31 July 2006
Bad Sports podcast (2006-07-31)
On this edition of the Bad Sports Podcast, Ethan Glading and I declare the end of the Astros season, talk about two new Texans (a "veteran cornerback" and a quarterback nobody knows), lament the end of the Dynamo's non-losing streak, and carry on about other odds and ends.
The podcast may be downloaded here:
Bad Sports podcast (2007-07-31)
BS EXTRA: SI sportswriter Peter King carrying on about global warming and Al Gore (referenced in the podcast -- brutal).
UPDATE (2006-08-01): The Chronicle confirms the news that we had only seen on internet sites last night -- Lanny Smith has a broken toe that will require surgery and jeopardizes his season.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/31/06 11:26 PM | Technorati | Comments (1)
Lidgetalk
If today isn't the busiest day ever for the comments sections of Houston Chronicle weblogs, then I don't know what will be. As they say in Homeland Security, lots of chatter.
Well, the deadline has passed, and both Brad Lidge and Roy Oswalt still appear to be Houston Astros.
Roger Clemens reportedly said "Do something" to Drayton and, once again, Tim Purpura appears to have pulled a page from his Beltran Strategy and done nothing.
Any predictions from the peanut gallery?
Posted by Laurence Simon @ 07/31/06 03:36 PM | Technorati | Comments (3)
What about the Astros' pitching?
The Chronicle's Drayton McLane baseball beat writer Jose de Jesus Ortiz offers up some conventional wisdom in an article on Astros' trade efforts today:
Astros owner Drayton McLane and Purpura have explored and listened to several trade scenarios in an attempt to upgrade an offense that has been the main reason the team has fallen seven games under .500, six games behind the Cincinnati Reds in the National League wild-card race and 9 1/2 games behind the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals.
The offense didn't blow the big Clemens lead yesterday, and as Tom Kirkendall pointed out in his last review, blaming the Astros' performance solely on the offense isn't quite right:
Now through 60% of the season (7-9 in the last 10% of the season; prior periodic reviews here), the Stros have not won more games than they have lost in any of the five 10% segments of the season after the first one. The club's hitting overall remains almost precisely National League average (team RCAA is -2 -- 10th among the 16 NL teams) and the pitching staff continues to toil at well below National League-average level (RSAA of -20 -- 13th in the NL). As noted in previous posts, the Stros' trend of average or below National League-average hitting over the past half-dozen seasons means that the Stros need extraordinary pitching to contend for a playoff spot, and the club received just that in the past two seasons. Unfortunately, this season, the Stros pitching staff is a bit below National League average and, thus, the Stros are currently just that -- a slightly-below National League-average club.
Unfortunately, they seem slightly below average in most areas of the game, and it's reflected in the standings.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/31/06 07:49 AM | Technorati | Comments (0)
30 July 2006
Podcast postponed until Monday
Ethan and I couldn't record the podcast tonight, but we plan on doing it tomorrow night.
We're hoping that we'll have a big trade to discuss -- maybe Roger going to a contender for one more World Series run, or some such.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/30/06 11:15 PM | Technorati | Comments (0)
29 July 2006
FC Barcelona is coming to Houston
On one of only three U.S. stops, FC Barcelona will play Club America at Reliant on August 9th. The doubleheader includes a matchup between the Dynamo and the LA Galaxy. According to a story on the Dynamo's website, tickets are going fast.
But the all-important question, I think, is will Rob Booth be in the Reliant stands on August 9th?
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/29/06 08:46 PM | Technorati | Comments (1)
Money For Nothing
CNN/Sports Illustrated have posted their Top 50 Fortunate List, which they say lists the 50 top-earning athletes in the US.
Looking for the drains on Drayton's checking account?
Jeff Bagwell is listed as $17mil salary and $125,000 in product endorsements. (the inspiration for the title of this post)
Roger Clemens is listed as $12,360,000 with $3,500,000 in product endorsements.
Lance Berkman is listed as $14,500.000 with $3,000,000 in product endorsements.
And then T-Mac leads the Rockets with over $15 million in salary and $7.4 million in endorsements.
Posted by Laurence Simon @ 07/29/06 12:57 PM | Technorati | Comments (0)
Change of scenery?
Here's an odd headline from KTRK-13 sports:
Change of scenery should serve Carr well
Er, there hasn't been a change of scenery. There's been a change of characters (coaches and general manager). But Carr hasn't moved. Training camp is still at Reliant. The team hasn't gone to Nashville. The scenery is the same.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/29/06 12:45 PM | Technorati | Comments (1)
Trust
Phil Garner opted not to utilize Brad Lidge in last night's one-run loss to the Diamondbacks. Here is the Chron's Jose de Jesus Ortiz's take:
Luke Scott did almost everything Friday night while becoming the first Astros rookie and only the sixth player in franchise history to hit for the cycle.
But he couldn't make up for the club's lack of trust in Brad Lidge against lefthanded batters in an 8-7, 11-inning loss. (emphasis added)
Just so we're clear: The problem is not Lidge; the problem is the "club's lack of trust in Brad Lidge." Lidge's ERA in July is a mere 7.45. So why don't they trust him?
