Hardest hit ball I've ever witnessed was hit by Bob Watson off David Clyde in the dome. Low turnout, so we moved behind home plate. Watson crushed a low hooking, knuckling line drive that went between SS Toby Harrah's legs on the fly and ended up as a double is the gap. Harrah's face lost all color. Probably had to change pants. Late exhibition game right before the opener, circa '73 or '74.
Pinder > Dubon, btw
Wow, that had to be a viscous line drive. I still feel bad for David Clyde, I don't know what else the Rangers could have done to scuttle any chance he had of a good career.
Clyde's dad was a huge part of the problem. He insisted Clyde be kept in the big leagues for an extended period or David wouldn't sign. I played against his youner brothers, Steve and Mike. The dad coached their summer league team and went all Billy Martin on an ump in a game we played them. Just a *****. Steve actually went on to play TE for Lou Holtz at Arkansas. David's stats his senior year at Westchester were just absurd. He was the Lebron James of HS baseball.
Biggio hung on much longer than he should have because he knew 3000 was automatic admission. Longevity is nice but rings are nicer.
At age 39 in 2005, Biggio scored 94 runs, hit 40 doubles, hit 26 home runs, and drove in 69 runs. At age 32 in 2022, Atluve scored 103 runs, hit 39 doubles, hit 28 home runs, and drove in 57 runs.
Biggio hung on much longer than he should have because he knew 3000 was automatic admission. Longevity is nice but rings are nicer.
At age 39 in 2005, Biggio scored 94 runs, hit 40 doubles, hit 26 home runs, and drove in 69 runs. At age 32 in 2022, Atluve scored 103 runs, hit 39 doubles, hit 28 home runs, and drove in 57 runs.
He's not wrong.
Biggio averaged a 1.2 WAR his last eight seasons. His last two seasons were bad enough that he wouldn't have been in the everyday lineup if he wasn't chasing 3000. In fairness he was 40 and 41 and most players are long retired by then, but that's kind of the point.
Biggio was amazing up until age 33 and probably ends up with better career numbers than Altuve but the only number you really need to end the conversation is his .618 playoff OPS.
Biggio hung on much longer than he should have because he knew 3000 was automatic admission. Longevity is nice but rings are nicer.
At age 39 in 2005, Biggio scored 94 runs, hit 40 doubles, hit 26 home runs, and drove in 69 runs. At age 32 in 2022, Atluve scored 103 runs, hit 39 doubles, hit 28 home runs, and drove in 57 runs.
He's not wrong.
Biggio averaged a 1.2 WAR his last eight seasons. His last two seasons were bad enough that he wouldn't have been in the everyday lineup if he wasn't chasing 3000. In fairness he was 40 and 41 and most players are long retired by then, but that's kind of the point.
Biggio was amazing up until age 33 and probably ends up with better career numbers than Altuve but the only number you really need to end the conversation is his .618 playoff OPS.
Altuve's 2022 had a higher OPS & OPS+ than any of Biggio's. To compare it to the end of Biggio's career is nonsense.
I'm not saying that Biggio is better than Altuve, I believe Altuve is already the best player in Astro history. I was pointing out the guy who said Biggio played too long that Biggio had good #s at age 39. And beyond that, the Astros weren't any good in 2007-2008, so it wasn't like he was keeping them out of the playoffs.
Just four months after I started it, here's the 16th and final part of the 2022 Houston Astros' season in review!
