We Lost Red Schoendienst on Wednesday

June 8, 2018

Red Schoendienst and Bill McCurdy (L)
Cardinals Club Suite
Busch Stadium II
May 1998

We lost Red Schoendienst on Wednesday. At age 95, the arguably most intuitive baseball player in history has finally passed away, leaving the rest of us here to figure it out on our own from here on in.

And what is an intuitive ballplayer? In my book, he’s the guy who seems to possess an uncanny ability to know where the ball is coming or going on the next pitch. That capacity, plus knowing what to with it when the ball reaches you as either a hitter or a fielder, is the magical parlay that will separate many intuitive AAA guys from the other blessed few of their type who also possess the ability to use that information for carrying out a Hall of Fame career on offense.

intuitive fielder

Red Schoendienst retired from a 19 season career (1944-1963) as a second baseman that always makes most of us feel that he should have been as a St. Louis Cardinal total career guy.

That was not to be. The brief St. Louis tenure of Frank “Trader” Lane just couldn’t be stopped from trading away a franchise icon to kick off his new GM regime. Unable to get permission to deal away Stan Musial, an intercession that may have saved his life, Lane dealt Schoendienst to the New York Giants, who soon dealt Red to the Milwaukee Braves in time for him to be a difference-maker in their two-year rattle at the World Series in the late 1950s. Schoendienst then came back for three light duty seasons with the Cards before retiring and beginning his now much longer career as a Cardinals manager, coach, and lifelong elder statesman.

intuitive hitter

Finally, after first missing out on the Hall of Fame on the baseball writers’ frequent inability to value what their eyes have supposedly seen, the Veterans Committee voted sensibly in favor of Red Schoendienst’s 1989 induction into the Hall of Fame.

I loved Red Schoendienst as a kid, but I didn’t get to meet him until I was invited to attend  a 1998 party for former St. Louis Browns in the then relatively new owner Bill DeWitt, Jr.’s Busch Stadium II suite they called “The Cardinals Club”. I was there as the guest of my Browns player friends.

Bill DeWitt, Jr.
Cardinals Owner

1998 was only two years into the DeWitt family ownership, but it was more importantly remembered (at the time) as the “Season of Sosa and Big Mac” — and the big national media  was all lost in their all out quest to show us fan readers how much the big record home run competition between those two guys was helping the baseball world forget and heal from all the bad things that still wounded the game from the 1994 labor strike and World Series cancellation.

I don’t recall anyone suggesting anything illegal was going on behind this sudden appearance of great home run power numbers. I wish I had asked Red Schoendienst that night what he thought of the power explosion in 1998, but I didn’t. And Red just smiled when Big Mac unloaded another monster shot into the left field upper deck stands during the game we watched that evening.

 

intuitive and wizened elder icon

Red was soft-spoken, but he expressed himself in whole thoughts. Baseball was the greatest game of them all. What other game gives you so much to think about at one time. I can’t go further than that with memories and hope to do justice with what Red actually said twenty years ago. Others who knew him well must do so now. I was just lucky to be there with him that night.

A big almost surprised smile broke out on Schoendienst’s face when I told him that our sandlot club (The Pecan Park Eagles) had delayed the resumption of our all day game when the 1950 All Star Game went 14 innings at Comiskey Park. We had to listen to the radio broadcast account — until we heard live that Red Schoendienst had put our favored NL club ahead, 4-3, with a homer off Ted Gray in the top of the 14th.

The lead held. The NL won. And the Eagles played on til the sun went down back here in Houston.

I got a pat on the back, a smile, and a “thanks for your support” comment from Red.

God Bless You, Red Schoendienst! ~ If “God Is Love” ~ and I believe that to be true ~ you are one of His brightest manifestations ~ and always will be!

 

********************

Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

 

 

 

 

Tags:
Posted in Baseball | 2 Comments »

Altuve Looking Ready to Rock and Roll

June 7, 2018

If he were a rocket, and we’re not talking basketball here; we’re talking about the obvious Cape Canaveral metaphors of baseball’s little big man, now standing on one of those common sight and site Florida launching pads, warming up, hissing and smoking on every lower side of its powerful frame. And so it is too with the compact figure of Jose Altuve in the batter’s box, as he waves a bat that actually, but figuratively smokes on its own, almost to the point of blurring away the impish smile on Jose’s always apparently innocent, but killer-diller champion hitter’s face.