Posted by Ethan Glading @ 07/29/06 10:02 AM | Technorati | Comments (1)
28 July 2006
Training camp
Texans training camp is underway.
At some point, Ethan and I hope to get out to watch a practice and maybe record some thoughts. Practice is just off the light-rail transit backbone, after all, so that's convenient.
But is that convenience a bad thing? Most teams like to pack up and go somewhere for their training camps, to escape the distractions of home (the Cowboys, for example, are in Oxnard, CA this year). Are the Texans well-served by having their camp here, or would they be better off doing training camp elsewhere?
Given the performance last year, it seems to me that Bob McNair would be justified in dropping the whole sorry mess in Junction for a Bear Bryant-style camp!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/28/06 09:13 AM | Technorati | Comments (0)
27 July 2006
Pan Am Games
Okay, so the 2016 Olympics are out, but that isn't stopping the We're World Class Chorus from begging for other opportunities...
The USOC has plans for its sidelined suitors. Committee chief executive officer Jim Scherr will visit Houston this year to discuss its potential to bid for 2008 U.S. Olympic trials and world championships in 2009 and beyond, and Houston businessman George DeMontrond III floated the possibility that Houston will bid for the Pan American Games.
"We need to work on our international appeal, and the way to do that is to aggressively go after events to host so that we can show off the city in an international sports context," said DeMontrond, who chaired Houston's 2012 bid and helped coordinate the 2016 bid along with Mayor Bill White and Astros owner Drayton McLane.
"The Pan Am Games are out there, and it's a major multisport event. I haven't put a pencil to the economics, but it's an intriguing possibility."
Here's a challenge to the vast Bad Sports reading and listening audience: name your favorite Pam Am Games moment.
(As for George using pencils to do his numbers, is Microsoft Excel that hard to learn?)
Posted by Laurence Simon @ 07/27/06 10:33 AM | Technorati | Comments (2)
26 July 2006
Chron sports editors strike again
The Chronicle hastily posted this dispatch from Brian McTaggart earlier:
Jason Lane, optioned to Class AAA Round Rock at the All-Star break, rejoined the Astros on today at Minute Maid Park to take the roster spot of Orlando Palmeiro, whose father died late Tuesday.
Palmeiro was given bereavement leave, which will allow him to be away from the team for three to seven days. Lane got a phone call from Round Rock manager Jackie Moore at 1:30 p.m. today and was told to be at Minute Maid Park by game time.
Lane arrived at 5:15 p.m. and took a few cuts in the batting age in between exchanging hugs with teammates. He was not the starting lineup.
On today?
The batting age?
Not the starting lineup (he's not even a single Major League ball player, let alone nine)!
Does anybody edit the sports pages?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/26/06 10:19 PM | Technorati | Comments (0)
25 July 2006
SI Previews: Division I
Now that you've had time to digest Sports Illustrated's take on the Texans, why not check out their Division I previews?
The Houston teams are:
Oh, and they face off at Rice Stadium on September 2nd.
(Feel free to look up "other local teams" such as Texas, Texas A&M, and whatever washed ashore from Tulane.)
Posted by Laurence Simon @ 07/25/06 11:29 AM | Technorati | Comments (0)
Bad Sports gets results!
Brian Ching has returned to Chron.com, reprising his role as a soccer blogger, but now with the Dynamo instead of the World Cup team.
In all honesty, we probably had absolutely nothing to do with this, BUT we did come out for it on an earlier podcast, and followed up with an email to Oliver Luck.
Chron.com has also launched blogs from John McClain and David Barron on the sports section this week. Way to go, guys!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/25/06 11:20 AM | Technorati | Comments (2)
24 July 2006
Fowl poles coming to Minute Maid
The Houston Business Journal reports that Drayton McLane has rustled up a new sponsor for his foul poles, and it's so corny you wonder if McLane came up with the idea himself:
The Houston Astros and Chick-fil-A have inked a sponsorship agreement through 2008 that will bring the restaurant chain's "Eat Mor Chikin" Cows to Minute Maid Park.
The Chick-fil-A "Fowl Poles" will make their debut on July 25 for the start of the Astros' homestand against the Cincinnati Reds.
The yellow right-field and left-field poles will each feature three renegade cows wearing Astros hats. The baseball-themed cows will be hanging off both poles in fair territory and carrying their message of "Eat Mor Fowl."
The Chick-fil-A signage will also serve as a target for the home team.
When a Houston Astros player hits a ball that touches any portion of the poles, including the cows, Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A will award free chicken sandwiches to all fans in attendance for that game.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/24/06 10:26 PM | Technorati | Comments (5)
23 July 2006
Bad Sports podcast (2006-07-23)
Tonight on the Bad Sports podcast, Ethan Glading and I discuss the Astros' latest bad week (and a surprising statistic that Tom Kirkendall turned up), the opening of Texans' training camp (tickets to which may be obtained through Wachovia branches, apparently, although my source for this info was this blog, and not the Texans' buggy, annoying website), the Rockets new "100% Greek" addition to the team (listen to me botch Greek names in the Greek bar!), the Dynamo's non-losing streak (now up to 10 games, although attendance is on the decline). Alas, romantic Greek tunes do not make a comeback tonight, but the resurgent slamming door and a Byzantio waitress find their way onto the thing. Ah, the perils of recording live, with minimal editing.
