Houston Astros @ Bare Baseball - Baseball MLB Blog

Rocket eclipses Maddux for win No. 343

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 16:48:00 +0000

07/20/2006
CHICAGO -- Although a starting pitcher typically thinks more about the opponent's lineup than the quality of the pitcher his team will face, it's likely both Greg Maddux and Roger Clemens knew they had to bring their "A" games to Wrigley Field on Wednesday night.
It's also likely the sellout crowd of 40,344 hoped for and expected a pitchers' duel, and the two future Hall of Famers delivered. Clemens, buoyed by adequate run support, prevailed as the Houston Astros topped the Chicago Cubs, 4-2, to even the series at one game apiece.
"I know when I'm going up against Greg, it's going to be a battle of wills, that's for sure," Clemens said. "On a hot, sticky night like it was tonight, I knew it was going to come down to who made the mistake first. He kept his team in the game, and they made a game of it late."
Clemens was very much Rocket-like during his 85-pitch outing, throwing six shutout frames while walking one and striking out five. He scattered three hits, never allowing more than one in a single inning.
Manager Phil Garner said Clemens probably could have pitched one more inning, but because the right-hander's groin felt a bit stiff toward the end of the outing, Garner erred on the side of caution.
"He's fine," Garner said. "It was a good time to take him out."
Maddux was also vintage Maddux, which made for a classic night at the Friendly Confines.
The starting pitchers relayed their respect for each other following the game, although Clemens was a bit more animated than his counterpart, whose losing streak reached six games. Rocket acknowledged the significance of two 300-game winners facing each other, something that has happened only a handful of times in history.
Clemens recalled a conversation he had with Maddux at a golf tournament in Las Vegas, shortly after Rocket "retired" for the first time following the 2003 season.
"[He asked] why I was going to hang it up and that he was going to keep going as long as he could," Clemens said. "So to have the opportunity to come back this year and match up against him is obviously pretty special. I think it's why we do it so that the fans -- especially at a stadium rich in history -- they can come out and enjoy it, and it even makes it more special when that happens."
Clemens added that he loves "watching Greg work." Clemens sits in a tunnel near the dugout between innings, and the only view he has is of the pitcher's mound. Even amid the intensity that always accompanies a Rocket start, the right-hander could appreciate watching Maddux do his thing.
"I think I've always said that he's one of the guys I admire in how he goes about his work," Clemens said. "I'd definitely pay to see him pitch, that's for sure."
Craig Biggio's leadoff homer -- his National League-record 49th -- stood as the only run between the two teams for five innings. That changed in the sixth, when Preston Wilson, celebrating his 32nd birthday, logged his first of two game-defining doubles.
Earlier, the inning had the makings of a small disaster.
Mike Lamb knocked an infield hit toward second, and he caught a break after he attempted to steal second on a pitch-out by Maddux. The ball reached shortstop Ronny Cedeno in plenty of time, but instead of moving toward Lamb on the play, Cedeno moved his glove in the opposite direction. Safe.
The luck seemingly ran out on the next play, when Chris Burke bunted toward Maddux, who made a perfect throw to third baseman Aramis Ramirez to erase the lead runner.
Lance Berkman popped to Derrek Lee a few feet in front of the plate for the second out, but Aubrey Huff singled to center, moving Burke to third. Up came Wilson, who doubled to the gap in right-center, scoring both runners and putting the Astros ahead, 3-0.
"You never know," said Wilson, who also doubled and scored on a squeeze play in the ninth. "That's why you have to go up there and keep trying to attack, keep believing something good's going to happen. In that situation, there were two outs, and he just left a pitch up more to me than he had earlier in the game and I was able to put a good swing on it."
Said Burke: "Right there, I'm just trying to do everything I can to get Lance up with a guy on third. Obviously, I didn't do my job. When Lance popped up it looked like we missed our opportunity. Two-out rallies have been hard to come by. When they happen, it's a beautiful thing."
And something they haven't enjoyed very much this season.
"Preston really came through for us in that situation," Garner said. "We finally got a big hit. That's what we've been missing, that ball going in the gaps and coming up with the big run. That was a very big play."
And, more importantly, a much-needed win.

Source: http://astros.mlb.com/

Notes: Huff's presence strongly felt

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 16:47:00 +0000

07/20/2006
CHICAGO -- Although Aubrey Huff has been with the Astros for less than a week, his presence in the Astros' lineup has already made a difference.
The addition of a good hitter in the middle of the lineup has a domino effect on the rest of the hitters. Not only can he do the obvious -- get on base, drive in runs -- but he also can affect the performances of those in front of him, because he makes it harder for opponents to pitch around the better hitters.
Let's take nothing away from Lance Berkman -- obviously, he was doing just fine, even before Huff arrived. But now Berkman has a threat hitting behind him, an element the team was sorely lacking when Morgan Ensberg was playing every day.
Berkman entered Thursday's series finale at Wrigley Field with a .321 batting average, 25 homers and 85 RBIs, tremendous numbers regardless of what kind of lineup he's a part of.
After Huff joined the team, Berkman had nine hits in 24 at-bats for a .375 average. Does Huff get any credit for that?
"One thing you see is he's definitely swinging the bat," manager Phil Garner said. "He's not going to be timid about that. Obviously, Morgan was struggling a little bit, so having a guy that can step in there ... it looks like he's going to drive in some runs."
Many of the league's best hitters struggle without protection. The Mets' Carlos Beltran is a prime example. He had a very average year in 2005, but now that he's hitting in front of Carlos Delgado, he's having a tremendous season. Coincidence?
"Over and over and over again, when a guy usually has a good year, there's somebody behind him that's doing a pretty doggone good job," Garner said. "You need two things. People in front are getting on, and guys behind you are doing a good job protecting you."
Garner's ideal lineup would have four heavy hitters. The Astros haven't had that since 2004, when they had Beltran, Jeff Bagwell, Berkman and Jeff Kent.
"You need two really good hitters, a third one that's a pretty decent hitter and a fourth that's a pretty decent hitter," Garner said. "Then, you can't get through it."
On Maddux: Following the matchup of two 300-game winners on Wednesday, Craig Biggio talked about the kind of approach a hitter has to take against Greg Maddux, one of two future Hall of Famers who took the mound at Wrigley Field that night.
"You've got to be aggressive, but you've got to be smart off him," said Biggio, who extended his National League record with his 49th leadoff homer. "He puts the ball exactly where he wants to put it. A little bit here, a little bit there."
Biggio took the first pitch for a strike and connected with the second offering, which landed one row into the left-field seats.
"That one there, I was able to get it just far enough into the stands," he said. "It was nice to get a little start like that."
Biggio has 2,885 hits, which gives him sole possession of 34th place on the all-time hits list.
Backup players: Playing a day game after a night game can make for an exhausting day at the ballpark, but for many teams, it's a chance to give the bench players a rare starting nod.
On Thursday, Garner rested Biggio -- a standard practice for day games on the road -- and he also gave Preston Wilson a day off.
Chris Burke played second, Willy Taveras played center and Luke Scott started in left. Garner didn't necessarily think Wilson needed a day to rest, but he wanted to insert Scott into a game and felt Thursday was a good time to do it.
"It's maybe a good time to let Luke play again," Garner said. "Luke's looking hitterish."

