Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Non-Prospect Prospects to Watch - Part 2

Since everyone was coming up with lists of top prospects, I decided to dig a bit deeper and find a few players who don't appear on any top prospect list anywhere, but whose upside could land them there eventually.  In case you missed it, I covered the position players in Part 1 here.  This week I will be looking at the pitchers.

LHP MITCHELL LAMBSON
In 22 games with Tri-City, the 6'1" 198 lb. lefty went 2-6 with 2 saves, a 4.33 ERA, a 1.160 WHIP and a .248 batting average against with 39 strikeouts and 8 walks in 35.1 innings pitched.  What first caught my notice with Lambson was his 9.9 SO/9 and his 4.88 SO:BB ratio so I decided to dig a little further.

He was projected by Baseball Prospect Report to work mostly around 86-88 with the ability to bump 90, but it wasn't his fastball that they wanted to talk about:
"The seperator for Lambson is the above-average change-up, CHG in shorthand, though some scouts might write OMG. I had it at 72-74 and I’m sold on the arm slot repetition. These lefties with the change-up need to have a fearless side to them, the willingness to throw it any time in the count ...  He won’t be an overpowering guy so the change , the moxie and the downhill fastball movement will punch the ticket."
And Baseball Draft Report agreed:
"Lambson’s change is so good and he relies on it so heavily, there really is no other way to talk about him without first mentioning the pitch ... a funky lefthander with the chance to put up surprising results in an unconventional manner. In other words, don’t sleep on Lambson."
They go on to mention his plus command and plus control.

Finally, I looked at his splits.  He had a 2.25 ERA and a 1.167 WHIP against lefties and a 5.40 ERA and a 1.157 WHIP vs. right-handed hitters.  Of his 8 walks and 4 home runs allowed, all were against right-handed batters, and although he struck out right-handed batters at a higher rate and kept them to a lower batting average, those walks and home runs came back to hurt him.  He will have to find consistency against right-handed batters to avoid being pigeonholed as a LOOGY, but if he continues to miss bats at his current high rate, I will keep watching this 21-year old.

RHP LUIS ORDOSGOITTI
Ordosgoitti spent most of his 2011 season at Greeneville where he was 2-4 with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.227 WHIP in 9 appearances (7 starts) over 44 innings pitched.  The then 18-year old also had an 8.6 SO/9 and a 6.00 SO/BB ratio for Greeneville.  If that's not enough reason to watch him, Orodosgoitti will be 19 for the entire 2012 season and at 6'4" 180 lbs. has plenty of room to fill out and increase velocity.

There's not a great deal of information out there on the big Venezuelan right-hander.  Nathaniel Stoltz of Seedlings to Stars calls him "a really intriguing sleeper arm" who he wouldn't be shocked to see on some top 100 lists next year.  I asked Jeff Luhnow about Ordosgoitti.  He wasn't familiar with him, but after looking him up, said that "reports are very positive as are his numbers," and went on to cite a good fastball, developing curveball and change-up ... "a possible major league starter."

Luis is another pitcher that will miss a lot of bats.  His biggest problem in 2011 were his road numbers.  While he had a 1.59 ERA at home for Greeneville, his road ERA was 6.33.  If he can get his road numbers under control and continues to fill out that 6'4" frame, Ordosgoitti could be going places quickly.  I look forward to seeing what he can do in 2012.

LHP REYMIN GUDUAN
Guduan wasn't on my original list of three until I saw a tweet from Jeff Luhnow when he was in the Dominican Republic that Guduan had an "impressive arm" and "was up to 97 in fall."  And he might still not be on my short list had I not delved a little more deeply on his numbers.

Guduan was definitely on my "watch list" with his 2.16 ERA and 12 SO/9 for the DSL in 13 starts, but there was the matter of 42 walks to go with 61 strikeouts and the 13 wild pitches and the 4 hit batters that gave me pause.  But hitting 97 on the radar gun will get you a little more leeway, particularly for a 6'4" 185 lb. lefty who still has time to fill out since he doesn't turn 20 for a couple of weeks.

So I looked for improvement and I found it.  In 2010, he had a 0.61 SO/BB ratio and 8.40 SO/9.  Here is how he fared last summer:
June   3.24 ERA   1.740 WHIP   0.95 SO/BB   9.72 SO/9   10.26 BB/9
July   1.47 ERA   1.582 WHIP   2.08 SO/BB   13.25 SO/9   6.38 BB/9
Aug   0.93 ERA   1.138 WHIP  2.50 SO/BB   13.97 SO/9   5.59 BB/9

Sure, I'd still like to see less wildness, but "effectively wild" can work too.  Did I mention that he's a lefty that can throw 97?  Yeah, that will get you on the short list every time.