The podcast may be downloaded here:
Bad Sports podcast (2006-07-23)
We kind of rambled on a bit tonight. Then again, we kind of ramble on most of the time.
UPDATE: Oh, at the end, Ethan tried to catch me in a George Bush/Pervez Musharraf moment, but I acquitted myself better than then-candidate Bush. :)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/23/06 11:33 PM | Technorati | Comments (1)
John Lucas to sign next week?
As discussed on the last podcast, it appears that John Lucas III has played his way onto the Rockets with a strong performance in the summer league:
John Lucas III, who played 13 games for the team last season, likely will be signed to a three-year contract by early next week.
"We like him. We've had preliminary talks, and we'll just try to get together on the terms," said Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson.
The 5-11 Lucas, who starred at Bellaire High School, is coming off a stellar performance in the Las Vegas Summer League, where he led the Rockets' team to a 5-0 record. He averaged 23.4 points and 7.6 assists, playing with poise and confidence.
"There were definitely five or six teams that offered him contracts after that," said his father, John Lucas Jr. "But John definitely has developed a closeness with the Rockets. They gave him a chance last season, and he wasn't really close then.
"I think he can be a solid third guard in the league, and the situation with the Rockets is a perfect fit. He can bring a dimension that they really don't have — a young, fast guard who can come in and change the tempo and make things happen."
The Rockets are having a nice offseason and have acquired some nice pieces, but the key to the regular season remains the health of Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/23/06 02:32 PM | Technorati | Comments (0)
McClain non-sequitur alert
John McClain, whose penchant for non-sequiturs has been pointed out by Ethan before on the podcast, comes up with a good one this week:
Since 2000, 18 former Steelers have died, including seven in the last 1 1/2 years, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The newspaper reports that eight of the former players died from heart problems, including five offensive and defensive linemen.
Rumors of steroid abuse have dogged the Steelers for years, but there's no proof that steroids contributed to any of the deaths.
There's no reason to believe that steroids were involved, but McClain apparently had to fill column space, so what the heck.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/23/06 01:16 PM | Technorati | Comments (2)
22 July 2006
Mr. McLane is swell!
We've made light of Chron Astros beat writer Jose de Jesus Ortiz's fawning over Drayton McLane before.
But this is so good (bad?) that it almost seems like a spoof:
By the way, happy 70th birthday goes out to Astros owner Drayton McLane. I spoke to Mr. McLane today, and he was busy at work in his office in Temple. He said he was very disappointed with the loss Friday night.
We're planning for lunch on Wednesday in Houston, and Mr. McLane wants sincere suggestions about how to fix the Astros.
I guarantee you Mr. McLane is just as frustrated as the fans. He has put his energy and money — a franchise record $106 million payroll this year. Send me your thoughts, and I'll give them to him.
In all honesty, I strongly believe Astros fans should feel blessed Mr. McLane owns the team.
Really? In ALL honesty? It was kind of hard to tell until Ortiz clarified.
Mr. McLane is swell!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/22/06 05:32 PM | Technorati | Comments (0)
21 July 2006
100% Greek?
Former columnist Fran Blinebury posts this rather strange report to the Chronicle:
What was lost in translation during a transatlantic phone call Wednesday was Vassilis Spanoulis, who reached a deal with the Rockets, saying that he wants to be the first 100 percent Greek to "make it" in the NBA.
In other words, hold down a significant role in a long career.
Antonis Fotsis was a second-round draft pick of Memphis and played just 320 minutes in 28 games for the Grizzlies in the 2001-02 season.
Efthimis Rentzias was a first-round pick by Denver (No. 23) in 1996 and made it to the NBA with Philadelphia in 2002-03. He played just 144 minutes in 35 games.
Jake Tsakalidis, who has played the past six seasons with Phoenix and Memphis, has a Greek passport but is only Greek on his father's side. He has a career average of 5.1 points a game.
Tsakalidis has a Greek passport. He's Greek! And he's been an NBA player (however unspectacular) for six years. So Spanoulis won't be the first Greek to "make it" in the NBA.
The "100 percent Greek" reference is just bizarre.
Still, we're thinking Sunday night Bad Sports podcasts at Byzantio during Rockets games could be fun.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/21/06 11:56 PM | Technorati | Comments (0)
SI's Texans Preview
Sports Illustrated is offering up previews of all 32 NFL teams.
It will be amusing looking back at this Kubiak lovefest come January when the few remaining Texans fans join the Texans in watching other teams compete in the playoffs.
This is the amazing bit:
He will run as much as or more than any other quarterback in the league. And he will be given more freedom to make decisions in the pocket. Last year, the coaches wanted him to only run as a last resort. This year, Kubiak wants Carr to make a play - regardless of whether it's in the air or on the ground.
Carr only racked up big running numbers because he had an offensive line made out of toilet paper and he had to run from the large men bearing down on him. Factor in the league-leading sack numbers, and those 56 carries are outweighed by plenty more times Carr was on his back and watching the birdies.
