Bagwell -- dare anybody speak the word -- retire?
To use that word about Bagwell isn't something that anybody seems comfortable with. Still, the Astros need him on the field, not on the disabled list. At some point, they'll need to know what he can or can't do.
That point isn't now, Garner said.
"If you're talking about a decision, that he's come to the conclusion that he can't play anymore, then that's a pretty tough decision to make and say, 'I'm done, ' " he said of Bagwell. "If he doesn't actually feel it and he needs more time, you've got to give the guy more time."
A-OK: Andy Pettitte threw off a mound Tuesday, which could be great news for the Astros.
The veteran left-hander reported afterward that he felt good, a team spokesman said. At this point, Pettitte is on schedule to throw a simulated game Friday. If that goes well, he'll likely start March 15 against the Yankees.
Farewell to a friend: Gary Gaetti remained shocked.
"It's hard to believe," Gaetti said Tuesday.
He was right. The death of former Twins teammate Kirby Puckett still stung, more so for the people who played alongside him during a golden era of Twins baseball. Gaetti, now the Astros hitting coach, was one of Puckett's sidekicks.
"I loved watching him play," Gaetti said.
He recounted the '91 World Series that turned Puckett into a baseball icon. He could still remember Puckett's rounding the bases in Game 6, pumping his fist in celebration of his walk-off homer.
As vivid as that memory is to Gaetti, it's not as vivid as Puckett's trademark: the toothy smile.
"I can't help think about the guy's smile," Gaetti said. "He had an infectious personality. That's what I'll remember."
A Classic look: Left-hander Carlos Hernandez, competing for one of maybe two spots in the Astros rotation, allowed a two-run homer to Red Sox slugger David Ortiz in the ninth inning Tuesday of the World Baseball Classic game between the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.
The question is: The Astros have had three Spring Training homes in their history. Kissimmee, Fla., is their current home, but do you know what the first Spring Training home for the franchise was?
Quote 'em: "You have a lot of guys in that clubhouse, again, counting on you to do well. They look forward for you to do that, regardless of age, regardless of experience, regardless of, you know, what other intangibles you bring. They expect you to go out there and do well, and I expect the same from those guys." -- Roger Clemens
And the answer: When the franchise joined the National League, the site of the team's first Spring Training home was Apache Junction, Ariz. The team spent two Spring Trainings in Arizona before moving to Cocoa, Fla., for 10 years.
Odds and ends: Minor Leaguers Ben Zobrist, Brooks Conrad and Mike Rodriguez made the trip to Port St. Lucie. ... The Astros have 49 players in camp, a figure that includes 38 players from the team's 40-man roster. ... Right-hander Russ Springer threw off a mound Tuesday.
Source: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/
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