Sunday, November 30, 2014

Happy Birthday - 11/30

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Agapito Barrios (21)
Signed as an international free agent out of Panama, Barrios pitched for the Greeneville Astros in 2014 with excellent results. In 13 games (six starts), he was 5-0 with a 2.09 ERA and a 0.893 WHIP. He walked 11 batters and struck out 46 in 56 innings.

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Saturday, November 29, 2014

Happy Birthday - 11/29

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Dean Deetz (21)
Drafted by Houston in the 11th round in 2014 out of Northeast Oklahoma A&M College, Deetz played his first season for the Rookie League Greeneville Astros. In 13 games (five starts), he had a 8.88 ERA and a 1.934 WHIP.

Three former Astros also celebrate ~

LHP Pedro Martinez (46)
Martinez came to Houston in a December 1994 trade with the Padres and pitched in 25 games for the Astros in 1995 with a 7.40 ERA and a 2.177 WHIP. In two seasons with the Padres he was 6-3 with a 2.73 ERA and a 1.301 WHIP in 80 appearances.

LF Mike Easler (64)
A 14th round pick by Houston in 1969, Easler had precisely one hit for the Astros in 29 plate appearances spread over 26 games from 1973 to 1975 before being traded to the Cardinals in June 1975. He went on to have a successful career playing for Pittsburgh, Boston, the Yankees and Philadelphia compiling a career batting line of .293/.349/.454. He was an All-Star for the Pirates in 1981.

SS Jason Alfaro (37)
Originally drafted by Houston in the 22nd round in 1997, Alfaro's entire major league career consisted of 12 plate appearances over seven games for the Astros in 2004, hitting .182. In nine minor league seasons, he hit .273/.318/.407.

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Friday, November 28, 2014

Happy Birthday - 11/28

Happy Birthday ~

RHP Derick Velazquez (21)
Drafted by Houston in the 7th round out of California State University Fresno, Velazquez had a very successful inaugural season with the Tri-City team. In 18 appearances out of the bullpen, he was 2-1 with a 1.57 ERA, a 0.857 WHIP and two saves. He walked only two batters and struck out 24 in 23 innings of work.

Two former Astros celebrate the day as well ~

1B/OF Jim Fuller (64)
A second round pick by the Orioles in 1970, Fuller came to Houston as a free agent in November 1976. In 34 games for the Astros in 1977, he hit .160/.243/.280. In nine seasons in the minors, he hit .254/.351/.505.

RHP Pedro Astacio (46)
Astacio came to Houston in a July 2001 trade with the Rockies for Scott Elarton. In four starts for the Astros that season he was 2-1 with a 3.14 ERA and 1.186 WHIP.

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Thursday, November 27, 2014

Happy Birthday - 11/27

Happy Birthday to ~

LHP Luis Ramirez (19)
An international free agent out of Venezuela, Ramirez saw his first professional action in 2014 for the Dominican Summer League Astros. In seven appearances out of the bullpen, he was 1-2 with a 2.55 ERA, a 1.019 WHIP and two saves.

These former Astros also celebrate the day ~

LHP Raul Valdes (37)
Originally signed by the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent in 2004, the Cuban born Valdes was claimed by Houston off waivers from the Phillies in October 2013. He appeared in eight games for Houston in 2014 with forgettable results before being traded to the Blue Jays in May. He is currently a free agent.

RHP Dave Giusti (75)
Giusti was signed by Houston as an amateur free agent in 1961 and pitched for the Colt .45's in 1962 and 1964 and for the Astros in 1965 to 1968. In 176 games (118 starts), he had a 47-53 record with a 4.02 ERA and 1.284 WHIP. His best seasons were with the Pirates in the early to mid-70's. He had one All-Star appearance and won one World Series while with Pittsburgh.

C Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez (43)
Rodriguez signed with Houston as a free agent in March 2009. In 93 games for Houston that season, he hit .251/.280/.382 and had a 32% caught stealing rate. In August of 2009, he was traded to the Rangers for Matt Nevarez and Jose Vallejo. Rodriguez was an All-Star 14 times while playing with Texas and Detroit as well as a 13-time Gold Glove winner and a 7-time Silver Slugger. He was the American League MVP in 1999 for Texas. He won his only World Series for the Marlins in 2003.

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Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Astros Fall and Winter League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, November 25, 2014

LIGA PARALELA

Caracas 10, Caribes 5

Nestor Tejada appeared as a pinch-hitter for the Little Lions in the 7th. He struck out, and then remained in the game at RF.

Caracas will take on Bravos at 11:00 AM Venezuelan time.

LIDOM

Toros 9, Escogido 0

Teoscar Hernandez entered the game as a defensive replacement in the 5th to play CF. He finished 1-2 and ripped a 3-run homer in the 7th which was effectively the final nail in Escogido's coffin. That was 2nd homer of the Dominican campaign.

In a battle for 2nd, Toros will take on Águilas. First pitch is at 7:30 Atlantic.

Águilas 4, Licey 3

The difference here was a 3-2 3rd inning in favor of Águilas. Jonathan Villar finished 1-2 with a walk and a run scored, and for Licey, Domingo Santana went 0-3.

As for Licey, they'll face Gigantes at 7:30 Atlantic.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Jalisco 11, Obregón 2

Leo Heras finished 2-4 with an RBI single in the 9th and 2 runs scored as Jalisco turned a 2-1 deficit in to a laugher by scoring the game's final 10 runs.

The series continues at 7:30 Mountain.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Santurce 4, Caguas 3 in 12 innings

Delino DeShields finished 1-6 with a stolen base (6) for Santurce.

These two teams will play again in Caguas at 7:30 Atlantic.

Mayagüez 12, Carolina 2

Carlos Corporán got the start behind the plate for Carolina and went 0-3 with a strikeout. Jobduan Morales entered the game to play 1B in the 8th and struck out in his only plate appearance.

Carolina will be at home to take on San Juan. First pitch is at 7:30 Atlantic.

Happy Birthday - 11/26

No future Astros with birthdays today, but these two former Astros celebrate the day ~

RHP Jeff Fulchino (35)
An eighth round pick by the Marlins in 2002, Fulchino came to Houston from Kansas City as a waiver claim in December 2008. In 147 games for the Astros from 2009 to 2011, he was 9-9 with a 4.38 ERA and a 1.380 WHIP.

RHP Mike Mendoza (59)
A fifth round pick by the Astros in 1973, Mendoza got his cup of coffee in 1979 and it was a perfect brew - one perfect inning pitched in one game.

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Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Astros Free Agent Landing Spots

A few more of our Astros have flown the nest and found other homes via free agency. According to Baseball America's minor league free agent tracker:

RHP Jose Cisnero - Reds
RHP Paul Clemens - Phillies
1B Jesus Guzman - Hiroshima Carp
RHP David Martinez - Rangers
LHP Rudy Owens - Athletics
LHP Patrick Urckfitz - Marlins

In addition, Evan Drellich of The Houston Chronicle reported today that C Rene Garcia has also been signed by the Phillies. I wish each and every one of them the best.

I've updated my ongoing off-season transaction list with the latest.

Astros Fall and Winter League Recaps

Results for Sunday, November 23, and Monday, November 24, 2014

LIGA VENEZOLANA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL

Sunday: Lara 6, Caracas 4

Leones del Caracas: Danry Vásquez finished 1-3 with an RBI single in the 8th and scored a run.

Caracas will be back in action tomorrow as they'll be in Aragua.

LIDOM

Results from Sunday

Licey 7, Águilas 2

Licey took control with a 6-run 6th. Domingo Santana delivered the big hit in the inning as he drove in 2 with a double. Domingo finished 2-4 with 2 runs scored.

Jonathan Villar finished 0-3 with a walk for Águilas.

Escogido 5, Toros 4

Teoscar Hernandez entered as a pinch-runner for Toros in the 8th. He remained in the game at CF and did not appear at the plate.

Results from Monday

Estrellas 6, Gigantes 5

Estrellas walked off with the win after scoring 4 in the bottom of the 9th. Jandel Gustave was the first man out of the bullpen for Gigantes and worked 2 scoreless innings, allowing a hit and striking out 2.

All 6 teams in the Dominican will be playing each other again tonight.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Results from Sunday

Jalisco 2, Mexicali 1

Charros de Jalisco: Leo Heras finished 1-4.

Mazatlán 8, Culiacán 6

Mazatlán scored 4 in the bottom of the 9th to get the victory.

