Dynasty with a Twist

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4/4 The year started with a bang. Ryan Ludwick hit a 2-out 3-run homer in the ninth to propel the Astros to a 7-6 win in Colorado. Good way to start the year, guys.

4/5 The Astros scored 4 in the first and 3 in the 8th enroute to a 7-2 win over the Rockies.

4/6 Light hitting Henry Mateo hit a bomb, just nicking off the right fielders glove, helping give the Astros their first sweep in a long time. The final score: 6-4. On the downside, Barry Zito was taken out for precautionary measures in the 4th inning after feeling discomfort in his back. He is only DtD, and will make his next start.

4/8 Grady Sizemore hit a grand slam in the 3rd, and Eric Munson added a solo shot in the 6th as the Astros won their 4th in a row to start the season. Brandon Backe went 7 strong, giving up 4 hits and 3 earned runs. Brade Lidge came on with 2 outs in the eighth to get his MLB leading 3rd save of the season.

4/9 Winning streaks can’t last forever. C.C. Sabathia scattered 7 hits and 5 runs over 2.1 innings, but it just wasn’t enough to puck up the win. Cincinnati went on to win 9-1.

4/10 Despite a 2-run homer by former Astro Mike Lamb, we managed to get back on the right foot. 2B Brooks Conrad legged out 2 triples, and scored both times. All together, the Astros worked together to garner 31 total bases on 15 hits. For those who don’t want to do the math, that is singles, 2 doubles, 4 triples, and 2 home runs. Roy Oswalt went 7 strong inning giving up 3 hits and 2 runs, while striking out 10.

4/11 Barry Zito scattered 6 hits and 2 runs over 7 innings, but failed to get the win when the bullpen allowed three runs in the eighth and ninth innings. Eric Munson was the hero when he singled with the bases loaded and 2 outs in the ninth, to move the Astros to a NL Central leading record of 6-1.

4/12 Yet another win. This team just keeps chugging along. SP Carlos Hernandez is out for 1 week with a tight elbow, and will most likely miss a start. Brandon Duckworth will start in his place.

4/13 Ryan Ludwick hit a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the 9th to win it. Brandon Backe pitched 8.1 innings, giving up 5 hits and 1 run.

4/15 Great Pitchers duel. Sabathia just can’t seem to buy a win. He has been solid in all 3 starts, but has come away with a record of 0-2. In this game, he gave up 3 runs and 6 hits over seven innings, but Ben Sheets was better, guving up 1 hit and no runs over 6.1 innings. Oh well, at least my team seems to be a little bit better than last year.

4/16 Brooks Conrad didn’t even start but ended up going 2 for 4, driving in 2 with a 2-run homer to tie it, and scoring the winning run in the 14th inning. Brad Lidge blew a save. He came in with a 2 run lead in the bottom of the ninth, and promptly gave up 2 runs to tie it. He would be the goat if his teammates hadn’t rallied for the win. We are now 6-1 in 1 run games. I know that this pace can’t continue, but being able to win the close games and the late come-from-behind games is what defines most champions.

4/17 Barry Zito got pounded, allowing 5 runs in 4 innings.

4/23 C. C. Sabathia just can’t win a game. He gave up 2 runs in 7 strong innings, yet got saddled with yet another loss.

4/27 Brandon Backe won the game – literally. Not only did he scatter 5 hits and 2 runs over 7.2 innings, but he also hit a 2-out bases loaded double in the 2nd to help his own cause.

4/29 Stop the presses. C. C. Sabathia won a game! He pitched brilliantly, allowing 5 hits and no runs in 7.1 innings while striking out 9.

Ended the month with a record of 13-11, not exactly what we wanted, considering our 10-3 start. But then again, at least we have a record over .500. At this point, I don’t think that Adam Everett will ever get out of the funk he has been in since I took over the team. He hit .214 last year and was hitting .182 this year. I am gonna demote him and bring up SS Eric Bruntlett.

Around the League

Awards:
AL Pitcher of the Month: Brad Radke (MIN), 4-1, 1.13 ERA
NL Pitcher of the Month: Ben Sheets (MIL), 3-1, 1.01 ERA

AL Batter of the Month: Vladimir Guerrero (ANA), .385 AVG, 22 RBI
NL Batter of the Month: Aramis Ramirez (CHC), .400 AVG, 5 HR, 15 RBI

Performances:
4/14 Cleveland has no chance in a 2-hitter by Bobby Jenks (CHW)
4/20 Vladimir Guerrero (ANA) pounds three dingers
4/25 Scott Rolen (STL) pounds five hits
4/27 Jake Peavy (SD) pitches his 1st shutout of the season


Injuries:
4/6 Mike Hampton (COL), Back Spasms, Out 7 Weeks
4/6 Jason Marquis (PIT), Bone Chips in his Shoulder, Out 5-6 Weeks
4/20 Jon Rauch (WAS), Ruptured Tricep Tendon, Out 5-6 Weeks
4/22 Brandon Webb (KC), Strained Tricep Muscle, Out 5 Weeks
4/30 Mark Moulder (STL), Bone Chips in his Elbow, Out 5 Weeks

Notable Transactions:
None

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5/4 Maybe this is the start of a new trend. C. C. Sabathia got his second win in a row. He got some support in the form of a 3-run homer from Graham Koonce in the 4th. Brad Lidge came on in the ninth and promptly gave up a run to cut the lead to 1, but then settled down and shut the door.

5/10 Roy Oswalt is a true ace. He allowed only 3 hits while striking out 9 in a shutout of the Washington Nationals. Grady Sizemore and Ryan Ludwick supplied the offense with a pair of RBI doubles, and, coupled with Oswalt’s pitching, the 2 runs was more than enough.

5/11 It seems like Brad Lidge lives on 1-run leads. With a score of 4-2, Brad was called upon to come in and get the final 3 outs. He promptly gave up a run before striking out Brad Wilkerson with runners on the corners.

5/14 What an agonizing start to the year for C. C. Sabathia. Though he pitched well, allowing 3 runs over 7 innings, he lost yet another game with a final score of 3-2. SS Eric Bruntlett, newly called up to replace the struggling Adam Everett, got his first career home run.

5/21 In going 6 for 6, Grady Sizemore set a new extra inning single game record with 6 hits. He was just a HR shy of hitting for the cycle. The Astros scored 1 run in the bottom of the 13th to win.

5/25 C.C. Sabathia was poised to lose yet another game until a 2-run rally in the bottom of the ninth. Eric Bruntlett singled in the winning run with the bases loaded and two outs.

5/26 What a performance. Roy Oswalt scattered 2 hits and 2 walks over 8 innings while striking out 11. Brandon Duckworth came on in the ninth and retired the side of 4 pitches. Eric Bruntlett hit a 3-run homer in the 2nd to provide all the offense Oswalt needed. Carlos Rivera added a solo shot in the 6th and a 2-run homer in the eighth to put the game out of reach.

5/28 I swear, Brad Lidge likes to make me sweat. He rarely blows a save, but he sure makes in interesting. He came in with yet another 4-2 lead, gave up 1 run as usual, and then finished the game off by striking out the final batter.

5/30 Finally, Sabathia not only pitched a solid game but also got some offensive support. He gave up 3 hits and 1 run over 7 innings, and the Astros won 6-1. If only this can happen a few more times.

5/31 Roy Oswalt pitched a strong game, allowing only 2 hits and 1 run. However, he got a no decision because the Astros couldn’t score any runs until the eight inning. At that point, they piled on 4 runs to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 4-1 win. Brad Lidge slammed the door, without his usual heart-stopping antics.

We ended the month of May with a record of 26-25, but we are a full 10.5 games behind the streaking Brewers. Grady Sizemore leads the NL with 41 RBI’s, and Eric Munson shares the NL lead with 13 HR’s. So far, Munson is a suitable replacement for Mike Lamb at about ½ the cost.

Houston: 3B Eric Munson, 4,750,000 per year, for 2 years.
Cincinnati: 3B Mike Lamb, 9,914,400 per year, for 3 years.