If Kubiak (the "great quarterbacks coach") wanted a running quarterback with the freedom to make decisions, the Texans should have gotten a great quarterback by the name of Vince Young in the draft.
Posted by Laurence Simon @ 07/21/06 10:18 AM | Technorati | Comments (1)
19 July 2006
Texans sign another pick
The Chronicle's Megan Manfull reports that the Texans have signed another draft pick:
The Texans have agreed to terms with third-round draft pick Charles Spencer, leaving the team with just one draft pick unsigned.
I don't think any team is as far along in terms of signings as the Texans (the Cowboys notoriously sign their picks late, but usually avoid holdouts).
So here's a question -- remember when John McClain was pounding home the point that the Texans overpay their players?
Isn't that a possibility with the rush to sign all these guys?
Maybe John McClain will weigh in on that, when his two-month+ hiatus ends.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/19/06 09:49 PM | Technorati | Comments (1)
Rockets sign Greek guard
Jonathan Feigen reports that the Rockets reached agreement with another guard today:
The Rockets reached agreement with guard Vassillis Spanoulis on a three-year contract worth more than $5 million, the largest initial contract they had ever offered a second-round pick.
Spanoulis told Athens newspaper Eleftheros Typos that he would officially accept the contract offer sometime today or tomorrow Houston time.
The Rockets acquired the rights to Spanoulis in an exchange of second-round picks during the 2004 Draft. He played well enough for Maroussi Honda to move to Greek league power Panathanaikos last season and helped lead that team to the Greek league championship.
A member of the Greek Olympic team in 2004 Spanoulis, a 6-3 1/2-inch combination guard, is training with the Greek team for the World Championships and will not be in Houston until September.
Maybe he'll be the rare Euro who has some game, as the good folks at H-Town Sports say. Or maybe not.
Here's hoping that Byzantio cuts out that recent KRBE crap, though, and gets the Greek music back on the sound system. What is Spanoulis going to think if he drops by the Greek bar, and they're playing KRBE?!
UPDATE (07-20-2006): The Chron.com link above no longer works, because Chron.com is continuing a rather annoying practice of posting an early version of a story, and then deleting it altogether later on. That's one reason why we tend to excerpt generously, and furl most stories we use. You never know when they're going to disappear at Chron.com.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/19/06 09:28 PM | Technorati | Comments (3)
18 July 2006
Mr. McLane is still swell!
As we've described before, sometimes reporters get a little too close to the people they're supposed to be covering.
Here's a recent example from the local Hearst daily:
Say what you want about McLane, but you have to admit he cares passionately about what Astros fans think. He was among the sellout crowds last weekend as Tony La Russa's disciplined St. Louis Cardinals exposed the Astros' weaknesses in all aspects of the game.
Mr. McLane is swell!
This guy should go to work in the Drayton McLane's press office.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/18/06 11:14 PM | Technorati | Comments (0)
Ching named to all-star team
The Chronicle reports that the Dynamo's Brian Ching has been named to the MLS all-star game:
There was little doubt that Dynamo forward Brian Ching would be at next month's Major League Soccer All-Star Game.
Now the only question is whether the league's second leading scorer this season will get to start against English Premier League power and two-time defending champion Chelsea on Aug. 5 at the Chicago Fire's Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill.
D.C. United and 2006 All-Star team coach Peter Nowak selected Ching on Monday, five days after the league named the starting side, known as the First XI. The first round of selections included Ching's teammate, Dwayne De Rosario.
Good for Ching. He should have been voted in, though.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/18/06 11:01 PM | Technorati | Comments (0)
17 July 2006
Three in Wrigleyville
The New York Mets were smacked around early, making me wonder if Jose Lima's ghost was traveling with the team.
It's the 6th, the Mets were down 5 to 2 when...
- C. Woodward flied out to center
- C. Beltran safe at first on T. Walker's fielding error
- C. Delgado singled to center, C. Beltran to second
- D. Wright singled to right, C. Beltran to third, C. Delgado to second
- C. Floyd homered to deep left, C. Delgado, C. Beltran and D. Wright scored
- X. Nady walked
- R. Novoa relieved S. Marshall
- R. Castro reached on fielder's choice, X. Nady to second on T. Walker's fielding error
- E. Chavez hit for P. Feliciano
- E. Chavez singled to right, X. Nady scored, R. Castro to third
- E. Chavez stole second
- J. Valentin singled to shortstop
- C. Woodward grounded into fielder's choice, R. Castro out at home, E. Chavez to third, J. Valentin to second
- C. Beltran homered to deep left center, E. Chavez, J. Valentin and C. Woodward scored
- C. Delgado doubled to deep left
- D. Wright homered to deep right, C. Delgado scored
- W. Ohman relieved W. Ohman
- C. Floyd walked
- X. Nady walked, C. Floyd to second
- R. Castro flied out to deep center
Like a rabid pit bull on a baby... you don't think in terms of How much will the hospital bills be? or How much will the coffin cost? but You distract the dog, I'll get my gloves and a hefty bag.