Source: http://astros.mlb.com/

Albers recalled, Rodriguez sent down

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 16:45:00 +0000

07/20/2006
CHICAGO -- While it remains to be seen if the Houston Astros will find anything on the trade market that can help their bullpen, they did not hesitate to draw from their own system on Thursday when they recalled right-handed pitcher Matt Albers from Double-A Corpus Christi.
In a corresponding move, the Astros optioned left-hander Wandy Rodriguez to Triple-A Round Rock, where he will rejoin the Express starting rotation. He'll start Saturday, in Omaha.
Rodriguez was moved from the Astros' rotation to the bullpen during the first leg of the current road trip, but the club views him as a future starter and prefers to keep him on a starter's schedule.
"We have to be prepared if something (an injury) happens to a starter," general manager Tim Purpura said. "We thought that would be a good opportunity to get him back and going again."
Purpura said the decision to send Rodriguez down was one of the hardest he's made this year.
"That's one of the problems with young pitching," Purpura said. "With a guy coming off the DL (Brandon Backe), you've got players that have versatility who are the ones that have to bear the brunt of going back and forth at times. We told him we still believe in him. I told him I thought he's going to be a big part of what we do down the stretch. I'm certain, at some point, he'll be back here with us."
The Astros will have to make another roster move on Saturday, when Backe is officially activated from the DL. That move will not involve Albers, who will be given a fair chance to display his talents on the Major League level. That leaves either Fernando Nieve or Taylor Buchholz as the likely candidates to be sent down.
Rodriguez, 27, led the Astros staff with nine wins, against six losses. He was the beneficiary of generous run support, which helped to offset his 5.22 ERA. Rodriguez made 21 appearances, 19 of which were starts.
The left-hander was quite broken up after receiving the news following the Astros' loss to the Cubs on Thursday. After stopping to compose himself several times, he said, "Truly, I don't know what to say right now. I will try my best. Always when I take the mound I'm trying to do my best. And on Saturday, when I pitch, I'll just have to start proving that I belong back here."
Albers, 23, was 10-2 with a 2.17 ERA over 19 starts for Double-A Corpus. He allowed 40 runs, but only 28 were earned. He walked 47 and struck out 95.
"Here's a kid who's at the top of the league in ERA in the Texas League, top of the league in wins," Purpura said. "He fits the profile of a reliever for us at this stage. That's not to say he'll be a reliever in his career. I expect him to win some games at the big-league level as a starter. Hopefully, a lot of games.
"His pitching makeup is what will allow him to go to the bullpen and help us out. His arm bounces back really, really good. He can go 100 pitches and then feel hardly anything the next day."
Manager Phil Garner has liked Albers from the first time he saw him throw two years ago during the Nolan Ryan Elite Pitchers Camp, held a few weeks prior to Spring Training.
"The difference between last year and this year was a 100-percent turnaround," Garner said. "He's matured to the point where he really opened a lot of eyes. In Corpus ... he's leading the league in ERA. He's been nasty. Even though he's been a starter, we're going to put him in the bullpen, and let's see what he can do."
Albers will be in uniform in time for the Astros' opener at Shea on Friday.