2018 American League Batting Average Leaders

Through Games of 6/06/2018:

# Leaders to 6/07/18 Team G AB H BA
1 Mookie Betts Red Sox 48 184 66 .359
2 Juan Segura Mariners 58 245 83 .339
3 Nick Castellanos Tigers 60 243 81 .333
4 Jose Altuve Astros 63 256 85 .332
5 Andrelton Simmons Angels 59 215 71 .330
6 Michael Brantley Indians 50 203 66 .325
7 Manny Machado Orioles 60 232 75 .323
8 J.D. Martinez Red Sox 57 219 69 .315
9 Mike Trout Angels 63 222 69 .311
10 Eddie Rosario Twins 58 231 71 .307

Astro Players Shown Above in Bold Type.

In the past week, Jose Altuve has risen from 8th to 4th place in the American League batting average championship race – and the hitters ahead of him are beginning to thin or not play at all.

Altuve went 3 for 7 in his two games at home against Seattle. His 85 total hits lead the AL, surpassing the injured more limited time leader from the Red Sox, Mookie Betts, by 19 safeties.

With Altuve, it isn’t just the number of hist he puts up, or how far they go. It has everything to do in his case with how varied he is in their production. He can hit pitchers high or low – he can reach them up or down. He can slam the ball against or over the walls – or he can use his speed and alertness to beat out a swinging bunt as a single that would have been an easy grounder out of a less alert and less speedy runner. He can also spray them to the opposite field when a defense wants to give him the opportunity.

We’ll have to wait and see on this one, but let’s not be too surprised if our wonderful Jose Altuve is again leading the American League and, perhaps, the entire big leagues, with the highest batting average by the July All Star Break.

In the short-term, let’s just enjoy the Astros continuing to play (most of the time) the kind of baseball we fans waited over fifty years to see in the Bayou City.

It was worth the wait. So let’s not waste the opportunity.

As long as Astros baseball is hotter than our normal Houston summer weather, things will stay “cool” in our town – and Jose Altuve will be the coolest dude of them all.

 

********************

Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

Tags:
Posted in Baseball | 1 Comment »

Quo Vadis, Dallas? We’ve No Time for “Regerts”!

June 6, 2018

Dear Astros,

What happens if you decide that there’s nothing you can do right now about the season-collapsing ineffectiveness of Dallas Keuchel as a starter in the 2018 starting pitcher rotation?

…. at least, for the rest of that period of your life you remain connected to the Houston Astros in a real position of authority or possible guidance.

 

********************

Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

Tags:
Posted in Baseball | Leave a Comment »

Astro Relief? Round Up the Usual Suspects!

June 5, 2018

My apologies.

A lot of work that went into the content of this column was lost at publication by an accidental deletion, but that’s OK. This chart and what just happened in the last two games of the Red Sox Series here in Houston was the gist of it.

The Astros need to address the crack in the bullpen. Our starters are not likely to keep us from a title repeat, nor will our offense likely stop us from our second World Series, but …. that bullpen …. that bullpen we now have could cost us everything if the same guys keep showing up and failing to hold even multiple run leads in late innings. We have to take action to shore things up, by whatever ways are both practical and possible. My designated “suspects” for removal, assignment. sale, or trade are highlighted in bold type.

Yes, we know that Giles has 10 saves, but they were low pressure game saves. We think Giles has the kind of talent that will require “PTSD” treatment similar to the remedy that worked for Brad Lidge. It probably needs to happen elsewhere – and not as a member of the Astros.