HONORABLE MENTION

LHP GABRIEL GARCIA

  • Why he could have made the list - 8.8 SO/9 and 4.25 SO/BB ratio for Lexington, a very strong winter in Venezuela and this (about 1:08 in - dude has moves!)
  • Why he didn't make the list - edged out by LHP's Lambson and Guduan

RHP RYAN COLE

  • Why he could have made the list - 10 saves, 2.33 ERA, 1.333 WHIP, 4.17 SO/BB ratio for Tri-City, intangibles and pure gut feeling
  • Why he didn't make the list - I ran out of room

RHP JASON CHOWNING

  • Why he could have made the list - terrific numbers (2.45 ERA, 1.261 WHIP and 9.2 SO/9 in 35 appearances for Lexington) before he got hurt
  • Why he didn't make the list - he got hurt; we'll have to see how he bounces back

Happy Birthday - 2/29

There are no future Astros or former Astros with birthdays today which comes as no great surprise since only 11 MLB players in history were born on Leap Day.  Of those 11, the most well known is 3B Al "Flip" Rosen who turns 88 today.  Rosen spent his entire career with the Cleveland Indians, playing for them from 1947 to 1956 with four All-Star appearances and an MVP nod in 1953 when he hit .336 while leading the league with a .613 SLG, 1.034 OPS, 43 home runs, 145 RBI's and 115 runs scored.  And Rosen does have a Houston connection as well, having served as the Astros' General Manager from 1980 to 1985.

