2005 SEASON
JULY 11-14: ALL STAR BREAK
WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2005 – All Star Game
American League 7, National League 5
The American League won, as always, so let’s just get past that. When the Astros go to the World Series this year, they’ll just have to give up home field advantage.
The Astros were represented by 4 players: Roger Clemens for the 11th time, and three first-timers -- Brad Lidge, Roy Oswalt, and Morgan Ensberg.
I think Lidge and Oswalt were suitably impressed at the experience, but they had a sense of belonging there. But Ensberg seemed to be in la-la land, totally awed finding himself in such exalted company. He hadn’t expected to go, and then it was a dream come true. "I still don't feel comfortable too much in here," he said in the clubhouse. "I don't know what I'm doing here. You look around there's no question you see the top guys in the game. I just don't see myself as one of the top guys in the game." Clemens didn’t agree with that assessment: "Mo's our MVP right now and one of the main reasons why we have hope again in Houston.”
It would have been a better dream if he’d been the MVP, with a homer in that last at-bat. Instead he popped out in his first at-bat, and ended the game by striking out – swinging, with Mariano Rivera at the plate. At least he was aggressive. Ensberg would probably have been pissed off to strike out looking. He ended up playing first base.
Oswalt probably could have had a better dream too – he gave up 2 ER on 2 hits and a walk in his single inning of pitching. But he was in good company: Washington’s Livan Hernandez and Dontrelle Willis both gave up 2 runs, and John Smoltz gave up one. He had one really clunky moment on the mound, when a broken bat grounder sent both the bat head and the ball flying right at him. Oswalt’s 3rd inning appearance was the earliest that a “final vote” player had ever been brought into the All Star game.
Now Lidge, on the other hand, could not have hoped for a better dream: He was the most dominating pitcher of the night, striking out the side on 11 pitches in the 7th inning. Two balls and nine strikes swinging. The closest anyone came to hitting anything he threw was the last pitch, a foul tip. It’s hard to imagine how he could have had a better showing. Unless maybe he was doing that in the World Series… During the pre-game intros, Lidge waved, tipped his cap, and then tugged on his goatee – to say hello to his fellow Houston relievers. "I have a lot of love for my bullpen mates." he said. He didn’t have a special sign for his family: "My family knows I love them. [The bullpen] needs constant attention. They're insecure."
Clemens was totally Clemens: He had a 1-2-3 inning in the 5th. He went out, pitched his inning, looked relaxed and totally in charge. (Not like last year!) He volunteered to sit out the game to let some of the younger pitchers have the chance to play. But manager Tony La Russa convinced him to pitch the 5th inning. After all, the fans were there to see guys like him.
The Astros wore road greys.
Other All Star Game Notes:
- What was that stealth bomber doing, flying over the stadium? Weird. And also weird: I can understand giving our deepest sympathy to England, after this week’s London terrorist bombings. But why play the British national anthem? (Just pretend it’s My Country Tis of Thee…) They don’t even play baseball in England!
- Kenny Rogers was booed. Well-earned too.
- Livan Hernandez didn’t pitch as well as he’d have liked – gave up 2 ERs on 2 hits and a BB. But he did one great thing: He picked that annoying Ichiro off first. Ichiro may have to commit hari kari, from the shame.
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THURSDAY, JULY 13, 2005
On to the Second Half of the Season...
Here’s Alyson Footer’s “Fearless second-half prediction” from Astros.com:
“The Astros will contend for the Wild Card, but they won't be able to overtake the Braves, who will win the fourth playoff spot by two games.”
Well, she’s wrong. For one thing, the Braves will probably pull out the stops and take the NL East over the Nats. The Nationals are unlikely to be able to pull off a division championship if they can’t score more runs than they give up.
But who says the Astros will be Wild Card contenders? I say that the Cards slow down and the Astros take it all. And this time they beat the Braves and the Cards (the Wild Card team) for the pennant.
It’s premature to make predictions about the World Series…
I think that this coming week will set the tone: Opening the second half of the season with a road series against the Cards, the Astros are facing their toughest challenge. If they win this series, it will be a huge emotional boost for the team. I’m too superstitious to say what it will be if they get swept in St. Louis…
My near-term predictions: By the time the Astros get back to Houston on July 25:
- They win at least two of the three series (Cards, Pirates, Nationals) that are in this late July road trip – including the two Nats games that I will be attending.