Source: http://astros.mlb.com/

Pettitte struggles mentally in loss

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 16:40:00 +0000

07/20/2006
CHICAGO -- Andy Pettitte fully admitted that his mindset was off during his start against the Chicago Cubs, which could have explained some very un-Pettitte-like occurrences that contributed to the Houston Astros' 4-1 loss in the finale at Wrigley Field on Thursday afternoon.
Perhaps the weight of what has been a disappointing season for the left-hander, coupled with the Astros' ongoing struggles at the plate and an awareness that they were facing Carlos Zambrano, the Cubs' ace, interrupted Pettitte's concentration, to the point where a couple of mistakes made the difference in this game.
"I've been really sure where my ball was going to be going," Pettitte said. "And today, I wasn't real sure."
Pettitte, facing a lineup without slugger Derrek Lee, allowed three hits and a walk in the first frame but escaped allowing only one run. It wasn't long before his luck would run out while pitching to the middle of the Cubs order. In the third, he yielded back-to-back home runs to Michael Barrett and Aramis Ramirez, putting Chicago ahead, 3-0.
In the fifth, Pettitte uncharacteristically issued a bases-loaded walk to Matt Murton, his third free pass of the frame. Later, Pettitte acknowledged he was thinking too much during that sequence.
"I got a little too tentative," he said. "Going against Carlos, and the way he's pitching against us ... that one inning when I walked [Murton], instead of making a pitch, I was too concerned with not letting them score or try to score. When you don't feel comfortable mechanically and the ball's not going where you want it to, it's a tough day. I felt like I might have added to that a little bit with my mental mindset out there."
Pettitte's dilemma is similar to that of Roy Oswalt and Roger Clemens, all in their second year of pitching without much help from the offense. The burden is undoubtedly starting to take its toll. Oswalt is more vocal about the lack of run support, while Pettitte takes a more laid-back approach.
"Our team is what it is," he said, asked if he feels like he must be perfect every time out. "I really haven't been doing that no matter what my situation is. I'm concentrating on making pitches. I may have gotten a little caught up with it today because I knew the way Carlos was throwing the ball, and we were already down three.
"I tried to talk about that with Roy. I know he might have a hard time with that. But you can't control [run support]. We've got to go out there, make pitches, make quality pitches, and give our guys a chance to get back in the dugout and try to score some runs. That's the mindset we've got to have."
In that respect, Pettitte certainly didn't knock his team out of the game. He did, however, exit after five innings, lifted for a pinch-hitter when it was obvious Zambrano was going to be as tough as he always is against this Houston club.
"It's a shame we can't give him more time in the game," manager Phil Garner said. "But we had to try to do everything we can to get as much offense as we can."
As it turned out, it wasn't much. Zambrano, buoyed by a generously wide strike zone at the most opportune times, struck out 10 and allowed just two hits during his eight innings of work.
Even Garner, usually diplomatic to a fault when prodded about the umpiring, struggled to be objective about some of the called third strikes.
"Ours came at pretty tough times," Garner said.
In all, four of Zambrano's strikeouts were on called third strikes.
"It certainly doesn't help anything, when [Zambrano's] getting the calls, and he's tough enough as it is," said Lance Berkman, who struck out looking to end the fourth. "When he's throwing tough pitches and he's getting the calls, that makes it tough."
Even tougher to swallow is the fact that the Astros have yet to meet their toughest competition of this three-city trip. They undoubtedly had higher expectations than splitting with the young Marlins and losing two of three to the fifth-place Cubs.
Now they're off to New York, where they will meet the Mets -- a team far superior to the Astros' first two opponents, as evidenced by their 57-38 record that has made a mockery of the phrase "division race" in the NL East.
Ask the players, however, and they insist they approach every team with the same attitude.
"It's sort of a misnomer to say that this team's struggling so you ought to be able to come into their place and beat them," Berkman said. "Especially when they've got a 300-game winner going (Greg Maddux) and Carlos Zambrano going and a kid that's got really good stuff the first night (Carlos Marmol). Anybody can beat you, and you can beat anybody."
"We played the Royals," Pettitte said. "They came in and took two out of three. These are big-league teams. If you don't pitch well and you don't swing the bat well, if you don't hit with guys in scoring position, you don't do the little things, you don't get guys in from third and less than one out, you're going to have problems winning ballgames. We are just not clicking at all on any cylinders. Hopefully, we can get going."

Source: http://astros.mlb.com/

Garner targets bubble players in lineups

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 06:45:00 +0000

03/01/2006
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The Grapefruit League games begin on Thursday, but Phil Garner's first lineup of the exhibition season isn't necessarily representative of the team that will take the field at Minute Maid Park on Opening Day.
Several veterans were omitted from the starting nine for Thursday's matchup with the Indians, slated to begin at 1:05 p.m. ET at Osceola County Stadium. Namely, Jeff Bagwell, Brad Ausmus and Preston Wilson won't appear in the first game.
Bagwell's initial spring appearance will be Friday in Winter Haven, as will Wilson's. Ausmus likely will play for the first time on Saturday, against the Braves.
The schedule is nothing more than an effort on Garner's part to pace his veteran players, especially Bagwell, who is still in rehab mode and will serve as the designated hitter for much of the first half of the Grapefruit season, if not longer.
It's likely Bagwell will lead off when he does play, considering the goal is to give him as many at-bats this spring as possible.
But finding playing time for those not trying out for the team this spring isn't a priority for Garner, at least not in the early going. He's more concerned with the players on the bubble, whose chances to make the club out of Spring Training may be slim now, but can increase as the season progresses.
"For veterans, they're not important at all," Garner said of the first few days of exhibition games. "Guys you know made the team, it's not important. Guys that need to make an impression, all the games are important.
"We're not going to trash you in the first week, two weeks. But what you can see is hustle, attitude, determination. Sometimes the ability to make an adjustment will show up."
Just ask Luke Scott. At this time last year, he was a virtual no-name, hoping for enough playing time at the big league level to make an impression on management before being shipped out to Minor League camp.
But Scott went on a non-stop hit barrage through the second half of March, and by the end of the exhibition season, he had earned a spot on the Opening Day roster.
Scott's odds to make the team this year are much slimmer. The outfield is crowded, with Jason Lane, Wilson and Lance Berkman as virtual locks. If Bagwell doesn't play, Berkman would move to first, which creates a little more room in the outfield. Still, that doesn't really help Scott's chances, because if Berkman moves out, Willy Taveras moves in.
Scott's best chance is to make the team as a bench player, but that will happen only if the Astros carry 11 pitchers. In all likelihood, the Astros will carry 12.
But a lot can happen between Opening Day and October. In that span last year, the Astros made 24 roster moves, most of which involved recalling a player from the Minor Leagues. That's where an organization's depth is tested, and players such as Scott have to be ready.
"They're making their assumptions and judgements on everything you do," Scott said. "You've just got to go out there and basically be yourself, do what you can do, play the game the best you can and see what happens."
In other words, the "meaningless" tag that is often placed on exhibition games doesn't apply. Wins and losses may have absolutely no bearing on a team's well-being, but these games are quite important to those very young players and the not-so-young ones who are looking for a career boost.
This spring, Garner will attempt to measure who can help the Astros, now, and down the road.
"What sometimes is hard for players to realize is that your spring leaves you with an impression," Garner said. "If you have a rotten spring, it's not necessarily a bad impression. If you have a rotten spring and you moped around and you haven't worked hard and you let it beat you down, that's not a good impression."
In other words, pouting because of a logjam at a particular position won't score you any brownie points.
"There's not too many open spots," Garner said. "If that beats you down, then I probably don't want you anyway. If you're going to let that get you down, and you're going to tell me, 'I didn't feel like I had a chance,' well, we'll see you later, pal. You're not going to be the guy that I'm thinking about if I'm going to want somebody."
The odds are tough here, anyway. What you're looking for are the guys that are going to beat the odds. They're the guys, when the game's on the line and you're facing Pedro [Martinez], you're trying to win a ballgame, I want the guy up there that doesn't believe in odds against you. I want the guy up there that says, 'I want to beat the odds.'"

