18 Years, 2 Months and 8 Days

18 years, 2 months and 8 days.

That is longer than the following Astros minor leaguers have been on this Earth:

Ozziel Sanchez-Galan
Juan Robles
Miguelangel Sierra
Franklin Perez
Jose Carillo
Juan Pineda
Javier Navas
Felipe Tejada
Carlos Machado
Nestor Muriel
Hector Martinez
Jacques Sambo

Not to mention the July 2nd signings who haven't even played yet.

On October 22, 1997 ...

Carlos Correa was three years old.

Joe Musgrove had just turned five years old.

Dallas Keuchel would soon turn 10.

The Marlins were about to win the World Series.

Leonardo DiCaprio was set to become King of the World.

Princess Diana had recently died.

Seinfield was still on top.

There was no Google.

Bill Clinton was President.

Roger Clemens was about to win his 4th Cy Young Award.

That is a long time, particularly a long time to work in the same job, in the same office. For most of that 18 years, 2 months and 8 days, this was my view.

Heck, if I looked to the right I could even see the Astrodome peeking out from behind NRG Stadium. But I loved it best when the reflection of the sun setting in the west reflected off the Transco Tower (you can't make me call it the Williams Tower!).

I love that building.

Another advantage of my office was being able to watch the family of falcons that live on top of our building. It wasn't unusual to see them soaring around the area.

It was a lovely view. I very much appreciated it every day and I will miss it as I start the next chapter of my life today.

But, honestly, I will miss this view even more.

It's hard to leave behind people that you have come to love and care for. But it is time.

Earlier this week, I saw the family of falcons flying in circles, swooping and reeling and enjoying the sunshine. The sight somehow helped to reinforce in me the knowledge that I had gotten too comfortable with what I had been doing the last few years, that being kicked out of the nest by circumstances beyond my control was the best thing that could happen to me. It's time to re-invent myself. It's time to soar to new heights. It's time to find new views. It's time.

I will continue to re-invent the blog as well. I don't know what I'll be writing or when I'll be writing, but whatever direction it goes will probably be one that will keep things (and me) from getting too stale. Dustin has told me that he'll be back in the coming season with his amazing recaps. For that I am truly thankful. Hopefully, I can con a few other people into contributing from time to time. But there will always be interviews and profiles. I will continue to bring you the stories of these young men who are really just starting their journeys at the same time as my long lifetime journey has taken a little detour. I 'm not sure where it will all lead, but the road just got more interesting.

Happy New Year!

Jayne

Happy New Year!

The wonderful thing about the New Year is that it represents a slate wiped clean. It doesn’t matter what happened in the prior year. You feel that you have the power within you to make the New Year a better year than the last in one way or another, to make yourself better in one way or another. But we’re often very unrealistic in our resolutions and that sets us up for failure. Personally, I could resolve to floss every single day, but that would make me a liar within a week, and my dentist will attest to that.

But I think New Year’s Day and the idea of the blank slate particularly resonates with baseball fans. Because of the schedule, enough time has passed that the wounds from a rough season have started to heal and the hope represented by Spring Training beckons in the not so distant future. We have already passed the Baseball Solstice.

One of my followers on twitter asked me for my New Year’s prediction on how many more games the Astros will win in 2014 than they won in 2013. I chuckled and said, “Ask me after Spring Training. We don’t even know who will be on the team on Opening Day!” I will probably pull a prediction out of some bodily orifice at some point before the season starts, but there are so many variables going in to this season, that one can really only prognosticate at one’s own peril.

GM Jeff Luhnow has been working over the offseason to shore up a few holes, in particular the bullpen that blew a league high 29 saves in 2013. On paper, I really like what he’s done, but in reality, we all know that one injury, one career worst season can derail the most solid of plans. Luhnow’s resolution to have a better bullpen in 2014 is dependent on the whim of the baseball gods.

Things tend to happen, in baseball as in life, in their own way and in their own time. As one player fails, another succeeds. And it isn’t always the player you expect. Many prospect followers had written off Brett Oberholtzer before he put up an ERA of 2.76 and a 1.102 WHIP in 13 appearances (2.24 ERA and 1.057 in 10 starts) in his rookie season.