Tweet of the Day

Evan Grills
Florida bound in the challenger  2012 a big year LETS GO!
~~~~~~~

Long drive. Stopped in tennesse . Be in fla tommoro

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

An Interview with 3B Matthew Duffy

Matthew Duffy was drafted in the 20th round in 2011 out of the University of Tennessee and was a New York-Penn League Mid-Season All-Star.  Duffy had a very solid season at Tri-City, hitting .298/.370/.417/.787 with 20 doubles, one triple and two home runs over 63 games.  On to the questions ...

WTH:  You played at the University of Vermont until they discontinued their baseball program and ended up playing for the University of Tennessee Vols.  Can you tell me a little about that process, how it affected you personally, how it affected your development as a ballplayer, etc.?

MD:  When I found out that the University of Vermont was dropping their baseball program I was pretty shocked.  It's something that doesn’t happen very often in the world of NCAA athletics.  It was two weeks before our first game my sophomore year and they said that there will be no more team after the upcoming season.  It was really crazy for the next couple of months because I was trying to play my season and also go through the recruiting process with other schools.  Luckily I had a really good season and it opened the eyes of many schools.  One of the schools was the University of Tennessee.  I took a trip down to Knoxville to watch a game, meet the coaches, and take a look around.  It was on Easter Sunday because that’s the only day we at Vermont didn’t have a game. I really enjoyed myself, the facilities were great, and I thought it would be a great fit for me.  Tennessee was a step up in competition from the University of Vermont as far as baseball goes, so it definitely helped me develop as a player.  I was exposed to a lot more scouts and much better pitching.  The transition from Vermont to Tennessee ultimately made me more prepared for professional baseball.

WTH:  You had played SS earlier in college but were moved to 3B.  Can you tell me a little about that transition and how you feel you have developed defensively over time?

MD:  The transition from shortstop to third base was fairly smooth.  I played in the Cape Cod league the summer after my sophomore year at Vermont and played the whole summer at third base.  So when I got to Tennessee I was much more familiar with the position.  I also sort of outgrew the position as  well.  I got to college at 6’1 190, and left at 6’3 230. Defensively, playing shortstop helped me ultimately become a better defender because your range is tested and you have to have good footwork.  Its a lot easier going from shortstop to third base, than third base to shortstop. Hopefully I can continue to improve at third.  

WTH:  In looking at your offensive numbers, I was struck by your consistency.  You hit lefties & righties, home & away, day games & night games and across the season.  The worst split I could find for you was .252 BA with bases empty which you more than made up for with a .352 BA with RISP.  What is your approach at the plate?

MD:  At the plate my approach is pretty simple.  It changes from pitcher to pitcher and depending on the situation of the game. But ultimately I’m just looking for a pitch that I can drive. I try to use the middle of the field and hit line drives.

WTH:  The Astros minor league system currently lacks depth at 3B.  And with the recent move of 2010 supplemental first round pick Mike Kvasnicka from 3B back to Catcher, the opportunities for that position have increased.  What can you do (or are you doing) to take advantage of those opportunities?

MD:  I am honestly just trying to make myself the best player that I can be with what tools I have been given.  I don’t really know a lot about other third basemen in the organization, I can only control what I do, and worry about how I can make myself more valuable to this organization.  

WTH:  You hit a lot of doubles in 2011 at Tri-City, but not a lot of home runs.  Do you think your stroke lends itself to developing more home run power?

MD:  I hope so, but I really don’t want to change too much. I think more than my swing, the lack of home runs could be just lack of experience hitting with wood bats.  But I honestly don’t know.  I will continue to hit like I always have until someone tells me otherwise.  Home runs are obviously a big part of the game and being a third baseman you are expected to produce offensively, so I hope I can help whatever team I am on win games with whatever it is they need.  

WTH:  You made 12 errors for Tri-City in 2011, 11 in roughly the first half of your games and 1 in roughly the second half of your games.  What adjustments did you make that helped you cut down on the errors?

MD:  Mostly I think I just relaxed and settled down.  I think most of the errors were throwing errors, and I was just rushing when I didn’t have to.  I like to think that I can be a plus defender at third base, and I’m going to continue to work at it.  But I also think that the help of Stubby Clapp, our manager and infield coach, helped me a lot.  He would work with us quite a bit, and really helped us understand the positions we played. 

WTH:  What was the biggest surprise for you about life in the minor leagues?

MD:  The biggest surprise to me, which wasn’t really a surprise but more of an adjustment, was the day in and day out routine of playing everyday.  In college you usually play four games a week and sometimes five.  So mentally preparing yourself to play every day was the biggest surprise/adjustment that you make when playing in the minor leagues.  

