yeah at least he started producing, was looking like a bust last year.
I saw Jason Castro play last night against the Missions and he looks like he is going to be a good player. He went 1-3 with a walk and scored twice. He's pretty good behind the plate and has a very strong throw to second. I'm excited about what this guy will bring to the team next season.
Cardinals could take Tejada off your hands for A couple of solid minor league arms and a 2008 Triple A MVP outfielder
Astros aren't gonna trade tejada within the division.....heard rumblings that a lot of teams have strong interest in Latroy Hawkins
Backe starts tonight. How this guy still gets to pitch, much less start at a major league level is beyond me.
He is terrible.
So what did the guy top out in 2004 or somethin?
Dude was unhittable in that freaking NLCS.
Bottom of the 1st and already gave up his first HR.
Another.
6 of the last 7 series wins. 5.5 back of St. Louis and 4.5 back from the Wild Card.
Do they have a shot at the post season?
Yeah they have a good shot no question.
If I were them, I would go after a solid rotation guy when they become available.
If they could get one with Oswalt they would have a GREAT shot.
I think I'm the only person in Texas that watched the Missions vs. the Hooks on FSN last night instead of the Horns but I'm really happy with how Castro is working out. He was 2-4 with a HR. He is on a 16 game hit streak. I know he was drafted for his defense and any offense he gives would be a bonus but he is showing very good plate discipline and a good bat. I'm excited about what this kid is going to give the 'stros in a couple of years.
Yay!
Astros set to release Backe
Fan favorite gone after refusing assignment to Minors
AN DIEGO -- Brandon Backe, the local product that endeared himself to Astros fans with his penchant for coming up big in the playoffs, is done in Houston. Backe, who was designated for assignment Friday, cleared waivers and exercised his right to reject an assignment to Triple-A Round Rock. The Astros placed him on waivers Monday with the purpose of giving him his unconditional release.
Astros general manager Ed Wade said Backe chose to reject the assignment and ensure he'd receive the rest of his $1.55 million salary. He could have accepted the assignment or opted to become a free agent, at which point he would not have gotten paid.
Backe, 31, came to Spring Training competing for a spot in the starting rotation, but he strained an intercostal muscle in early March and wound up missing two months. The injury opened the door for Russ Ortiz to seize the final spot in the rotation.
"We were hoping he could go to Triple-A," Wade said. "We had talked about that Saturday night, and [assistant general manager] David Gottfried talked to [agent] Brian Grieper a couple of times over the weekend, and we thought it was headed in that direction. When we got the form back today, it indicated he rejected the assignment."
Backe made six starts between Round Rock and Double-A Corpus Christi on a Minor League rehab assignment this year before rejoining the Astros and pitching mostly out of the bullpen. He appeared in five games (one start) and allowed 21 hits, 15 earned runs and five homers in 13 innings.
"We wanted to give him a chance to come in and compete in Spring Training," Wade said. "He had the strain and missed all of Spring Training. Some of the decisions we had hoped to be able to make in Spring Training got pushed into the season. Ortiz stepped up and won the job and at that point [Jose] Capellan was playing well and as the season progressed, other guys stepped up."
A native of Galveston, Texas, Backe was acquired by the Astros on Dec. 14, 2003, in exchange for Geoff Blum and quickly became a fan favorite. He went 5-3 in '04 in mostly a relief role, before going 10-8 in the rotation in '05 and helping the Astros to the World Series. He struggled with injuries in '06 before having Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery, which cost him almost all of the '07 season.
He came back healthy in 2008, but didn't pitch well. He made 31 starts and was 9-14 with a 6.05 ERA, leading the league in earned runs (112) and home runs (36) allowed.
But Backe saved his biggest moments for the brightest stage.
In Game 5 of the 2004 National League Championship Series, Backe held St. Louis to one hit over eight scoreless innings in a game the Astros eventually won on Jeff Kent's walk-off homer in the ninth. He held St. Louis to two hits and one run in 5 2/3 innings in Game 4 of the 2005 NLCS and delivered in the World Series that year, throwing seven scoreless innings against the White Sox in Game 4.
Backe on Friday expressed some frustration at not being able to rejoin the rotation when he returned from his Minor League rehab, but Wade said nothing was promised.
"I went to Brandon right away when he got hurt in Spring Training, and I knew that he was frustrated and talking to the trainers he was trying to make things happen that weren't going to happen," Wade said. "I said 'Back off and relax. This has to run its course.' We sent him out on the rehab assignment, and our expectations at that point were that he was going to be in the rotation.
"At some point, you have to take your heart out of the process and use your head, and we just felt when you start talking about [Felipe] Paulino and other guys in the rotation, there really wasn't anything for him to be other than what I refer to as the Maytag repair man, the role that [Brian] Moehler had at the beginning of last season before he got his chance in the rotation.
"He was victimized somewhat by his performance last year, but more than anything he was victimized by his injury in Spring Training and the fact other guys snuck up."
The departure of Backe leaves the Astros with only three remaining players from their 2005 World Series team -- Lance Berkman, Roy Oswalt and Wandy Rodriguez.
1 down 2 to go.......Moehler and Hampton need to go. Paulino was freaking awesome Sat night with 9k's. Ortiz has been good we well.
LMAO astros
It's a nice sunny day game at PETCO Park...
and it's the "REVENGE OF THE KILLER BEES"!!!
How bizarre and just one inning to go.
Tommy boy: YOUR FIREARMS ARE USELESS AGAINST THEM!
Its not one bit sunny here in San Diego....
Yay! They are at .500!!
With a cubs win tonight, the Astros would be only 2.5 games out of first in the divsion
man, the Astros are actually decent overall against Major League teams not named the Rangers.
being .500 at the break is way more than I expected this year.
I'm still hoping they are sellers at the trade deadline and try to get some more young prospects into the farm system. Miggy and Carlos Lee should be on the block and hopefully they can get some arms for them.
Why do you laugh about the Astros?
Are you a Rangers fan?
At least the Astros make the post-season much more consistently than the Rangers.
the cardinals...i love it.
Props to LaRussa for walking Tejada to pitch to Lee.
This has been a great series so far. They came out of the break with those 2 great games against the Dodgers and then ed up at the end of the series. I'm glad they were able to win this series against the Red Birds and get a little closer to the top of the division.
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