Gonzalo Sañudo was Culiacán's 3rd reliever; he got 2 outs in the 8th, allowing an unearned run, a hit, walking 1, and striking out 1.

Today, Jalisco will begin a series in Obregón, while Culiacán hosts Navojoa. Both games will start at 7:30 Mountain.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Results from Sunday

Caguas 4, Santurce 0

Cangrejeros de Santurce: The Crabbers were blanked by Logan Williamson, who allowed 4 hits as he went the distance for Caguas. Delino DeShields finished 0-4.

Mayagüez 2, San Juan 0

San Juan was held to 3 hits. Nolan Fontana was 0-3 with a strikeout.

Results from Monday

Carolina 7, Santurce 6

Santurce very nearly erased their 7-2 deficit. Very nearly. Delino DeShields went 0-4 with 2 strikeouts.

As for Carolina, Carlos Corporán went 2-4 with 2 runs scored. Both of his hits were doubles, and one of them drove in a run in the 4th.

Tonight, Santurce will host Caguas, while Carolina will be on the road to face Mayagüez. Both games will take place at 7:30 Atlantic.

Happy Birthday - 11/25

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Erasmo Pinales (20)
Pinales, an international free agent from the Dominican Republic, pitched only 2/3 of an inning in 2013, but made up for it in his first real season of play in 2014. In 15 games (14 starts) in the Dominican Summer League, Pinales was 3-1 with a 2.13 ERA and a 0.949 WHIP. He walked 18 batters and struck out 63 in 71.2 innings of work.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

RF/3B/2B Jimmy Paredes (26)
Originally from the Dominican Republic and signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent in 2006, Jimmy Paredes came to the Astros organization in the Lance Berkman trade in 2010. In 118 games spread over 2011 through 2013, Paredes hit .234/.274/.311. After being claimed off waivers by the Marlins, Orioles and Royals, the Orioles reacquired him in July 2014.

1B Rafael Batista (died October 25, 2008 at age 62)
Batista was drafted from Atlanta in the minor league draft in November 1967. In 22 games for Houston in 1973 and 1975, he hit .280/.308/.320. After his time with the Astros, Batista played in the Mexican League for nine seasons.

RHP John Johnstone (46)
Originally drafted by the Mets in the 20th round in 1987, Johnstone signed as a free agent with the Astros in December 1995. In nine appearances for the Astros in 1996, he had a 5.54 ERA and a 1.692 WHIP. His best seasons were for the Giants in 1998 and 1999 when he had a 2.87 ERA and a 1.158 WHIP in 132 appearances.

RHP Octavio Dotel (41)
Dotel came to Houston from the Mets in a December 1999 trade and pitched for the Astros from 2000 to 2004. In 302 appearances, he was 22-24 with a 3.24 ERA, 1.169 WHIP and 42 saves. Dotel went to Oakland in a three-team trade in June 2004 that brought Carlos Beltran to the Astros. Dotel played for a total of 13 teams over 15 seasons.

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Monday, November 24, 2014

Baseball America Astros Top 10 Prospect List

Unfortunately, no time for analysis or reflection, but here is BA's Top 10 Astros Prospect List "hot off the presses." Enjoy!

Happy Birthday - 11/24

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Francis Martes (19)
Originally signed by the Marlins out of the Dominican Republic, Martes came to the Houston organization as a part of the July 2014 trade that sent Jarred Cosart, Kiké Hernandez and Austin Wates to Miami. In his second professional season with the Gulf Coast League, he had a combined (between the Miami and Astros system) 4.09 ERA and 1.295 WHIP. For the GCL Astros, he had a 0.84 ERA and a 0.727 WHIP in four appearances (three starts).

One former Astro celebrates the day as well ~

RHP George Throop (64)
A 16th round pick by the Royals in 1972, Throop came to Houston in an April 1979 trade. In 14 games for the Astros that season, he had a 3.22 ERA and a 1.559 WHIP.

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Sunday, November 23, 2014

Astros Fall and Winter League Recaps

Results for Saturday, November 22, 2014

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

Brisbane Bandits 7, Adelaide Bite 2

Adelaide was thwarted in its bid for a sweep. Chan-Jong Moon went 0-2 with 2 walks and a strikeout.

Next weekend, the Bite will be in the capital, Canberra for 4 against the Cavalry. The first game will be played on Thanksgiving. No, Australians don't celebrate Thanksgiving. That what my aunt told me.

LIGA VENEZOLANA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL

Tiburones de La Guaira 6, Leones del Caracas 4

L.J. Hoes got the start in CF and went 1-4 for the capital club, while Danry Vásquez entered the game as a defensive replacement in the 7th and struck out in his only plate appearance.

In the early game today, Caracas will host Lara at 4:00 Venezuelan time.

LIDOM

Toros del Este 4, Tigres del Licey 3

Teoscar Hernandez appeared as a pinch-runner in the 7th and came around to score. Toros put up 3 in that inning to turn a 3-1 deficit into what turned out to be the final score.

Toros will take on Escogido at 5:00 Atlantic.

Estrellas del Oriente 3, Águilas Cibaeñas 1

Jonathan Villar went 1-4 with a couple of Ks for Águilas, who will be in the capital to take on Licey. First pitch is also at 5:00 Atlantic.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Águilas de Mexicali 10, Charros del Jalisco 4

Leo Heras had a double in 4 at-bats for Jalisco. They scored first, but Mexicali responded with 10 runs that were left unanswered until the 9th.

Jalisco and Mexicali will wrap up their series at 3:00 Pacific.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Both games on the slate for Saturday were rained out. Today, Caguas will host Santurce, while San Juan takes on Mayagüez. Both games are scheduled for 4:15 Atlantic.

Happy Birthday - 11/23

No future Astros with birthdays today, but these former Astros mark the day ~

RHP John Anderson (died December 20, 1998 at age 69)
Obtained from the Cardinals in a May 1962 trade with St. Louis, Anderson pitched in 10 games for the Colt .45's in 1962 with a 5.09 ERA and a 1.642 WHIP.

OF Colin Porter (39)
A 17th round draft pick by the Astros in 1998, Porter played in 24 games for Houston in 2003, hitting .188/.212/.188. He was claimed off waivers by St. Louis in January 2004 and hit .314/.314/.429 in 23 games for the Cardinals that year. He went on to play in the Yankees and Diamondbacks organizations in 2005, but never made it back to the bigs.

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Saturday, November 22, 2014

Astros Fall and Winter League Recaps

Results for Friday, November 21, 2014

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

Adelaide 5, Brisbane 2

With the win, the Bite took the series. They put up a pair in the 5th and one more in the 6th to take a 3-0 lead, and after the Bandits whittled that lead down to 1, Adelaide got 2 more in the 8th for insurance. Chan-Jong Moon went 1-4, while Tyler Brunnemann got the save by retiring all 5 Bandits he faced, striking out 1.

The Bite will look for the sweep at 1:00 Australian Central Time. That's 8:30 PM tonight in Houston.

LIGA VENEZOLANA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL

Caracas 3, Bravos 2

Danry Vásquez had to leave the game in the 4th due to a groin injury. L.J. Hoes came through with a big 2-run single in the bottom of the 7th, which pushed the Caracas lead to 3-0. Hoes had a hand in all 3 Caracas runs; he scored the first run of the game on a groundout in the bottom of the 4th.

Tonight, Caracas will be in La Guaira. First pitch is at 7:00 Venezuelan time.

LIDOM

Águilas 3, Escogido 2

Jonathan Villar finished 0-2 with a walk, a run scored, and a strikeout for Águilas.

Águilas' roadtrip continues against Estrellas at 7:30 Atlantic.

Estrellas 2, Licey 1

Domingo Santana got the start in LF for Licey and finished 0-3.

Licey will be out east, as they'll face Toros at 7:30 Atlantic.

Gigantes 5, Toros 1

Teoscar Hernandez's slump continued with an 0-4 night for Toros. Jandel Gustave was the first man out of the Gigantes bullpen and he got the win after throwing 2 perfect frames, striking out 1.

Gigantes is in the capital; they're taking on Escogido at 5:00 Atlantic.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Mexicali 6, Jalisco 2

Leo Heras went 0-4 with 2 strikeouts out of the leadoff spot for Jalisco.

This series continues at 6:00 Pacific.