WTH:  What pitcher (of your Tri-City teammates) would you least like to face as a batter?

MD:  The last pitcher that I would want to face on Tri-City would probably be Nick Tropeano.  He throws any pitch in any count, so he will keep you guessing all game. 

WTH:  What expectations do you have going into your first spring training?  What will you be working on?

MD:  I am looking forward to spring training.  My expectations are that it is going to be a lot warmer than Boston, and a lot better weather to play baseball.  The time spent at spring training will definitely help get me ready to go for this season. I don’t know where I will be playing, but regardless of that, I hope I can help my team win games and continue to improve to become a better baseball player.   

WTH:  Can you tell me one thing about yourself that most people don't know and might be surprised to hear?

MD:  I played hockey growing up and wanted to play in the NHL. 

Well, the NHL's loss is the Astros' gain.  Thank you for your time and good luck in 2012!!!

Happy Birthday - 2/28

C Luis Alvarez (22)
A NDFA from Venezuela, Alvarez first played in the VSL in 2007.  After sitting out 2010, Alvarez hit .271/.353/.376/.729 for the 2011 season at Greeneville with his batting average increasing as the season progressed.  In the Liga Paralela (the Venezuelan minor leagues) this winter, he batted .300/.352/.440/.792 in 17 games.

One former Astro with a birthday today ~

RHP Ricky Stone (37)
Stone appeared in 165 games for Houston from 2001 to 2004, going 10-8 with a 3.80 ERA and a 1.401 WHIP over 187 innings.  Stone was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2008 and his wife was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2011.  This follow-up from December 30, 2011 finds them both to be cancer free.  This will undoubtedly be a particularly happy birthday for Ricky.

Tweet of the Day

Rafael Valenzuela
Need to eat as much home made food as possible cause mom ain't coming with me to spring training

Monday, February 27, 2012

WTH 25-Man Roster - Final Relief Pitcher

As posted over the weekend, the 22nd player added to the WTH 25-Man Roster was Designated Hitter Chase Davidson.  Also receiving votes were Telvin Nash, Kody Hinze, Matt Duffy, Jimmy VanOstrand and Tyler Burnett.  For more information on the WTH Roster, go here.

This week we're going to pick our 6th and final relief pitcher.  This list is compiled of those who received at least one vote in the last round of voting for relief pitchers.  Jack Armstrong, with his mid to high-90's fastball, probably has the upper hand in winning this one as he was actually tied for the lead during the last round of voting.  But you should probably at least consider Jorge de Leon with the stingiest WHIP and batting average allowed of the group (plus his 16 saves), Jason Chowning with his 2.45 ERA, Jason Stoffel with his 10.69 SO/9 and Mitchell Lambson with his 4.88 SO/BB.

With all that said, here are the 2011 stats for the players.  Look them over and vote.

Happy Birthday - 2/27

No future Astros and only one former Astro with a birthday today ~

OF Carl Warwick (75)
Obtained in a trade with the Cardinals for LHP Bobby Shantz, Warwick appeared in 280 games for the Colt 45's in 1962 and 1963 with a batting line of .257/.315/.373/.689.  He was traded to the Cardinals in February of 1964 for 1B/OF Jim Beauchamp and RHP Chuck Taylor and was used as a pinch hitter in that year's World Series, going 3 for 4 with a walk, an RBI and two runs scored as the Cardinals beat the Yankees 4-3 to win the series.

Tweet of the Day

Jordan Comadena
Great day today...hit until my hands bled. Can't wait to do it all again tomorrow. 

Sunday, February 26, 2012

WTH 25-Man Roster

The 22nd player selected for the What the Heck 25-Man Roster was DH Chase Davidson.  We had another case of "stuffing the ballot box" with Davidson, but since he was essentially tied with Telvin Nash before the ballot stuffing began, I will let the results stand.  However, just like Miss America, if for any reason Chase Davidson can't fulfill his duties, Telvin Nash will be called on to DH for him.  Also receiving votes were Kody Hinze, Matt Duffy, Jimmy VanOstrand and Tyler Burnett.  (For more information on the WTH 25-Man Roster, go here.)

Coming Monday - Let's pick our final Relief Pitcher

Happy Birthday - 2/26

No future Astros, only former Astros with birthdays today ~

3B Steve Hertz (67)
Hertz appeared in 5 games for the Colt 45's in 1964 and those 5 games constituted his entire major league career.  He was unable to get that elusive hit in the majors.  Thankfully, he went on to have a very successful career coaching for Miami Dade College.  As an interesting side note, in 2007 he managed the Tel Aviv Lightning in the Israel Baseball League.

RHP Don Lee (78)
Acquired in a trade with the Angels for OF Al Spangler, Lee pitched for the Astros in 1965 and 1966.  In 16 games, he was 2-0 with a 2.77 ERA and a 1.231 WHIP.

RHP Gary Majewski (32)
A Houston native, Majewski only appeared in 2 games for Houston at the end of his career.  Since it's his birthday, I will be charitable and not post the results of those 2 appearances.  Majewski had his most effective season in 2005 for the Nationals, going 4-4 in 79 appearances with a 2.93 ERA and a 1.360 WHIP.

Tweet of the Day

Brandon Culbreth
Ill pay someone to pack for me

No Announced Roster Moves Today

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Happy Birthday - 2/25