Down on the Farm
• 1B Delmon Young – Delmon wasn’t a great fielder, and with plenty of outfield prospects but no solid 1B prospects, I decided to turn Delmon into a First Baseman. The learning curve has been steep, but he is handling the switch to first AND the promotion to AAA with style. While his power is taking a bit to catch up, he is batting a solid .303 thru 26 games.
• 2B Lee Lamberton – Thru almost 2 months in AA, Lee is batting a healthy .349 with a .431 OBP.
• SS Benjamin Zobrist – Between both AA and AAA, Ben is hitting a solid .335 with a combined 9 homers and 37 RBI.
• CF Jordan Parraz – Jordan is having an unbelievable year. Even though he is in Single A, he is batting an incredible .400 with a nice .464 OBP in 210 AB.


Around the League

Awards:
AL Pitcher of the Month: Jon Garland (BAL), 4-0, 1.69 ERA
NL Pitcher of the Month: Ben Sheets (MIL), 6-0, 1.74 ERA

AL Batter of the Month: Alex Rodriguez (NYY), .311 AVG, 32 RBI
NL Batter of the Month: Ryan Shealy (ATL), .344 AVG, 23 RBI

Performances:
5/3 Jeff Cook (MIL) hits for the cycle against Pittsburgh
5/7 Colorado has no chance in a 2-hitter by Victor Santos (MIL)
5/18 Carlos Lee (MIL) found the stroke, smashes three homers
5/21 Grady Sizemore (HOU) ropes six hits

Injuries:
5/1 Jason Schmidt (SF), Bone Chips in his Elbow, Out 4-5 Weeks
5/2 John Grabow (PIT), Pulled Tricep, Out 5-6 Weeks
5/3 J.C. Romero (MIN), Strained Elbow Ligament, Out 6-7 Weeks
5/6 Ivan Rodriguez (DET), Fractured Jaw, Out 4-5 Weeks
5/6 Seth Etherton (OAK), Bone Chips in his Shoulder, Out for the Season
5/9 Andy Pettitte (CLE), Ruptured Bicep Tendon, Out 6-7 Weeks – Good thing I traded him.
5/12 Andy Sisco (KC), Broken Finger, Out 6-7 Weeks
5/17 Hideki Matsui (NYY), Torn Thigh Muscle, Out 5 Weeks
5/18 Pedro Feliz (FLA), Ruptured MCL, Out 9 Weeks
5/26 Cole Hamels (PHI), Ruptured Tricep Tendon, Out 6-7 Weeks
5/27 John Lackey (ANA), Torn Bicep Muscle, Out for the Season

Notable Transactions:
None

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Draft:
First 5 Picks
1. KC: SS Eric Gowins
2. CIN: CF Charles Gaines
3. DET: 1B Guy Battaglia
4. PIT: RF Steve Smith
5. TB: P Ernest Perras

My Picks
• 1st Round: SP Donald Lynch – Donald is a very good pitcher out of college, with excellent control and very good stuff. He had an amazing college K/BB ratio, and should work his way into the Big League starting rotation in 2-3 years.
• 2nd Round: CL Juan Hirt – Juan was a very good college closer, with good control and unbelieveable stuff. Hopefully, he will find his way onto the big club in a couple of years.
• 3rd Round: 3B Shawn Kiley – Not a great talent, but has some decent potential to turn into a regular with several years of development.

6/3 Grady Sizemore hit a 440 foot 3-run bomb, and Graham Koonce hit a two out grand slam to pace the Astros to an easy 11-3 victory.

6/5 Graham Koonce hit a 3-run homer and Roy Oswalt pitched a solid 8 innings as the Astros beat the Dodgers 5-4.

6/6 – 6/8 Got swept by the Damn Yanks!

6/11 – 6/13 A nice little 3 game winning streak has me only 1 game under .500, and just about makes up for the sweep at the hands of the Evil Empire.

6/20 Eric Munson hit a grand slam and Grady Sizemore added a solo shot to pace the Astros offense. After Brad Lidge blew the save, Grady Sizemore bailed him out with an RBI triple in the top of the 11th. Sizemore was a double shy of the cycle.

6/26 Ryan Ludwick hit a leadoff solo shot in the top of the eighth and D’Angelo Jimenez added an RBI single in the top of the ninth to put the Astro’s up 2-1 before handing the ball to Brad Lidge for his 13th save.

6/30 Eric Munson hit a 3-run homer and C.C. Sabathia pitched 8 solid innings to pick up his 4th win of the year vs. 10 losses. In all fairness, he has pitched fairly well, he has just suffered from a lack of run support.

The month of June was full of interleague games, and the AL owned the Astros. We went 3-9 against the American League, which contributed to our record of 37-41 at the end of the month. If we had played .500 against the AL, we would be at 40-38. Oh well. We are 11.5 games behind the Brewers. Grady Sizemore leads the NL with 63 RBI’s, with Eric Munson 2nd @ 59. Munson also leads the NL 22 HR’s. Between the two of them, they are the majority of my offense.

Down on the Farm
• 1B Delmon Young – Delmon’s average has dropped a bit to .294, but he is doing a good job adapting to first base.
• 2B Lee Lamberton – Lee is struggling a little bit after his promotion to AAA, but I am confident that he will pull out of this slump and turn into a good player.
• SS Benjamin Zobrist – Ben is hitting .305 with a combined 16 homers and 53 RBI.
• CF Jordan Parraz – The promotion to AA didn’t faze Jordan at all. He is batting .357, down from his A numbers, but still incredible. His combined OPS is well over 1.000.
• CL Jamie Merchant – Jamie has a solid 0.90 ERA with 16 saves in 37 games. He has struck out 78 while walking 18 in 60.1 innings.
• CL Chad Reinke – Chad has 19 saves in 27 games, has given up 17 walks while compiling 38 strikeouts in 29.1 innings of work.
• CL Juan Hirt – Juan has had a solid start to his career, with 5 saves in 8 games. He has collected 9 strikeouts in 10 innings, and has a sub 2.00 era.

Around the League

Awards:
AL Pitcher of the Month: Dustin Hermanson (CHW), 2-0, 0.42 ERA
NL Pitcher of the Month: Jake Peavy (SD), 4-0, 0.76 ERA

AL Batter of the Month: Alex Rodriguez (NYY), .337 AVG, 8 HR, 26 RBI
NL Batter of the Month: Eric Munson (HOU), .344 AVG, 9 HR, 31 RBI

Performances:
6/1 Jimmy Rollins (PHI) ropes five hits
6/8 Chris Buglovsky (SEA) fires 1-hitter against Philadelphia
6/16 Terrmel Sledge (WAS) drills 5 hits
6/24 Manny Ramirez (BOS) gets 2000th career hit
6/26 Richard Hidalgo (TEX) hits for the cycle against Arizona
6/27 Garret Anderson (ANA) laces 2000th career hit

Injuries:
6/5 Chase Utley (SF), Strained Bicep Muscle, Out 4-5 Weeks
6/22 Danys Baez (TB), Torn Elbow Ligament, Career Over
6/24 Bubbie Buzachero (TOR), Torn Elbow Ligament, Out for the Season

Notable Transactions:
6/6
Trade between Cleveland and Tampa Bay :
Tampa Bay gets :
P Kevin Millwood, RF Jose Barinaga
Cleveland gets :
3B Morgan Ensberg

6/14
Trade between New York (N) and Tampa Bay :
Tampa Bay gets :
P Russ Ortiz, $2,100,000 Cash.
New York (N) gets :
P Seth McClung

6/28
Trade between Texas and Kansas City :
Kansas City gets :
P Matt Farnum, LF Randy Hernandez
Texas gets :
P Brandon Webb

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7/3 Eric Munson hit a 3-run homer in the first to pace the Astros to a 5-4 win over John Smoltz and the Braves.

7/5 Here is a strange score for an extra inning game. The Rangers beat the Yankees 15-5 in 10 innings. Yep, the Rangers scored 10 runs in the top of the 10th.

7/10 C. C. Sabathia is a hard luck pitcher. He pitched a good game, giving up 3 runs over seven innings, but got no decision as Brad Lidge blew a save in the ninth by allowing 3 runs to score, with the game ending in a 6-5 loss. Sabathia’s season record is 4-11, even though he has pitched really well.

7/12 My All-Stars
• P Roy Oswalt from Houston
• 3B Eric Munson from Houston
• LF Grady Sizemore from Houston
AL won 5-3. Sizemore was 0-4, while Oswalt threw 2 scoreless innings. Munson never got into the game.

7/20 Sabathia finally got another win. He went 8 strong innings, allowing only 3 runs and 2 hits. Eric Munson hit a 3rd inning grand slam to push his league leading HR total to 27 and his league leading RBI total to 75. He is tied with A-Rod for the ML lead in home runs.