October 11-November 3 Record: 11-2 World Champions
ALDS Game 1: October 11, 2022, Astros 8, Mariners 7 @ Minute Maid Park Attendance: 41,125 Record: 1-0
The Mariners had done it. I mean, REALLY done it. They had come out swinging against Justin Verlander and those damn Astros. Knocked Mr. Cy Young around to the tune of 6 earned runs on 10 hits in 4 innings. Put up a run in the top of the first and added three more in the top of the second thanks to Julio Rodriquez and Ty France.The Astros didn't even score a run until that punk Alvarez doubled in a couple in the bottom of the third, but the Mariners came right back with a homer, triple, double, and single in one inning to go up 6-2. First punch landed, first blood drawn, going back to Seattle no worse than even at 1-1. Even when Gurriel shook off the old man dust to make it 6-3 in the fourth, the Mariners struck back in the seventh with a solo shot by Eugenio Suarez. 7-3 and the Astros only had 6 outs left. Finally their stupid fans were quiet for once. With Andres Munoz on the hill in the bottom of the eighth, things got a little rocky though. Pena lined out, then Alvarez singled. You thought Munoz could work a double-play ball from Bregman, he was 0 for 2 so far, but Munoz left one hanging and Bregman parked it in left-center field. Suddenly it was 7-5 and here came their stupid fans again. But Muno came back to strike out Tucker, and after Gurriel singled, your dugout went crazy when he fanned big Trey Mancini. Three outs to go, still a two-run lead, and Paul Sewald coming in to shut them down. Yeah, Seawald, they didn't know him outside of Seattle. 5-4, 2.67 ERA, 72 strikeouts in 64 innings. Yeah, he was primed for the occasion. Vasquez grounded out and it was two outs to go, but then this random 6'6 guy pinch hit for Dubon and Sewald plunked him. Now here came Altuve, Mr. Clutch, and my God, if he hit a home run against you again, you were just going to curl up and die. But no! Sewald struck that midget out on a 1-2 pitch and now all you had to do was get the rookie and you could party hard in the clubhouse! Pena had a decent rookie campaign, but he was clearly dazzled by the bright lights of the postseason. He was 0 for 4 on the day. Meanwhile, your rookie, the real ROY, Julio Rodriquez had torn **** up. 2 for 4 with 3 runs and 2 RBI in his playoff debut. A double, at triple, a walk, 5 total bases. That's how you do it. Then that SOB flicked a ball into centerfield and made his stupid heart motion and now there were 2 guys on an Alvarez striding to the plate as the crowd stood and roared. You looked on deck and you knew you couldn't walk the big boy, because Bregman was waiting. Sewald seemed rattled so you decided to go balls to the wall and bring in your big man to face their big man. The murmur of the crowd, the glance across the field into Dusty Baker's corner. That's right, old man, you might have 50 years of experience, but old Scotty Servais has a trick or two up his sleeve! In came Robbie Ray, who hitters were averaging just .204 against in 2022 with two runners on base. You tried to shake off the bad feeling about how Houston had torched him this year, though. 23 hits in 52 at-bats, was it? That's a .442 average, right? One out was all you needed.
He hit it into the upper deck. The velocity of his bat as he threw it down the first-base line seemed higher than whatever the hell that garbage Ray had challenged him with. Their fans went insane. Stomping, clapping, laughing, pointing. 7-3 had become 7-5 had become 8-7. Julio's post-game interview with the TV crew was canceled. Avarez had upstaged him, going 3 for 5 with 2 runs, 5 RBI and 7 total bases. Stupid ****ing Astros.
Game 2: October 12, 2022, Astros 4, Mariners 2 @ Minute Maid Park Attendance: 41,774 Record: 2-0
After their electrifying comeback in Game 1, the Astros came out sharp in Game 2. Framber Valdez retired the first eight men he saw, and Kyle Tucker's home run in the bottom of the second staked the team to a 1-0 lead. But for his impressive work on the mound, Framber's anxiousness on the field led to a gaffe that gave the Mariners two runs and a 2- lead in the top of the fourth. Luis Castillo pitched brilliantly against the good guys, allowing no more than a single base runner an inning. In the bottom of the sixth, still holding that 2-1 lead, he looked on his way to another quick frame when he retired Martin Maldonado and Jose Altuve back to back, but Jeremy Pena shot a single to center, bringing the Great Black Shark Yordan Alvarez to the plate. Walking him would put the tying run on first and bring the go-ahead run in Bregman to the plate. Bregman hadn't got a hit on the day but had homered in Game 1. After his disastrous call in Game 1, Scott Servais opted to stand pat with Castillo. For a second straight day, that was a really bad idea. Alvarez parked the second pitch he saw into the left field stands, putting the Astros ahead 3-2. Bregman then popped out.
The Astros were already into their bullpen and danced around danger in the seventh, allowing two walks before Rafael Montero got a liner by Eugenio Suarez to end the inning. Montero allowed another walk but pitched out of the eighth, and in the bottom of the inning, In the bottom of the eighth, Pena walked with two out, and this time Servais did intentionally walk Alvarez to get to Bregman. Bregman made the ol' catcher look like an idiot again, with an RBi single to right to plate Pena and make it 4-2. Ryan Pressly attempted to give me a heart attack in the ninth with a walk to lead off the inning, but a screamer of a line drive to first turned into an unassisted double play. A double by Julio Rodriguez followed, but Pressley struck out Ty France to give the Astros a 2-0 lead.