Source: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/

Notes: Burke's '05 injury a silver lining

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 06:44:00 +0000

03/01/2006
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Question: What's the best way to add strength to your right arm?
In Chris Burke's case, the answer is simple: Dislocate the shoulder in your left.
Initially, Burke's injury last September -- a partially dislocated shoulder and slight tear in his labrum on a diving play in center field -- resulted in a week of missed games. But six months later, that misfortune may have actually been a blessing, because he had to add a new round of exercises to his routine over the winter.
"I had to do shoulder-stabilizing exercises with my left shoulder, and when you do shoulder exercises, you don't just do one shoulder," Burke said. "You do them both together. So, my right arm feels better."
That's encouraging news, considering the club is considering playing Burke at shortstop and in left field. Arm strength is somewhat of an issue, so this added strength might just help his cause.
"The Lord works in mysterious ways," Burke said.
As for whether the offseason training will help him throw harder, Burke chose not to look too deeply into the matter.
"I just think there's less soreness," he said. "Usually, this time of year, you have a little more soreness, getting back to throwing every day. So far, I've had less."
Rings: All uniformed personnel from last year's pennant-winning club will be sized for rings on Thursday at the Kissimmee complex. A diagram of the National League champion ring was posted on the bulletin board in the Astros clubhouse Wednesday.
On the top, an Astros star -- filled with 20 diamonds -- sits atop a large ruby, with four diamonds down each side. The top is engraved with "National League Champions."
On one side, the player's name will be engraved next to the words "First World Series," with an Astros logo sitting on top of a logo of the state of Texas.
The other side will feature an engraved "Astros," a depiction of Minute Maid Park and the year "2005."
In addition to players and coaches, all full-time Astros employees will receive a National League championship ring.
Lineup: Craig Biggio will lead off as the designated hitter in the first Grapefruit League game on Thursday against the Cleveland Indians. He'll be followed by Willy Taveras in center, Burke at second, Morgan Ensberg at third, Jason Lane in right field, Adam Everett at shortstop, Luke Scott in left, Eric Munson at first base and Humberto Quintero catching.
Manager Phil Garner will work in Preston Wilson in the second game of the exhibition season on Friday in Winter Haven, and Brad Ausmus will play his first spring game on Saturday, at home against the Braves.
Jeff Bagwell will DH in Winter Haven on Friday and at home on Saturday, pending the Braves' expected approval to implement the DH rule at the Astros' home ballpark.
Springer: Russ Springer, recovering from a pulled rib cage muscle, threw approximately 35-40 pitches off the mound Wednesday.
"I turned it up a little bit more," he said. "As long as it feels good, I'm going to keep rolling. I just don't want to take any back steps."
Springer will throw again on Friday.
Minor setback: Mike Lamb won't play in the spring opener on Thursday because of a sore Achilles tendon, but the infielder doesn't appear concerned that the discomfort will linger.
"You can call it day-to-day," he said. "Better now than later."
Pecking order: In a last-minute scheduling twist, the Astros announced that Dan Wheeler will start against the Indians on Thursday, not Brad Lidge, as earlier reported.
Apparently, being one of the top closers in the league doesn't carry as much weight as it used to.
"It's simple," pitching coach Jim Hickey said. "Wheeler's got more time in the big leagues. He's got seniority. We do it by the hierarchy, and Wheeler's the senior member of the club."
Indeed, he is. According to the newly released, hot-off-the-presses, 436-page Astros media guide, Wheeler has 3.047 years of big league service time. Lidge has only 3.043 years.
Advantage, Wheeler.
"He used to have only two days on me," Lidge insisted. "At some point, he ended up gaining two phantom days in the offseason."
Lidge does not appear to be miffed by his second-inning assignment. After all, it keeps him and Wheeler in the same order as fans have grown accustomed to in the last year.
"It doesn't bother me," Lidge said. "Put it this way. If we went out there in a different order, we might get confused and run out backward. This is probably a good idea."
Following their brief appearances against the Tribe, Lidge and Wheeler will head to the airport to fly to Phoenix, where Team USA is training for the World Baseball Classic.
Final results: As expected, Lidge's group won the annual pitchers spring bunting contest with a final score of 570. Much credit, however, has to go to Roy Oswalt's group, which had a strong showing in the final days to finish second with 545. Andy Pettitte's crew finished third with 310 points, followed by Springer and Wheeler's group, whose poor performance netted them a paltry 242 points.
"Complete tailspin," tournament commish Doug Mansolino said.
Odds and ends: The Astros practiced sliding during morning workouts on Thursday, and this drill wasn't limited to players only. "It brought back old memories," Garner said. "My rear end's on fire, from where I bounced on the ground instead of slid. Getting old is tough." ... Wilson and Pettitte were not in camp Wednesday but instead were tending to personal matters. Garner expects both to return Thursday. ... Former Astros catcher Tony Eusebio, who lives in Kissimmee, dropped by the Astros complex to say hi to old teammates. Eusebio played for the Astros from 1994-2001. ... The Astros signed five players to one-year contracts Wednesday: Brandon Backe ($442,500); Eric Bruntlett ($365,000), Mike Gallo ($365,000), Hector Gimenez ($327,000) and Chad Qualls ($376,000).