Culiacán 10, Mazatlán 4

Gonzalo Sañudo was the first man out of the Culiacán pen; he was charged with a blown save because he allowed a solo homer to Erick Rodriguez in the 6th, which tied the game at 4. However, los Tomateros scored 6 unanswered to close out the game, and Sañudo was given the W. That homer was the only hit he allowed in the 6th; he also struck out 2.

These two teams will play once again, at 6:00 Mountain.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Caguas 3, San Juan 2

Edwin Medina, who was the Astros' 33rd-round pick in the 2014 draft, made an appearance in the 9th as a pinch-runner for San Juan.

San Juan will host Santurce in the local derby. First pitch is at 7:30 Atlantic.

Mayagüez 0, Carolina 0 through 5.5 innings

Carolina has a runner on 1st. This game was suspended due to rain. Jobduan Morales is currently 0-2 with a K for Carolina.

Carolina will take on Caguas at 7:30 Atlantic.

Happy Birthday - 11/22

No future Astros with birthdays today, but these former Astros celebrate the day ~

OF Joe Gaines (78)
Obtained in a June 1964 trade with the Orioles, Gaines Played for the Colt .45's in 1964 and the Astros in 1965 and 1966. In 200 games, he hit .239/.304/.372.

LHP Wade Blasingame (71)
Blasingame came to Houston in a June 1967 trade with Atlanta and pitched for Houston from 1967 to 1972. In 116 games (62 starts), he was 17-28 with a 4.84 ERA and a 1.478 WHIP.

RHP Oscar Villarreal (33)
Villarreal was traded to Houston from Atlanta in November 2007. In 35 games for the Astros in 2008, he had a 5.08 ERA and a 1.566 WHIP. Since playing for Houston, he has played in the Seattle, Colorado, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Baltimore and Boston organizations (with a couple side trips to the Mexican League), but has yet to make it back to the major leagues.

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Friday, November 21, 2014

Astros Fall and Winter League Recaps

Results for Thursday, November 20, 2014 (and one from today)

Also, a week's worth of Liga Paralela games.

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

Adelaide 14, Brisbane 6

The Bite took the opener in a romp, scoring in 5 consecutive innings (2nd-6th) and emerged from that stretch with a 13-2 lead. Chan-Jong Moon finished 2-4 with a solo homer (2) in the 4th, an RBI single in the 5th, and scored 2 runs.

From today: Adelaide 6, Brisbane 5

With the win, the Bite head into the weekend portion of the series with a chance to win it. Moon finished 1-4. Tyler Brunnemann was the second reliever out for Adelaide and he pitched 1.1 innings, getting all 4 of his outs via strikeout. He also allowed a run on 2 hits and walked 1.

Tomorrow/today, these two teams will continue their series at 7:00 Australian Central Time.

LIGA VENEZOLANA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL

Caracas 12, Magallanes 3

Caracas scored a touchdown in the 1st, tacked on the extra point in the 2nd, and then got a field goal in the 5th, and finally, a safety in the 8th as they got a nice road win.

L.J. Hoes had 3 doubles in 4 at-bats, and 2 of those drove in 2 runs. The first one came in the 1st, and the other came in the 5th. He also led off the 3rd with a 2-bagger. Danry Vásquez extended his hitting streak to 6 games with an RBI single in the 5th. He'd come around to score on Hoes' double.

Tonight, the capital club returns home, where they will host Bravos at 7:30 Venezuelan time.

LIGA PARALELA

Really, Nestor Tejada is the only player in the system who is getting significant playing time in the Liga Paralela.

On Monday, he went 1-4 and scored 3 runs in the Little Lions' 13-0 shellacking of Zulia, and yesterday, he was 1-1 with 3 walks and 2 runs scored as Caracas topped Zulia again, this time by a 9-2 scoreline.

Later this morning, Caracas will take on Magallanes. First pitch is at 11:00 AM Venezuelan time.

LIDOM

Estrellas 3, Toros 2

Teoscar Hernandez went 0-3 with a strikeout for Toros.

Tonight, Toros will host Licey. First pitch is at 7:30 Atlantic.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Jalisco 9, Navojoa 2

Leo Heras doubled in 5 at-bats, scored a run, and drove in a run on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the 8th.

The Horsemen will spend the weekend in Mexicali. The opening game of the series is tonight, at 6:00 Pacific.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Caguas 8, Carolina 0

All Caguas in this one. Roberto Peña went 0-3 with a walk and a strikeout, while Carlos Corporán went 1-2 for Carolina.

Caguas will be in San Juan, while Carolina will host Mayagüez. Both games will take place at 7:30 Atlantic.

Mayagüez 6, Santurce 4 in 11 innings

Delino DeShields went 1-4 with a run scored for Santurce.

Santurce will be back in action tomorrow as they take on San Juan.

Happy Birthday - 11/21

Happy Birthday to ~

OF Luis Vasquez (21)
Vasquez is in his second professional season, having played his first in the Tampa Bay organization. In 55 games for the Dominican Summer League Astros, he hit .211/.291/.289. He is from the Dominican Republic.

LHP Chris Cotton (24)
Drafted by Houston in the 14th round in 2013 out of LSU, Cotton pitched for Quad Cities for the vast majority of the 2014 season, receiving a late call-up to Lancaster. In a total of 35 appearances, he had a 4.01 ERA and a 1.234 WHIP. He walked 11 batters and struck out 50 in 58.1 innings of work.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

RHP Gary Wilson (60)
A first round pick for the Astros in 1976, Wilson's entire major league career consisted of seven and a third innings pitched in 6 games for Houston in 1979 with a 12.27 ERA and a 2.864 WHIP.

SS/2B Tripp Cromer (47)
Originally drafted by the Cardinals in the third round in 1989, Cromer first signed with Houston as a free agent in December 1999. In 12 games for the Astros in 2000 and 2003, he hit .167/.231/.333.

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Thursday, November 20, 2014

Some Thoughts on Astros Protected Players and the Rule 5 Draft

[UPDATE: Well, Astros front office weirdness rears its head again after I went to bed early and missed all the fun. I'm not necessarily buying the circuitous logic and explanation behind the way things went down, but they did the right thing in protecting Michael Feliz, albeit at the last minute. He would have been drafted and taking the chance that he wouldn't stick was a big one to take.]

Just some quick thoughts about the players that were and weren't protected on the 40-man roster by the Astros in advance of the Rule 5 draft on December 11th:

RHP Vince Velasquez needed to be protected, and was. As I wrote in my earlier post on this subject, if Velasquez can stay healthy during 2015, he could very well be a September call-up, but in any event, he should be challenging for a 25-man roster spot out of Spring Training in 2016. IF HE STAYS HEALTHY.

IF Ronald Torreyes had a tremendous season at AAA and does have a great deal of versatility. The Astros see him as major-league ready and I would agree with that. However, I would not have protected him (as the Astros did) instead of protecting Michael Feliz. Torreyes' best position is second base, a position currently occupied by a certain Silver Slugger winner.

[UPDATE: FELIZ IS NOW PROTECTED.] Which brings us to RHP Michael Feliz. I know what the front office is thinking, "Yeah, he'll probably get drafted, but going from Low A to the major leagues is an awfully big step. I don't think he'll stick." I tend to agree with them, but if he does stick with the drafting team, this front office could end up being the one that lost the right-handed Johan Santana in the Rule 5 Draft (just as another Astros front office lost Santana himself). I'm not sure that I would have the stomach to make that decision. I had a little back-and-forth with John Manuel of Baseball America and, after I said that I wasn't as sure as he was that Feliz would stick with a team, he had this to say:

Yes, but ouch. Agreed. But ouch.

And I think that we have likely seen the last of LHP Tommy Shirley. He could fill a bullpen spot at the major league level immediately. When he was moved to the bullpen in Oklahoma City at the end of the season, he did extremely well. And he's not just a LOOGY. He can handle right-handed hitters equally well. I hope I'm wrong about Shirley because I really like his upside.

Others are concerned about OF Delino DeShields. I think that was another calculated risk based on his level of readiness for the majors and the number of outfielders at the high levels of the Astros farm system. I personally don't think he's ready for the major leagues right now and isn't likely to stick. Next year at this time, the story will likely be different.

C Roberto Pena has been mentioned as well. Jeff Luhnow told me last year that catchers are never drafted. That was before Adrian Neito was drafted by the White Sox and ended up sticking with them last season. I am somewhat worried about Pena now because he is such an elite defender.