Game 3: October 15, 2022, Astros 1, Mariners 0 @ T-Mobile Park Attendance: 47,690 Record: 3-0
In their first playoff home game since October 18, 2001, the Mariners treated their fans to history. Just the wrong time. They were blanked 1-0 by the Astros in 18 innings, a game that lasted 6 hours and 22 minutes. After starting the game 0 for 7, Jeremy Pena rocketed a line drive home run to left-center field in the top of the 18th inning to propel the Astros to the series sweep. Lance McCullers Jr. Hector Neris, Rafael Montero, Ryan Pressly, Bryan Abreu, Ryne Stanek, Hunter Brown, and Luis Garcia combined on an 18-inning 7-hitter, walking just 3 batters and striking out 22. Garcia pitched the final 5 innings, allowing 2 hits and striking out six. The Mariners' staff was almost as good, striking out 20 in 18 innings and allowing 11 hits. Penn Murfee took the loss. Comically, Robbie Ray got the last two outs in the 18th. Rather humorously, the Mariners also lost their 2 playoff home games in the 2001 ALCS. The last time they actually won a home playoff game was October 15, 2000. How long ago was that? Rickey Henderson was their leadoff hitter in that game. Rickey Henderson is 64 years old right now.
Game 4: October 19, 2022, Astros 4, Yankees 2 @ Minute Maid Park Attendance: 41,487 Record: 4-0
Let's give credit where credit is due. The Yankees did get the first lead in this series. Giancarlo Stanton whacked a solo home run with one out in the second against Justin Verlander. But the Astros said, "OK, your big bat shows up, our big bat will answer." In the bottom of the inning, Martin Maldonado's two-out double scored Chas McCormick to make it 1-1. It stayed right there at 1-1 until the bottom of the sixth when Old Man Autumn, Yuli Gurriel, socked a solo home run to left field off Clarke Schmit. One out later, Chas McCormick tagged a blast to right field to make it 3-1. Jeremy Pena thought those home runs looked fun, so he added his second in as many games, a solo shot to deep left to push the lead to 4-1. Good thing too, as Rafael Montero gave one up to Anthony Rizzo in the top of the eighth to narrow it to 4-2. After he gave up a single and a walk, Ryan Pressley made an unorthodox eighth-inning appearance and struck out late-night Cinemax star Matt Carpenter to end the inning. He returned to strike out two and get the Yankees 1-2-3 in the ninth to strike first blood. Playoff choker Justin Verlander got the win, pitching 6 innings, giving up 3 hits, 1 run, 1 walk and striking out 11. What a poser this guy is. Oh, and Aaron Judge was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Game 5: October 20, 2022, Astros 3, Yankees 2 @ Minute Maid Park Attendance: 41,700 Record: 5-0
Our big inning was better than your big inning, and our bullpen is unstoppable. That's the difference between 2-0 and 1-1 in the ALCS. After Martin Maldonado started a rally in the third by getting hit with a pitch, Alex Bregman parked a three-run homer that scored him, Machete, and Jeremy Pena against Luis Severino to make it 3-0. Framber Valdez coughed up two unearned runs in the top of the fourth when he tried to imitate ElastiGirl on a weakly hit ball by Giancarlo Stanton to make it 3-2. Valdez made up for his mistake by retiring 11 of the final 12 batters he saw, including striking out the side in the top of the seventh. Bryan Abreu and Ryan Pressley allowed two walks in the last two innings, but Pressley struck out the side around it in the top of the ninth to secure the win. Aaron Judge was 1 for 4 to raise his ALCS average to .125.
Game 6: October 22, 2022, Astros 5, Yankees 0 @ Yankee Stadium Part III: The Search for Spock Attendance: 47,569 Record: 6-0
The Yankees proved they were just as crappy at home as on the road, mustering all of three hits against a magnificent Cristian Javier and company in a 5-0 loss to put them on the brink of elimination. Javier allowed 1 hit in 5.1 innings and the Astros' bullpen gave up 2 hits and 2 walks in the remaining 3.2 innings for the win. The loser, and I really relish saying that, was Gerrit Cole. Cole gave up a two-run bomb to Chas McCormick in the second after Christian Vazquez reached on an error by center fielder Harrison Bader, who was afraid to touch Aaron Judge because he didn't want to get the post-season strikeout cooties. McCormick hit the top of the wall for the shortest home run possible, but man it still counted for 2 runs. In the top of the fifth, Jose Altuve led off with his first hit of the postseason, a double to the right field corner. He was left at third ,but the Astros rallied back in the top of the sixth, starting with a double to left by Bregman, followed by a bloop single by Yuli Gurriel that Aaron Judge played like he was an Allosaurus trying to run down a fleeing herd of Hadrosaurus. Aaron Boone, who I've still never forgiven for mismanaging King Donkey's quest for the all-time strikeout record, redeemed himself by taking Cole out, allowing Trey Mancini to hit a sacrifice fly to left, followed by Christian Vazquez's two-run single to make it 5-0. Aaron Judge went 0 for 4 to get his ALCS average to .083.
