OKCAg2002 said:

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The injury to Alou was a kick in the junk. How did he injure it if wasn't on a treadmill?

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Washing his truck?

EastCoastAgNc said:

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Michael Brantley getting some work at first pic.twitter.com/EQMZtmqDCo

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) February 19, 2023

Michael Brantley getting some work in at first. pic.twitter.com/fPOtLgOaAa

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) February 19, 2023

Quick, everybody jump to conclusions!

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I conclude Mike finally jumped Altuve on the 1b depth chart.

Chas McCormick on Dusty Baker’s comments that center field is a competition: “He’s right. I have to earn my spot. I haven’t proven myself as a starter yet.”

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) February 20, 2023

Moved into our new home last week and decided to get myself a little house warming gift.

Dusty Baker on McCullers: “Trainer says he’s feeling better, getting better.”

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) February 20, 2023

Brantley playing a little 1B seems smart for all parties involved. We could use an extra depth body there. And it'll be nice for his FA resume this offseason.

Maybe this is old news, but with Brantley getting this work at 1st, kind of puts the nail in the coffin that they're moving on from Yuli, right?

(Or maybe Yuli as already signed on elsewhere and I missed it.)

Farmer1906 said:

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How did anyone ever doubt him?

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For the most part, I think we've done a good job on this thread keeping expectations tempered for Peña's sophomore season. But. It's also possible this is the calm before a very big storm. Which would be fun.

Everyone is excited for Spring Training.
But it’s going to last five more weeks pic.twitter.com/rRwnMuxIwP

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) February 20, 2023

Deluxe said:

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Brantley playing a little 1B seems smart for all parties involved. We could use an extra depth body there. And it'll be nice for his FA resume this offseason.

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Does anyone remember the spring training in the 80s when the astros briefly tried billy hatcher at 3b? Think it was the year they ultimately brought caminti up. Hatcher took a couple of sharp grounder to the face before they abandoned ship.

Cuban INF/OF Luis Jesús Quesada (18) officially signs with the Houston Astros. Bonus deal: $12,500. The Astros expand the number of Cuban players in their system (leaders in MLB) to 22. pic.twitter.com/aSbf39cfcd

— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) February 20, 2023

"You just take a little less of a vacation." 😂@astros star Kyle Tucker speaks on the quick turnaround from winning the World Series to getting ready for the upcoming season.@RoFlo | @CliffFloyd30 | #SpringTraining pic.twitter.com/TxDQEzDJ7X

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 20, 2023

Farmer1906 said:

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Dude looks like he's been doing nothing but chopping wood all offseason.

King Tuck’s mitt pic.twitter.com/ie73hzyfjI

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) February 20, 2023

Clayton Kershaw wasn't bothered when the #Dodgers' hired a former Red Sox staffer who was suspended for a year for his role in a sign-stealing scheme.

"... there needs to be a clear distinction between what the Astros did and what everybody else did."https://t.co/xTxhGz2STb

— Dylan Hernández (@dylanohernandez) February 20, 2023

Hey Clayton, look up "double standard" in the dictionary

EastCoastAgNc said:

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Clayton Kershaw wasn't bothered when the #Dodgers' hired a former Red Sox staffer who was suspended for a year for his role in a sign-stealing scheme.

"... there needs to be a clear distinction between what the Astros did and what everybody else did."https://t.co/xTxhGz2STb

— Dylan Hernández (@dylanohernandez) February 20, 2023

Hey Clayton, look up "double standard" in the dictionary

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Well, at least the Dodgers are now admitting that everyone else cheated.

Marvin said:

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EastCoastAgNc said:

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Clayton Kershaw wasn't bothered when the #Dodgers' hired a former Red Sox staffer who was suspended for a year for his role in a sign-stealing scheme.

"... there needs to be a clear distinction between what the Astros did and what everybody else did."https://t.co/xTxhGz2STb

— Dylan Hernández (@dylanohernandez) February 20, 2023

Hey Clayton, look up "double standard" in the dictionary

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Well, at least the Dodgers are now admitting that everyone else cheated.

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There is a clear distinction. The Astros won the World Series and everyone else (including the *****es from the Dodgers, Yankees and Red Sox) did not. That is the only distinction I see.