No future Astros, only former Astros with birthdays today ~

CF Cesar Cedeno (61)
Cedeno played in 1512 games for Houston from 1970 to 1981 with a batting line of .289/.351/.454/.805.  Cedeno won five Gold Gloves and earned four All-Star nods during his tenure with Houston.  He also led the National League in doubles in 1971 and 1972, outfield put-outs in 1974 and fielding percentage in 1971 and 1977.  He was traded to the Reds in December of 1981 for 1B/3B Ray Knight.  He was recently named 2012 hitting coach for the Greeneville Astros in the Appy League.

LHP Denny Lemaster (73)
Lemaster pitched for Houston from 1968 to 1971 after being acquired in a trade with the Braves along with IF Dennis Menke.  An All-Star for Atlanta in 1967, Lemaster had a 3.40 ERA and a 1.335 WHIP in 152 games (90 starts) for the Astros.

Tweet of the Day

Alyson Footer
Here's a cool sign hanging in the Minor League clubhouse.

pic.twitter.com/SuSC3rkt

No Announced Roster Moves Today

Friday, February 24, 2012

Happy Birthday - 2/24

UT Neiko Johnson (24)
Johnson, a University of Kentucky alum and Georgia native, was signed by the Astros as a NDFA in 2011. He was used as a true utility player at Tri-City in 2011, spending time at 2B, LF, SS, RF and 3B, and had a batting line of .236/.397/.280/.678. In 57 games, he stole 21 bases and walked 41 times (37 SO). His batting average increased to .288 with runners on and .292 with RISP.

MLB Reports posted this interview with Neiko back in December. Since he'd been interviewed so recently, I thought I'd ask just a couple of questions for his birthday write-up. (By the way, the Astros have his birthday in the system wrong. He was born on the 24th not the 2nd.)

WTH: How did you meet and get to be friends with Brandon Phillips?

NJ: Brandon Phillips was actually a good friend of my brother when I was younger and I hung out with his younger brother PJ and his sister Porsha. Brandon went to Redan High School (the same high school I attended) with my brother and they both played on the same high school baseball team. I always went to watch the games when he and my brother played. I have been a Brandon Phillips fan since his high school days. I always hang out with him when I get a chance and he's always there to talk whenever I need to. He's like another big brother to me and has helped me throughout my baseball career. I would go hang out with him in Cincinnati when I went to the University of Kentucky and I have always stayed in contact with him.

WTH:  What have you been working on the most over the winter and how do you think that will help you going into the season?

NJ:  I have worked on a lot this offseason. With this being my first offseason there was a bit of a transition period. At first I didn't know how to handle this much time off so I talked to Brandon and my roommate from college Collin Cowgill who is currently with the Oakland A's. They told me how much time to take off and when to start back working out. That really helped a lot because I didn't want to start working out too soon and burn myself out before spring training. I have focused on my swing the most and making sure I addressed some minor things for spring training. I wanted to gain some weight, which I did, because I know with a long season your weight will fluctuate and I don't need to lose any more weight lol. I have also worked on my conditioning and speed so I can continue to be a threat on the bases. I think these things will help me tremendously and enhance my abilities as a baseball player. 

WTH:  Can you tell me something about yourself that most fans don't know and that might surprise them?

NJ:  Something about me that most people don't know is that I am a PRIMETIME BOWLER. My high score is 294 and I was one strike away from a perfect game but on the last bowl I blew it. I will take all challenges and I have 3 bowling balls and shoes so I am ready to play anytime anywhere. I am also a pretty good Call of Duty player (ONLY ON XBOX THOUGH) so if you can't beat me in bowling maybe you'll have a better chance at Call of Duty. The last thing people might not know is I HATE SPIDERS with a passion. If I see a spider in my room I won't go to sleep till I catch it and if I can't catch it I will sometimes sleep in another room. It's just something about spiders I don't like.

Thanks for your time Neiko.  Here's wishing you a terrific birthday with no spiders in sight!!!!!

Born in Windsor, Ontario, Clapp was drafted out of Texas Tech by the Cardinals in 1996 and played in 23 games for St. Louis in 2001.  He was the hitting coach for Lexington and for Corpus Christi before being named Manager of the Tri-City team for 2011.  Clapp has history playing for Team Canada in various venues throughout the years. This fall, he helped to coach Team Canada to a gold medal in the Pan Am Games.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

A first round pick by the Giants in 1971, Riccelli pitched in 13 games for Houston in 1978 and 1979 with a 3.60 ERA and a 1.640 WHIP.

Brian has played in 3 games in the major leagues (2 for Houston in 2010) with 3 plate appearances and he is still looking for that elusive first hit.  He signed with the Reds as a free agent in December after spending 3 seasons in the Astros minor league system.

Tweet of the Day

Roster Moves - 2/23

According to Baseball America, the Astros have signed 26-year old 2B Jose Martinez. Described as a former number 8 prospect going into the 2008 season in this post on Scout.com from March 2011, they explain what went wrong for Martinez:
"His career stalled as he dealt with the after-effects of a very difficult family tragedy and several serious injuries, including a broken bone in his left foot and surgery on his right shoulder. Martinez missed almost all of the last two seasons in the process."

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Happy Birthday - 2/23

No future Astros, only former Astros with birthdays today ~

LHP Juan Agosto (54)
Agosto pitched in 261 games for Houston from 1987 to 1990 and in 1993.  His best season was in 1988 when he appeared in 75 games and went 10-2 with a 2.26 ERA and a 1.135 WHIP.  In 1990, he led the National League in appearances with 82.

RHP Scott Elarton (36)
A first round pick by the Astros in 1994, Elarton pitched for Houston from 1998 to 2001, going 32-21 in 120 appearances (67 starts) with a 4.82 ERA and a 1.388 WHIP before being traded to the Rockies at the trade deadline in 2001 for Pedro Astacio.  In 2000, he was 17-7 in 30 starts for Houston.

2B/3B Ken Boswell (66)
A native of Austin, Boswell played in 275 games for Houston from 1975 to 1977 after spending 8 seasons with the Mets.  His best season offensively was with the Mets in 1969, hitting .279/.347/.381/.728.  In 1970, he led the National League in fielding percentage as a second baseman with a .996 percentage.

C Frank Charles ( 43)
I love this story.  Charles toiled in the minor leagues and independent ball for 10 years.  At the end of the 10th year, after having been picked up by Houston in the off-season, he got a September call-up, a rookie at 31.  In 7 plate appearances over 4 games, Charles got three hits with a double and two RBI's.  His cup of coffee netted him a .429/.429/.571/1.000 career batting line.  He spent 4 more seasons in the minors and independent league ball before hanging up his cleats at the end of the 2004 season when he was 35 years old.

Tweet of the Day

Astros County
AC Big Tweet #1: The Constable and Wife are having a little girl.

No Announced Roster Moves Today

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Non-Prospect Prospects to Watch Part 1

Since everybody and their dog has come out with a top prospect list, I thought I might as well chime in too. But I'm not going to go with the obvious. Yeah, Jarred Cosart is a stud. Jonathan Singleton is the second coming of Ryan Howard. Yada Yada. Let's look instead at a few non-prospects who have the potential to become prospects in time. We'll look at position players this week and pitchers next week.

C ERNESTO GENOVES
This 20-year old from Venezuela played in Greeneville in 2011 and really made great strides at the plate. His batting average of .280 only went up a couple of points from his prior season, but his slugging percentage went from .333 with the GCL in 2010 to .464 with Greeneville in 2011. According to Seedlings to Stars, Genoves "makes solid contact" with a "decent approach and some gap power." He faded toward the end of the season and he strikes out more than I would like to see with 29 strikeouts to 12 walks over 38 games, but there are also some good signs within his splits as he hit .313 with runners on and .302 with RISP in 2011.

His defense is coming along as well. His caught stealing percentage went from 22% in 2010 to 31% in 2011 and his fielding percentage as a catcher went from .972 with 5 errors in 2010 to .984 with 4 errors in 2011. He had 9 passed balls, but Steve with Appy Astros indicated that Genoves made progress behind the plate throughout the season. Early in the season he tended to reach for balls with his glove instead of moving his body, but Steve indicated that Genoves definitely showed improvement in that area.

Over the winter, Genoves played in the Venezuelan winter league with the Liga Paralela, Venezuela's minor league system, hitting .299/.400/.478/.878 in 22 games. I look forward to seeing what he can do in 2012.

OF TEOSCAR HERNANDEZ
It is really difficult to get much information on the prospects in the DSL, but just looking at Hernandez' stats is more than enough to get me excited about this kid.

He's listed as 6'2" 180 and will be 19 years old for the entire 2012 season. He was named MVP for the DSL team in 2011 for good reason. He hit .274/.360/.487/.847, led the team in doubles, triples and home runs and was tied for the lead in RBI's. In addition he had 16 stolen bases and 7 outfield assists to go with 5 errors over 62 games. Can you say 5-tool player? The potential is there. The right-handed hitter will need to hit better than .143 against lefties, as he did in 2011, but I'm very excited by his upside.

I asked Jeff Luhnow about this player as he was heading to the Dominican Republic last week. I received the following response, "Hernandez is a definite prospect from what I saw today." I would love to see Hernandez get brought up to the GCL this season to see what he can do.

3B MATT DUFFY
A 20th round pick in 2011, I hadn't heard much, if anything, about Duffy. Then I wrote his birthday profile a few weeks back and I got really excited looking at his numbers. His batting line was good at .298/.370./.417/.787 with 20 doubles, one triple and two home runs, but it was his consistency that struck me. He was incredibly consistent against lefties and against righties, throughout the season, road and home, day games and night games - he just kept hitting. And he was even better in the clutch, batting .342 with runners on and .352 with RISP. So, I kept looking and I found things like this assessment from The Baseball Draft Report:
"I have an irrational like of Tennessee 3B Matt Duffy (Round 20) that I can only attempt to explain in terms of relevant baseball skills by talking about his excellent defense at third and patient approach at the plate."