7/22 Eric Munson hit another homer, but it wouldn’t be enough as the Cubs won 3-1.

7/24 Eric Munson is en fuego. He hit yet another homer as the Astros outlasted the Cubs in 17 innings. Too bad he had to wait until the 17th to hit it.

7/25 C.C. Sabathia got his second win in a row as he tossed 7 innings of 4 hit ball, while his offense supplied him with 8 runs.

7/28 Eric Bruntlett launched a 3-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game at 8. C Humberto Quintero then hit a two out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to win it.

7/30 Made a trade. Not hugely significant, but I picked up a serviceable first baseman.
Houston gets :
1B Joe Dillon
Florida gets :
C Wyatt Toregas, P Juan Gutierrez

7/31 Ben Zobrist, Get Ready! SS Danny Klassen was injured while running the bases. It is time to see what Ben can do at the Major League level.

We finished the month at 48-57. It has been a downhill slide ever since we were swept by the damn Yankees and the Red Sox in the early part of June.

Down on the Farm
• 1B Delmon Young – Delmon’s has gotten his average back up to .303, but his power is taking a while to come around. He probably will need another year at AAA. That is part of the reason I made the trade I did.
• 2B Lee Lamberton – Lee is hitting .288 with 5 HR and 30 RBI in 60 games at AAA Round Rock. He is not a spectacular player, but should develop into a solid Major Leaguer.
• SS Benjamin Zobrist – Ben was hitting .307 with 15 homers and 56 RBI at AAA Round Rock before his callup to the Big Show.
• CF Jordan Parraz – This kid is unbelieveable. After hitting .400 in A, I decided to try him out at the AA level. At that level, he is hitting .373 with 9 HR and 42 RBI in 54 games! His OPS in AA is 1.007.
• CL Jamie Merchant – Jamie has a solid 0.83 ERA with 21 saves in 44 games. He has struck out 98 while walking 21 in 76 innings.
• CL Chad Reinke – Chad has 27 saves in 39 games, has given up 23 walks while compiling 54 strikeouts in 42.2 innings of work.
• CL Juan Hirt – Juan has had a solid start to his career, with 11 saves in 18 games. He has collected 27 strikeouts in 21.1 innings, and has an era of 2.53.

Around the League

Awards:
AL Pitcher of the Month: Kevin Millwood (TB/TOR), 4-0, 1.62 ERA
NL Pitcher of the Month: J.J. Putz (FLA), 3-1, 1.19 ERA

AL Batter of the Month: Dmitri Young (DET), .363 AVG, 32 RBI
NL Batter of the Month: J.D. Closser (COL), .400 AVG, 22 RBI

Performances:
7/4 Josh Beckett (FLA) NO-HITS Milwaukee
7/4 Nomar Garciaparra (CHC) on fire, laces five hits
7/6 Derek Jeter (NYY) laces 2000th career hit
7/8 Brad Radke (MIN) pitches 2-hit shutout against Kansas City
7/10 Kevin Millwood (TB) pitches 2-hit shutout against Detroit
7/19 Justin Duchscherer (KC) pitches his 1st shutout of the season
7/21 Eric Crozier (TOR) collects five hits against Cleveland
7/30 Detroit has no chance in a 1-hitter by Wes Littleton (TEX)
7/31 Luis Castillo (FLA) punishes San Francisco with five hits

Injuries:
7/3 Vladimir Guerrero (ANA), Fractured Hip, Out 6 Weeks
7/6 Ryan Madson (TB), Pulled Bicep Muscle, Out 7 Weeks
7/7 Eric Beattie (DET), Strained Elbow Ligament, Out 5-6 Weeks
7/7 Carlos Lee (MIL), Dislocated Shoulder, Out 4-5 Weeks
7/14 Josh Beckett (FLA), Bone Chips in his Shoulder, Out for the Season
7/16 Sean Henn (NYY), Ruptured Tricep Tendon, Out 7 Weeks
7/16 Scott Kazmir (SEA), Bone Chips in his Elbow, Out 7 Weeks
7/22 Jason Kendall (OAK), Torn Thigh Muscle, Out 5 Weeks
7/23 Eric Milton (CIN), Torn Bicep Muscle, Out for the Season
7/30 Eric Byrnes (OAK), Torn PCL, Out for the Season

Notable Transactions:
7/9
Trade between Oakland and Kansas City :
Kansas City gets: P Justin Duchscherer, C Steven Dalessandro
Oakland gets: P Billy Buckner

7/13
Trade between Florida and Detroit :
Detroit gets: P A.J. Burnett, $2,100,000 cash.
Florida gets: CF Curtis Granderson

7/17
Trade between Cleveland and Cincinnati :
Cincinnati gets: RF Jody Gerut, SS Robert Devault
Cleveland gets: P Dennis Tankersley, $500,000 cash.

Trade between Detroit and Arizona :
Arizona gets: P A.J. Burnett, $2,400,000 cash.
Detroit gets: 3B David Wright

7/23
Trade between Cleveland and Toronto :
Toronto gets: P Jake Westbrook, 1B Edwin Graham, $2,100,000 cash.
Cleveland gets: P Dustin McGowan

7/24
Trade between Tampa Bay and Toronto :
Toronto gets: P Kevin Millwood, LF Leopoldo Jarrett
Tampa Bay gets: SS Russ Adams

7/27
Trade between Washington and Cleveland :
Cleveland gets: P Livan Hernandez,
Washington gets: 3B Morgan Ensberg

Trade between Arizona and Cincinnati :
Cincinnati gets: LF Scott Hairston, CF German Marciano
Arizona gets: 3B Edwin Encarnacion

7/30
Trade between Milwaukee and Detroit :
Detroit gets: 1B Lyle Overbay, P Carlos Villanueva
Milwaukee gets: SS Carlos Guillen

Trade between New York (N) and Washington :
Washington gets: RF Milton Bradley, P William Poisson
New York (N) gets: 1B Larry Broadway

Trade between Anaheim and Minnesota :
Minnesota gets: RF Darin Erstad, $2,300,000 cash.
Anaheim gets: SS Trevor Plouffe

Trade between Arizona and Detroit :
Detroit gets: CF Endy Chavez, 3B Alvin Elizondo
Arizona gets: 1B Brandon Inge

Trade between Baltimore and Cincinnati :
Cincinnati gets: P Sidney Ponson, 3B Scott Gillett, $2,200,000 cash.
Baltimore gets: P Elizardo Ramirez

Trade between San Francisco and Seattle :
Seattle gets: 2B Ray Durham, $2,500,000 cash.
San Francisco gets: C Chao-Kuan Wu, P Raymond Trower

Trade between Seattle and San Francisco :
San Francisco gets: 3B Justin Leone
Seattle gets: P Merkin Valdez

Trade between Detroit and Boston :
Boston gets: P Jeremy Bonderman, P Andrew Kown, LF Daryl Bermejo
Detroit gets: SS Edgar Renteria, $2,400,000 cash.

Trade between Washington and Arizona :
Arizona gets: 1B Nick Johnson, $1,100,000 cash.
Washington gets: P Mike Gosling, SS Steve Garabrants

Trade between Boston and St. Louis :
St. Louis gets: 1B Jeremy West, RF Dante Abrego, SS Samuel Astudillo
Boston gets: P Chris Carpenter

Trade between Philadelphia and Chicago (A) :
Chicago (A) gets: 3B Joe Crede
Philadelphia gets: SS Robert Valido

Trade between Los Angeles (N) and Tampa Bay :
Tampa Bay gets: P Derek Lowe, 3B Blake DeWitt, 1B Randy Scroggs
Los Angeles (N) gets: LF Aubrey Huff

Trade between Colorado and Boston :
Boston gets: 3B Garrett Atkins
Colorado gets: 2B Brandon Moss, LF Daryl Bermejo

7/31
Trade between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati :
Cincinnati gets: 1B Brad Eldred
Pittsburgh gets: 2B William Bergolla

Trade between Philadelphia and Washington :
Washington gets: C Carlos Ruiz
Philadelphia gets: CF Jeff Francoeur

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8/3 Ben Zobrist, welcome to the majors. Ben was 2-2 with 3 BB and 3 RBI. Unfortunately, the bullpen coughed up the game in the bottom of the ninth.