Here is my post with some of the other players who are now at risk (assuming that there are no further changes before the deadline). Keep one thing in mind when looking at this. Every other team is also fighting with roster numbers and trying to keep flexibility in case the right free agent or trade comes along. Yes, the Astros will probably lose someone this year, but they aren't going to lose every one of these players. Other teams are as anxious to protect their players as the Astros are. Everyone is calculating the risks involved.

Astros Fall and Winter League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, November 18, 2014, and Wednesday, November 19, 2014

LIGA VENEZOLANA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL

Tuesday: Caracas 5, Aragua 4 in 10 innings

L.J. Hoes had a nice night as he went 3-5, but it was Danry Vásquez who was the hero for Caracas on Tuesday as he tied the game with an RBI single in the bottom of the 8th and ended it in the first extra frame with a solo shot, his 3rd of the season. Danry finished 4-5 and also added 2 triples, the first of which drove in a run in the 2nd.

Wednesday: Caracas 12, Aragua 11

The capital club fought out of an 8-4 deficit after the 3rd inning and outscored Aragua 8-2 over the final 3 innings and walked off with another win. Danry extended his hitting streak to 5 games as he went 2-4 with a walk and a run scored. L.J. Hoes also finished 2-4; he scored twice.

Caracas is in Valencia for a game against Magallanes tonight at 7:30 Venezuelan time.

LIDOM

Results from Tuesday

Estrellas 1, Licey 0

Ruben Sosa appeared as a pinch-runner for Licey in the 7th. He did not remain in the game. Domingo Santana finished 1-3 with a strikeout.

Águilas 7, Escogido 3

Jonathan Villar finished 1-2 with 2 walks and a steal (5) for Águilas.

Toros 3, Gigantes 2

Jandel Gustave was the first man out of the Gigantes bullpen; he went 1.1 innings and allowed a run (inherited runner charged to him), 2 hits and walked 2. Toros scored a pair in the bottom of the 9th to walk off with the win.

Results from Wednesday

Toros 2, Águilas 1

Once again, Toros scored 2 in the bottom of the 9th to walk off with another win. Teoscar Hernandez entered the game as a pinch-runner in the 8th and remained in the game at CF. He did not appear at the plate.

In the only game in the Dominican tonight, Toros will take on Estrellas at 7:30 Atlantic.

Gigantes 6, Licey 3

Licey lost despite holding Gigantes to 5 hits. That's because they also committed 3 errors in the game, and now they've lost 5 straight. Domingo Santana hit a double in 4 at-bats and scored a run for Licey. The Santo Domingo clubs, Licey and Escogido, are bringing up the rear, while the two clubs that have traditionally been considered underachievers (Toros and Estrellas) top the LIDOM table.

Also something that's caught my eye in the standings... the two teams in the east are at the top, followed by the two teams representing the Cibao region, and then at the bottom are the capital clubs.

Licey will play Estrellas on Friday night, while Gigantes hosts Toros.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Results from Tuesday

Jalisco 8, Navojoa 6

Jalisco only scored in 2 innings, but they were a pair of 4-run innings. Leo Heras finished 1-3 with a double, a walk, and a run scored.

Mexicali 5, Culiacán 3 in 11 innings

Gonzalo Sañudo entered the game for los Tomateros in the 8th and proceeded to throw 2 scoreless, allowing 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 1.

Results from Wednesday

Jalisco 6, Navojoa 3

Leo Heras went 0-2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

The series concludes tonight at 7:00.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Results from Tuesday

Mayagüez 8, Santurce 0

Delino DeShields went 0-3 with a strikeout as Santurce got wiped out.

Results from Wednesday

Carolina 5, Santurce 3

For Carolina, Carlos Corporán finished 1-3 before being subbed out for a pinch-runner in the 9th. Jobduan Morales came on to catch in the bottom of the 9th.

Tonight, Carolina will host Caguas at 7:30 Atlantic.

Caguas 3, San Juan 1

At the bottom of the San Juan lineup, Nolan Fontana finished 0-2 with a walk.

San Juan will return to action tomorrow when they host Caguas.

Looking at the Astros 2005 Draft Class

Over the last few weeks, we've been looking back at some of the Astros draft classes to see where things stand. Today, we're going to set Mr. Peabody's Wayback Machine for 2005 because I decided that looking at a full 10 years of draft info would be interesting, plus I had a head start with help from posts written by friend of the blog Steve Duer (aka Appy Astros) back in the day. (Many thanks, Steve!) And if you don't know who Mr. Peabody is, shame on you!!!

One thing I think you'll notice from the 2005 Draft is that the depth problems in the Astros farm system didn't start with Timmy and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad 2007 Draft. The 2005 draft wasn't exactly awash with future superstars either.  Let's look at the numbers:

48 players drafted
32 players signed
0 players still in the Astros system
8 players still active in organized baseball in 2014*
4 made it to the major leagues (only two played in the majors in 2014)

23 position players drafted/19 signed
6 from high school/5 signed
5 from junior college/3 signed
12 from college/11 signed

25 pitchers drafted/13 signed
8 from high school/2 signed
4 from junior college/1 signed
13 from college/10 signed

*Of the 8 players who were still active in organized baseball in 2014, two are players who did not sign with Houston, but later signed with other teams, two were released, two left via free agency and two were traded. Only two played in the major leagues in 2014 (Barnes and Lindblom, with Lindblom only making one appearance at that level for the season). Three played for minor league affiliates of major league teams (Henriquez, Colla and Bogusevic) in 2014 and the final three played in independent ball (Clemens, Mitchell and Thompson).

Here is a little on each of them. Players who were still playing in 2014 are in bold. The position shown is the position at which the player was drafted, and I have also indicated in parentheses whether they were drafted out of high school (HS), junior college (JC) or college (C).

1. LHP Brian Bogusevic (C) - Left as a Free Agent in 2012

Bogusevic transitioned from a pitcher to an outfielder, making his major league debut on September 1, 2010 in that position. He left the Astros as a free agent at the end of 2012, signing with the Cubs and was subsequently traded to the Marlins in December 2013. He most recently signed with the Phillies as a free agent in October 2014. In 299 games in the major leagues, he has a .236/.313/.370 batting line. In 615 minor league games, he has hit .284/.371/.425.

1s. OF Eli Iorg (C) - Released in 2009

Iorg was drafted with a supplemental pick given in consideration of losing OF Carlos Beltran to free agency. In five seasons in the organization, he hit .273/.323/.445 before his July 2009 release.

2. C Ralph Henriquez (HS) - Traded in 2007

Henriquez played three seasons in the Astros organization before being traded to the Mets in December 2007 for LHP Josh Appell. He has since played in the Mets organization (2008 and 2009), Seattle (2010-2012), independent ball (2013) and the Pirates (2014). He is currently a minor league free agent and has a career batting line of .225/.264/.329.

3. SS Tommy Manzella (C) - Selected off waivers in 2011

Manzella was selected with the Mets third round pick (received as compensation for losing Beltran) and played in the Astros system for seven seasons, making his major league debut for Houston on September 8, 2009. He played in 90 games for the Astros in 2009 and 2010, hitting .224/.266/.262. He was selected off waivers by the Diamondbacks in August 2011 and subsequently played in the minor league systems of the Diamondbacks, Brewers, White Sox, Rockies and Blue Jays. He last played in 2013 and never made it back to the major leagues. His career minor league batting line was .254/.313/.354.

3. RHP Josh Lindblom (HS) - Did not sign

Lindblom was subsequently drafted by the Dodgers in the 2nd round in 2008 and made his major league debut for that team on June 1, 2011. He was later traded to the Phillies, Rangers and A's. He only appeared in one game for Oakland at the major league level in 2014. In 110 major league games from 2011 through 2014, he has a 3.82 ERA and a 1.317 WHIP.

4. OF Josh Flores (JC) - Released in 2010

Flores played in the system from 2005 until his release in June 2010, but missed all of 2008 with a knee injury. He went on to play independent ball in 2010 and 2011 and ended his career with a .277/.353/.430 batting line.

5. 3B Billy Hart (C) - Released in 2009

Hart was in the Astros system, playing third base and left field, for four seasons prior to his release in March 2009. He ended with a .267/.352/.399 batting line. The Baseball America database shows that Hart signed with the Yankees in June 2012 and was released by them in October 2012, but it does not appear that he ever played in a game for them. But the Wharton School of Business graduate got his foot in the door with the organization and most recently was the Assistant Director of Baseball Operations for the Yankees.