Game 7: October 23, 2022, Astros 6, Yankees 5 @ Yankee Stadium Part III: Revenge of the Sith Attendance: 46,545 Record:7-0
3-0 seemed like a good lead for the Yankees. 5-4 was an OK one too. But no lead is safe when you play the Houston Astros, who rallied both times for a 6-5 series-clinching win. Down 3-0 in the top of the third, the Astros tied things up on a three-run homer by ALCS MVP Jeremy Pena that scored himself, Martin Maldonado, and Jose Altuve. Yuli Gurriel's RBI single made it 4-3 Astros later in the inning. The Yankees tied in the bottom of the fourth and took the lead with a Bader homer in the bottom of the sixth, but New York pissed it all away in the 7th thanks to an error, a Yordan Alvarez single, and an Alex Bregman single that brought home the tying and go-ahead run in the last of the seventh. And then it was simple arithmetic. Bryan Abreu 1-2-3 in the seventh, Rafael Montero 1-2-3 in the eighth, and Ryan Pressley 1-2-3 in the ninth for the Astros fourth trip to the World Series since 2017. Aaron Judge, aka Homerun Jesus, was 0 for 4 to get his ALCS average to .063. He also made the last out. Of the game. And of the season.
And let's not forget this.
Game 8: October 28, 2022, Phillies 6, Astros 5 @ Minute Maid Park Attendance: 42,903 Record: 7-1
What the hell just happened? The Astros blew a 5-0 lead and lost for the first time in the post-season despite a monster game from Kyle Tucker (3 for 5, 2 runs, 2 HRm 4 RBI) to give the Phillies the advantage in the World Series. Up 5-0 with Verlander on the mound, the Astros saw the Phillies tie things on RBI by Nick Castellanos, Alec Bohm, and JT Realmuto. Realmuto homered off Luis Gacia in the top of the 10th, and the Astros couldn't do anything about it in the bottom of the frame despite having Bregman on second with one out, and runners on second and third with two outs. I did not care for this part of the Astro multiverse.
Game 9: October 29, 2022, Astros 5, Phillies 2 @ Minute Maid Park Attendance: 42,926 Record: 8-1
Now that's more like it! Framber was cooking, Altuve refound his bat, Bregman was swinging for the fences, and Yordan got going again in a convincing win to even the World Series 1-1. Framber allowed 1 earned run in 6.1 innings and struck out nine. Altuve, Pena, and Alvarez hit consecutive doubles to start the game and score two runs, and an error by the Phillies' shortstop made it 3-0 in the first inning. Bregman crushed a two-run shot off Zach Wheeler in the bottom of the fifth to make it 5-0, an eerie lead to be honest, but all Philly got was a sac fly and an unearned run before Ryan Pressly slammed the door in the ninth
Game 10: November 1, 2022, Phillies 7, Astros 0 @ Citizens Bank Park Attendance: 45,712 Record: 8-2
The Astros' final loss of the 2022 season was a really ugly one. Lance McCullers was bombed for seven earned runs in 4.1 innings and the Astros only got five hits. Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm, and Captain Caveman all hit home runs and a lot of us were starting to get that 2021 feeling in the pits of our stomachs.
Game 11: November 2, 2022, Astros 5, Phillies 0 @ Citizens Bank Park Attendance: 45,693 Record: 9-2
If you're going to get a road win to tie the World Series at 2 games apiece, it's tough to beat the combined no-hitter approach. Cristian Javier and three relievers made the Phillies' lineup their own personal gimps, allowing no hits, three walks, and striking out 14 in only the second World Series no-hitter ever. The Astro lineup did all its damage in the fifth inning, which went single by Chas, single by Altuve, single by Pena to load the bases. Jose Alvarado came in to hit Yordan to make it 1-0, Bregman's double made it 3-0, Tucker's sac fly made it 4-0, and Yuli's single made it 5-0. The Phillies struck out at least once in every inning except the sixth with Javier striking out Realmuto, Harper, Castellanos, Bohm, and Stott in a row during the fourth and fifth. Abreu struck out the side in the seventh, and Pressly got another save to close it out.