8/4 Eric Munson hit his Major League leading 30th HR, but it wasn’t enough as C.C Sabathia lost another close game.

8/8 Ben Zobrist was 3-4 with 2 runs and 5 RBI in an 8-2 win over the hapless Cards. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

8/9 If you can’t trust your bullpen, don’t use them. C.C. Sabathia went the distance, scattering 4 hits and 1 run along the way. Grady Sizemore hit his 20th and Eric Munson hit his 31st, but it was Ryan Ludwick’s grand slam in the first that put the game out of reach.

8/13 Newly acquired Joe Dillon hit his 2nd home run for the Astros, this one a grand slam. His homer helped pace the Astros to an ugly 9-7 win against the pesky Cubs.

8/14 Ben Zobrist went 2-4 while walking once and scoring 2 runs, to help beat the Cubs 8-6.

8/27 Joe Dillon hit another grand slam as the Phillies got beat 5-2. Roy Oswalt pitched a stellar game, and got more than enough offense for the Astros to prevail.

8/28 Eric Munson finally hit his 32nd homer, but it wasn’t enough as the Astros fell to the Phillies 9-5.

And so the downhill slide continues. The Astros finished August with a terrible record of 59-74. I think it is time to spend some money on free agents next offseason, provided I am still with the team.

Down on the Farm
• 1B Delmon Young – Delmon’s is hitting .291 with 11 HR in AAA. I still think he will probably need another year at AAA. That is part of the reason I made the trade I did.
• 2B Lee Lamberton – Lee struggled a bit in August, and is now hitting .269 with 8 HR and 46 RBI in 88 games at AAA Round Rock. He is not a spectacular player, but should develop into a solid Major Leaguer.
• SS Benjamin Zobrist – Since being called up, Ben is hitting .225 with 5 2B and 14 RBI.
• CF Jordan Parraz – And it just continues. At AA, he is hitting .378 with 14 HR and 59 RBI in 82 games! His OPS in AA is 1.057.
• CL Jamie Merchant – Jamie has a solid 0.80 ERA with 25 saves in 55 games. He has struck out 117 while walking 24 in 90.2 innings.
• CL Chad Reinke – Chad has 31 saves in 48 games, has given up 27 walks while compiling 60 strikeouts in 54 innings of work.
• CL Juan Hirt – Juan has had a solid start to his career, with 21 saves in 30 games. He has collected 37 strikeouts in 31.1 innings.

Around the League

Awards:
AL Pitcher of the Month: Wes Littleton (TEX), 4-0, 1.11 ERA
NL Pitcher of the Month: Julian Mariscal (COL), 4-0, 1.73 ERA

AL Batter of the Month: David Ortiz (BOS), .336 AVG, 29 RBI
NL Batter of the Month: Aramis Ramirez (CHC), .373 AVG, 24 RBI

Performances:
8/2 Randy Winn (SEA) socks six hits
8/3 Texas has no chance in a 2-hitter by Johan Santana (MIN)
8/3 Rich Harden (OAK) dominates Tampa Bay, gives up just one hit
8/5 Eric Chavez (OAK) pounds five hits
8/15 Tim Stauffer (NYY) pitches his 1st shutout of the season
8/24 Alex Rodriguez (NYY) ropes 2000th career hit

Injuries:
8/9 Edwin Jackson (LA), Pulled Rotator Cuff Muscle, Out 8-9 Weeks
8/11 A.J. Burnett (ARI), Strained Rotator Cuff Muscle, Out 5-6 Weeks
8/13 Rocky Cherry (CHC), Pulled Rotator Cuff Muscle, Out 5 Weeks
8/16 Russ Adams (TB), Torn Thigh Muscle, Out 5 Weeks
8/16 Jim Bullard (CHW), Bone Chips in his Shoulder, Out for the Season
8/18 Zach Duke (PIT), Ruptured Elbow Ligament, Out 9 Weeks
8/20 J.C. Romero (MIN), Strained Rotator Cuff Muscle, Out 4 Weeks
8/26 Clint Barmes (COL), Pulled Calf Muscle, Out 6 Weeks
8/30 John Grabow (PIT), Torn Bicep Muscle, Out for the Season

Notable Transactions:
None

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At this point, I am looking forward to next season. I am afraid of stunting the growth of some of my minor leaguers, so I am gonna leave them alone and not bring them up for a measly at bat or two.

9/12 Ben Zobrist hit a 3-run homer, his first of his career, as Barry Zito beat his old pal Mark Mulder and the Cards.

9/14 Joe Dillon hit a 2 out ninth inning RBI single to help sweep the Cards with a 2-1 win. C.C. Sabathia got another no decision.

Well, we finished the season at 70-92, a full 22 games under .500. On the bright side, Eric Munson led the NL with 36 homers and finished 2nd with 108 RBI.

Down on the Farm
OK, here are the year end stats for some of my top young players.

Player		  Level	 G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	R	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	 OPS
1B Delmon Young,  AA	 25	98	27	3	1	5	18	14	14	25	.276	.383	.480	 .862
1B Delmon Young,  AAA	 107	391	117	29	3	13	78	60	50	88	.299	.391	.488	 .880
2B Lee Lamberton, AA	 24	63	22	6	1	1	14	12	9	16	.349	.431	.524	 .954
2B Lee Lamberton, AAA	 93	333	89	18	2	8	48	35	18	74	.267	.318	.405	 .724
SS Ben Zobrist,   AA	 25	103	36	4	1	4	14	16	15	26	.350	.432	.524	 .956
SS Ben Zobrist,   AAA	 78	319	98	23	1	15	56	58	37	75	.307	.386	.527	 .913
SS Ben Zobrist,   Majors 53	177	39	9	3	1	20	20	0	41	.220	.299	.322	 .622
CF Jordan Parraz, A	 51	210	84	17	3	6	33	52	22	26	.400	.464	.595	1.059
CF Jordan Parraz, AA	 87	346	132	20	5	14	59	62	43	53	.382	.458	.590	1.048

Around the League

Awards:
AL Pitcher of the Month: Bobby Jenks (BAL), 3-1, 1.75 ERA
NL Pitcher of the Month: Oliver Perez (PIT), 5-1, 2.53 ERA

AL Batter of the Month: Luis Matos (BAL), .362 AVG, 26 RBI
NL Batter of the Month: Aubrey Huff (LA), .316 AVG, 30 RBI

Performances:
9/10 Juan Pierre (PIT) hits for the cycle against Cincinnati
9/30 Gabe Gross (TOR) punishes Boston with five hits
10/1 Brian Lawrence (SD), shuts out Los Angeles on one hit


Injuries:
9/12 Johan Santana (MIN), Bone Chips in his Elbow, Out 4 Weeks
9/12 Mark Buehrle (CHW), Torn Elbow Ligament, Out for the Season
9/16 Cliff Floyd (ATL), Broken Finger, Out 4-5 Weeks
9/18 Carlos Beltran (NYM), Strained ACL, Out 5-6 Weeks
9/19 J.D. Drew (LA), Inflamed PCL, Out 6-7 Weeks
9/26 Jeff Housman (MIL), Ruptured Tricep Tendon, Out 6-7 Weeks

Standings:

American League Standings				

East				
Team		W	L	PCT	GB
Baltimore	85	77	0.525	-
Boston		84	78	0.519	1
New York (A)	83	79	0.512	2
Toronto		78	84	0.481	7
Tampa Bay	69	93	0.426	16

Central				
Team		W	L	PCT	GB
Minnesota	87	75	0.537	-
Detroit		79	83	0.488	8
Chicago (A)	78	84	0.481	9
Cleveland	74	88	0.457	13
Kansas City	73	89	0.451	14

West				
Team		W	L	PCT	GB
Seattle		101	61	0.623	-
Oakland		87	75	0.537	14
Texas		85	77	0.525	16
Anaheim		81	81	0.5	20

National League Standings				

East				
Team		W	L	PCT	GB
Atlanta		93	69	0.574	-
New York (N)	89	73	0.549	4
Philadelphia	84	78	0.519	9
Washington	82	80	0.506	11
Florida		72	90	0.444	21

Central				
Team		W	L	PCT	GB
Chicago (N)	96	66	0.593	-
Milwaukee	93	69	0.574	3
Pittsburgh	82	80	0.506	14
Houston		70	92	0.432	26
St. Louis	69	93	0.426	27
Cincinnati	58	104	0.358	38

West				
Team		W	L	PCT	GB
Colorado	87	75	0.537	-
San Francisco	84	78	0.519	3
San Diego	81	81	0.5	6
Arizona		73	89	0.451	14
Los Angeles (N)	73	89	0.451	14

[plubbr]

Division Series:
Minnesota (3) def Oakland (1)

Baltimore (3) def Seattle (1)

Milwaukee (3) def Atlanta (1)

Chicago (3) def Colorado (1)

LCS:
Baltimore (4) def Minnesota (2)
Losing Santana in late September did the twins in. Joe Nathan was solid out of the pen, but it wasn’t enough to get by the O’s

Milwaukee (4) def Chicago (1)
After leading the Division for almost the whole year, Milwaukee faltered down the stretch to let Chicago take the crown. However, Milwaukee got their revenge in the postseason, ousting Chicago with 4 very solid games.