and this from TCVFan's Blog:
"This dude can flat out hit. He’s got a calm, level swing and he’ll use all parts of the field, with signs of power to both gaps. When he gets full extension on the ball it travels a long way. I don’t know if he’s got a swing conducive to becoming a home run hitter, but he’s got potential to be a really solid doubles guy. It feels as though he’s got a strong grasp of the strikezone, and he rarely chases bad pitches."
The reports of his defense were conflicting though. And seeing that he had 12 errors in 63 games gave me pause. But when I looked further, it appears that he had 11 errors in his 1st 31 games and 1 in his final 32 games. And TCVFan had this to say:
"Early on he wasn’t trusting his arm and rushed throws, pulling Zach off the base a lot. Everyone in the infield took about three weeks to settle in and know that they’re good enough to take their time and make accurate throws."
The only knocks I could find on him were somewhat limited range at third and lack of speed on the base paths. But if he can turn his doubles power into home run power, speed may not be that important. And with our lack of depth at third, I'll be keeping a close eye on Mr. Duffy to see how he develops.

HONORABLE MENTION

OF EMILIO KING
  • Why he could have made the list - a .293/.332./.439/.772 batting line with 24 doubles, a triple and 9 home runs and reports that he has an absolute cannon for an arm
  • Why he didn't make the list - 81 SO to 13 BB
SS JUAN SANTANA
  • Why he could have made the list - a .274/.350/.363/.713 batting line with 28BB:22SO at 16 years old
  • Why he didn't make the list - 28 errors and the fact that he just turned 17 in August
OF WALLACE GONZALEZ
  • Why he could have made the list - Buzz. Baseball America thought he was the Astros best late signing and from The Baseball Draft Report: 
"Wallace Gonzalez has tools you’d never expect to see out of guy a few pounds short of Lions receiver Calvin Johnson. His raw power, plus arm, and great athleticism are major strong points."
  • Why he didn't make the list - Results. 18 games isn't a big enough sample size for an 18-year old kid.

Happy Birthday - 2/22

No future Astros, only former Astros with birthdays today ~

RHP Tom Griffin (64)
A first round pick by Houston in 1966, Griffin pitched for Houston from 1970 to 1976, going 45-60 in 199 appearances (123 starts) with a 4.20 ERA and a 1.470 WHIP.  In his rookie season in 1969, he led the National League in SO/9 at 9.6 in 31 starts.  Griffin's best season for Houston (arguably) was in 1974 when he was 14-10 in 34 starts.  Ironically, he was also 5th in the National League in wild pitches that year.  In 1980 and again in 1981, he led the National League in hit batters while pitching for the Giants.

SS/CF Eric "Cool Breeze" Yelding (47)
Yelding played for Houston from 1989 to 1992, batting .249 over that stretch.  In 1990, he stole 64 bases (behind only Vince Coleman and Rickey Henderson), but also led the MLB in caught stealing.  In 1992, he was sent to the White Sox for LHP Rich Scheid.  Yelding was a first round draft pick for the Blue Jays in 1984.

3B/2B Russ Johnson (39)
Yet another first round draft pick with a birthday today, Johnson was drafted by Houston in 1994 and played for the Astros from 1997 to 2000 before being traded to Tampa Bay for RHP Marc Valdes.  His best season for Houston was 1999 when he hit .282/.358/.442/.800 and was 1 for 1 with a walk and a double in the NLDS.

LHP John Halama (40)
Halama wasn't a first round pick like all the other birthday boys, but rather was drafted in the 23rd round by Houston in 1994.  He started 6 games  for the Astros in 1998 and went to Seattle at the end of the 1998 season as the player to be named in the Randy Johnson trade.

Tweet of the Day

Jimmy VanOstrand @Dr_VanOstrand
hope u boys r off to a good start! Don't worry I'll be there soon

No Announced Roster Moves Today

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

An Interview with Jason Chowning

RHP Jason Chowning was drafted in the 28th round in 2010 out of the University of Oklahoma.  He spent 2011 pitching out of the bullpen in Lexington.  In 58.2 innings pitched over 35 appearances, he was 4-4 with a 2.45 ERA and a 1.261 WHIP and 9.2 SO/9.  Lefties only managed a 0.92 ERA against him.

When I first contacted Jason about doing an interview, one of the first questions I asked him was if he was really 6'2" 178 lbs. as listed because that made me want to feed him.  He assured me that he is actually 6'4" 190.  After that, we continued on to some questions that had a little more substance and some questions that didn't.

WTH:  The first question I'd like to ask is about the shoulder. You were diagnosed with a small tear in the labrum at the end of the season, but since it wasn't torn all the way through, surgery wasn't recommended. How is the shoulder now and what have you done in the off-season to keep it strong and healthy?

JC:  Towards the end of the season my shoulder started to experience pain which I hadn't ever felt before. I haven't ever really had too many arm issues so this one was a surprise and hurt. I did a lot of rehab this off-season and have started throwing bullpens. So far so good. It was a little rusty at first with some slight pain but doctors said it would be starting out. Hoping for a full recovery and hopefully this won't happen again.

WTH:  Your final appearance in August, you gave up 3 ER's and you'd only given up 3 ER's in the previous 9 appearances. Was the shoulder bothering you during that last appearance?