6. OF Brandon Barnes (JC) - Traded in 2013

Barnes played in the Astros organization for nine seasons, making his major league debut on August 7, 2012. He was traded, along with Jordan Lyles, to the Rockies for Dexter Fowler in December 2013. In 311 major league games to date, he has hit .242/.286/.365.

7. SS Timothy Johnson (HS) - Released in 2007

Johnson played for three seasons in the Astros system, followed by three years in independent ball. He ended his career with a .209/.283/.281 batting line in 278 games.

8. 3B Koby Clemens (HS) - Left as a Free Agent in 2011

Clemens, once considered a top prospect in the organization, went from third base to catcher to first base to corner infielder during his seven seasons with the Astros. After leaving in free agency at the end of 2011, he signed with the Blue Jays organization in 2012. After his release in September 2012, he signed with the Independent League Sugar Land Skeeters where he has played at catcher through the 2014 season. In 10 total seasons, he has hit .257/.353/.451.

9. RHP Jordan Meaker (HS) - Did not sign

Meeker was drafted by the Diamondbacks and played two seasons in that organization before his release in October 2009. In 55 games, he had a 4.08 ERA and a 1.557 WHIP.

10. OF Allen Langdon (HS) - Released in 2007

Langdon played in the Astros system for two seasons and one additional season in independent ball in 2008 and ended his career with a .249/.335/.352 batting line.

11. LHP Cory Lapinski (C) - Released after 2006 season

Lapinski pitched in the organization for two seasons and had a very brief stint in independent ball in 2009, ending with a 4.32 ERA and a 1.467 WHIP.

12. RHP Tip Fairchild (C) - Released and left via free agency in 2009

Fairchild pitched for the Astros for parts of five seasons, around his 2007 Tommy John surgery and was released by the Astros in March of 2009. After pitching in 24 games in independent ball that year, he was re-signed by the organization and pitched in another eight games before being granted free agency in November 2009. He ended his career with a 4.73 ERA and a 1.353 WHIP in 104 games.

13. SS Eric King (C) - Released in 2007

King played for three seasons in the system before being released in December 2007. He ended his career with a .254/.321/.326 batting line in 248 games.

14. 1B Mark Ori (C) - Released in 2010

Ori played for six seasons in the organization and one more in independent ball after his November 2010 release. In 696 career games, he hit .278/.349/.389.

15. RHP Eric Sheridan (JC) - Released in 2006

Sheridan only appeared in 18 games in 2005 (5.44 ERA and 1.583 WHIP) prior to his his May 2006 release by the Astros, but went on to pitch another couple of seasons in the Oakland organization. He also pitched in independent league ball in 2008, 2009 and 2013, ending his career with a 5.03 ERA and a 1.609 WHIP in 302.2 innings.

16. OF Aaron Bulkley (C) - Released after the 2006 season

Bulkley played in the Astros organization for two seasons and then played one season in independent ball, ending with a .222/.317/.310 batting line.

17. C Andrew Kroeker (C) - Released after the 2006 season

Kroeker spent two seasons in the Astros system, ending with a .242/.329/.371 line in only 24 games.

18. RHP Brian Needham (HS) - Did not sign

Needham was re-drafted by the Mets in the 28th round in 2009 and played in that organization for two seasons with a 5.70 ERA and a 1.796 WHIP.

19. RHP Drew Himes (C) - Released after 2005 season

Himes pitched only one season for the Astros (6.37 ERA and 1.528 WHIP) and then played three additional seasons in independent ball. He had a lifetime 5.61 ERA and 1.514 WHIP.

20. RHP Ryan Mitchell (HS) - Released in 2007

Mitchell was released in 2007 after two seasons for the Greeneville Astros and went on to play eight seasons in independent ball. He was still active in 2014 and had a lifetime 4.64 ERA and 1.401 WHIP.

21. LHP Scott Sarver (C) - Released in 2006

Sarver was released during the 2006 season and went on to play in independent ball in 2006 and 2007, ending his career with a 4.20 ERA and 1.536 WHIP.

22. OF T.J. Steele (HS) - Did not sign

Steele did not sign in 2005, but did sign in 2008. He was released by the Astros in May 2012 and then signed on briefly with the Padres organization before being released by them in July 2012. In the 327 games of his career, he hit .247/.284/.379.

23. LHP Chris Blazek (C) - Released in 2010

Blazek pitched in the organization from 2005 through 2010, missing the 2009 season after suffering a torn labrum. He was released in late 2010 and ended with a 4.20 ERA and a 1.407 WHIP.

24. RHP Sean Walker (C) - Released in 2009

Walker pitched in the Astros system for four seasons before his release in March 2009. He had a 5.15 ERA and a 1.509 WHIP.

25. LHP Jacob Hurry (C) - Released in 2007

Hurry was released in 2007 after spending two seasons in the organization with a 4.69 ERA and a 1.302 WHIP.

26. 3B Michael Thompson (C) - Released in 2006

Thompson played in the Astros organization until his release in August 2006, spent one season in the Royals organization and has since played several seasons in independent ball. Through 2014, he has a .270/.321/.423 batting line.

27. RHP Matt Luca (C) - Did not sign

Luca went on to play his senior year for the University of Nevada at Las Vegas in 2006 and never played in affiliated baseball.

28. 2B Eric Baker (C) - Did not sign

Baker was drafted as a senior out of Mansfield University in Pennsylvania. He did not sign and it appears that he never played professionally.

29. RHP Jamie Gant (C) - Released after the 2006 season

Gant had a 4.35 ERA and a 1.449 WHIP in 51 games pitched over two seasons in the Astros system.

30. RHP Matt Hirsh (C) - Released in 2006

Hirsch was released in Spring 2006 after pitching only one season in the organization. He went on to pitch another two seasons in independent ball and ended his career with a 6.80 ERA and a 1.819 WHIP.

31. RHP Brad Stone (C) - Did not sign

Stone was drafted by the Marlins in the 12th round in 2006 and played five seasons in that organization and one more in independent ball in 2011, finishing off his career with a 4.03 ERA and a 1.349 WHIP.

32. 1B Cole Graham (JC) - Released in 2006

Graham played one season in the Astros system and one in independent ball in 2007, hitting a not-so-robust .201/.282/.288.

33. RHP Reid Kelly (HS) - Released in 2009

Drafted in 2005 as a DFE (draft, follow and evaluate) player, he did not sign with the Astros until May of 2006. He played in the system until his release in July 2009, sat out 2010, played in the White Sox organization in 2011 and in independent ball in 2012. In 133 games, he had a 3.89 ERA and a 1.267 WHIP.

34. OF Nathan Warrick (C) - Released in 2007

Warrick played two seasons in the organization and one in independent ball in 2007, hitting .274/.368/.316 in 143 games.

35. OF Andy Darnell (JC) - Released in 2008

Darnell was another DFE who did not sign until May 2006. He played two seasons in the system, ending his career with a .219/.289/.334 batting line.

36. OF Matt Cunningham (C) - Released after the 2006 season

Cunningham played for two seasons in the Astros system, hitting .245/.367/.379 in 141 games.

37. RHP Matt Bishop (C) - Did not sign

Bishop returned to Endicott College for his senior year, was not re-drafted and does not appear to ever have played professionaly.

38. RHP Mike Colla (HS) - Did not sign

Colla was subsequently drafted by the Pirates in the 14th round in 2008 and played in that system until his release in March 2013. After playing independent ball in 2013, Colla was picked up by the Rays organization in June 2013 and played in their system through 2014. He is currently a minor league free agent with a career 3.99 ERA and a 1.313 WHIP.

39. RHP Zachary Williams (JC) - Did not sign

Williams was drafted by the Astros in the 39th round in 2004 out of high school and again in the same round in 2005 out of junior college. He did not sign and it does not appear that he ever played professionally.

40. OF Collin Fanning (JC) - Did not sign

Fanning was re-drafted by the Cardinals in the 36th round in 2007 and only played one season in that organization, hitting .159/.266/.217.

41. OF Casey McClesky (JC) - Did not sign

McCleskey was drafted by the Astros in the 41st round in 2004 out of high school and again in the 41st round in 2005 out of junior college. He did not sign and it does not appear that he ever played professionally.

42. RHP Brandon Stricklen (C) - Released after the 2006 season

Stricklen played two seasons in the Astros system and ended with a 5.09 ERA and a 1.537 WHIP in 51 games.

43. RHP Jacob Hower (JC) - Did not sign

Hower went on to attend Fresno State, but was not re-drafted and does not appear to have ever played professionally.

44. LHP Nick Cobbler (JC) - Did not sign

Cobbler was drafted by the Astros in the 34th round in 2004 out of high school, in the 44th round in 2005 out of junior college and then was re-drafted by the Twins in 2007 out of another community college. He never signed and does not appear to have ever played professionally.

45. RHP Craig Herrforth (HS) - Did not sign

Herrforth was not re-drafted and does not appear to have ever played professionally.

46. LHP Wes Musick (HS) - Did not sign

Musick went on to be drafted in the 24th round out of the University of Houston by the Giants in 2008 (did not sign) and in the 9th round in 2009 by the Rockies for whom he played until his December 2010 trade (along with RHP Jonnathan Aristil) to the Astros for RHP Matt Lindstrom. He played in the Astros system until his release after the 2013 season, having missed large parts of the 2012 and 2013 seasons due to injury. He ended his career with a 3.82 ERA and a 1.276 WHIP.

Previous draft reviews:

2007 Draft
2008 Draft
2009 Draft
2010 Draft
2012 Draft

Happy Birthday - 11/20

No future Astros with birthdays today, but one former Astro celebrates the day ~

RHP C.J. "Don't Call me Chuckie" Fick (28)
A 15th round pick by the Cardinals in 2007, Fick was selected by Houston off waivers from St. Louis in July 2012. In 18 appearances for the Astros in 2012, he had a 4.30 ERA and a 1.783 WHIP. After a handful of appearances for Oklahoma City in 2013, Fick was released by Houston in June 2013. In 2014, he appeared in a handful of games for Tabasco in the Mexican League early in the season. Chuckie Fick should go down in history as the name most likely to get a tongue-tied broadcaster in a lot of trouble.

Tweet of the Day

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Happy Birthday - 11/19

No future Astros with birthdays today, but one former Astro was born on this day ~

RHP Aurelio Monteagudo (died November 10, 1990 at age 46)
The Cuban-born Monteagudo was purchased by Houston from the Kansas City Athletics in May 1966 and pitched in 10 games for Houston that season with a 4.70 ERA and a 1.630 WHIP.

Tweet of the Day

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Astros Fall and Winter League Recaps

Results for Monday, November 17, 2014

LIDOM

Estrellas 4, Águilas 1

This game was originally scheduled for November 4, but was rained out that day. 

Jonathan Villar finished 2-3 and opened up the scoring with a solo shot in the 3rd, his 3rd home run of the season. That turned out to be the only run that Águilas could muster up. 

Águilas' homestand concludes as they host Escogido, who is currently occupying the bottom of the LIDOM table. First pitch is at 7:30 Atlantic.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Santurce 7, Mayagüez 2

This game was also rained out on November 4. Santurce busted out in the top of the 6th with 5 runs.

For the Crabbers, Delino DeShields went 3-5 with a double and 2 runs scored.

These two teams will play again tonight; the only difference is a change of venue. First pitch is at 7:30 Atlantic. 

Happy Birthday - 11/18

Happy Birthday to ~

C Richard Gonzalez (21)
Drafted in the 29th round in 2014 out of Alabama State University, this native of Puerto Rico spent the vast majority of his first professional season in the Gulf Coast League with a late promotion to Greeneville for his final four appearances of the season. In 33 total games, he hit .207/.339/.293 and had a 29% caught stealing rate.

Numerous former Astros celebrate the day as well ~

OF Travis Buck (31)
Originally drafted by Oakland in the first round in 2005, Buck signed with Houston as a free agent in November 2011. Buck spent 33 games with the Astros in 2012, hitting .216/.284/.311. Buck has played in the San Diego minor league system for the last two seasons.

RHP Gil Rondon (61)
Originally drafted by the Orioles in the third round in 1973, Rondon was drafted by Houston from the Angels in the Rule 5 draft in 1975. In 19 games (seven starts) for the Astros in 1976, he was 2-2 with a 5.70 ERA and a 2.031 WHIP.

C Luis Pujols (59)
Signed by Houston as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 1973, Pujols played in 311 games for the Astros from 1977 to 1983, hitting .192/.239/.259. In 2014, Pujols managed the Orioles minor league High A team in the Carolina League.

RHP Jeff Heathcock (55)
A first round pick by the Astros in 1980, Heathcock pitched in 56 games (13 starts) for Houston in 1983, 1985, 1987 and 1988 with a 9-9 record, a 3.76 ERA and a 1.190 WHIP.

LF Steve Henderson (62)
Originally drafted by the Reds in the fifth round in 1974, Henderson came to Houston as a free agent in March 1988. In 42 games for the Astros that season, he hit .217/.321/.261. In his debut year of 1977 with the Mets, Henderson came in second to Andre Dawson in Rookie of the Year voting. His career batting line over 12 seasons was .280/.352/.413. In 2014, he was the hitting coach for the Phillies.

C Eddie "Scooter" Tucker (48)
A fifth round pick by the Giants in 1988, the Astros claimed Tucker off waivers from San Francisco in September 1991. In 34 games played for Houston in 1992, 1993 and 1995, he hit .157/.222/.217. He managed the Carolina Mudcats, the Cleveland High A affiliate, in 2014.

RHP Tom "Flash" Gordon (47)
Originally drafted by the Royals in the sixth round in 1986, Gordon came to Houston in an August 2002 trade with the Cubs. In 15 appearances for the Astros in 2002, he had a 3.32 ERA and a 1.105 WHIP. Gordon pitched in 21 major league seasons for eight different teams. In 1989 while pitching for the Royals, he came in second to Baltimore's Gregg Olson in Rookie of the Year Voting. He was a three-time All-Star for the Red Sox, the Yankees and the Phillies.

Tweet of the Day

Monday, November 17, 2014

Astros Fall and Winter League Recaps

I had some Sunday morning errands to run, so I couldn't get a recap going for Saturday's games, most notably the AFL Championship Game. So, this is a look at the weekend that was in the Fall and Winter Leagues. Hope it'll suffice.

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE

Championship Game: Salt River 14, Peoria 7

The Rafters captured the AFL crown thanks to a 7-run outburst after stretch time. 

Joe Sclafani capped off a fine AFL showing as he finished league play on a 12-game hitting streak. He went 2-3 with an RBI double in the 3rd, walked twice, and scored twice. Mitch Lambson got the final out of the 8th and the first 2 outs of the 9th. 

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

Saturday: Adelaide 3, Perth 2

Chan-Jong Moon finished 1-2 with a sac fly in the 5th.

Sunday: Perth 4, Adelaide 2

The Bite had to settle for the split as they were close to coming back, but no cigar. Tyler Brunnemann kept them in the game with 3.1 outstanding innings of relief, walking 1 and striking out 2. Chan-Jong Moon went 0-3 with a hat trick, but he also drew 2 walks.

Adelaide will host the Brisbane Bandits for 4 games beginning on Thursday.

LIGA VENEZOLANA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL

Saturday: Caracas 10, Aragua 2

This game was tied at 2 heading into the bottom of the 6th, but Caracas blew it wide open with 8 unanswered to close it out. Danry Vásquez tripled in 3 at-bats and also drew a walk.

Sunday: La Guaira 8, Caracas 1

The capital club got mauled as the 3 scoring innings they gave up to La Guaira were all crooked-numbered. Danry scored the lone Caracas run in the 2nd on a double from Yorvit Torrealba. L.J. Hoes entered the game as a defensive replacement in the 5th and finished out the game, going 1-2.

Tonight, Caracas will take on Aragua again. First pitch is at 7:30 Venezuelan time.

LIDOM

Results from Saturday

Toros 2, Licey 0

Former Astro Raul Valdes went the distance, allowing 5 hits, walking 1, and striking out 10 for Toros. Teoscar Hernandez entered the game as a defensive replacement in the 8th and struck out in his only plate appearance. 

Domingo Santana went 0-4 with a strikeout for Licey, while Ruben Sosa appeared as a pinch-runner in the 9th. 

Águilas 2, Estrellas 1 in 12 innings

Jonathan Villar had a tough night, going 0-5 with a hat trick at the plate and committing an error in the field. His team did pull out the extra-inning victory, though.  

Results from Sunday

Derby days!

Águilas 6, Gigantes 3

Jonathan Villar's rough stretch at the plate continued as he finished 0-4 with 2 strikeouts. 

Escogido 8, Licey 2

Ruben Sosa appeared as a pinch-hitter in the 9th. He singled and came around to score.

There are no games scheduled in the Dominican today.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Saturday: Culiacán 16, Jalisco 5

Jalisco was swamped early as they faced an 11-2 deficit after 3 innings, and they ended up never seriously threatening. Leo Heras finished 1-4 and grounded into a force out that scored Jalisco's 1st run of the game in the 3rd inning.

Sunday: Culiacán 6, Jalisco 3

Gonzalo Sañudo was the first man out of the Culiacán pen; he worked around a hit and a walk to throw a scoreless 5th, striking out 1. Leo Heras went 0-3 with a walk for Jalisco.

Culiacán will begin a 3-game set with Mexicali tonight at 7:30 Mountain, while Jalisco will return to action tomorrow when they host Navojoa in the first of 3 games.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Results from Saturday

Carolina 6, Santurce 0

Los Gigantes broke a scoreless tie with 4 in the 7th, which proved to be enough. They tacked on a pair in the 9th for good measure. 

Carlos Corporán doubled in 4 at-bats and drew a walk for Carolina, while Delino DeShields got the start in LF for Santurce and finished 0-3 with a K.

Results from Sunday

Caguas 8, Santurce 7 in 10 innings

Roberto Peña finished 2-4 for Caguas, who walked off with the win in the first extra frame. 

Caguas will have today off; they'll host San Juan tomorrow. Santurce will be in Mayagüez in the only game on the slate in Puerto Rico today.

Carolina 4, San Juan 1

Nolan Fontana finished 1-4 with 2 Ks for San Juan, and Carlos Corporán opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 2nd. He'd come around to score one batter later. 

Carolina will be back in action on Wednesday when they take on Santurce.

Astros Arizona Fall League Season Review

Eight minor league players represented the Astros as a part of the Salt River Rafters team in the Arizona Fall League. Here is how they fared. (Click on their names for a link to their AFL stats.)

C Tyler Heineman - Heineman only played in three games and was sent home early due to a stubborn eye infection.

3G .400/.571/.400
2BB 1SO

IF/OF Joe Sclafani - Sclafani was a bit of a breakout star for the team, having signed on as a taxi squad member, slated to play only one or two days a week, but ending as an everyday player. Because he did not play regularly early in the season, he did not have enough at-bats to qualify as a league leader, but his .370 average would have led the league and he would have been in the top five in both OBP and SLG.

In the Championship Game on Saturday, Sclafani was 2-for-3 with a double, RBI, two walks, two runs scored and a strikeout as the DH.

12G .370/.431/.543
5-2B HR 10RBI 5BB 11SO 1SB

OF Andrew Aplin - Aplin more than held his own and had an OBP that was in the top 15 in the league. According to our Arizona correspondent, he also provided the plus defense that we have come to expect from him.

19G .269/.388/.358
2B 3B HR 9RBI 12BB 18SO 4SB 5CS

3B Rio Ruiz - Ruiz, at 20, was among the younger players in the league. But I don't think it was his age that kept his numbers down. I personally think he just ran out of gas. He peaked with a .267 batting average in his eighth game of the season and then just slid downhill from there.

21G .187/.292/.227
3-2B 7RBI 12BB 17SO 1CS

RHP Mark Appel - Appel led the league in innings pitched and his 0.839 WHIP was 8th among qualified pitchers. His very solid performance in the Fall League should go a long way toward addressing any doubts about his abilities.

31IP 2.61 ERA 0.839 WHIP
8BB 24SO

LHP Mitch Lambson - Lambson had an excellent fall season, ending the year with an ERA ranking 7th in the league and a WHIP ranking 10th. He pitched one perfect inning (with one strikeout) in the Championship game.

14.1IP 1.26 ERA 0.907 WHIP
7BB 17SO

RHP Tyson Perez - Perez showed us that his excellent numbers in Corpus Christi following his late May 2014 promotion were not a fluke. Perez ranked 3rd in ERA and 6th in WHIP. He walked only one batter in his 14.1 innings of work.

14.1IP 0.63 ERA 0.837 WHIP
1BB 11SO

RHP Vince Velasquez - Velasquez had a mixed bag of a season. He had his best outing on October 21st as he pitched four innings, allowing only one hit, no walks and no runs while striking out two. He was pulled on November 4th after only two-thirds of an inning after suffering a lat strain, thus prematurely ending his season.

13.2IP 6.59 ERA 1.244 WHIP
3BB 13 SO

The Salt River team was chosen as the guinea pig for the pace of game rules being tested for possible inclusion in the major leagues. According to the link, the rules clipped approximately 10 minutes off games.

The Rafters led the league in batting average, on-base percentage, ERA and WHIP, finished with a league best 17-11-4 record and, of course, won it all in the Championship Game on Saturday.

Get used to this "winning" thing. It will soon be coming to a Major League ballpark near you.

Happy Birthday 11/17

Happy Birthday to ~

OF/1B Jon Kemmer (24)
Drafted by the Astros in the 21st round in 2013 out of Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, Georgia, Kemmer split his 2014 season between Quad Cities and Lancaster. In 91 games between the two venues, he hit .291/.345/.523 with 25 doubles, two triples, sixteen home runs and 50 RBI. An injury (broken fibula) in late August ended his season early.

Several former Astros mark the day as well ~

OF Trevor Crowe (31)
Originally drafted by Cleveland in the first round in 2005, Crowe came to Houston as a free agent in November 2012. In 60 games for Houston in 2013, he hit .218/.287/.291. He last played in the Detroit minor league system, but was released by that team in July 2014.

LHP Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams (50)
An eighth round pick by San Diego in 1982, Williams came to Houston in a December 1993 trade with the Phillies. He pitched in 25 games for Houston in 1994 with a 7.65 ERA and a 2.250 WHIP. His best season was his All-Star season with Chicago in 1989 when he had a 2.76 ERA in 76 appearances for the Cubbies. Here's a "video" with still photos showing his eccentric buried head wind-up and his fall-off-the-mound delivery.  About 45 seconds in, you can see him in all his full mulleted glory wearing Astros gear.

RHP Bruce Von Hoff (died September 11, 2012 at 68)
Von Hoff was drafted from the Giants in 1964 and pitched in 13 games for Houston in 1965 and 1967 with a 5.06 ERA and a 1.594 WHIP.

RHP Dan Osinski (died September 13, 2013 at 79)
Purchased from the White Sox in December 1969, Osinski pitched in only three games for Houston at the end of his career in 1970 with a 9.82 ERA and a 1.909 WHIP. In eight seasons for six different teams, he had a 3.34 ERA and a 1.391 WHIP in 324 appearances.

RHP Jim Mann (40)
Mann signed with Houston as a free agent in January of 2001 and pitched in 21 games for the Astros in 2001 and 2002 with a 3.95 ERA and a 1.207 WHIP.

IF Scott Moore (31)
Drafted out of a Long Beach, California high school in the first round by Detroit in 2002, Moore signed with Houston as a free agent in November 2011. In 72 games for the Astros in 2012, he hit .259/.330/.448 with 11 doubles and nine home runs. He played in the Cardinals minor league system
in 2014.

Also, a Very Happy Birthday to friend of WTHB and sometimes blogger, none other than the extremely brilliant, highly excitable, ever passionate and over-the-top humorous Houston Sports Counterplot, aka Andy (aka the guy that brought you Jeff Luhnow in a Lady Gaga meat dress).

Tweet of the Day

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Happy Birthday - 11/16

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Joselo Pinales (20)
An international free agent from the Dominican Republic, Pinales started his 2014 season with the Dominican Summer League team, but was quickly promoted to the Gulf Coast League Astros. In 17 games (eight starts), he had a 4.58 ERA and a 1.254 WHIP.

Three Former Astros celebrate the day as well ~

LHP Rob Mallicoat (50)
A first round pick by Houston in 1984, Mallicoat pitched in 51 games for the Astros in 1987, 1991 and 1992 with a 5.70 ERA and a 1.752 WHIP.

RHP Dwight "Doc" Gooden (50)
Originally drafted by the Mets in the first round in 1982, Gooden signed with Houston as a free agent in January 2000 and pitched in only one game for the Astros that season before being purchased by Tampa Bay. Gooden is best remembered for his 11 seasons with the Mets, during which time he was Rookie of the Year (1984), N.L. Cy Young winner (1985) and a four-time All-Star among other noteworthy accomplishments.

SS Julio Lugo (39)
Drafted by the Astros in the 43rd round in 1994, Lugo played for Houston from 2000 until May 2003. In 366 games, he hit .268/.332/.391.

Tweet of the Day

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Astros Fall and Winter League Recaps

Results for Friday, November 14, 2014 (and a couple from today)

A friendly reminder that today is the Arizona Fall League Championship game. The Salt River Rafters will face the Peoria Javelinas at 1:08 P.M. Mountain time. I believe the game will be on the MLB Network.

IBAF 21U WORLD CUP

South Korea 8, Australia 7

The Aussies held a 7-3 lead after 5 innings, but the South Koreans rallied for a walk-off win. Jared Cruz got the start at 2B for Team Australia and went 0-2 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored.

Australia finishes the Super Round Robin with a 1-4 record and will finish in 5th place at the inaugural IBAF 21U Baseball World Cup.

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

Adelaide 3, Perth 2 in 6.5 innings

This game was called after the top of the 7th due to rain. Chan-Jong Moon finished 1-2 with a sac fly in the 5th, which put the Bite up 3-1.

The Bite will look to win the series tomorrow (this) afternoon. First pitch is at 1:00 Australian Central Time, or 8:30 P.M. tonight in Houston.

LIGA VENEZOLANA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL

Magallanes 5, Caracas 3

L.J. Hoes finished 0-5 with a strikeout as Caracas dropped its 3rd straight. They are finding November to be a struggle, as they've fallen to 4-8 this month.

Caracas now has a 4-game homestand, and in 3 of those 4, they'll play Aragua. First pitch is at 5:00 Venezuelan time.

LIDOM

Estrellas 4, Toros 3

A comeback was close, but no cigar for Toros. Teoscar Hernandez finished 0-3 with a walk, a run scored, and 2 strikeouts.

Toros will face Licey in the early game today. First pitch is at 5:00 Atlantic. More on Licey in a moment.

Gigantes 9, Águilas 8

Jandel Gustave got the win for Gigantes as he pitched 1.1 scoreless, allowing a hit. He got the final out of the 7th and pitched a scoreless 8th. For Águilas, Jonathan Villar finished 2-3 with a walk and a run scored.

Gigantes will host Escogido at 7:00 Atlantic, while in the late game, Àguilas will take on Estrellas at 7:30.

Escogido 6, Licey 5 in 11 innings

Domingo Santana entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the 9th inning and drew a walk. He would eventually come around to score as Licey was able to tie the game with 2 in the top of the 9th. Santana remained in the game at LF and finished 1-1.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Jalisco 4, Culiacán 3

Jalisco won the game despite having an equal amount of hits and errors: 3. Leo Heras went 0-2 with 2 walks and a run scored for Jalisco.

The series continues at 5:00.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Santurce 5, San Juan 0

Santurce broke a scoreless tie with 1 in the 7th, then sealed the deal with a 4-run 9th. Delino DeShields got the start in LF for Santurce and went 1-3 with a walk.

Tonight, los Cangrejeros (the Crabbers) will take on Carolina at 7:30 Atlantic.

Happy Birthday - 11/15

No future Astros with birthdays today, but these former Astros celebrate the day ~

LHP Randy Niemann (59)
A second round pick by the Yankees in 1975, Niemann came to Houston from New York in a June 1977 trade. In 48 appearances for the Astros in 1979 and 1980, he was 3-3 with a 4.32 ERA and a 1.420 WHIP. In September 1981, he was sent to the Pirates as a PTBNL in the August 1981 Phil Garner trade. He coached in the Cardinals AA minor league affiliate in 2014.

LHP Pedro Borbon (47)
Borbon came to Houston from Toronto in May of 2002 and pitched in 56 games for for the Astros that season with a 5.50 ERA and a 1.593 WHIP. I still cannot hear the name Pedro Borbon without thinking of this even though it referred to Borbon's father.

Tweet of the Day

Friday, November 14, 2014

Astros Fall and Winter League Recaps

Results for Thursday, November 13, 2014 (and a couple from today)

IBAF 21U WORLD CUP

Australia 9, Czech Republic 4

The Aussies bounced back from their loss to host Chinese Taipei by jumping out to an 8-0 lead on the Czechs, which was spurred by a 5-run 4th. Connor MacDonald entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the 5th and finished out the game in left field, going 1-3. Jared Cruz finished 3-4 with a sac fly in the 7th, scored a run, and stole a base.

Today, Australia will take on South Korea in their final Super Round Robin game. First pitch is at 6:30 P.M. Taipei time, which corresponds to 4:30 A.M. in Houston. Apparently, the games in the opening round count towards the Super Round Robin.

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE

Scottsdale 8, Salt River 5

Joe Sclafani went 2-4 with a double and a run scored to push his hitting streak to 11 games. Andrew Aplin finished 0-4 with a strikeout at the bottom of the lineup.

The Salt River Rafters will take on the Peoria Javelinas in the AFL Championship game tomorrow afternoon. First pitch is at 1:08 Mountain.

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

Adelaide 5, Perth 4

Chan-Jong Moon hit a double in 4 at-bats for the Bite and stole a base.

The series continues today (or tomorrow) at 7:00 Australian Central Time, which is 2:30 A.M. in Houston. Adelaide is 16.5 hours ahead of  American Central Time.

LIGA VENEZOLANA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL

Zulia 3, Caracas 1

Caracas continues to languish in the bottom half of the LVBP standings. Rough night for L.J. Hoes, as he finished 0-3 and struck out in all 3 of his at-bats. Danry Vásquez finished 1-3 and scored Caracas' only run of the evening in the 6th. That actually tied the game at 1, but Zulia responded with a pair in the bottom half of the inning.

The capital club's roadtrip concludes with a stop in Magallanes. First pitch is at 7:30 Venezuelan time.

LIGA PARALELA

Caracas 9, Navegantes 1

Nestor Tejada finished 1-5 with a run scored for the Little Lions.

Caracas is set to take on La Guaira in a matter of minutes.

LIDOM

Licey 8, Gigantes 6

Domingo Santana hit an RBI double in the 4th, an inning in which Licey scored 4 runs. They matched Gigantes' 3-run 1st with a 3-run 2nd of their own and took the lead with that 4-run 4th. Ruben Sosa appeared as a pinch-runner in the 8th and came around to score.

In the battle for Santo Domingo, Licey will travel to Escogido. First pitch is at 7:30 Atlantic.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Culiacán 5, Los Mochis 3 in 11 innings

Gonzalo Sañudo was the 4th Culiacán pitcher to appear; he struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 7th inning.

Los Tomateros will spend this weekend in Guadalajara, where they'll be taking on Jalisco. First pitch is at 7:00.

Hermosillo 4, Jalisco 0

Speaking of Jalisco, they were held to 2 hits in this shutout. Leo Heras went 0-4 with 3 strikeouts.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

San Juan 4, Carolina 0

René Garcia went 0-2 with a walk and a strikeout. Carlos Corporán pinch-hit for him in the 9th and struck out.

Carolina will return to action on Saturday when they travel to Santurce.

Mayagüez 6, Caguas 3

Roberto Peña got the start behind the plate for Caguas and went 2-4.

These two teams will play again tonight at 7:30; the only difference is a change of venue.


Happy Birthday - 11/14

No future Astros with birthdays today, but two former Astros celebrate ~

RHP Curt Schilling (48)
Originally drafted in the second round of the 1986 draft by Boston, Schilling came to Houston in 1991 in a trade (along with Steve Finley and Pete Harnisch) with the Orioles for Glenn Davis. He only played one season in Houston, pitching in 56 games with a 3.81 ERA and a 1.559 WHIP.  He was traded to the Phillies for Jason Grimsley (sigh). He went on, of course, to be a six-time All-Star and to win three World Series. In 19 post-season starts, Schilling was 11-2 with a 2.23 ERA and a 0.968 WHIP. (Heavy sigh.)

RHP Kent Bottenfield (46)
A fourth round pick by the Expos in 1986, Bottenfield came to Houston as a free agent in January of 2001. In 13 games pitched for the Astros in 2001, at the end of his career, he was 2-5 with a 6.40 ERA and a 1.481 WHIP. His best season was his 1999 All-Star season when he went 18-7 for the Cardinals.