Now that the chunky bits have been hosed off the grass, the Astros start a three-game series at Wrigley on Tuesday.
Sure, the Astros still have a back half with a lot on the road and a lot with the Mets and the Cardinals... it's going to be tough. But if you can't win a series against a team that's sold off almost all of its major talent (the Marlins) and then sweep a tumbling team that just bled 11 runs in one inning, just give up. Call it a season, pass out the remaining trinkets, open the roof at Minute Maid and grow corn or soybeans there, and let Milo spend the rest of the year on a street corner shouting out how great bandsaws and Borden milk are.
The only saving grace here is that it's the big three: Oswalt, Pettitte, and Roger. Pettitte may be in "Second Half Hero" Mode, Roger's pitching is solid (but can't go longer than 5 or 6), and Oswalt's as sturdy as ever.
Wednesday also brings together two 300-win titans: Maddux and Clemens. This is when the umpiring crew is going to be critical. Will they allow Maddux slop and be tight on Roger (Larry Vanover was downright horrible about that last year in the showdown between Maddux and Clemens)?
The other day, I caught ESPN's table full of "experts" calling the wild card slot for the Astros.
Although it should be taken with a grain of salt... after all, there was no sign of John Kruk. Maybe he was at the buffet table, loading up on pepper steak, gravy, and sticks of fried butter.
Posted by Laurence Simon @ 07/17/06 09:27 AM | Technorati | Comments (0)
We don't hear much about Bagwell's comeback these days...
The Austin American-Statesman is running a story on baseball players and their gloves. Several Astros are featured prominently, but one tangential snippet caught my eye:
Biggio and Jeff Bagwell, the Astros' former first baseman, had their gloves stolen once on a road trip to Colorado.
"Whether it was the plane people, the truck driver, the clubhouse people, we don't know who it was," Biggio said. "It was our gamers, too."
Having their gloves stolen upset Biggio, but the theft bothered Bagwell even more.
"He was devastated," Biggio said. "He had one glove that he loved that fit him perfectly. When that glove disappeared, he had the hardest time getting another glove (he liked) until Billy Spiers gave him a glove probably a year later. He used that one the rest of his career.
The rest of his career. As in, it's over. Now Drayton just needs to collect that insurance check.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/17/06 08:20 AM | Technorati | Comments (1)
16 July 2006
Bad Sports podcast (2006-07-16)
Ethan Glading and I return to an inexplicably deserted Byzantio tonight for a regular Sunday night edition of the Bad Sports podcast.
The podcast may be downloaded here:
Bad Sports podcast (2006-07-16)
This week, we lament the ongoing absence of romantic Greek tunes (we may have to move to Mary'z Lebanese at some point if the Greeks continue to withhold their inspirational sports podcast music), chat about all the big moves the Astros made over the last week, give the Rockets management credit for a pretty good week (Mike James going elsewhere just might be a blessing), gripe about Brian Ching not being voted into the MLS all-star festivities, and much more Houston bad sports.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/16/06 10:58 PM | Technorati | Comments (4)
14 July 2006
Huff pays dividends, Ensberg to DL, Justice on Gaetti
Aubrey Huff plays third base (instead of Morgan Ensberg) in his first game with the Astros and pops a homer.
Morgan Ensberg finally decides he's hurt and should be on the disabled list.
Richard Justice decides that a blog post AND a column defense of fired hitting coach Gary Gaetti are in order. Some columnists/reporters are way too close to their favorites (see also Jose de Jesus Ortiz and Drayton McLane).
Tom Kirkendall posts some thoughts on Sean Berry as the new hitting coach.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/14/06 08:48 AM | Technorati | Comments (1)
It's like naming the best NBA players ever and forgetting Wilt, Jordan and Magic
Likewise, Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan was one of the first pitching coach I personally knew who made huge differences in careers. Roger Craig, Mel Stottlemyre, Ray Miller and Rudy Jaramillo became highly regarded as coaches.Is it me, or is it very odd to leave out Leo Mazzone, who is documented to have a very substantial effect on his pitchers' ERAs.
As far as I know, no one else has ever been shown to have been as good a pitching coach as Mazzone.
Posted by Evan @ 07/14/06 12:15 AM | Technorati | Comments (0)
13 July 2006
Dukes to mornings, Sportsbeat to trash heap
The Chronicle's David Barron reports that Carl Dukes will be making the move to mornings on KBME-790 next month, and that Houston's longest running sports-talk show (Sportsbeat) will not continue:
Carl Dukes will join Brad Davies as host of KBME's (790 AM) new morning talk program beginning next month, signaling a change of direction for station programmer Ken Charles and the impending demise of SportsBeat, Houston's longest-running sports show.
Charles earlier took Dukes out of the running for the morning slot, saying he preferred to bring in new voices for a new show. However, he said, "After listening to all the different combinations, we felt at the end of the day that having a local voice as part of the show would help it grow more quickly.
"We made the best choices we could, and time will tell how the audience will respond. I hope they respond to the show."