JC:   Funny you ask that, this was the dagger in my season. I had worked so hard to keep runs limited all year, and then this happened. After coming back the first time from my shoulder issue I was a little wild and unable to throw strikes. My first two outings back I was able to battle through. It was getting harder and harder to throw after each pitch. It felt like someone was stabbing my shoulder each time I threw. But this outing was my worst. I couldn't throw strikes and was getting behind in every count. Gave up to back to back broken bat singles only to get behind again 2-0 and happened to throw a fastball right down the middle to give up a 3-run home run. Needless to say I did not want my season and possible career to end on that note. But they advised me not to throw anymore for the rest of the year. Very disappointing.

WTH:  One Lexington writer described your slider as "wicked." I've also read that you throw a curveball, a fastball and a change-up. What is your best pitch? What kind of velocity do you have on your pitches? What will you be working on the most this season as far as your pitches?

JC:  I don't know if I would call my slider wicked. It's a pitch I just started throwing this year. I was messing around with pitches and this one kind of stuck. So it's still a work in progress. That being said, I do believe that my slider is my best pitch. I am most comfortable throwing it in any count behind or ahead. My velocity with my slider has been clocked up to 84 but varies in counts - 0-2 I throw it harder, other counts bigger break, less velo. Curveball would be my second best pitch with big 12-6 break, but it is my hardest pitch to control, good 0-2 pitch. My velocity with my curveball isn't near the speed I need it to be, varying from 72-76. Third best pitch would be my fastball. I do have some control issues, but hey who doesn't sometimes? Velo varies as well anywhere from 86-93, maybe on a good day or great day may top 94. Funny my last pitch in Lexington with my shoulder hurting was 94. That was probably from the anger and disappointment of prior events. Change-up is a work in progress. I don't think I threw it one time this year. No confidence just yet.


WTH: Have you ever thought, "Man, I'd like to have that pitch in my arsenal" about any other Astros minor league pitcher that you've played with? If so, who and what pitch?

JC:  Yes, I have. I think that Jake Buchanan has a tremendous two seam fastball that just runs off the table. And also I think that Alex Sogard has an absolute flithy change-up that I would also like to have in my arsenal.

WTH:  You're a bit of a self-described class clown. What teammate makes you laugh?

JC:  Ya, you know I like to laugh and I like to think that if I were to die today that I would have lived a happy life. Life is too short and we really need to enjoy the small things and laugh. There are a few guys that make me laugh. Adam Bailey and I seem to have a blast when we are around each other. We have the same personality so it makes it nice. So let's just say fingers crossed we are on the same team again. Also my boy Alex Sogard and I have plenty of laughs together as well. It's nice having people on the team which you can relate to and have a good time with.

WTH:  I understand that you were a sociology-criminology major. If you couldn't play baseball, what would you do?

JC:  If I couldn't play baseball I'd really like to get involved in the FBI. During this off-season I have applied to many FBI groups, but they say it takes years to get accepted so I started early and applied when I have my off time. I want to make a difference in people's lives and help protect communities.

WTH:  Are there any guys that you've played with in the last two seasons who you're particularly thankful to have on your team so that you won't have to pitch to them?

JC:  Throughout these past two seasons, I would have to say that there are two teammates I would rather not face and they are Adam Bailey who I did face in college and got him to pop out to second, and Chris Wallace, only because he caught me all the time and knows my pitches and in what counts I throw them. Both are very good hitters.

WTH:  Is is true that you were once ranked 14th in the world in Call of Duty? Have any of your teammates come close to beating you at COD?

JC:  Haha indeed I was at one time. I haven't been able to play much as of late. Been traveling and seeing 
family. Bryce Lane and I play a lot together. He's not bad. He's not as good as me, but he's getting there. I took him under my wing. Other than that no one comes close.

Thank you for your time, Jason, and best of luck in the 2012 season!

Happy Birthday - 2/21

No future Astros, only one former Astro with a birthday today ~

RHP Jack Billingham (69)
Billingham pitched for Houston from 1969 to 1971.  In 131 appearances (61 starts), he was 29-32 with a 3.75 ERA and a 1.297 WHIP.  According to Baseball-Reference, he was a part of this trade to the Reds in 1971.

November 29, 1971: Traded by the Houston Astros with Ed ArmbristerCesar GeronimoDenis Menke and Joe Morgan to theCincinnati Reds for Tommy HelmsLee May and Jimmy Stewart.

He had his best season for the Reds in his 1973 All-Star season.  That year he was 19-10 in 40 starts, pitching 293.1 innings with a 3.08 ERA and a 1.200 WHIP.  Apparently, his arm didn't fall off after that workload since he pitched another 7 seasons in the majors.

Also, in case you missed it (as I did), RHP Livan Hernandez was 37 yesterday.

Tweet of the Day

Bud Norris