Funny moment at #Astros camp, 2B Jose Altuve, who wasn’t wearing his player ID, was stopped by security today entering the ballpark here in West Palm Beach, Fl.
Jose laughed it off saying “It’s ok, he’s just doing his job”#mlb#springtraining#Ready2Reign

— Robert Flores (@RoFlo) February 20, 2023

40 days until Opening Day means we're at jersey #40, worn by 2 Houston pitchers who threw no-hitters, but unfortunately one of them met a tragic end that to his day is one of the biggest mysteries in sports.

The monstrous Ken Johnson wore the number from 1962 to 1965 as a Colt .45 and an Astro. At 6 foot 4, 210 lbs he was a big specimen of a guy who was ambidextrous (he could breathe underwater) . He was drafted by the Colt 45s in the expansion draft of October 1961 and pitched 4 years for the squad. In 1963, he had a 2.65 ERA but went 11-17. In 1964, he became the only player ever to lose a 9-inning no-hitter. Against the Reds, it was 0-0 in the ninth when Pete Rose got to second on a throwing error by Johnson, went to third on a groundout, and scored on an error by Nellie Fox. Johnson's line for the game: 9 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K.



Don Wilson wore #40 from 1967 until 1974 for the Astros. Alongside Larry Dierker, he was one of our first really great starting pitchers. He made his MLB debut in 1966 at age 21. getting the win with 6 innings of relief after Bob Bruce got hurt. He gave up 2 runs and struck out 7 against the Reds. He was in the rotation every year after that, winning 16 games in 1969.

In 1971, he really turned it up, going 16-10 with a 2.45 ERA, 18 complete games and 3 shutouts, allowing just 15 home runs in 268 innings. He was 15-10 with a 2.68 ERA the next year. In '73 and '74 he had a losing record but his ERA was 3.20 and 3.08.

On June 18, 1967, he no-hit the Braves 2-0 at the Astrodome, the first no-hitter ever on turf or in a domed stadiu,. He struck out 15 batters in that game, and struck out Hank Aaron for the final out. Aaron was 0 for 3 with a walk and 3 strikeouts. The Braves lineup also featured future Astro coach Denis Menke, Felipe Alou, Tito Francona, and the legendary Bob Uecker. Phil Niekro started for the Braves.

A year later, on July 14, 1968, he set a still-standing team record when he struck out 18 Reds in a 6-1 victory.

In 1969, Jim Maloney of the Reds no-hit the Astros 10-0 on May 1, and the next day, Wilson no-hit the Reds 4-0 for his second career no hitter. That year the Astros reached .500 (81-81) for the first time. Unfortunately, this is not a happy ending.

On January 5, 1975, Wilson came home, pulled his car into the garage, shut the door behind him, but never got out of the car. He appears to have fallen asleep and was killed by the carbon monoxide fumes. Even worse, his son Alex was sleeping in the bedroom above the garage and also died for asphyxia.

His wife apparently found him the next morning. When police and EMS arrived, they found his wife, Bernice, had suffered a badly bruised jaw - her face was swollen and bruised and the couple's daughter Denice was found in her bedroom, unconscious. She fell into a coma at the hospital but survived. However she suffered brain damage and was unable to attend her father and brother's funerals.

His death was ruled an accident, but if you want to research it, it definitely has a troublesome air of a domestic disturbance and a possible murder. Both kids and Don suffered the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning, but his wife did not. When the cops went back to interview the wife after the funeral, she told them she had retained an attorney and would not talk without her counsel present. She also said she had amnesia from that night and couldn't remember anything.

For some reason, a month later, the medical examiner for Harris County ruled it an accident and case closed. The Astros retired #40 on April 14, 1975. Wilson was a month short of his 30th birthday when he died.

Mauricio Dubón when the Astros acquired him: 165 lbs.

Mauricio Dubón reporting to spring training this week: 190 lbs.

"I was eating at least 5,000 calories and forcing myself to eat. There was times I didn’t want to see food, smell anything." - https://t.co/BncFY4Qadx

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) February 20, 2023

Wonder if we put Dubon on the Pena Plan