World Series:
Game 1
Milwaukee def Baltimore 6-4. Ben Sheets pitched 7 solid innings, and got the win.

Game 2
Milwaukee def Baltimore 10-8. The Brew Crew slammed the O’s pitching early, but the Orioles never stopped believing. They kept chipping away at the lead, but ran out of time.

Game 3
Baltimore def Milwaukee 4-2. An unspectacular game, even if it was well pitched.

Game 4
Baltimore def Milwaukee 4-3. Ditto what I said about game 3.

Game 5
Baltimore def Milwaukee 5-2. Again, nothing special happening in the game.

Game 6
Milwaukee def Baltimore 5-4. Baltimore made it interesting with 4 runs after the 6th, but Milwaukee held them off to send it to a seventh game.

Game 7
Milwaukee def Baltimore 6-5. What a game seven. The game was tied at four headed into extra innings. Baltimore scored a run in the top of the 10th, only to see Geoff Jenkins hit a leadoff homer in the bottom half to tie it back up at 5. With two outs and runners on 1st and 2nd, Rookie CF Charlie Fermaint hit a bloop single to score the winning run. Milwaukee wins the World Series.

Awards:
NL Cy Young: Mark Prior (CHC), 19-3, 2.26 ERA
AL Cy Young: Johan Santana (MIN), 19-7, 3.30 ERA

NL MVP: Mike Sweeney (WAS), .331 AVG, 27 HR, 101 RBI
AL MVP: Lance Berkman (KC), .297 AVG, 31 HR, 109 RBI – Very good numbers, but I still think he is overpaid

NL Rookie of the Year: 1B Prince Fielder (MIL), .315 AVG, 68 RBI
AL Rookie of the Year: LF Nathan Panther (CLE), .287 AVG, 83 RBI

NL Gold Glove Winners:
Pitcher: Chin-Hui Tsao (COL)
Catcher: Humberto Quintero (HOU)
First Base: Todd Helton (COL)
Second Base: Alex Cora (SD)
Third Base: Scott Rolen (STL)
Shortstop: Cristian Guzman (WAS)
Leftfield: Grady Sizemore (HOU)
Centerfield: Carlos Beltran (NYM)
Rightfield: Shawn Green (ARI)

AL Gold Glove Winners:
Pitcher: Abel Moreno (ANA)
Catcher: Jorge Posada (NYY)
First Base: Bucky Jacobsen (TB)
Second Base: Omar Infante (DET)
Third Base: Mike Cuddyer (MIN)
Shortstop: Edgar Renteria (DET)
Leftfield: Lance Berkman (KC)
Centerfield: Coco Crisp (CLE)
Rightfield: Jacque Jones (KC)

[plubbr]

Wow, I got offered an extension.
I have a pile of cash sitting around, so I am gonna spend a bit more money this offseason, to see if I can get this team above .500 and into the playoffs.

Notable Free Agent Signings:
1/30
New York (A) : DH David Ortiz, 5,403,500 per year, for 5 years.
Boston : RF Mike Cameron, 7,660,800 per year, for 3 years.
Florida : 3B Morgan Ensberg, 4,312,000 per year, for 4 years.
Los Angeles (N) : P Brian Lawrence, 2,801,300 per year, for 3 years.
Milwaukee : C Johnny Estrada, 2,143,200 per year, for 4 years.

1/31
St. Louis : P Troy Percival, 2,770,600 per year, for 5 years.

2/1
Houston : LF Carlos Lee, 15,000,000 per year, for 3 years.
Milwaukee : P Doug Davis, 4,509,100 per year, for 2 years.
Pittsburgh : P Joe Kennedy, 2,027,700 per year, for 3 years.

2/2
Minnesota : 1B Jay Gibbons, 2,506,000 per year, for 2 years.
Baltimore : P Mike MacDougal, 3,373,400 per year, for 3 years.

2/3
Oakland : CF Aaron Rowand, 5,159,000 per year, for 3 years.

2/4
Arizona : LF Luis Matos, 6,719,200 per year, for 3 years.
Tampa Bay : SS Jack Wilson, 4,103,000 per year, for 3 years.

2/5
New York (A) : P J.C. Romero, 18,649,800 per year, for 5 years.
Minnesota : 1B Lyle Overbay, 15,700,000 per year, for 3 years.
Pittsburgh : 3B Mike Cuddyer, 8,910,000 per year, for 3 years.

2/6
Cleveland : 2B Brian Roberts, 15,130,000 per year, for 3 years.
San Francisco : LF Adam Dunn, 5,238,300 per year, for 4 years.
Florida : CF Juan Rivera, 7,451,800 per year, for 2 years.
New York (A) : C Jason Phillips, 9,329,300 per year, for 4 years.
New York (N) : P Eric Gagne, 13,028,900 per year, for 4 years.
Cleveland : SS Juan Uribe, 3,019,000 per year, for 3 years.
Toronto : C Mike Lieberthal, 1,576,800 per year, for 2 years.
San Diego : P Francisco Cordero, 6,917,500 per year, for 4 years.
Milwaukee : P Scott Linebrink, 11,900,000 per year, for 3 years.

2/7
Anaheim : P Brad Radke, 18,680,000 per year, for 4 years. – I wanted him to replace Carlos Hernandez, but he went for too much.
Minnesota : RF Alex Sanchez, 3,201,800 per year, for 3 years.

2/8
Florida : P John Smoltz, 1,420,400 per year, for 2 years.

2/9
Atlanta : 2B Jeff Kent, 6,319,000 per year, for 1 year.

2/10
Detroit : CF Jim Edmonds, 10,535,200 per year, for 3 years.
Philadelphia : 2B Willie Harris, 4,556,200 per year, for 2 years.
Washington : P Joel Pineiro, 1,225,000 per year, for 3 years.

2/12
Anaheim : P Sidney Ponson, 2,665,600 per year, for 2 years.
Boston : P Esteban Yan, 1,270,400 per year, for 3 years.

2/13
Florida : 2B Alex Cintron, 6,370,800 per year, for 3 years.
Baltimore : RF Scott Spiezio, 1,821,600 per year, for 2 years.
Kansas City : C Ramon Castro, 1,976,700 per year, for 2 years.
Baltimore : P John Parrish, 6,985,400 per year, for 3 years.

2/14
Arizona : C Corky Miller, 1,869,500 per year, for 2 years.
Baltimore : P Jeremy Affeldt, 1,740,300 per year, for 3 years.

2/15
Baltimore : LF Shannon Stewart, 9,031,000 per year, for 2 years.

2/17
Baltimore : P Victor Zambrano, 2,934,500 per year, for 2 years.
San Diego : 3B Brandon Inge, 8,678,200 per year, for 2 years.
Tampa Bay : P Randy Wolf, 5,372,600 per year, for 3 years.
New York (N) : LF Larry Bigbie, 1,798,200 per year, for 3 years.
Anaheim : P Juan Rincon, 3,585,000 per year, for 3 years.

2/18
New York (A) : RF David Dellucci, 12,043,600 per year, for 3 years.
Tampa Bay : LF Bobby Kielty, 5,436,400 per year, for 2 years.
Seattle : 2B Adam Kennedy, 5,468,500 per year, for 2 years.
Chicago (A) : 2B Danny Sandoval, 1,081,000 per year, for 2 years.
Seattle : P Josh Fogg, 2,138,000 per year, for 3 years.
Cleveland : P Buddy Carlyle, 1,107,400 per year, for 3 years.