2018: The Usual Suspects

Astros Relief Staff, June 4, 2018

# Suspect Age G W L IP ER H HR BB SO ERA
1 Joe Smith 34 21 2 1 18.0 11 14 3 6 18 5.50
2 Ken Giles 27 22 0 1 19.0 11 23 1 1 18 5.21
3 Will Harris 33 25 1 3 20.1 11 21 2 6 21 4.87
4 Tony Sipp 34 16 0 0 12.2 4 9 0 5 11 2.84
5 Brad Peacock 30 22 1 3 22.2 7 18 5 6 31 2.78
6 Chris Devenski 27 24 1 1 22.2 5 17 2 7 29 1.99
7 Hector Rondon 30 24 1 1 20.2 4 18 1 4 24 1.74
8 Collin McHugh 31 19 1 0 27.1 4 19 2 6 37 1.32

Tags:
Posted in Baseball, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

Astros Pitching Continues to Dominate in May

June 5, 2018

Astros Pitching Continues to Dominate in May

The Houston Astros finished the month of May with a record of 36-22 in first place in the American League West Division, one game ahead of the Seattle Mariners. The month of May was a difficult one, opening against the New York Yankees and finishing with the Yankees and Boston Red Sox, the two strongest teams in the major leagues. Their record in May was 16-12 with 5 of the losses to the Yankees.

The Astros success this season has been largely due to their incredible starting pitching. None of the five pitchers in the starting rotation have missed a start and they have combined for an ERA of 2.54, by far the best in MLB. Three of the top four pitchers in the AL based on ERA are Astros, Justin Verlander (1.11), Gerrit Cole (2.05) and Charlie Morton (2.25). Cole pitched one of the best games ever by an Astro pitcher, a one-hitter with 16 strikeouts against Arizona.

The relief pitchers have suffered a few bumps but, overall, the bullpen’s ERA of 3.04 is the 4th best in the major leagues.

While the pitching has exceeded expectations, the hitting has not. A repeat of last year’s average of 5.53 runs scored per game was not likely but the Astros are averaging 4.96 runs per game while 5 teams, led by the Yankees at 5.64 are scoring over 5 runs per game. The Astros are one of the top 6 or 7 offensive teams in MLB but not at the top as they were in 2017.

The only Astro player who is having a career year is backup catcher, Max Stassi, .307, 5 home runs. Even reigning MVP, Jose Altuve struggled in May as his batting average dropped below .310 briefly before he had a record setting stretch of 10 hits in 10 at-bats raising his average back to the .330s. Altuve, (.338) and Stassi are the only two Astros hitting over .300. George Springer (11 HR) and Yuli Gurriel are batting in the .280s but the rest of the Astro batters are in the mid to low .200s. Springer had a game in May with 6 hits in 6 at-bats. Carlos Correa batted .188 in May, lowering his average to .261 for the season.

The Red Sox, Yankees and Astros have clearly established themselves as the three strongest MLB teams in the first one third of the season. This is not likely to change. The Astros pitching may not remain as strong as it has been for the rest of the season, but it should still be the best. The hitting is expected to improve in the summer months and this combination should be enough to hold off Seattle and the Los Angeles Angels to win the AL West Division.

Bill Gilbert

6/4/2018.

 

Addendum:

Astros Starting Pitcher Stats

Through June 4, 2018

Courtesy of Baseball Reference.Com

2018 Astro Starters G GS W L ERA IP ER H HR BB SO
Justin Verlander 13 13 7 2 1.24 87.1 12 46 5 17 104
Gerrit Cole 12 12 6 1 2.20 81.2 20 48 9 20 116
Charlie Morton 12 12 7 1 2.84 73.0 23 56 11 23 92
Lance McCullers, Jr. 12 12 7 3 3.89 69.1 30 54 6 27 72
Dallas Keuchel 12 12 3 7 3.65 74.0 30 70 9 21 60

 

********************

Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

Tags:
Posted in Baseball, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

AL Batting Average Race: June 3, 2018

June 4, 2018

American League Batting Average Championship

Contenders Through Sunday, June 3, 2018:

# Leaders to 6/03/18 Team G AB H BA
1 Mookie Betts Red Sox 48 184 66 .359
2 Andrelton Simmons Angels 57 211 71 .3365
3 Nick Castellanos Tigers 56 226 76 .3363
4 Juan Segura Mariners 56 236 78 .331
5 Jose Altuve Astros 61 249 82 .329
6 Manny Machado Orioles 58 226 74 .327
7 Michael Brantley Indians 48 195 63 .323
8 Eddie Rosario Twins 55 218 69 .317
9 J.D. Martinez Red Sox 57 219 69 .315
10 Matt Duffy Rays 43 172 53 .308

Are you old enough to remember when little daily information on the batting and pitching leadership races were available every morning in most large city sports pages? And you didn’t even have to “log in” or remember your password to make the data available to you. All you had to is find the sports pages section of the paper. The facts that it was summer — and that it was baseball season — would take care of the rest.

