Notes: Garner wants to see wins now
03/09/2006
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Manager Phil Garner saw a bit of irony in wanting his Astros to start winning games now in the Grapefruit League.
"It's usually the teams that are gonna end up on the bottom of the division at the end of the year, in the regular season, are usually the teams that play great early on," Garner said. "I don't want to mention in names, but just look who's got the best record."
A look at the standings around Spring Training shows teams such as the Diamondbacks (7-1), Pirates (6-2), Marlins (5-1) and Brewers (6-2) with strong performances in exhibition games, but few people in baseball consider any of those teams a strong contender for division titles.
But in Garner's mind, the won/loss record matters. Winning now, he said, breeds winning later, particularly for young players like the Astros have in camp.
"I want my kids to win; I want 'em to expect to win," Garner said. "That's what we do here; we expect to win. That's part of our culture. You don't get much leeway if you can't step in and be productive and be part of a winning solution."
Garner was mindful that his players are trying to round into top shape and that Spring Training is around the halfway point. But he can say the same thing for players on opposing teams. They, too, are trying to land jobs or catch a manager's eye.
To stress his point, Garner talked about the lack of offense and the shaky performances of late from some of his young pitchers -- the work of Wandy Rodriguez, Jason Hirsh and, to a lesser extent, Taylor Buchholz comes to mind.
"True, you have a longer leash in Spring Training," Garner said. "But part of the culture is you need to know that you get yourself ready in Spring Training. That's true, and you evaluate, that's true.
"But as we get closer toward the season, you need to start seeing guys do things that are gonna produce wins."
Update on Bags: Jeff Bagwell went 0-for-3 as the designated hitter on Thursday. When he left the game and went to the clubhouse, he had nothing to report on his rehab.
While he took ground balls before the game, Bagwell didn't make any throws during his fielding session.
But for the second day in a row, Bagwell did throw between innings. When his day was done, he seemed more concerned about his bat than his throwing arm.
"That's part of the problem -- trying to hit," he said.
Bagwell offered no date for when he might take the field in a game.
Neither did Garner, who said he was following doctors' protocol on Bagwell's condition.
"Right now, I can't give you a day," Garner said.
The question is: As Astros fans remember, the 2004 All-Star Game was played in Minute Maid Park, the crown jewel in the Houston skyline. But do they remember this: the names of the four Astros players who made the National League team?
Silence is golden: General manager Tim Purpura said Garner has a gag order on him when it comes to left-hander Troy Patton.
Garner fell in love with Patton's talent while watching him throw, but Purpura isn't at all eager to rush the 20-year-old Patton, the team's ninth pick in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft, through the farm system.
"There's no reason to rush good pitching," Purpura said. "It can do more harm than good. Check around the league."
Asked who gagged Garner, Purpura offered a one-word answer: "Me."
Good stuff? Hardly: Right-hander Roy Oswalt pitched four innings Thursday against the Mets, an outing in which he gave up two runs on five hits.
How was his stuff?
"One to 10 -- a five," he said. "Not too good."
Oswalt said he rolled his curveball and jerked his fastball across the plate too many times. Those were the only two pitches he worked on, he said.
Quote 'em: "One of the beautiful things about baseball is that every once in a while you come into a situation where you want to, and where you have to, reach down and prove something." -- Hall-of-Famer Nolan Ryan
Did you know: Second baseman Craig Biggio, a longtime cornerstone for the Astros, kept his streak of scoring at least 90 runs in a season alive in '05. He has now reached that mark or more for five-straight seasons,
And the answer: The four players were: Carlos Beltran, Jeff Kent, Lance Berkman and Roger Clemens, the starting pitcher.
Odds and ends: Andy Pettitte is scheduled to throw in a simulated game Friday. ... Milo Hamilton, long-time radio voice for the Astros, will sign copies of "Making Airwaves," his autobiography, on Saturday afternoon at Osceola County Park. ... The Astros had one player on Baseball America's list of Top 100 prospects. Right-hander Hirsh ranked No. 52 on the list. ...Round Rock trainer Mike Freer serves in that role for The Netherlands during the World Baseball Classic.
