Notes: Pettitte nearing game action
03/05/2006
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Andy Pettitte threw 34 pitches to three Astros hitters on the backfields of Osceola County Stadium on Sunday morning, and he appears to be close to appearing in a live game.
Pettitte threw to Hunter Pence, Chris Burke and Kevin Orie, with Brad Ausmus behind the plate and Pettitte's two sons, Josh and Jared, in the outfield shagging fly balls.
Pettitte will throw a long bullpen session on Tuesday and a simulated game Friday, and then he should be ready to join the Astros' spring rotation.
"I'll be ready to get in a game," Pettitte said. "Before I go in, I'd like to face some hitters without the screen up there."
Pettitte has been about a week behind the rest of the pitchers this spring, after deciding to forego his normal throwing routine in January in order to rest. The left-hander is on schedule to make his first start of the regular season on April 4, the second game of a three-game set with the Marlins.
Bagwell update: Jeff Bagwell reported feeling "normal soreness" on Sunday, one day after throwing more than he had all spring.
On Saturday, Bagwell simulated his between-inning routine after his at-bats as the designated hitter by playing catch with Russ Springer behind the left-field wall. He threw about as long as he would throw to his infield teammates from first base between innings in a live game.
Bagwell was the DH during the Astros' game with the Dominican Republic on Sunday, but he took the day off from his simulated throwing routine.
"I'll do the same thing tomorrow as yesterday," Bagwell said.
Control issues: Ezequiel Astacio struggled with his control in his first spring outing, walking four batters over two innings on Sunday against Team Dominican.
Astacio, facing a lineup featuring stars Miguel Tejada, Albert Pujols, David Ortiz and Moises Alou, issued three consecutive walks after yielding a two-out single to Pujols in the opening frame.
"I didn't have my control," Astacio said. "The sinker was going too wide. I wanted to keep the ball down, so if they made contact, they keep the ball in the ballpark. That lineup doesn't have any weak spots."
Lidge the scout: The Astros signed a 27-year-old left-hander on Sunday, on the recommendation of ... Brad Lidge.
Brad Whitworth, formerly an Angels farmhand, had been pitching in the Independent League for the last two years. A native of Denver, Whitworth and Lidge became friends a few years ago when Lidge was rehabbing from elbow surgery. They've been workout buddies ever since.
Lidge was impressed enough with Whitworth's workouts to call scouting director Paul Ricciarini, who sent coordinator of amateur scouting Tad Slowick to Denver to watch the left-hander work out.
"Tad was favorably impressed," Ricciarini said. "He'll compete for a job at [Class A] Salem or [Double-A] Corpus Christi."
If Whitworth makes it to the big leagues, he'll have Lidge to thank.
"I told [Lidge], he's got a career after his career," Ricciarini joked.
Two uniforms: In an interesting twist that can only occur during a game that has no bearings on the standings, Astros right-hander Juan Gutierrez pitched the top of the ninth and the bottom of the ninth during Houston's game against the Dominican Republic.
Because Gutierrez made quick work of the Dominicans in the top of the frame and because Dominican right-hander Ronnie Martinez (who also is an Astros farmhand) threw too many pitches in the bottom of the eighth and because the Dominican team had no more available pitchers, the Astros "loaned" Gutierrez to the Dominican club.
Gutierrez quickly ran into the visitor's dugout, put on a Dominican jersey and retook the mound.
Week of caring: The Astros kicked off their annual Week of Caring in Kissimmee this week with several community events at Osceola County Stadium.
The Week of Caring features ballpark visits by children from Give Kids the World and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Florida; Make Reading Come Alive with 400 elementary school students from Kissimmee's Heritage Christian School; and the National Education Association's "Read Across America" event with 125 students from Kissimmee's Thacker Elementary School.
Odds and ends: Bench coach Cecil Cooper managed the Astros' game in Clearwater, while manager Phil Garner remained in Kissimmee to manage the other half of the split squad that hosted Team Dominican. ... The Astros will send representatives to several sites during the World Baseball Classic. General manager Tim Purpura and Ricciarini will watch Carlos Hernandez pitch for the Venezuelan team, as well as center fielder Willy Taveras, who is playing for the Dominican club. Those teams play at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex, the spring home of the Braves, this week. Coordinator of Major League scouting Fred Nelson and special assignment scout Bob Skinner are in Phoenix, watching Roger Clemens, Lidge and Dan Wheeler. ... In addition to hitting during Pettitte's side session, Pence, the Astros' first pick in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft, appeared in the Astros' game against the Dominican. Minor Leaguers Ben Zobrist, Jonny Ash, Neil Sellers, Chris Sampson and Josh Muecke also played. ... Club owner Drayton McLane, who was in Kissimmee on Sunday, plans to attend the World Baseball Classic finals in San Diego. ... The Astros renewed the contracts of outfielder Luke Scott and left-hander Wandy Rodriguez. Both contracts have a Major League value of $327,000.