Source: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/

Notes: Rocket's final Classic tuneup

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 06:43:00 +0000

03/02/2006
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- In one final tuneup before heading to Arizona, Roger Clemens threw three innings to Houston Astros Minor League mini-campers during an intrasquad game on the backfields of Osceola County Stadium on Thursday.
Wearing a red Team USA cap and a plain black shirt, Clemens, this time playing on the same team with his son, Koby, threw 38 pitches -- 24 for strikes.
This was his second appearance in Kissimmee. Rocket also threw 84 pitches Monday in a simulated game, and added 28 onto that total during a session of batting practice.
On Thursday, Clemens, who faced top pitching prospect Troy Patton in this game, said he recovered nicely from Monday's outing.
"For me, right now, the 30-hour mark is when the soreness sets in," he said. "I was able to work a lot of that out and come back today, and the ball was coming out of my hand nice. It was a little bit more of a game situation, so that was nice."
Clemens, along with Brad Lidge and Dan Wheeler, is scheduled to fly to Phoenix on Thursday to join Team USA for the World Baseball Classic. He'll face South Africa on March 10 in Game 3.
"I've taken the day they told me [I'm starting] and worked back," he said. "That's how I ended up here. They told me to be ready for anything. They've given me the dates when I should be ready to throw.
"I realize I can maybe catch an inning between starts if someone's not feeling right. I think they can be a little more liberal with me than they can with the other guys just for obvious reasons."
Clemens, currently an unsigned player, has yet to decide if he wants to pitch beyond the World Baseball Classic. The Astros cannot sign him until May 1, but several other teams -- the Red Sox, Yankees and Rangers -- have made their pitches to Rocket. He reiterated on Thursday that he's not thinking about anything past the Classic.
Having battled back and hamstring problems in the past, Clemens seemed to have no issues during either of his two sessions in Kissimmee.
"The ball was coming out of my hand nice," he said. "The location was a lot better than I expected, and the breaking ball's ahead of schedule."
Minor procedure: Andy Pettitte returned to Houston on Wednesday to have outpatient surgery to remove a growth on his forehead. The growth had developed into a staph infection, which necessitated the procedure.
Pettitte noticed the bump while on a Christmas vacation in Maui, and doctors speculated the growth may have stemmed from an insect bite.
"We thought it was gone, but I got down here [to Kissimmee] and I started wearing my hat, and it started getting a little bit bigger," Pettitte said. "They said yesterday they found something, they have no idea what it was. It was keeping it kind of irritated and infected."
The procedure took approximately 45 minutes and Pettitte was back at the airport soon after to return to Florida. Groggy and somewhat disoriented, Pettitte shared a terminal with two groups of travelers who recognized him immediately -- native New Yorkers (and most likely, Yankees fans) and about 80 high school kids from Pettitte's hometown of Deer Park, also traveling to New York.
"I had a massive headache," he said with a laugh. "Everybody was coming up to me. I kind of had my nose buried in a magazine, trying to get a nap."
Ring-a-ding-ding: There was a certain giddiness among players and coaches as they stood in line in the lunchroom of the home clubhouse and waited to be sized for their National League championship rings.
The rings will be handed out during a pregame ceremony prior to the second game of the regular season on April 4. Players receive the rings for no charge and are permitted to order additional ones for a fee.
"We're going to order another ring, put 'Clemens' on the side of it, then sell it on eBay as Clemens' World Series ring," Lidge joked. "How much cake is that going to bring?"
Lidge, Wheeler start: Wheeler threw six pitches in his one-inning outing of the Astros' Grapefruit League opener against the Indians on Thursday, followed by Lidge, who threw 16 pitches. Each pitched one inning before leaving for Arizona.
Wheeler pitched to three batters, inducing two fly balls and a groundout. Lidge allowed two hits and struck out one.
"Overall, I actually felt pretty solid on my fastball/slider combination," Lidge said. "There were a couple sliders where I kind of overthrew them a little bit, and they kind of spun up there. I had a couple good sharp ones down. Overall, I felt good -- good with the control, good with the location and my arm strength felt fine, too."
Klassen out of WBC: Non-roster invite Danny Klassen will not participate for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic after suffering a bone bruise and sprained ACL in his right knee. Klassen suffered the injury during Monday's workout and is expected to be sidelined for 10 to 14 days.
Odds and ends: Jeff Bagwell will play Friday and Saturday, both days serving as the designated hitter. ... Preston Wilson's first spring game will be Saturday, against the Braves. ... Lidge, Wheeler, Carlos Hernandez and Mike Gallo will join their respective teams for the Classic, beginning Friday. Willy Taveras will remain in Kissimmee, as the Dominican club will train at the Astros' facility. ... The Astros signed three players to one-year contracts: Jason Lane ($450,000), Chris Burke ($362,500) and Willy Taveras ($400,000).

Source: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/

Astros come up short in spring opener

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 06:42:00 +0000

03/02/2006
Indians at the plate: Second baseman Ronnie Belliard knocked a three-run homer off Steve Sparks in the fifth, giving the Tribe a 5-2 lead. Shortstop Ramon Vazquez also contributed a two-run single in that frame.
Astros at the plate: First baseman Eric Munson drove in Houston's first hit with a single to right-center in the second, and designated hitter Craig Biggio followed with an RBI single to center. Second baseman Chris Burke recorded a double in the first, and right fielder Charlton Jimerson tripled in the sixth.
Indians on the mound: Starter Jake Westbrook pitched two innings, allowing five hits, two runs and no walks. He struck out one.
Astros on the mound: Starter Dan Wheeler threw six pitches in his one inning of work, allowing no hits. Brad Lidge followed with a 16-pitch second frame, allowing two hits and striking out one.
Grapefruit League records: Indians 1-0; Astros 0-1.

Source: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/

Indians race past Astros in opener

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 06:41:00 +0000

Reds' Ruhle diagnosed with cancer

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 06:40:00 +0000

03/02/2006
LAKELAND, Fla. -- When Reds pitching coach Vern Ruhle asked to address the clubhouse Thursday morning, it wasn't to talk about the first Grapefruit League game later that day or scheduling bullpen sessions for his pitchers.
Instead, Ruhle delivered sobering news that he had been diagnosed with a form of cancer.
"He's upbeat and we're optimistic," Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky said. "But it does hit you in the gut when you hear that word [cancer]."
The 55-year-old Ruhle declined to reveal the exact nature of the disease he was dealing with, but planned to continue performing his duties for the club.
"I'm going to focus totally on remission, as well as being a coach," Ruhle said. "But the remission part is going to be the priority."
Doctors discovered Ruhle's cancer after he took his annual physical as Spring Training opened two weeks ago. He missed the club's workout on Monday and received a confirmed diagnosis.
"I figured a coach missing a workout in Spring Training for a doctor's appointment, something's not good," manager Jerry Narron said. "When they had the physicals, right away the blood test came back and said there was something. We were all hoping that first test was wrong."
"Hopefully, it opens everybody's eyes," veteran reliever Chris Hammond said. "Did he feel any different? The older you get, you have to be careful. God doesn't guarantee us tomorrow."
Ruhle, who met the team in Lakeland just before Cincinnati played the Tigers, appeared to be in good spirits while discussing his condition with reporters after the game.
"There's more or less an understanding that there are medical advances and you deal with what the new information is," Ruhle said. "I'm fortunate that the timing of it was during Spring Training and they got the physicals and I got an early diagnosis. It allows me to go ahead and start treatment basically before symptoms [appear]. Everything is a positive mindset. It's something we can treat and put it in remission."
Ruhle never considered taking a leave of absence from coaching.
"No," he said. "It's what I do. It's where you're supposed to be, at Spring Training."
Ruhle, who keeps his offseason home near the Reds complex in Sarasota, will undergo his treatments in Florida.
"He'll be with us as much as he can this spring and go from there, basically," Narron said.
Bullpen coach Tom Hume will assume Ruhle's duties on days he is unable to get to the ballpark.
"Vern's the pitching coach," Krivsky made clear. "We're just going to have to play it by ear by how he feels and that type of thing. Everybody reacts to treatments differently. We'll have to wait and see and be guided by how he feels and what the doctors feel. The bottom line is, we're here to support Vern."
After he joined the Reds organization in 2004 as a pitching coach with rookie level Billings, Ruhle was promoted to Minor League pitching coordinator before the 2005 season. He became the big league pitching coach for the team when Don Gullett was dismissed in June along with manager Dave Miley.
Ruhle pitched for the Tigers, Astros, Indians and Angels from 1974-86 and was 67-88 with a 3.73 ERA. From 1997-2003, he was a pitching coach for the Astros, Phillies and Mets.
"I'll add one more person to my prayer list," Hammond said. "The only thing you can do for him is stay positive."