2/19
St. Louis : 2B Keith Ginter, 2,201,800 per year, for 3 years.
Detroit : 1B Vinnie Rottino, 1,024,000 per year, for 3 years.

2/21
Boston : C Guillermo Quiroz, 1,487,200 per year, for 2 years.
Minnesota : P LaTroy Hawkins, 2,443,000 per year, for 3 years.

2/22
Pittsburgh : P Kelvim Escobar, 13,020,400 per year, for 3 years.

2/23
Milwaukee : CF Mark Kotsay, 5,943,800 per year, for 2 years.

2/24
Houston : P Ray King, 8,250,000 per year, for 2 years. – Needed to bolster my bullpen. Kinda steep, but right now, cash isn’t the most important thing to me.

2/26
New York (N) : 2B Marcus Giles, 5,475,600 per year, for 3 years.

Offseason Trades:
1/29
Trade between San Francisco and Toronto :
Toronto gets: SS Jose Castillo
San Francisco gets: LF John-Ford Griffin

2/4
Trade between Tampa Bay and Florida :
Florida gets: SS Russ Adams
Tampa Bay gets: 3B Pedro Feliz, $2,200,000 cash.

2/5
Trade between Cleveland and Minnesota :
Minnesota gets: LF Kit Pellow, RF James Fox
Cleveland gets: 1B Justin Morneau

2/6
Trade between Pittsburgh and Cleveland :
Cleveland gets: 3B Ty Wigginton, P Dean Tu
Pittsburgh gets: SS Juan Uribe, $1,100,000 cash.

2/27
Trade between Cleveland and San Diego :
San Diego gets: 2B Ron Belliard, P Ben Krosschell
Cleveland gets: P Justin Germano

[plubbr]

Here is my roster at the beginning of the year:

Pitchers:
SP Roy Oswalt, RHP, Career Record of 88-56, Career ERA of 3.34.
SP Barry Zito, LHP, Career Record of 102-59, Career ERA of 3.48.
SP C.C. Sabathia, LHP, Career Record of 70-67, Career ERA of 4.14.
SP Brandon Backe, RHP, Career Record of 21-23, Career ERA of 4.62.
SP Carlos Hernandez, LHP, Career Record of 25-35, Career ERA of 5.09.
RP Bobby Howry, 3.82 Career ERA, 442 Career Games, 1.21 Career WHIP.
RP Jamie Merchant, Lit it up in the Minors, High Eighties Pitching Ratings, 26 Years Old.
RP Chad Qualls, Weak Link on my staff, 4.32 Career ERA, 22-13 Career Record, 29 Years Old.
RP Ray King, Mid-Nineties Ratings, 2.92 Career ERA, 564 Career Games.
RP Dan Wheeler, Good Young Reliever, Mid-Seventies Ratings, 4.32 (But Steadily Decreasing) Career ERA.
CL Brad Lidge, Fireballer, Ratings Near 100, 130 Career Saves in 5 Seasons, Almost 2K/Inning.


Infield:
C Humberto Quintero, Mainly a defensive Catcher, has a Cannon, OK Contact but no Power.
C Dave Ross, Good Power, Decent Defensively, Mainly a career backup.
1B Joe Dillon, Ratings in the 60s, 32 Years Old, Career Minor Leaguer.
1B Graham Koonce, OK Ratings, good Eye, Decent Pinch Hitter.
2B Brooks Conrad, Contact 78, Eye 68, Minor League Career .305 AVG, .410 OBP.
2B D’Angelo Jimenez, Good Defensively at 2B, 3B, & SS, Not great hitter, but won’t embarrass himself.
3B Eric Munson, Good Defensively, Great Power, Good Eye and Contact.
3B John Gall, Good Offensively, but he is stuck behind Eric Munson at third.
SS Eric Bruntlett, Bench player with good defense but not good offensive numbers.
SS Ben Zobrist, Contact 87, Eye 72, Excellent Defensively, can also play 2B & 3B.


Outfield:
LF Cliff Lee, Career .287 AVG, 742 Career RBI, 216 Career HR, 30 Years Old.
CF Henry Mateo, Virtually no offense, Above average at 2B, 3B, SS, LF, CF, RF, Is fast and a good baserunner.
RF Grady Sizemore, Excellent Defender, Fast, Batting Ratings in the Eighties, 24 Years Old.
RF Ryan Ludwick, Not great Contact hitter, but has good power and eye ratings.

My Weakest Positions are C, 1B, and CF. I have great prospects at 1B and CF, but can’t find a good offensive catcher.

Total Payroll: $73,672,514 (12th)

Rotation:
1. Roy Oswalt, RHP, Career Record of 88-56, Career ERA of 3.34
2. Barry Zito, LHP, Career Record of 102-59, Career ERA of 3.48
3. C.C. Sabathia, LHP, Career Record of 70-67, Career ERA of 4.14
4. Brandon Backe, RHP, Career Record of 21-23, Career ERA of 4.62
5. Carlos Hernandez, LHP, Career Record of 25-35, Career ERA of 5.09

Lineup vs. RHP is:
1. Henry Mateo, CF
2. Ben Zobrist, SS
3. Grady Sizemore, RF
4. Carlos Lee, LF
5. Eric Munson, 3B
6. Joe Dillon, 1B
7. Humberto Quintero, C
8. D’Angelo Jimenez, 2B
9. Pitchers Slot

Lineup vs LHP is:
1. Henry Mateo, CF
2. Ben Zobrist, SS
3. Grady Sizemore, RF
4. Carlos Lee, LF
5. Eric Munson, 3B
6. Joe Dillon, 1B
7. Humberto Quintero, C
8. Brooks Conrad, 2B
9. Pitchers Slot

[Lawley]

Looks like a pretty solid rotation but the offense looks...hmmm...not to scary lol.

[plubbr]

The problem is that some of my players don't have much name recognition. For example, my SS, 1B, C, and 2B are virtual unknowns. They have pretty good minor league stats and ratings, and I think I will break them down a little bit better. So go back up and look at that post again.

[plubbr]

4/4 Mark Prior and Roy Oswalt faced off to start the year. It was a close fought game, with Brad Lidge slamming the door on a 3-2 win.

4/8 Carlos Lee hit two homers, and C.C. Sabathia pitched 8 strong innings as the Astros beat the Pirates 6-2.

4/12 Eric Munson hit a two out two run double to win the game 8-7 over the rival Cubs.

4/15 We won an excellent game. Eric Milton and Roy Oswalt faced off, and both pitched complete games. Roy Oswalt allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, but was in line to lose the game until the Astros scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to give him a 3-2 win.

4/18 C.C. Sabathia pitched another strong game, allowing 5 hits and 1 run while compiling 11 strikeouts over 8.1 innings. Backup catcher Dave Ross, starting while Humberto is injured, hit a 2-run homer in the 2nd to provide more than enough offense.

4/19 Carlos Hernandez tossed a three hit gem, and Carlos Lee hit an RBI triple to provide all the runs needed to win the game.

Well, this was the best month I have had since I started this career. The Astros finished with a record of 15-8, with a 1 game lead over the upstart Cards.

Down on the Farm
• 1B Delmon Young – Delmon’s is on fire to start the year. Thru 24 games, he is hitting .425 with 6 HR and an OBP fo nearly .500. He is also improving his defense considerably, and is no longer a liability at 1st.
• 2B Lee Lamberton – Lee is off to a very slow start, but I am not worried yet.
• CF Jordan Parraz – Jordan has cooled off a bit from last year. Thru the first 22 games, he is hitting a paltry .309. That said, he is still a huge prospect, and should take over the starting CF job from Mateo next season. His OPS is sitting at a terrible 0.805.
• CL Chad Reinke – Chad is struggling in AAA, but he has a while to figure things out. I expect him to become a solid middle reliever, or perhaps even a closer.
• CL Juan Hirt – Juan is doing very well this year. So far, he has 5 saves and an ERA of 0.00. He has also struck out 13 in 8 innings.