Source: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Andy Pettitte threw 34 pitches to three Astros hitters on the backfields of Osceola County Stadium on Sunday morning, and he appears to be close to appearing in a live game.
Pettitte threw to Hunter Pence, Chris Burke and Kevin Orie, with Brad Ausmus behind the plate and Pettitte's two sons, Josh and Jared, in the outfield shagging fly balls.
Pettitte will throw a long bullpen session on Tuesday and a simulated game Friday, and then he should be ready to join the Astros' spring rotation.
"I'll be ready to get in a game," Pettitte said. "Before I go in, I'd like to face some hitters without the screen up there."
Pettitte has been about a week behind the rest of the pitchers this spring, after deciding to forego his normal throwing routine in January in order to rest. The left-hander is on schedule to make his first start of the regular season on April 4, the second game of a three-game set with the Marlins.
Bagwell update: Jeff Bagwell reported feeling "normal soreness" on Sunday, one day after throwing more than he had all spring.
On Saturday, Bagwell simulated his between-inning routine after his at-bats as the designated hitter by playing catch with Russ Springer behind the left-field wall. He threw about as long as he would throw to his infield teammates from first base between innings in a live game.
Bagwell was the DH during the Astros' game with the Dominican Republic on Sunday, but he took the day off from his simulated throwing routine.
"I'll do the same thing tomorrow as yesterday," Bagwell said.
Control issues: Ezequiel Astacio struggled with his control in his first spring outing, walking four batters over two innings on Sunday against Team Dominican.
Astacio, facing a lineup featuring stars Miguel Tejada, Albert Pujols, David Ortiz and Moises Alou, issued three consecutive walks after yielding a two-out single to Pujols in the opening frame.
"I didn't have my control," Astacio said. "The sinker was going too wide. I wanted to keep the ball down, so if they made contact, they keep the ball in the ballpark. That lineup doesn't have any weak spots."
Lidge the scout: The Astros signed a 27-year-old left-hander on Sunday, on the recommendation of ... Brad Lidge.
Brad Whitworth, formerly an Angels farmhand, had been pitching in the Independent League for the last two years. A native of Denver, Whitworth and Lidge became friends a few years ago when Lidge was rehabbing from elbow surgery. They've been workout buddies ever since.
Lidge was impressed enough with Whitworth's workouts to call scouting director Paul Ricciarini, who sent coordinator of amateur scouting Tad Slowick to Denver to watch the left-hander work out.
"Tad was favorably impressed," Ricciarini said. "He'll compete for a job at [Class A] Salem or [Double-A] Corpus Christi."
If Whitworth makes it to the big leagues, he'll have Lidge to thank.
"I told [Lidge], he's got a career after his career," Ricciarini joked.
Two uniforms: In an interesting twist that can only occur during a game that has no bearings on the standings, Astros right-hander Juan Gutierrez pitched the top of the ninth and the bottom of the ninth during Houston's game against the Dominican Republic.
Because Gutierrez made quick work of the Dominicans in the top of the frame and because Dominican right-hander Ronnie Martinez (who also is an Astros farmhand) threw too many pitches in the bottom of the eighth and because the Dominican team had no more available pitchers, the Astros "loaned" Gutierrez to the Dominican club.
Gutierrez quickly ran into the visitor's dugout, put on a Dominican jersey and retook the mound.
Week of caring: The Astros kicked off their annual Week of Caring in Kissimmee this week with several community events at Osceola County Stadium.
The Week of Caring features ballpark visits by children from Give Kids the World and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Florida; Make Reading Come Alive with 400 elementary school students from Kissimmee's Heritage Christian School; and the National Education Association's "Read Across America" event with 125 students from Kissimmee's Thacker Elementary School.
Odds and ends: Bench coach Cecil Cooper managed the Astros' game in Clearwater, while manager Phil Garner remained in Kissimmee to manage the other half of the split squad that hosted Team Dominican. ... The Astros will send representatives to several sites during the World Baseball Classic. General manager Tim Purpura and Ricciarini will watch Carlos Hernandez pitch for the Venezuelan team, as well as center fielder Willy Taveras, who is playing for the Dominican club. Those teams play at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex, the spring home of the Braves, this week. Coordinator of Major League scouting Fred Nelson and special assignment scout Bob Skinner are in Phoenix, watching Roger Clemens, Lidge and Dan Wheeler. ... In addition to hitting during Pettitte's side session, Pence, the Astros' first pick in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft, appeared in the Astros' game against the Dominican. Minor Leaguers Ben Zobrist, Jonny Ash, Neil Sellers, Chris Sampson and Josh Muecke also played. ... Club owner Drayton McLane, who was in Kissimmee on Sunday, plans to attend the World Baseball Classic finals in San Diego. ... The Astros renewed the contracts of outfielder Luke Scott and left-hander Wandy Rodriguez. Both contracts have a Major League value of $327,000.
Source: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/
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