Source: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/

Hirsh may not be far from Houston

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 06:39:00 +0000

03/03/2006
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- Not only are the Houston Astros conservative when it comes to rushing players to the big leagues, they're also cautious about becoming too giddy about a player through the media.
But it's hard not to get a little excited about Jason Hirsh, the Astros' top pick in the 2003 First-Year Player Draft. While Hirsch is projected to begin the year in Triple-A Round Rock's rotation, he is certain to get a nice, long look from manager Phil Garner and general manager Tim Purpura this spring.
And with two rotation spots up for grabs, anything can happen between now and April 3. Hirsh is one of three potential rookies, along with Taylor Buchholz and Fernando Nieve, who could crack the rotation before camp breaks. Even if Hirsh doesn't make the team out of Spring Training, it's likely that we'll see the 6-foot-8 right-hander at some point during the season.
So for now, label Hirsch the Astros' Top Prospect. Of course, that's what Roy Oswalt was in April 2001. By May, he had progressed just a bit, to No. 3 Starter. In other words, things can change quickly in this game.
"He'll get some innings under his belt [and] pitch in some big-league games," assistant general manager Ricky Bennett said. "Our thought process is to send him to Triple-A, put him in the rotation and have him to continue to develop. If he continues to do well, there's a chance realistically [that] we'll see him in Houston at some point during the season. We don't expect that to happen out of Spring Training. We're going to keep an open mind about it, but realistically, we see him gong to Triple-A."
Hirsh, tabbed by Baseball America as owning the best control of all Astros prospects, had a breakout season in 2005 at Double-A Corpus Christi, posting a 13-8 record and a 2.87 ERA over 29 starts. The Astros considered moving him to Triple-A halfway through the year, but they decided to keep him in Corpus for the duration.
"We felt like, with the success that he had at Double-A, [it was best] just leave him there and let him complete a solid year at Double-A, " Bennett said. "And I think he benefited from that."
The reward for the 24-year-old Hirsh, who struck out 165 batters over 172 1/3 innings while walking only 42, was earning Texas League Pitcher of the Year honors.
When the Astros didn't offer Roger Clemens arbitration in December, it was clear that at least two spots would be available this year. Prior to the Clemens announcement, Hirsh had it in his mind that he was headed for Triple-A. Afterward, he let himself -- briefly -- ponder the notion of making the rotation out of Spring Training.
"I don't want to say it raised my hopes, because losing a guy like Roger is obviously a big blow to this staff," Hirsh said. "But to have an opportunity like I have now, because of that situation, that makes my Spring Training a little more important to me."
The Astros like Hirsh's talent, but they're also impressed with the other elements that factor into a player's success. Maturity, humility and coachability are also taken into account, and the Astros like what Hirsh brings to a clubhouse.
"He's a very mature kid," Bennett said. "He keeps everything in perspective. He's not looking too far down the road. He understands he still has to do some things before he gets to the big leagues. He's good with the media, he's a good teammate and he's going to be big part of our future."
Garner hasn't watched Hirsh long enough to make a definitive call on the young right-hander, but the skipper will be watching closely this spring. The Astros invited only five non-roster pitchers to camp this year, and they'll be without the services of three pitchers during the World Baseball Classic.
This means that the club probably won't have to make as many cuts after the first week of games, which will give the young pitchers more time to impress the boss. It's likely that Hirsh won't be shipped out anytime soon.
"He looks to me like he maintains good concentration," Garner said. "Whatever he's doing, he looks like he focuses at it. He looks like he throws the ball down in zone well, which is really good for as big as he is. And his stuff's good.
"He looks like he has some of the other ingredients that you've got to have to go along with having good stuff. He's a good athlete. He swings the bat pretty good and he moves on the mound well."
The next few weeks will be critical for Hirsh, who will try to block out the raised expectations that began sometime last season. He, like the Astros, is determined not to get ahead of himself.
"They told me going into Spring Training, 'Just be normal -- don't try to show up anybody. Just be yourself and things will fall into place,' " Hirsh said. "They know what I can do. They obviously saw last year [that] I had a pretty good season. Hopefully, I can carry it into spring."