Dukes currently hosts SportsBeat, which began in the 1970s on KTRH before migrating to KBME when it became an all-sports outlet. Charles said that when Dukes moves to the morning slot (7-10 a.m. weekdays) alongside Davies, who is coming from a station in Rochester, N.Y., KBME will turn the evening time slot over to ESPN Radio.
"I'm a little brokenhearted about that," Dukes said. "A lot of great broadcasters have worked on SportsBeat, and it's been a privilege to carry the baton.
"But I'm excited about the (morning) opportunity."
Charles doesn't exactly sound enthusiastic, does he?
I haven't heard Davies. Maybe he'll be excellent. But in contrast to Dallas (and powerhouse sports talker 1310 The Ticket), Houston programmers sure seem to like their sports talkers from the east coast (Marc Vandermeer, Charlie Pallilo, and now Davies come to mind). And it's well established by now that I'd rather hear The Ticket (especially the Hard Line).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/13/06 08:46 AM | Technorati | Comments (6)
12 July 2006
Gary Gaetti has been knocked out of the park
Hello, everyone. My name is Laurence Simon. And I'm full of crap.
Anyway, I wanted to make my first post about a subject that's near and dear to my heart like coronary artery disease: Gary Gaetti.
The Houston Astros have the worst batting average of any team in the National League and, two years running, close to the worst in the majors:
- Recently-demoted Jason "Lame" Lane was barely batting .200
- Morgan "Third Strike Looking" Ensberg tanked from high 400's to under .240
- Brad "Ray Chavez and Humberto Quintero aren't around to make me look good anymore" Ausmus went from the heroic to under his career average with a dismal 0-for-June.
Well, the axe has been swung. And unlike the Astros' bats, the axe actually hits its mark (SportsTicker via Yahoo! News):
Gary Gaetti became the scapegoat for the Houston Astros' woeful offense.
The Astros relieved Gaetti of his duties as hitting coach Wednesday and named Sean Berry as his replacement.
Gaetti joined the club in July 2004 and spent the last two years trying to resurrect one of baseball's most inconsistent offenses.
Houston worked through its hitting issues last season, making it the World Series for the first time in franchise history. But the problems returned this year as the Astros currently rank last in the National League with a .256 batting average and 12th with 408 runs.
I've been calling for his head for a year now, going so far as to cheer the fact that he only got 4 votes in the last Hall Of Fame ballot.
What would make sense is having Jeff Bagwell do something for his twenty million dollar season-long ride of the wood as a batting coach or batting consultant, but at this point he's worse deadweight than the metal statue in front of the stadium.
Posted by Laurence Simon @ 07/12/06 09:32 PM | Technorati | Comments (1)
Astros acquire Huff, ship Lane to minors
The Astros have announced a shakeup of their roster:
The Houston Astros announced today that they have acquired outfielder Aubrey Huff and $1.625 million in cash considerations from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher Mitch Talbot and minor league infielder Ben Zobrist. In addition, the Astros have optioned outfielder Jason Lane to Triple-A Round Rock and designated minor league infielder Joe McEwing for assignment. The announcement was made by General Manager Tim Purpura.
Huff, 30, was batting .283 (65x230) with eight home runs, 15 doubles and 28 RBI in 63 games for the Devil Rays this season. He batted .453 (29x64) in Interleague play this year, the second-best mark in the Majors. He hit .359 (33x92) in June, and on June 30, he became the first Devil Ray to reach 300 extra base hits. Huff spent 21 days on the Disabled List from April 12-May 4, his first career trip to the DL, with a strained left knee. He is batting .293 (61x208) with eight homers and 27 RBI since his return.
Currently in his sixth big league season, Huff is batting .287 (870x3028) during his career with 128 home runs and 449 RBI. He is Tampa Bay's all-time leader in games (799), at-bats (3,028), runs (400), hits (870), doubles (172), home runs (128), extra-base hits (309), and RBI (449). He made his big league debut with the Devil Rays in 2000 and is the only player in Rays history to reach the 20-home run mark in four seasons (2002-05). Huff is one of five left-handed hitters to average 100-plus RBI the past three seasons, joining David Ortiz, Carlos Delgado, Hideki Matsui and Bobby Abreu. He is a career .303 (436x1437) hitter after the All-Star break with 71 home runs and 239 RBI.
The Astros list Huff as an outfielder, where he has played much of his career, but he has played third base for the Devil Rays this year. Morgan Ensberg had better start producing, or Tim Purpura may well have some other moves in the works.
UPDATE: Laurence passes along this tidbit from the Chronicle coverage:
Purpura also made it clear that Huff's acquisition "will cut into (slumping Morgan Ensberg's) playing time."
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/12/06 10:10 AM | Technorati | Comments (3)
11 July 2006
Nice plan, Rockets
As mentioned on the podcast, here's an excerpt from a July 7 story by Jonathan Feigen concerning guard Mike James:
Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson emerged from his meeting with Mike James on Thursday without his primary free-agent target but with a sense he could be close to bringing James back to the Rockets.
James and his agent, Bill Duffy, still had meetings scheduled with the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves, but neither team has any more spending room than the Rockets.
James, who is building a home in Houston, has been outspoken since the end of the season about his desire to return to the Rockets, who traded him before the start of training camp last season for Rafer Alston.