Around the League

Awards:
AL Pitcher of the Month: Joel Zumaya (DET), 3-0, 0.79 ERA
NL Pitcher of the Month: Bartolome Fortunato (NYM), 3-0, 1.63 ERA

AL Batter of the Month: Lance Berkman (KC), .356 AVG, 21 RBI
NL Batter of the Month: Sergio Santos (ARZ), .424 AVG, 5 HR

Performances:
4/13 Ken Griffey Jr. (CIN) knocks lights out with three homeruns
4/17 Mark Buehrle (CHW) pitches 2-hit shutout against Kansas City
4/27 Chipper Jones (NYM) gets 2000th hit
4/29 Sidney Ponson (ANA) blanks Tampa Bay with a 2-hitter

Injuries:
4/4 Akinori Otsuka (SD), Strained Elbow Ligament, Out 5 Weeks
4/13 Mike Sweeney (WAS), Ruptured Achilles Tendon, Out for the Season
4/15 Carlos Beltran (NYM), Torn Abdominal Muscle, Out 7-8 Weeks
4/15 Michael Tucker (SF), Torn Back Muscle, Out for the Season
4/18 Odalis Perez (LA), Ruptured Tricep Tendon, Out 5 Weeks
4/28 Ryan Rowland-Smith (SEA), Pulled Rotator Cuff Muscle, Out 5 Weeks
4/29 B.J. Ryan (NYM), Torn Rotator Cuff Muscle, Out for the Season
4/29 Esteban Loaiza (LA), Bone Chips in his Shoulder, Out for the Season

Notable Transactions:
None

[plubbr]

5/5 John Gall hit a pinch-hit walk-off homer to lead off the bottom of the 11th, as the Astros beat the Pirates by a score of 7-6.

5/10 Dave Ross hit a 3-run homer and Grady Sizemore added a solo shot in support of Roy Oswalt as the Astros beat the Marlins 7-1.

5/11 Barry Zito tied a season high by giving up 10 hits over 8 innings, but made the big pitches when it mattered, allowing only one run in those eight innings. The Astros beat the Marlins 5-1.

5/19 C.C Sabathia pitched a spectacular game, allowing 4 hits and no runs over 8 innings while compiling 12 strikeouts. He finally got some offensive support, with the Astros scoring 16 runs to cruise to a 16-0 win.

5/29 C.C Sabathia pitched eight innings of 3 hit ball as the Astros beat the Brewers 4-1.

5/31 Eric Munson hit a solo shot in the ninth and Graham Koonce hit a pinch-hot solo shot in the tenth to help the Astros end the month of May with a win, 4-3.

We had a little bit of a slide this month, as we are now 28-23 and several games behind St. Louis.

Down on the Farm
• 1B Delmon Young – Delmon is still on fire. Thru 50 games, he is hitting .404 with 7 HR and an OBP of nearly .483. He is also improving his defense considerably, and is no longer a liability at 1st.
• 2B Lee Lamberton – Lee is still struggling, as he is batting .234, but he does have 10 home runs.
• CF Jordan Parraz – Jordan has cooled off a bit from last year. Thru the first 48 games, he is hitting a decent .328. He is still a huge prospect, and should take over the starting CF job from Mateo next season, or perhaps later this season. His OPS is sitting at 0.852.
• CL Chad Reinke – Chad is struggling in AAA, but he has a while to figure things out. I expect him to become a solid middle reliever, or perhaps even a closer.
• CL Juan Hirt – Juan is doing very well this year. So far, he has 10 saves and an ERA of 1.29. He has also struck out 26 in 12 innings.

Around the League

Awards:
AL Pitcher of the Month: Scott Kazmir (SEA), 4-0, 1.82 ERA
NL Pitcher of the Month: Chad Gaudin (PHI), 5-1, 1.13 ERA

AL Batter of the Month: Gabe Gross (TOR), .394 AVG, 8 HR, 24 RBI
NL Batter of the Month: Albert Pujols (STL), .373 AVG, 11 HR, 30 RBI

Performances:
5/9 Brian Stavisky (OAK) laces five hits
5/10 Anaheim has no chance in a 2-hitter by Bear Bay (CLE)
5/11 Hideki Matsui (NYY) gets 2000th hit
5/17 Josh Phelps (TB) on fire, laces five hits
5/18 Chad Gaudin (PHI) pitches his 1st shutout of the season
5/22 Josh Beckett (FLA) pitches 2-hit shutout against New York (A)
5/24 Jeff Housman (MIL) pitches 2-hit shutout against Pittsburgh
5/24 Edwin Jackson blanks Colorado with a 2-hitter
5/28 It's NO-NO time for T.J. Tucker (WAS) against Cincinnati
5/31 Bartolome Fortunato (NYN) blanks Chicago (N) with a 1-hitter

Injuries:
5/3 Oliver Perez (PIT), Pulled Tricep Muscle, Out 9 Weeks
5/9 Kelvim Escobar (PIT), Torn Bicep Muscle, Out for the Season
5/21 Trevor Hutchinson (FLA), Bone Chips in his Elbow, Out 6-7 Weeks
5/31 Ambiorix Burgos (TB), Ruptured Elbow Ligament, Out 7 Weeks

Notable Transactions:
Trade between Kansas City and Washington :
Washington gets: 3B Greg Dobbs
Kansas City gets: RF Milton Bradley, P Bernie Delao

Trade between Detroit and San Diego :
San Diego gets: SS Chris Maples
Detroit gets: 2B Josh Barfield, P Scott Chesley

Trade between Atlanta and Washington :
Washington gets: 1B Adam LaRoche
Atlanta gets: SS Ian Desmond, P Louis Guardado

[plubbr]

6/2 Joe Dillon hit a 3-run homer and Carlos Hernandez pitched 8.2 inning of 1-run ball as the Astros beat the Rockies by a final score of 11-1. The final score would have been a lot higher if we hadn’t also stranded 16 runners.

6/3 C.C. Sabathia tossed 8+ innings allowing only 1 earned run as the Astros beat Colorado 7-2.

6/8 C.C. Sabathia improved to 7-3 with a 7-0 five hit shutout of Baltimore.

6/18 A 1-7 slide is enough to drop us back considerably, and into a tie for 3rd in our division with Milwaukee. For the first time this season, we are under .500. The batting order got reshuffled a little bit, and if some players don’t turn it around, they could find themselves in the minors very quickly.

6/23 C.C. Sabathia allowed only 2 hits and 1 run over nine innings to help the Astros beat the Pirates 5-1.

6/30 With a nice run at the end of the month to cancel out our mid month collapse, we are three games clear of the Pirates who are currently on a 10 game skid, and three games behind league leading St. Louis. Our record is 42-36.

Down on the Farm
• 1B Delmon Young – Delmon continues to produce. He is hitting .367 with 12 HR and an OBP of .454 thru 78 games.
• 2B Mitch Einertson – Mitch has flown under the radar for a couple of years, but is starting to emerge as a solid second base prospect. Thru 65 games at both the A and AA level, he is hitting .350 with 12 HR and 36 RBI.
• CF Jordan Parraz – Jordan is still underachieving compared to previous years, He is hitting a respectable .313 with 10 HR, 47 RBI, and an OPS of .841.
• LF Glen Shafer – (Newly Drafted) Glen is getting up to speed in AA with an average of .273 and an OBP of .400 thru 17 games.
• LF Ike Attebery – (Newly Drafted) Ike is adjusting to minor league ball after making the jump from high school. He is hitting .261 with an OBP of .447 thru 28 games.
• MR James Barthmaier – James is putting up a solid year in AA with a record of 3-0 and nine saves in 29 games. He has compiled an ERA of 1.96 and has held opponents are hitting .220 against him.
• MR Garrett Murdy – Garrett has an ERA of 0.92 thru 20 games and has held opponents to a paltry .194 average against him.
• CL Juan Hirt – Juan is dominating out of the pen. He has 13 saves to go with a record of 4-1, and has struck out 36 in 28 innings. Opponents are only hitting .198 against him.