Source: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/

Notes: Bagwell gets in his at-bats

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 06:38:00 +0000

03/03/2006
WINTER HAVEN -- It's likely Jeff Bagwell had never led off a game at any point in his baseball life, and on Friday manager Phil Garner joked that he inserted the first baseman in that spot for speed reasons.
In truth, Bagwell, serving as the designated hitter, led off the Astros game in Winter Haven because Garner wants him to have as many at-bats as possible this spring. When the Astros host the Braves on Saturday, Bagwell will hit second, which is where he'll likely hit in the regular season, too.
With general manager Tim Purpura and company watching from the second row behind the plate at Chain of Lakes Park, Bagwell had three at-bats. He reached on an error in his first, knocked a solid single to left-center in the second and struck out in the third.
"It's always nice to get a hit, but if I didn't get a hit it still wouldn't have meant anything," he said. "I've been asked about that, about if I have to show that I can hit. I don't believe that I do. It's not that."
It's the throwing, which he has yet to do in a game situation. He's on a two days on, one off schedule in that respect, and by next week, he thinks he may inch closer to throwing on an everyday basis. At some point, he'll be ready to play his position at first base.
"It's whether or not I can throw, hit, play in a game, play back-to-back games, play three games in a row, and be able to still hit," Bagwell said. "There's only one guy that's going to be able to know that, and that's me, and how I feel."
Bagwell jokingly refers to this spring as a tryout camp. Although he says it in jest, there's some truth in that. He's being watched closer now than in any of his 15 years in the big leagues.
"I know there's more eyes on me now," he said. "Usually, it's just, 'Leave him alone, we'll get him ready, somehow he's going to make it on April 1 and everything will be fine.' It's not that anymore. It's a whole different animal out there right now."
Bagwell had a cortisone shot just before he arrived to Kissimmee, and if things go well this spring, he'll have another just before Opening Day.
But a lot can happen between now and April 3. He's trying to pace himself but admitted he feels somewhat rushed because of the club's urgency to know whether he can contribute in 2006. He doesn't blame the Astros in that respect.
"That's what makes it weird, different for me," he said. "It's not the same. It's not a normal Spring Training for me, obviously. It is what it is. I've come to grips with it. All I want to do is come down here and see if I could play."
Burke at short: The Chris Burke at shortstop experiment began in earnest on Friday, although the Astros weren't any closer to figuring out if he could play there when the game was over as they were before it started. That's because during Burke's four innings, no one hit the ball to him.
"I didn't get a ball hit to me at intrasquad, either," Burke said, referring to the Astros' scrimmage last Tuesday. "So maybe I'm allergic to the ball."
Chances are, he'll have more opportunities. Garner plans to play him at short a lot this spring, and by the time camp breaks, Garner should have a good idea whether Burke has the arm strength to play there as a backup option for Adam Everett.
Burke played shortstop in college at the University of Tennessee and in his first year of pro ball in 2001. The next season, he was converted to a second baseman, partly because of the question of arm strength. Five years later, it appears the Astros are willing to revisit the shortstop option.
"I want him to get some playing time there," Garner said. "If I want to make a double-switch sometime, I want to see if I would feel comfortable with that. I know [Eric] Bruntlett can play shortstop. I want to see what [Burke] can do."
Said Burke: "For me, it's been so long since I've been out there, I'm just going to go out there and make all the routine plays and see what happens."
Although he's pretty much guaranteed a spot on the roster, Burke is taking nothing for granted this spring.
"I always have something to show them," he said. "I'm always playing with something to prove."
Smart guy: Baseball players are often unfairly lumped into one big stereotype -- that of the "dumb jock." Consider Bruntlett the exception to that rule.
Not only did Bruntlett score a 1460 out of 1600 on his SATs, but he also completed his course work at Stanford University in 3 1/2 years.
"I didn't have any classes in the spring of my last year there," he said. "I slept until practice every day. It was a good deal."
Bruntlett, who majored in economics at Stanford, was modest about the SAT score.
"I've got everybody fooled," he said. "I'm not that smart. I got lucky."
Odds and ends: The Astros brought seven Minor League players with them to Winter Haven: right-handers Paul Estrada, Jailen Peguero and Chris Sampson, left-hander Josh Muecke and infielders Jonny Ash, Brooks Conrad and Ben Zobrist. "Just in case we need them, you never know," Garner said. ... Garner was impressed with right-hander Matt Albers' performance against the Indians in the Grapefruit League opener Thursday. "He threw a bunch of fastballs," Garner said. "He got to where I thought he was going to try a couple breaking balls, but he kept going with fastballs. I liked that."

Source: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/

Lane hot at the plate in win vs. Tribe

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 06:37:00 +0000

03/03/2006
Astros at the plate: Jason Lane had a big day, notching an RBI double in the first inning off C.C. Sabathia, drawing a bases-loaded walk in the second and cranking out a solo home run off Cliff Lee in the fourth. Chris Burke got the Astros on the board with a run-scoring triple in the first. Second baseman Eric Bruntlett cleared the bases with a double in the second.
Indians at the plate: Jason Michaels knocked in the Tribe's first run with a hard-hit single in the third off Fernando Nieve, and Jhonny Peralta followed with a three-run homer to right-center field. The two are expected to provide a similar punch in the two and three spots of the lineup this season. Non-roster invitee Ryan Mulhern added a solo shot off right-hander Jason Hirsh in the sixth.
Astros on the mound: Right-handed starter Tyler Buchholz had a nice, painless day, holding the Indians scoreless on one hit in his two innings of work. Nieve had a tougher go of it, giving up four runs on four hits in two innings.
Indians on the mound: Sabathia didn't look very sharp, as he was beaten up for seven runs, five of which were earned, on six hits over 1 2/3 innings. Lee was touched for a run on two hits with no walks and two strikeouts in his two innings of work.
Cactus League records: Astros, 1-1; Indians, 1-1.