- Taveras, Biggio, Berkman, and Ensberg all have batting averages over .300.
- Taveras has 5 more stolen bases, Bidge has 2 more HBPs, and Ensberg has 5 more homers.
- Oswalt has another complete game, Lidge has 12 more Ks, and Clemens doesn’t give up an ER on the road.
Okay, admittedly, I’m setting the bar pretty high here. Or maybe trying to will them into success. They can do it if they put their little minds and big brawn on it.
More Astros predictions: (Or more accurately, my wish list…)
- The Astros trade for another bat, but I’m not sure who’s available that would fill the bill. They need either a first baseman or a left fielder, with Lance Berkman taking whichever position is free, and Chris Burke going back on the bench to wait for Biggio to get old and/or tired. (Bruntlett will go back to Triple A.) But who would the Astros trade???
- Taveras will finish the season batting .301 with 30 bunt singles, 50 steals, and Rookie of the Year.
- Biggio will break through lots more all-time this and that lists, passing up HoF’ers right and left. He will finish the season batting .290 with 29 homers. He will be re-signed for another season. Maybe for two. Happy Birthday Craig.
- Berkman will get his home run swing back in order by the end of July, and will finish up the season batting .318 with 28 homers.
- Ensberg will finish the season batting .310 with 37 homers, as the Astros MVP.
- Lane and Everett will improve significantly at the plate. Lane will kick in with home runs, with 30 for the season. If they don’t trade him…
- Ausmus will improve a bit – and finish the season batting over .250.
- And as for my dear Jeff Bagwell… he’ll play at least a few games in September, but not at a level that’s good enough for the playoffs. I’ll see him come back stronger next March at Spring Training.
- The Astros will have one bad spell –10 or 12 days – in August. Other than that, they will be a kick-ass team in the second half.
Now for my Astros pitching Wish List:
- The Astros won’t trade Roger Clemens, even if the rest of July isn’t as awesome as I predict. Clemens will get 14 wins in the second half of the season, with the lowest ERA in the major leagues.
- Oswalt will have at least two more complete games this season. Maybe even a no-hitter. (Clemens won’t. And he won’t successfully steal a base either.) Oswalt will end the season with 23 wins, an ERA under 2.50, and the most innings pitched in the league. I’m voting for him for the Cy Young.
- Lidge will rack up the saves like crazy, with totally wacko numbers of strikeouts. His K/9 ratio will top 15. He’ll get the Cy Young next year.
- Pettitte will continue his recent solid pitching, and his wins will go up with better Astros run support. He’ll get at least 10 wins in the second half.
- Backe will settle down, and will pitch solidly, with occasional brilliance. He’ll pitch another complete game, and get at least 8 more wins.
- Wandy will get sent back to Triple A. Astacio won’t be an improvement. They’ll bring up someone else -- TBD.
- Wheeler will be the setup man for the rest of the season, and will finish the season with an ERA under 2. Qualls will pitch the 7th and will get his ERA under 4.
- Springer will do okay – some good days, and some bad.
- Gallo won’t last the season. Maybe they can pick up a lefty reliever before the end of July? They will probably want to get rid of Harville too…
Predictions for the Other Teams:
In the AL: I have to admit that I don’t know anything about the AL, so this is all just total guesses and biases (always cheer against a NY team)…
- East: The Yankees will not make the playoffs. The Orioles won’t either. The Red Sox will.
- Central: White Sox, of course.
- West: Rangers, with the Angels in the Wild Card slot.
In the NL:
- East: The Nationals will get a big disappointment, starting when the Astros come to town. Atlanta will do what Atlanta always does – take NL East.
- Central: Everyone except me will be shocked with St Louis falters, losing a bunch of games against the NL East teams. Houston will win the division in an upset, and the Cards will have to settle for the Wild Card slot. The Cubbies will suck.
- West: I’ll have to go for the Padres, since the Astros beat them so nicely in the last series they played…
And if it doesn’t work out like I hope…
- I will be a nervous wreck and will miss most of the last two innings of a lot of games, too crazy to sit still, wandering around the house, getting a glass of wine.
- But I will NEVER boo my own team.
- There’s always next year – and a younger team that’s had some major league playing time, not to mention some more rookies coming up. Maybe Luke Skywalker will be back?