"It was a good meeting," Dawson said. "Hopefully, we'll have a decision tomorrow. We feel pretty good about it."
Or not. Here's today's (July 11) news, also from Feigen:
Guard Mike James, who went from traded before last season began to the Rockets' top free-agent priority when it ended, spurned them back Tuesday and agreed to a four-year deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Well, it sounded good when Feigen wrote about it last week, one supposes.
Richard Justice blogged the following:
''I'm not having a good day,'' Rockets GM Carroll Dawson said Tuesday afternoon.
He didn't seem to be excited about any of his backup options with one possible exception: Vassilis Spanoulis.
The Rockets probably will sign the Greek guard and hope he can play both positions. He's not a great shooter and is just 6-4. So much for the best laid plans.
The Rockets didn't really have a backup plan. That's the problem -- with Carroll Dawson running personnel, they haven't had much of a plan for YEARS.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/11/06 10:47 PM | Technorati | Comments (0)
Nice Moves, Texans
RealFootball 365 posts the following:
One of the main reasons the Texans' former general manager, Charley Casserly, decided to choose Williams over Bush had to do with the team already having a solid ball-carrier in Domanick Davis.
The three-year veteran has certainly been a good back in the pros, averaging a career 4.1 yards per carry behind a formerly suspect Houston offensive line. Undoubtedly, the franchise gave Davis a vote of confidence in handing him the starting job, but his injuries are becoming cause for concern.
The 5-9, 221-pound Davis has been battling knee issues this offseason, forcing the Texans to try and find a last-minute productive back. On the roster, veteran Antowain Smith is the most experienced, but he's never been profoundly productive as a starter during his mediocre nine-year career.
Behind Smith is second-year man Vernand Morency, who was chosen in the third round of the 2005 Draft by the Texans. As a rookie the 212-pounder impressed, averaging four yards per rush and demonstrating some solid potential. However, like Davis, Morency has also battled injuries this offseason. The former Oklahoma State star is dealing with Plantar Fasciitis, which has stopped head coach Gary Kubiak from giving him many reps during mini-camps.
The dark-horse to step in over the summer could be Wali Lundy, a rookie sixth-round pick from Virginia. The 5-11, 214-pounder was a standout with the Cavaliers, which is why the Texans elected to use one of their draft choices on him. Ironically, Lundy has also fought injuries that have recently denied him from working out with the team. If the 22-year-old regains health, he could be a viable option in Houston early on.
Knee issues?
Why haven't we seen lots of reporting on that from John McClain or Megan Manfull or the rest of the Chron crew?
Maybe the Texans should have taken Reggie Bush, eh?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/11/06 10:37 PM | Technorati | Comments (0)
10 July 2006
Bad Sports podcast (2006-07-10)
After way too much travel over the past few weeks, Ethan Glading and I return to Byzantio for a Monday night podcast.
The podcast may be downloaded here:
Bad Sports podcast (2006-07-10)
This week, we complain about the Astros, talk about the Dynamo's big unbeaten streak, and wrap up with various odds and ends.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/10/06 11:25 PM | Technorati | Comments (1)
08 July 2006
Astros.com runs story lauding Berkman's defense
The Astros' website ran a story on Lance Berkman's defensive skills (really!). Here's an excerpt:
Lance Berkman doesn't lose any sleep wondering when he'll get a little more credit for his defense. All he can do is go about his job and hope somebody notices.
"As long as the coaches, the guys that I play with and the guys on the other team know you can play," Berkman said, "it really doesn't matter if the fans know it or not."
Surely, a few more people picked up on his defensive skills Thursday night, when Berkman was credited with two outfield assists from his spot in right.
In the second inning, he nailed Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen at third base trying to move up on a flyout. Berkman also gunned down center fielder Jim Edmonds, who tried to extend a single off the right-field wall into a double, during the seventh.
"Lance's arm is surprisingly accurate," closer Brad Lidge said. "I say 'surprisingly,' but it's probably not surprising, to be honest. He's a lot better athlete than people think.
His arm is okay, but his overall play in the outfield can be an adventure. I remember one notable effort in left field when he lost a ball, and just started flailing his arms, apparently hoping he wouldn't get bonked on the head. That's the image I still have of the below-average outfielder. Berkman's a great hitter, but his outfield defense is not an asset.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/08/06 11:42 AM | Technorati | Comments (1)
07 July 2006
Oswalt finally gets All-Star invite
The Chronicle reports that Roy Oswalt is mulling over his belated All-Star invite:
Astros owner Drayton McLane, who has developed a special bond with Roy Oswalt [kw: This is a stupid aside that should have been struck by an editor, if the Chron had any], likely put together the necessary lobbying effort Thursday night to persuade the ace righthander to attend his second All-Star Game.
After originally bypassing his ace while rounding out the National League All-Star team, Astros manager Phil Garner must now hope Oswalt puts off his family plans to help the NL win the All-Star Game next Tuesday at Pittsburgh's PNC Park. Mets ace Pedro Martinez has bowed out, and Garner asked Oswalt to accept the bid Thursday afternoon.