In spite of his measly 1 single in 5 trips to the plate, with 3 strike outs, in Sunday’s 9-3 Astros loss to the Red Sox in Houston, Jose Altuve is showing gradient improvement signs on most recent days of coming back to the force he was in 2017. — With 82 hits, so far, he’s already established himself as the total hits leader in the big leagues.

Today’s column is little more than an homage to the old-fashioned easy days of accurate, up-to-date, and easy access to daily change in the standings and batting average races.

If only for a moment, it seems like old times.

********************

Publisher Note. I wrote a column similar to this one a couple of days ago, but I’m almost certain that most of you never received my notice of it. The robotic humanoids that allegedly attempt to control the proliferation of spam on the Internet are becoming harder to please and — just as forever they’ve always been — they unavailable for discussion of the fact that The Pecan Park Eagle is not trying to sell anything, or supply anyone, with anything they don’t want, via a message that comes involuntarily to a mailbox that does not want it, or by some sneaky word-loaded sales pitch.

We only want these column notices going to people who wish to read articles from The Pecan Park Eagle. If that is not you, simply let me know and I personally will remove your name and address from the mailing list immediately.

Thanks,

Bill McCurdy, Publisher

 

********************

Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

Tags: ,
Posted in Baseball | Leave a Comment »

Altuve Moving Up in Batting Title Race

June 2, 2018

Here Comes Senor Altuve!

 

MLB Batting Average Leaders

Through Games of May 31, 2018

1. Betts • BOS .359
2. Gennett • CIN .341
3. Kemp • LAD .341
4. Castellanos • DET .339
5. Freeman • ATL .338
6. Simmons • LAA .335
7. Segura • SEA .335
8. Altuve • HOU .332
9. Markakis • ATL .332
10. Brantley • CLE .332

With 7 more hits – for an adjusted total of 87 hits in 241 times at bat – Jose Altuve could be hitting .361 and leading the MLB with the highest batting average in either big league – as he did for most of 2017. Based upon the way his old stroke and good fortune seems to be returning to full bore status, we will not be surprised to find that he has achieved this return to the top in reality by the July All Star break.

The following chart reflects a little more extensive statistical comparison of current leader Mookie Betts of the Red Sox and No. 8 Jose Altuve of the Astros on the morning of June 1, 2018:

Data of Pertinence to Catching The MLB BA Leader

# Player G AB R H 2B 3B HR BB SO BA
1 Mookie Betts 48 184 52 66 19 1 17 24 25 .359
8 Jose Altuve 59 241 33 80 15 2 4 16 37 .332

The second half of this season is shaping up as a cliffhanger on several fronts.

I get excited just thinking about it.

 

********************

Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

Tags:
Posted in Baseball | Leave a Comment »

My Favorite Mental YouTube Baseball Memories

June 1, 2018

 

I’m talking about visual memories here – not thought memories. Everybody has them. Some people are simply too tied up with thoughts to let the pictures come through. After fifty years of studying the phenomenon, however, I’m come to believe that some people get so lost in thought that they don’t realize that so much memory is like a video sound byte that may come to the surface as a brief movie – or even one that has sound with it. If this has happened for you, what I am about to describe from own my experience is going to very easy to grasp.

My examples here are of two bookend pictures of my first visual memory of baseball to the last visual memory of baseball I experienced in 2017.

My first and last fan baseball plays, both of balls hit to the right side of the field through 2017 occurred in Beeville, Texas and Los Angeles, California. I saw the Beeville play in person at age 2. I watched the Los Angeles play on TV from Dodger Stadium the night of November 1st.

The Beeville Play unfolded one spring night in 1940 at the Bee County Fairgrounds Baseball Field. As a two-year old, I was busy stomping around the right field grandstands as my mom kept up her steady exhortations for me to sit down and watch daddy playing right field. I looked every now and then, but all I saw was daddy, standing out there sideways to us with his hands on either his hips or knees, wearing that grey baseball uniform with the dark blue sox and cap – and that never stayed interesting to me for very long.