Source: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Manager Phil Garner saw a bit of irony in wanting his Astros to start winning games now in the Grapefruit League.
"It's usually the teams that are gonna end up on the bottom of the division at the end of the year, in the regular season, are usually the teams that play great early on," Garner said. "I don't want to mention in names, but just look who's got the best record."
A look at the standings around Spring Training shows teams such as the Diamondbacks (7-1), Pirates (6-2), Marlins (5-1) and Brewers (6-2) with strong performances in exhibition games, but few people in baseball consider any of those teams a strong contender for division titles.
But in Garner's mind, the won/loss record matters. Winning now, he said, breeds winning later, particularly for young players like the Astros have in camp.
"I want my kids to win; I want 'em to expect to win," Garner said. "That's what we do here; we expect to win. That's part of our culture. You don't get much leeway if you can't step in and be productive and be part of a winning solution."
Garner was mindful that his players are trying to round into top shape and that Spring Training is around the halfway point. But he can say the same thing for players on opposing teams. They, too, are trying to land jobs or catch a manager's eye.
To stress his point, Garner talked about the lack of offense and the shaky performances of late from some of his young pitchers -- the work of Wandy Rodriguez, Jason Hirsh and, to a lesser extent, Taylor Buchholz comes to mind.
"True, you have a longer leash in Spring Training," Garner said. "But part of the culture is you need to know that you get yourself ready in Spring Training. That's true, and you evaluate, that's true.
"But as we get closer toward the season, you need to start seeing guys do things that are gonna produce wins."
Update on Bags: Jeff Bagwell went 0-for-3 as the designated hitter on Thursday. When he left the game and went to the clubhouse, he had nothing to report on his rehab.
While he took ground balls before the game, Bagwell didn't make any throws during his fielding session.
But for the second day in a row, Bagwell did throw between innings. When his day was done, he seemed more concerned about his bat than his throwing arm.
"That's part of the problem -- trying to hit," he said.
Bagwell offered no date for when he might take the field in a game.
Neither did Garner, who said he was following doctors' protocol on Bagwell's condition.
"Right now, I can't give you a day," Garner said.
The question is: As Astros fans remember, the 2004 All-Star Game was played in Minute Maid Park, the crown jewel in the Houston skyline. But do they remember this: the names of the four Astros players who made the National League team?
Silence is golden: General manager Tim Purpura said Garner has a gag order on him when it comes to left-hander Troy Patton.
Garner fell in love with Patton's talent while watching him throw, but Purpura isn't at all eager to rush the 20-year-old Patton, the team's ninth pick in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft, through the farm system.
"There's no reason to rush good pitching," Purpura said. "It can do more harm than good. Check around the league."
Asked who gagged Garner, Purpura offered a one-word answer: "Me."
Good stuff? Hardly: Right-hander Roy Oswalt pitched four innings Thursday against the Mets, an outing in which he gave up two runs on five hits.
How was his stuff?
"One to 10 -- a five," he said. "Not too good."
Oswalt said he rolled his curveball and jerked his fastball across the plate too many times. Those were the only two pitches he worked on, he said.
Quote 'em: "One of the beautiful things about baseball is that every once in a while you come into a situation where you want to, and where you have to, reach down and prove something." -- Hall-of-Famer Nolan Ryan
Did you know: Second baseman Craig Biggio, a longtime cornerstone for the Astros, kept his streak of scoring at least 90 runs in a season alive in '05. He has now reached that mark or more for five-straight seasons,
And the answer: The four players were: Carlos Beltran, Jeff Kent, Lance Berkman and Roger Clemens, the starting pitcher.
Odds and ends: Andy Pettitte is scheduled to throw in a simulated game Friday. ... Milo Hamilton, long-time radio voice for the Astros, will sign copies of "Making Airwaves," his autobiography, on Saturday afternoon at Osceola County Park. ... The Astros had one player on Baseball America's list of Top 100 prospects. Right-hander Hirsh ranked No. 52 on the list. ...Round Rock trainer Mike Freer serves in that role for The Netherlands during the World Baseball Classic.
Source: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/
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