Although Oswalt thought he was deserving of being picked when the team was announced Sunday, he didn't jump at Garner's late offer because he'd made plans to spend the break with his wife, Nicole, and their 1-year-old daughter. After learning of Oswalt's reluctance, McLane visited him before the Astros beat St. Louis 4-2.
"I knew that Phil asked him and that Roy didn't know if he wanted to go now," McLane said. "So I went to the clubhouse and asked him. I think that this would be a great opportunity for Houston. We need to win home-field advantage for the National League, and Roy can help us win home-field advantage for the Astros in the World Series this year."
Roy Oswalt is a good team guy in addition to being the team's best pitcher, so he will probably accept the All-Star invite. There's a part of me that hopes he tells his own manager/owner to stick it -- they made their (bad) choice at the beginning, and they can deal with it.
I know my complaining about this took up way too much time on the last podcast, but I'm even more miffed that Garner left his guy off the team initially the more I think about it. Oswalt is such a great pitcher, and nobody outside Houston even seems to know it. This Q&A with SI.com's Tom Verducci is a case in point:
I remember you from my days working at the Daily Collegian at Penn State, but I must respectfully disagree with your opinion about the Astros. Granted, they have stunk at times this year, but halfway through they are only four games out of first place and they are a second-half team. It will all depend on the bullpen getting its act together as the starters will be fine and the hitting will come around once they get back into the National League.
-- Ellyn Harley Coate, Pearland, TexasI agree that Houston has been the NL version of Oakland in recent years: a hot second-half team. Yes, the Astros need the bullpen to be better, but they also need Andy Pettitte to have another good second half. I take Roger Clemens as a given, considering his second half is actually his first half. I will say this: The Astros are the one team the rest of the NL does not want to see in the postseason, because they have the best trio of starting pitchers, guys who can dominate a postseason series.
Best trio, but Verducci just can't bring himself to name the best member of that trio (by far -- it's not even close at this point in their respective careers).
Hardly surprising, since his own manager wouldn't even name him to the All-Star team initially. I sure hope McLane locks him into a longer-term contract soon, because it's going to hurt seeing him pitching for the higher-profile Braves or Cardinals or Yanks and having the rest of the baseball world discover what his own manager takes for granted.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/07/06 11:07 AM | Technorati | Comments (1)
03 July 2006
Bad Sports podcast (2006-07-03)
It's another Monday night edition of Bad Sports, as Ethan is still out of town and technology has been conspiring against us.
On tonight's podcast, we give Skype a try (with somewhat better results than last week's effort), and have a chat about the Rockets, the Astros, the Dynamo, and other matters. The podcast is available here:
Bad Sports podcast (2006-07-03)
Next week's podcast will be a Monday night edition as well, but we hope to return to the friendly confines of Byzantio.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/03/06 11:26 PM | Technorati | Comments (0)
Oswalt left off All-Star team
The Chronicle reports that Lance Berkman will be the Astros' lone representative at the All-Star game this year:
Berkman was fourth in the voting at first base with 1,121,738 votes. The other first baseman to make the team is Philadelphia's Ryan Howard, who was voted in by the players.
"That's got to be unusual for the manager to have one player from his team after being in the World Series," Berkman said. "(Pitcher) Roy (Oswalt) certainly deserves to be there, and there's a couple of other guys who have played really well for us. I'm just proud to be the representative of our team."
Oswalt, who is 6-4 with a 3.27 ERA, could still be named if a player decides he doesn't want to play or gets injured.
Garner said four of the starting pitchers selected for the NL — Cincinnati's Bronson Arroyo, San Francisco's Jason Schmidt, New York's Tom Glavine and St. Louis' Chris Carpenter — are scheduled to pitch Sunday and may choose not to play in the All-Star Game two days later.
"You never know what might happen if anybody decides to drop out," Garner said. "You always hope when you get in this situation (that) you can take everybody on your ballclub. It is a big responsibility, and when you're playing for home-field advantage (in the World Series), you look at it a little bit differently.
"I'd like to take a couple of my players. I also feel like in fairness to the system and everybody in baseball, you try to pick what you think is a representative team."
Every year, managers pay lip service to "fairness" and load up the all-star team with guys from their own teams if it's at all close. It's a little stunning that Garner didn't put Oswalt (the team's best pitcher this year and previous years, as Tom Kirkendall points out) on the team. Maybe he is certain that a pitcher will drop out because of Sunday starts. If not, it's quite a snub from the guy's own manager, even if his win total isn't great thanks to the terrible offense (and relief and defense).
AL skipper Ozzie Guillen didn't even bother with the "fairness" lip service:
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen picked three of his players as reserves — first baseman Paul Konerko and pitchers Mark Buehrle and Bobby Jenks — to give his team six representatives. Other White Sox picks were outfielder Jermaine Dye, first baseman Jim Thome and pitcher Jose Contreras.
"The next couple days I'm going to be all over the news, being a bad man. I pick the wrong guys. I can take that chance," Guillen said.
Oswalt should be on the team. Thanks, Phil.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/03/06 03:23 PM | Technorati | Comments (1)
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