Game 12: November 3, 2022, Astros 3, Phillies 2 @ Citizens Bank Park Attendance: 45,693 Record: 10-2
You grow up dreaming of making a huge play in the World Series in your hometown team's stadium. Chas McCormick grew up to destroy the dreams of his hometown team in the World Series in their stadium. The Astros' bulldog of a center fielder climbed the center-field wall to rob J.T. Realmuto of at least a double with 1 out in the bottom of the ninth, and Ryan Pressley recovered from hitting Bryce Harper to get a groundout from Nick Castellanos to give the Astros a 3-2 win and a 3-2 series advantage.
Jeremy Pena got the Astros up 1-0 with an RBI single in the first, but Kyle Schwarber homered off Verlander to tie it. Pena said, OK, no problem, and hit a solo homer in the fourth to make it 2-1, and Alvarez brought Altuve home on a groundout in the 8th. The Phillies closed it to 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth before Chazzy Fizzy played superman.
Game 13: November 3, 2022, Astros 4, Phillies 1 @ Minute Maid Park Attendance: 42,958 Record: 11-2
You don't need a write-up for this one. Framber. Yordan. Vazquez. Pressly.
That's it.
You can live another 50 years (hopefully I will) and you'll never see a bigger home run in a bigger moment than Yordan's three-run bomb that won the game. It's impossible where it landed. We won the World Series again. This franchise, which never won a playoff series even once from 1962 to 2004 now has two World Series titles in 5 years. And in four days, we start the quest for another one.
I'll say it until it's no longer true. We are living in the Golden Age of Houston Astros baseball.
J.P. France is scheduled to start tomorrow’s exhibition game for the Space Cowboys at Constellation Field. Forrest Whitley is scheduled to start on Tuesday against the Astros at Minute Maid Park
Thanks for a great wrap-up of the postseason. Great memories all around.
If anyone wants to read the whole review or revisit part of it, you can view it on my Google Drive here: Although it is 61 pages and almost 25,000 words long, so pack some snacks.
Hunter Brown threw a 25-pitch bullpen session today & said everything felt good. He’ll throw a sim game this week and should be good to go for the regular season. Brown hasn’t been told when he’d pitch, but it would make sense for him to start the opener against the Tigers on 4/3
Dusty Baker (with a big grin): "I've always wanted a lefty in the bench and lefty in the bullpen. So far, right now, I don’t have either one of them. Haven’t I been saying that for as long as you've been knowing me?"
Dusty basically just told us Dirden isn't making the roster, right?
I think it depends 100% on whether Altuve goes on the 60 day IL. That makes the free spot on the 40 man. Otherwise I don't see anyone getting DFAed or traded.
I'm not saying that Biggio is better than Altuve, I believe Altuve is already the best player in Astro history. I was pointing out the guy who said Biggio played too long that Biggio had good #s at age 39. And beyond that, the Astros weren't any good in 2007-2008, so it wasn't like he was keeping them out of the playoffs.
He may not be the best but he's easily the most important.
I would not be surprised if today's infield is the Astros' opening day alignment. The team views Mauricio Dubón as its best defender at second base. Playing the best infield defense behind a groundball machine is logical. https://t.co/mJwCCfVgVk
Too bad this game isn't being broadcast...I don't understand how a guy can get pissed at getting hit when their pitchers have hit 3 guys on the other team. Just take it like a man and take your base.
I miss the days when the talent pool was deep enough that a team could carry a guy who was mostly just out there to throw punches when the brawl started. Even the years when Danny Darwin struggled on the mound, he excelled at punching loudmouths from other teams in the face.
No way we leave Yordan out if he's ready. With a Framber pitching we can stick Diaz in LF. The kid has pop. If he's not behind the dish, I want him getting reps in LF/DH/1B while we're missing Brantley.
No way we leave Yordan out if he's ready. With a Framber pitching we can stick Diaz in LF. The kid has pop. If he's not behind the dish, I want him getting reps in LF/DH/1B while we're missing Brantley.
Díaz finished his day 3-for-3 with one home run, one double, two runs scored and six RBI. Korey Lee was also in the lineup: 0-for-3, R, RBI, K.
José Urquidy said he's working on a sinker and he threw an errant one that ran in and hit Andrew Knizner. Urquidy said Knizner "said something" while he walked to first base. Urquidy asked what he said, beginning the near brouhaha.