Source: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/

Notes: Bagwell compensates off field

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 06:36:00 +0000

03/04/2006
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Jeff Bagwell isn't quite ready to play his position at first base, but he did find a way to practice his between-innings routine while still serving as the Houston Astros' designated hitter on Saturday.
After each of his three at-bats during the Astros' game with the Braves, Bagwell and pitching teammate Russ Springer walked to the field just behind the left-field wall and played catch for several minutes. The purpose was to give Bagwell the feel of being on the field in between innings, when he would normally be throwing the ball around to his infield teammates.
"It's a simulated-game type environment," manager Phil Garner said.
Bagwell is still on a two day on, one off schedule in terms of throwing. He hopes to start throwing every day in the near future, possibly this week.
"I'm on an accelerated program," he said. "I'm usually not throwing at any time until the second week of games."
As for how the strain of Saturday's drill with Springer affected his shoulder, Bagwell said he would know more Sunday.
"It's a little sore," he said. "It's probably the most throwing I've done since I've been down here."
Berkman starts Sunday: Lance Berkman will appear in his first spring game on Sunday, when the Astros play the Dominican club at Osceola County Stadium.
Berkman had arthroscopic surgery to remove scar tissue in his knee in late January and had planned to skip the first few spring games as a precaution. He'll play first base in his spring debut.
"One or two missed games wasn't going to hurt me," he said.
Enemy? The World Baseball Classic is logistically a little easier for Willy Taveras than teammates Brad Lidge and Dan Wheeler, because Taveras' Dominican team is training at the Astros' facility in Kissimmee.
This means that instead of hopping on the plane and flying cross-country, he just had to pack a duffel bag and head about 300 feet to the Minor League clubhouse, where the Dominican team is housed.
"They joked with me, 'All you have to do is jump and you're right there,'" Taveras said.
Taveras will play for the Dominican club Sunday, but will be back with the Astros on Monday when they host the Nationals. Taveras will then rejoin the Dominican team Tuesday for the duration of that club's participation in the Classic.
Props for Bruntlett: The Astros' decision not to re-sign Jose Vizcaino stemmed largely from the fact that they view two players, Chris Burke and Eric Bruntlett, as Vizcaino-type players.
While Burke is a projected future starter, it appears Bruntlett will be a utility role player for however long his Astros tenure lasts. That may be why Burke receives more attention than Bruntlett, but Garner warned not to forget about Bruntlett, whom he labeled last year as the club's "secret weapon."
After all, it was Bruntlett who started the 4-6-3 double play to end Game 4 of the National League Championship Series last year.
"You look at two guys on the field, and your eyes are drawn toward Burke for some reason," Garner said. "He's feisty. When you're around the club, he's the one chirping all the time, and Bruntlett's in the background. But when [Bruntlett] plays, he's very smooth. He doesn't draw your attention to it, and the next thing you know, he's made a great play. He's made a very difficult play look very easy."
Inching closer: Springer threw off a mound and used all of his pitches Friday, and he should be ready to appear in a game soon.
"I took the fastball up another notch," he said. "I'm pretty close. As long as my mechanics don't bother me. When my mechanics are off, it bothers me. I'll be out there before long."
Springer long tossed on Saturday and will throw off a mound again on Sunday.
Well wishes: Garner sent his best wishes to Reds pitching coach Vern Ruhle, who was recently diagnosed with cancer.
"From what we've heard, he sounds like he can make a full recovery," Garner said. "He's a good man. You just know it's going to be a tough process, what he's going to go through."
Garner and Ruhle were teammates in Houston from 1981-84. Ruhle, who played for the Astros from 1978-84, was also the club's pitching coach from 1997-2000.
Gallo: Left-hander Mike Gallo pitched for Team Italy on Saturday in its 6-5 loss to the Tigers. Gallo worked a scoreless eighth inning, striking out one. He didn't allow a baserunner.

Source: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/

Crafty Oswalt ahead of the curve

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 06:35:00 +0000

03/04/2006
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Around this time last year, Roy Oswalt decided to spend much of his spring season developing a split-fingered fastball. But in doing so, he somewhat ignored his curveball, and he paid for it later. When the regular season started, it took him a solid two months to regain a feel for what got him to the big leagues in the first place.
So this spring, Oswalt has altered his schedule. He's first going to work on his normal repertoire of pitches, and then later, he'll fiddle with the less pressing issues.
"Last year, I got to trying a few more pitches in Spring Training," he said. "I lost my feel of my curveball for the first month or two. I'm going to try to get the basics down first and make sure they're sharp, before I start on something else. Last year, I threw a split during the season in different games. Some games it worked well, some games it didn't. I may work on that toward the end of Spring Training, but I'll get my other stuff going first."
The first order of business is fastballs and curveballs. Later this month, he'll focus on his changeups and sliders. Oswalt's had only one outing this spring, but it's obvious he is sticking to his plan. He threw 19 pitches on Saturday, allowing two hits over two scoreless innings while facing seven Braves hitters.
He threw mostly curveballs and fastballs, mixed in with a slider or two to left-handed hitters.
"He just wanted to go out and throw the ball over the plate," manager Phil Garner said. "That's what he did. He didn't throw too many breaking balls. He just threw some fastballs. He got them where he wanted them."
Oswalt hasn't been officially announced as the Astros' Opening Day starter, but considering he's been in a class by himself for the last two years, Garner's decision really isn't one. Oswalt topped a phenomenal 2004 with an even better '05, posting a second consecutive 20-win season while posting a 2.94 ERA.
Oswalt also pitched the game of his life last October, when he coasted through seven innings to lead the Astros to a pennant-clinching win over the Cardinals in Game 6 of the NLCS. He threw mostly fastballs in that win, and this spring, he keeps reminding himself that what worked for him then could certainly be advantageous this year, too.
"I threw 110 pitches, and 90-95 were fastballs," he recalled. "When you throw that percentage of fastballs, usually at some point during a game they're going to start getting on you. They didn't, for seven innings. Hopefully this year, during the spring, maybe I can work on that, where I may throw more fastballs. You never know. You have to go by the feel of the game and the way you feel."
Oswalt's success is related not only to his "stuff," but his efficiency. He threw nearly 500 innings in the last two seasons, but he managed to keep his pitch counts relatively low.
When he looks to long-term goals, he tends to lean toward what he needs to do to keep his team in the game, rather than focus on wins and losses.
"It's hard to set a goal in wins," he said. "I feel if I can pitch the way I pitched the last two years, I'll be successful as far as keeping guys in the game, late into the ballgame.
"A lot of guys win or lose ballgames early in the game. A lot of guys hit their pitch count early in the game, in the sixth inning, and don't get a chance to win it in the seventh and eighth. If you keep pitching deep into ballgames, you eat up a lot of innings, and you can be successful down the road."
Without a doubt, Oswalt and Andy Pettitte will form one of the top duos among starting pitchers in the National League. After that, the rotation is somewhat suspect, with Brandon Backe filling the No. 3 role and Nos. 4 and 5 up for grabs.
Oswalt feels left-hander Carlos Hernandez is making quite a case for himself this spring, and he thinks that if Backe receives a full season of 35 starts, he'll benefit from the consistency.
Although he's only 28, Oswalt knows he's one of the elder statesmen of this starting staff. And he's accepted the responsibilities that accompany that label.
"When I came up, the older guys, you have to pick up things from them to get yourself through the season as far as how they prepare themselves and how they go about their business," he said. "You can pick up things like that, from guys who have been here a while."

Source: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/