Then it happened. I heard the sound of what I now know was a bat hitting a ball – and that was followed immediately by a ball that was quickly headed toward my dad as a line drive to right field. Of course, I had no language for describing the sailing baseball – or the place it was going to reach in quick time.

I just saw, what I saw, what I saw. – And my dad was involved.

Dad ran over and caught the ball on the first bounce and made a throw back to another player standing at second base, inviting a few other baseball concepts that were way beyond my mental pay grade that first baseball memory night.

1938-1940 were my pre-Cambrian baseball fan days, but this first trip to any ballpark involved my dad, and I would learn more, as time went by.

The visual of it all lives forever – as it happened – and as it is now remembered within the context of a single to right with no other runners on the bases at the time it was fielded and held to a one-base hit – by my dad.

I recall other Beeville town ball team fans yelling “You’re the baby, Bill” when my dad came to bat, but I don’t know if he got a hit, nor do I remember who the opposition team was that day – or if Beeville even won. Sometimes the road from darkness to dawn is a rough and shaky one. I’m just glad I had the help I did in finding baseball so early.

The Los Angeles Play dialed in on November 1, 2017. I’m sure I share this one with thousands of Astros fans. Jose Altuve is playing deep on the short field grass when he takes a crisply hit grounder and then carefully flips it to Yuli Gurriel at first base for the final out in Game 7 of the World Series. The Houston Astros are now the 2017 Champions of the World.

Now, seven months since that last 2017 stunner – and 78 years since that first lasting visual introduction to baseball down in Beeville for me, each now flows into my awareness on their own from the Personal You Tube segment of my brain, and pretty much independently – each plays to consciousness whenever each so chooses.

I wouldn’t change a thing. They each are like two visual thought buddies. When they show up, they open your doors wide to – whenever they take it upon themselves to show up again.

Thanks from some of us, Baseball, for all you’ve done to make our lives so much more fun than it is guaranteed to be!

 

********************

Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

Tags:
Posted in Baseball | Leave a Comment »

Astrodome Historical Marker Now In Place

May 31, 2018

 

The Astrodome Plaque Awaits Introduction
May 29, 2018
(Photo by Bob Dorrill)

Aptly Guarded By Two Historical Centurions,
Mike Acosta (L) of the Houston Astros
and
Mike Vance of the Harris County Historical Commission
(Photo by Bob Dorrill)

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett
Was Present to Preside Over a Moment
That His Leadership Helped Make Happen.
(Photo by Mike McCroskey)

Dene Hofheinz and Larry Dierker
Two Astrodome Icons in Their Own Rights
Made the Day Even Brighter.
(Photo by Bob Dorrill)

The Astrodome was a place where dreams gave birth to bigger worlds. Tal and Johnie Smith were both a big part of that condition of great hope that was Houston when it entered the big leagues in 1962 and the Astrodome in 1965.
(Photo by Bob Dorrill)

Dene Hofheinz, Daughter of Judge Roy Hofheinz, takes a turn to speak at the unveiled plaque at “the 8th wonder of the world”.
(Photo by Wayne Chandler)

Smiles and happy faces prevail!
(Photo by Mike McCroskey)

Hail! Hail! The SABR Gang’s All Here! ….
In Spirit at Least!
(Photo by Mike McCroskey)

Two of the Iconic Astrodome’s Greatest Early Franchise Legends,
Tal Smith and Larry Dierker,
Finish the Pictorial Part of our Report with Big and Knowing Smiles.
What better way to end this beautiful picture flow of the big day!
Now stay tuned below for the written report by Bob Dorrill.
(Photo by Wayne Chandler)

 ********************

Astrodome Historical Marker Now In Place

By Bob Dorrill

Tuesday afternoon, May 29, 2018, a State Historical Marker provided by the Houston Astros honoring the location of the Houston Astrodome was unveiled by Judge Ed Emmett, Dene Hofheinz, daughter of Judge Roy Hofheinz, who had the original vision for the Astrodome, Larry Dierker, former Astros player, manager, and broadcaster, early dome stadium team construction advisor and administrative magnate Tal Smith, and several others. Mike Vance of the Harris County Historical Commission and Mike Acosta, Astros’ team historian, acted as emcees.

Approximately 100 stalwart fans, including 12 members of the Larry Dierker Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) attended the ceremony where several proclamations were read, stories told and memories relived prior to the unveiling of the marker so craftily worded by Messrs. Vance and Acosta.

