Biggio is the best Astro of all time, but he's just holding the mantle until Altuve retires.

33 days until Opening Day brings us to a very special #33.



That's right Will Clark, **** you!



9 December, 1982 HONOLULU -- The New York Mets traded pitcher Mike Scott to the Houston Astros Friday for first baseman-outfielder Danny Heep at the baseball meetings.


In other words, the Astros were trading a high draft pick who couldn't hit in the majors for a Mets' high draft pick who couldn't pitch in the majors.

Scott was 15-17 in his first two years with the Astros, but in the 1984 off-season he went to Roger Craig's pitching school to learn the split-finger fastball. Scott won 13 of his final 17 decisions to post an 18-8 record

In 1986, Scott started slow again. On May 25 in a 3-1 win over the Cubs, he recorded the first 10-strikeout performance of his career, then recorded 11 in a 1-0 loss to the Expos. He was 4-4 at the end of May despite a 2.84 ERA. As the Astros' offense started warming up, Scott began getting more and more notice for his strikeout totals and the way his pitches kept moving through the air, almost as if they had been scuffed by Billy Doran's belt buckle.

At 14-9 with a 2.24 ERA heading to September, Scott was in the thick of the Cy Young race, alongside Fernando Valenzuela, Mike Krukow, and basically everyone on the Mets.

On September 25, he did the impossible, the unthinkable, and up to that point, the single-greatest thing in Astro history, pitching a no-hitter against the Giants and striking out 13 as Houston clinched the NL West title.

He finished the regular season 18-10 with a 2.22 ERA and 306 strikeouts. The latter two numbers both led the majors that year. He also led the league with 5 shutouts and 275.1 innings pitched. Despite all that, he only beat Fernando by 10 points (98-88) for the Cy Young, the first Astro to win it.

He didn't stop there, of course. He became the only player from a losing team in MLB history to win the MVP of a championship series. He beat the Mets 1-0 in Game 1 of the NLCS, a complete game 5 hit shutout where he walked 1 and struck out 14.
He came back to beat them 3-1 in Game 4, another complete game allowing 3 hits, 1 earned run, 0 walks, and 5 strikeouts. For the series, he was 2-0 with a 0.50 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 18 innings. Alas, there was no Game 7.

While the Astros' regressed to the norm in the next few years, Scotty was still one of the best pitchers in the NL. He went 16-13 with a 3.23 ERA and 233 strikeouts in 1987 and started the All-Star game.

In 1988, he was 14-8 with a 2.92 ERA and 5 shutouts. In 1989, he should have won another Cy Young, going 20-10 with a 3.10 ERA and 9 complete games, but those idiots gave it to Mark Davis with his 44 saves instead.

Arm fatigue hit Scotty hard in 1990 as the Astros began selling off their pieces for a total rebuild. He was 1-5 with a 6.33 ERA by May 20.

Then on June 8 at the Astrodome, he gave the fans one last memory of that 1986 magic when he pitched a 10-inning complete game, allowing 3 hits and striking out 15 batters, a career high. This was against the Reds' team that would ultimately sweep Oakland in the World Series. He gave up a run in the 10th inning to put the Reds up 1-0, then struck out Mariano Duncan to end the inning, setting a new career high for strikeouts.
The Reds brought on their closer Randy Myers to finish it off, but he gave up a one-out walk to Eric Anthony and a single to my dad's favorite player, Rafael Ramirez.

Glenn Wilson pinch hit for Scott and crushed a three-run homer to win it.

The Astros retired #33 in 1992.

I still got chills watching this on YouTube, a good 36-1/2 years later.

They just became the premium trade destination for Jake Meyers

Well, let's be fair. It was 3-0 in the bottom of the ninth and Knepper was still out there. He gave up a triple in the gap to Dykstra to lead off the inning, then Mookie Wilson hit a shot off Doran's glove to make it 3-1. He got Kevin MItchell to ground out, getting Wilson to second. Hernandez followed with a double off Knepper to make it 3-2, scoring Wilson.

So Smith came in with the score 3-2 and Hernandez on second with one out. Smith was wild, walking Vitamin D and Darryl Strawberry to load the bases, then gave up a sac fly to Ray Knight to make it 3-3. They walked Wally Backman intentionally, and Smith struck out Danny Heep, who is just failing all over this thread today.

Knepper blew that game, not Smith.

EastCoastAgNc said:

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Dusty Baker said James Click called him this morning to tell him he’d taken the Blue Jays job. Baker said he’s “glad for him”

“I always thought he had a bright future, just sometimes things don’t work.”

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) February 27, 2023

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This seems random and odd

I liked Click and at first thought it was insane for him to not be brought back, but since then with what I've read and learned I think Click had some glaring shortcomings.

I think we're in a better spot with Brown and like the more straight forward, no nonsense, get shlt done type of attitude he brings.

Ag_07 said:

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EastCoastAgNc said:

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Dusty Baker said James Click called him this morning to tell him he’d taken the Blue Jays job. Baker said he’s “glad for him”

“I always thought he had a bright future, just sometimes things don’t work.”

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) February 27, 2023

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This seems random and odd

I liked Click and at first thought it was insane for him to not be brought back, but since then with what I've read and learned I think Click had some glaring shortcomings.

I think we're in a better spot with Brown and like the more straight forward, no nonsense, get shlt done type of attitude he brings.

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What is random about it? No GM spots are open. He got a fairly important job and will likely be a GM again assuming he doesn't screw up in Toronto.

I think Click and Dusty disagreed on a bunch of stuff, but it seems like they maintained a good relationship if Click feels like he can call Dusty to talk to him about it. I doubt Crane got a phone call though.

Love seeing that trophy.

Mondays are better with baseball.

🆚: Marlins
🕛: 12:05 PM
📺: @ATTSportsNetSW#Ready2Reign pic.twitter.com/sQYq13OTPN

— Houston Astros (@astros) February 27, 2023

Dusty should have followed up by staring directly at Chandler Rome saying, "yessir, sometimes a change of scenery can do wonders for a guy's career. Just get away from the place you're working and start over."

James Click on being hired by the Blue Jays pic.twitter.com/YXBCTOkxXm

— FAX Sports: MLB  (@MLBONFAX) February 27, 2023

At this point, he's just comic relief. There are few jobs better in the world than covering sports for a living. The amount of times he low-key complains about his job on Twitter- and that's just the posts I see on TexAgs - is staggering.

You cursed him.

2023 ASTROS HYPE VIDEO: This is How We Win (This is Halloween parody) pic.twitter.com/irzbGkZMPP

— Space City Sports (@LiveSCS) February 27, 2023

McInnis said:

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Quote:

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He didn't stop there, of course. He became the only player from a losing team in MLB history to win the MVP of a championship series. He beat the Mets 1-0 in Game 1 of the NLCS, a complete game 5 hit shutout where he walked 1 and struck out 14.

He came back to beat them 3-1 in Game 4, another complete game allowing 3 hits, 1 earned run, 0 walks, and 5 strikeouts. For the series, he was 2-0 with a 0.50 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 18 innings. Alas, there was no Game 7.

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If Dave Smith could have held a three run lead in the ninth inning of game 6 there's no doubt Scott would have won game 7 and put the Astros into the series against Boston which was still under the curse at that time. That to me is still the most heartbreaking loss in Astros history. Game 5 of 1980 against the Phillies is close but nothing can top that final game of 1986.

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I was 11 and sitting in the Loge with my Dad. Thanks for the memories and kick straight to my developing testicles.