Around the League

Awards:
AL Pitcher of the Month: Billy Buckner (OAK), 4-1, 1.88 ERA
NL Pitcher of the Month: Cole Hamels (PHI), 5-0, 1.06 ERA

AL Batter of the Month: Nathan Panther (CLE), .336 AVG, 27 RBI
NL Batter of the Month: Aubrey Huff (LA), .382 AVG, 9 HR, 25 RBI

Performances:
6/1 5-hit performance by Scott Rolen (STL)
6/13 It's NO-NO time for Kazuhisa Ishii (TOR) against Cincinnati
6/28 Ron Belliard (SD) gets the cycle

Injuries:
6/1 Bartolo Colon (COL), Bone Chips in his Shoulder, Out 9 Weeks
6/8 Dontrelle Willis (FLA), Strained Tricep Muscle, Out 8 Weeks
6/9 Jim Bullard (CHW), Bone Chips in his Shoulder, Out for the Season
6/11 Justin Germano (CLE), Torn Tricep Muscle, Career Over
6/13 Greg Dobbs (WAS), Torn Tricep Muscle, Out 6 Weeks
6/15 Aramis Ramirez (CHC), Fractured Knee, Out 4 Weeks
6/16 Francisco Cruceta (CHW), Strained Bicep Muscle, Out 5 Weeks
6/19 Justin Verlander (DET), Torn Tricep Muscle, Out 5 Weeks
6/19 Edgar Renteria (DET), Strained Back Muscle, Out 5 Weeks
6/20 Juan Cruz (OAK), Torn Tricep Muscle, Out for the Season
6/21 Ivan Rodriguez (DET), Broken Ribs, Out 7 Weeks
6/22 Keith Bucktrot (TB), Torn Bicep Muscle, Career Over
6/22 Ichiro Suzuki (SEA), Broken Wrist, Out 10-11 Weeks

Notable Transactions:
Trade between Oakland and Tampa Bay :
Tampa Bay gets: C Landon Powell
Oakland gets: P Matt Walker

Trade between Boston and San Francisco :
San Francisco gets: RF Chip Ambres
Boston gets: P Kevin Correia, P Sakutarou Matsuo

Trade between San Francisco and Baltimore :
Baltimore gets: 3B Justin Leone
San Francisco gets: RF Javon Moran, 2B Malcolm Barnette

Trade between Los Angeles and Tampa Bay :
Tampa Bay gets: P Odalis Perez, $2,400,000 cash.
Los Angeles (N) gets: 3B Pedro Feliz

[plubbr]

7/4 Grady Sizemore hit a solo shot in the third and it was all the offense Barry Zito needed as he shut out the Mets on seven hits.

7/5 Roy Oswalt allowed 1 run in the first, then shut down the Mets offense as John Gall scored three runs to help the Astros to a 5-1 win.

7/7 Dave Ross hit a 14th inning solo homer to lead the Astros past the Mets 3-2, and take three of four from New York.

7/9 The Astros beat the Phillies as Brooks Conrad hit a leadoff homer in the top of the ninth, and Brad Lidge came in and slammed the door for his 16th save.

7/12 My All-Stars
• P Brad Lidge
• LF Carlos Lee
NL won 7-1. Lee went 3-5 and scored 2 runs, while Lidge never got into the game.

7/17 Brandon Backe pitched 8 strong innings and Brooks Conrad went 3-4 to help propel the Astros to a 5-3 win and claw within 1.5 games of St. Louis.

7/23 Brooks Conrad hit a 3-run homer and Carlos Hernandez pitched eight strong innings to propel the Astros to an 8-4 victory over the rival Cards. We now sit only a half game behind St. Louis in the central.

7/31 We went into a little bit of a tailspin to end the month, losing 6 of the last 8 after coming within mere percentage points of the Cards. To make matters worse, during the same time, the Cardinals went on a 8-0 run after I beat them on the 23rd. Unless I dramatically turn things around, it looks like I will finish above .500 but miss the playoffs. Then again, 2 months is a lot of baseball yet to be played and anything can happen. At the end of July, we are 56-50.

Down on the Farm
• 1B Delmon Young – Delmon continues to produce. He is hitting .371 with 16 HR and an OBP of .454 thru 104 games.
• 2B Mitch Einertson – Mitch has flown under the radar for a couple of years, but is starting to emerge as a solid second base prospect. Thru 84 games at both the A and AA level, he is hitting .328 with 14 HR and 44 RBI.
• CF Jordan Parraz – Jordan is still underachieving compared to previous years, He is hitting a respectable .319 with 15 HR, 69 RBI, and an OPS of .877.
• LF Glen Shafer – (Newly Drafted) Glen is getting up to speed in AA with an average of .324 and an OBP of .410 thru 29 games.
• LF Ike Attebery – (Newly Drafted) Ike is adjusting to minor league ball after making the jump from high school. He is hitting .320 with an OBP of .496 thru 55 games.
• MR James Barthmaier – James is putting up a solid year in AA with a record of 4-0 and ten saves in 38 games. He has compiled an ERA of 1.80 and has held opponents to an average of .200 against him.
• MR Garrett Murdy – Garrett has an ERA of 2.28 thru 24 games and has held opponents to a decent .225 average against him.
• CL Juan Hirt – Juan is dominating out of the pen. He has 18 saves to go with a record of 5-1, and has struck out 50 in 35 innings. Opponents are only hitting .189 against him.

Around the League

Awards:
AL Pitcher of the Month: Gil Meche (SEA), 5-0, 1.06 ERA
NL Pitcher of the Month: Javier Vazquez (ARI), 1-1, 1.07 ERA

AL Batter of the Month: Lyle Overbay (MIN), .412 AVG, 2 HR, 30 RBI
NL Batter of the Month: Derrek Lee (CHC), .395 AVG, 5 HR, 25 RBI

Performances:
7/5 Oliver Perez (PIT) dominates Philadelphia, gives up just 2 hits
7/9 Garret Anderson (ANA) found the stroke, smashes three homers
7/14 Chicago (A) has no chance in a 2-hitter by Johan Santana (MIN)
7/17 Javier Vazquez (ARI) blanks St. Louis with a 2-hitter
7/19 Johnny Damon (BOS) ropes 2000th career hit
7/25 Jason Schmidt (SF) blanks Houston with a 2-hitter
7/29 Eric Chavez (OAK) on fire, hits for cycle

Injuries:
7/6 Kazuhisa Ishii (TOR), Torn Back Muscle, Out for the Season
7/20 Joe Crede (CHW), Torn Tricep Muscle, Out 6 Weeks


Notable Transactions:
Trade between Tampa Bay and Cincinnati:
Cincinnati gets: P Odalis Perez, $2,400,000 cash.
Tampa Bay gets: P Calvin Medlock

Trade between Anaheim and Toronto:
Toronto gets: P Brad Radke, $2,500,000 cash.
Anaheim gets: CF Vernon Wells

Trade between Cincinnati and Boston:
Boston gets: CF Ken Griffey Jr.
Cincinnati gets: 2B Alejandro Machado, P Collin Mahoney, P Harvey Garcia

Trade between Boston and Toronto:
Toronto gets: CF Johnny Damon, $2,200,000 cash.
Boston gets: P Francisco Rosario, P Travis Blackley

Trade between New York (A) and Baltimore:
Baltimore gets: P Carl Pavano, $2,500,000 cash.
New York (A) gets: P Hayden Penn

Trade between Toronto and Tampa Bay:
Tampa Bay gets: P Kevin Millwood, $2,100,000 cash.
Toronto gets: C Landon Powell

Trade between Los Angeles (N) and Cincinnati:
Cincinnati gets: P Brian Lawrence
Los Angeles (N) gets: RF Robert Stratton

Trade between New York (A) and Chicago (N) :
Chicago (N) gets: P J.C. Romero
New York (A) gets: P Chadd Blasko

Trade between Tampa Bay and Cincinnati:
Cincinnati gets: SS Jack Wilson, P Romelio Lopez
Tampa Bay gets: P Jim Mahurin

Trade between Arizona and St. Louis:
St. Louis gets: LF Scott Podsednik
Arizona gets: P Santiago Silva, RF Dante Abrego, 1B Thomas Adamek

Trade between Seattle and Tampa Bay:
Tampa Bay gets: 1B Nate Espy, P Rogelio Menendez
Seattle gets: P Ambiorix Burgos

Trade between Atlanta and Chicago (N):
Chicago (N) gets: RF Ryan Langerhans
Atlanta gets: SS Eric Patterson

Trade between New York (N) and Chicago (A):
Chicago (A) gets: 2B Marcus Giles, $2,400,000 cash.
New York (N) gets: 3B Ryan McCarthy, P John Arcelay

Trade between Kansas City and Houston:
Houston gets: P Ted Lilly, 3B Salvador Cruz, $2,300,000 cash.
Kansas City gets: P Ezequiel Astacio
• When KC offered me this trade, it was too good to pass up. While Ezequiel is a good young pitcher, Ted Lilly will give me immediate help and will allow me to send Carlos Hernandez (The weak link in my staff) down.