And then there is Josh Zeid. I first “talked” to Josh in an email interview in March 2012 and then I met him in Corpus Christi later that year. I loved talking to Josh and I loved watching him pitch. (His enthusiasm is infectious and he is seriously one of the biggest cheerleaders on every team he’s ever been on.) But his results on the mound in 2012 had me shaking my head at times. I knew he had the talent, but his inconsistency had me worried. Fast forward to 2013 and he was one of the most consistent bullpen arms in Oklahoma City and earned his way to a July call up to Houston where he not only survived, but thrived. Did anyone seriously anticipate all of that prior to the 2013 season?

My point, and yes there is one, is sometimes it’s just best to sit back and enjoy the journey. I trust that between the strength of the Astros farm system and the offseason moves made by Luhnow, we will see improvement on the field in 2014. How much? I truly believe that even Sig Mejdal and his Decision Scientists can’t really quantify the improvements because, you know, life and stuff happens. [Note to self: Try to trademark the band name “Sig and the Decision Scientists.”]

But that’s one of the reasons that I love looking at the lower levels of the farm system. Even the most talented of prospects sometimes flame out. The beauty of having depth in the system is that we get to watch an Andrew Aplin or a Brett Phillips or a Kyle Westwood or a Gonzalo Sanudo (or many, many others) and know that there are reserves on the way if the current crop of talent stumbles. There will be heroes from unexpected quarters over the next few years.

We, as Astros fans, should definitely expect a better year in 2014 than we saw in 2013, but there are no guarantees and no magic formulas. Baseball, much as life, is messy. Sometimes you win; sometimes you lose. Sometimes you catch a break; sometimes you don’t. But as long as you’re headed in the right direction, it’s OK. Let’s be realistic in our expectations and maybe, just maybe, we’ll be pleasantly surprised in 2014.

Personally, it is with great reluctance that I bid adieu to 2013. It was a year of wonderful things for me. A year in which I made many, many new friends and got to know the old friends just a little bit better. A year in which I found great happiness in the most unexpected of places. A year which taught me that you’re never too old to learn new things and to follow new dreams.

But forge ahead into the New Year, I will. And I will do so with the knowledge that new adventures await, that many of the strangers from yesterday will become the friends of tomorrow. I will leave you with one piece of advice. Follow your passion. Follow your dreams. You never know where they will lead, but I guarantee it’s one helluva fun ride getting there.

Happy New Year!!! May your 2014 be filled with happiness, health and the fulfillment of dreams.

Happy New Year All!

I would like to thank my readers for hanging with me in 2012 as I continued to explore the Astros road back to respectability in the minor leagues. 2013 is probably not going to be a pretty year at the big league level ... again. The move to the American League is going to be difficult and our young players are going to struggle at times.

But once all is said and done and 2013 is over, Jon Singleton, Jarred Cosart and Brett Oberholtzer (among others) will likely have some major league experience under their belts. The likes of George Springer, Delino DeShields, Mike Foltynewicz and Nick Tropeano will all be a year closer ... tantalizingly close. And the excellent draft class of 2012 will be a year older, wiser and more experienced. We can expect to see many of those college players fast-tracked through the system just as we saw with Andrew Aplin, Nolan Fontana and Kenny Long last year -- think Brady Rodgers, Aaron West and Tyler Heineman, among others. Coming up swiftly behind them will be the young guns -- Lance McCullers, Carlos Correa, Rio Ruiz, Adrian Houser and others.

And in between, there will be players who will open our eyes as they develop and meet their potential. Where will Ariel Ovando, Domingo Santana and others be a year from now? Can non-drafted free agents like Lance Day and Brian Blasik continue to impress? What can Vince Velasquez, Kyle Hallock and Jack Armstrong do when healthy? Can Jio Mier stay healthy and continue with the progress we saw in the Arizona Fall League? Will Jonathan Villar and Paul Clemens make that next step? What currently unheralded player will emerge from the shadows and show us star potential?

And of course, we'll have yet another number one draft pick and more players will come in to help strengthen the system. This time next year? I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to hear that the Astros have a top five farm system.

Yes, it may be another painful year in the major leagues. But there will be many more signs of hope, many more bright spots as we finally start to see the light at the end of a long, long tunnel. Don't blink. You don't want to miss it. Happy New Year!

Lance Day ‏@Lance_Day

Ever wonder where time goes? Holy shirts #NYE is over. 2012 is over. In a blink and a half it's gonna be this day next year. Don't miss it