Houston Astros Information
The 2010 Houston Astros will begin their 49th season in the Majors and their 11th season at Minute Maid Park. After finishing 74-88 in 2009, the Astros are looking to get back in the NL Championship Series for the first time since 2005. With the team at Spring Training in Kissimmee, Florida there is already buzz about the return of Ace Pitcher Roy Oswalt, (who says he has fully recovered from his injured back), is being coached by new Pitching Coach Brad Arnsberg and he says new manager Brad Mills has energized the clubhouse with his fresh approach. The team is also very encouraged by the strong showing so far from pitchers Felipe Paulino and Chia-Jen Lo and the team announced their Starting Pitchers for their spring games. In order they are Brett Meyers, Wandy Rodriguez and Roy Oswalt.
The team is also stocking high hopes on newly acquired third baseman Pedro Feliz, and is looking to him for leadership since losing SS Miguel Tejada to the Baltimore Orioles. They are also looking forward to his steady offense (he’s a lifetime .301 batter) as well as helping to shore up the defense in the left infield with rookie Tommy Manzella.
The Astros play their home games in Minute Maid Park, named for the organizations affiliations with the beverage producer. The stadium opened in 2000, and features a retractable roof and seats down the lines that are only five feet from play. With short porches down the left and right field lines, the “Juice Box” will give up many “soft” home runs, but if you attempt to challenge the park to center field, you’d better make sure you get every bit of it. To deep center, it’s 435 feet, easily the farthest in the majors, but that’s not all. There is a mound the elevates the playing field at the base of the center field wall, and the flagpole sits in play. In 2003, Milwaukee Brewers first baseman hit a ball approximately 520 feet, but because of the placement of the hit (center field, off the flagpole), he was held to a “routine” double. For center fielders that don’t make a conscious effort to practice before the game, you could find yourselves lying on the mound and feeling quite embarrassed.
On offense, the look is similar to what it has been over the years. Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, and Lance Berkman (affectionately known as the killer bees) will hit at the top of the lineup. All-star second baseman Jeff Kent and Richard Hidalgo will have many chances to increase their rbi totals throughout the season.
The pitching is the reason many feel the Astros can contend and win it all in 2004. A solid rotation and bullpen has, for the most part, been bolstered in the off-season. The biggest acquisitions were former New York Yankees starters Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte. Both Clemens and Pettitte are from the Texas area and wanted to finish their careers closer to home. Clemens was actually talked out of retirement by the organization and by Pettitte himself. Those two will join the likes of Roy Oswalt, Wade Miller, and Tim Redding to form one of the top two starting rotations in baseball. In addition to the starters, the relief pitchers from Houston also are among the top in the league. Dan Miceli, Brad Lidge, and Ricky Stone are all solid relievers, and their job will be to get into the 9th inning so new closer Octavio Dotel can finish off the opposition. Last season, Dotel was arguably the best set-up man in baseball, but the off-season trade of Billy Wagner to Philadelphia has pushed him into the finisher’s role.