On a hot baseball day in Houston we were all so thankful that “The Eighth Wonder of the World” had been built to provide air conditioned comfort for the many venues that were to use the facility over the years. Ironically, our shared memories of the Astrodome’s AC system were of no use to us on this typically hot Houston summer weather day.

The deed has now been done. And even the torrid parking lot heat could not override the smiles of joy that now kicked in over the fact that Houston’s world class contribution to both architecture and the still unfolding history of sporting venue comfort all really started on April 9, 1965, when Houston opened the door to incredible change with an exhibition baseball game played between the newly re-christened Houston Astros and the venerable champions of earlier times, the New York Yankees.

It’s too bad the late Neil Armstrong could not have been with us this Tuesday, May 29, 2018. Perhaps, he may have been able to further anoint today’s event as “one small step for local politics; one giant leap for Houston’s historical respect.”

Mind if we borrow the essence of your spirit, Mr. Armstrong? We’re pretty darn proud of what these people, and others of their “preservationist” minds and voices have done to make this historical marker dedication happen.

The Astrodome is now declared to be a state Antiquities Landmark, and it is now listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. As Judge Emmett said about the Dome, “Let’s not leave here today thinking just about the history, but about how generations to come will use it – and how it will be part of their lives.

Long Live the Dome!

*********************

Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

Tags:
Posted in Baseball, culture, History, Houston | 1 Comment »

Ex-2017 Astros, So Far, In 2018

May 30, 2018

“People little note nor long remember what I did as an Astro, but they hardly ever forget what you didn’t do because it shows up in your paycheck at the next career stop.”
~ Tyler Clippard.

It would be more fun to look back at the few 2017 personnel problems the Astros divested themselves from in 2018, if this were not also a time in the schedule in which looking back at last night’s late loss to the Yankees and the other 9th inning Astros pen collapse in the third game in Cleveland arose to remind us that more change may still be needed.

Get my drift?

At any rate, even a cursory look at the 2017 releases and trade-aways suggests that Mr. Luhnow is still doing his superb job of sniffing out the soon-to-be-ripe from the now-over-ripe to the never-will-be-ripe and doing his job accordingly.

Here’s the table that features every 2017 Astro who is now playing for another MLB club, so far, in 2018:

A Look at 2017 Astros Now Playing for Other Clubs in 2018

Through Games of Tuesday, May 29, 2018

PITCHERS POS AGE 2018 TEAM W L ERA IP BB SO
Tyler Clippard RP 33 BLUE JAYS 4 2 3.33 27.0 15 29
Michael Feliz RP 26 PIRATES 0 2 5.87 23.0 11 29
Mike Fiers SP 33 TIGERS 4 3 4.78 49.0 10 32
Luke Gregerson RP 34 CARDINALS 0 0 8.64 08.1 03 08
Francisco Liriano SP 35 TIGERS 3 2 3.90 57.2 29 45
Joe Musgrove SP 26 PIRATES 1 0 0.00 07.0 00 07
FIELDERS POS AGE 2018 TEAM G AB RUNS HITS HR BA
Juan Centeno C 29 RANGERS 10 37 03 06 1 .162
Colin Moran 3B 26 PIRATES 48 145 17 38 4 .262
Teosc. Hernandez OF 26 BLUE JAYS 40 162 23 40 7 .247
Cameron Maybin OF 31 MARLINS 52 129 09 32 0 .248
Carlos Beltran DH 40 (Retired)

Other than infielder Colin Moran and pitcher Joe Musgrove, who went to the Pirates, along with pitcher Michael Feliz, in the Gerrit Cole trade, all other detachments here bear with them no regrets at all. And we had to give up the guys we moved to Pittsburgh to get Cole, the second strongest starter in the Astros’ 2018 rotation.

Now, if the Astros can just find a monster closer somewhere who does not again turn out to be Jekyll and Hyde, that would be great.

********************

Coming Attractions!!!

Tal Smith and Larry Dierker are all smiles at the new Astrodome historical marker installed on May 29, 2018. Look for a story coming your way soon here at TPPE from Bob Dorrill about the big moment.

 

*********************

Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

 

 

Tags:
Posted in Baseball | Leave a Comment »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »