Are we saving player and team predictions for the Astros for the '23 thread?

Nah. Do it.

Here's how we line up tonight! 💪

🅿️: 4:00 PM
🚪: 5:00 PM
⚾️: 7:10 PM
📺: @ATTSportsNetSW (alternate)
📻: ESPN 92.5 FM@VisitSugarLand pic.twitter.com/CvK0kNZMIu

— Sugar Land Space Cowboys (@SLSpaceCowboys) March 27, 2023

The Porkchop Express said:

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THREE days until Opening Day and we're down to #3 on the jersey countdown.



Well apparently Pete Runnels was born in Lufkin of all places, . He was a two-time batting champ for the Red Sox in the late 50s/early 60s and is in their team Hall of Fame. In five seasons with Boston, he never hit less than .314 and holds the MLB record for hits in a double header with 9. He was traded to the .45s for power hitter Roman Meijas and immediately fell off the edge of the world. He hit just .253 with the Colts in 1963 after winning the batting title and hitting .326 the year before. He was cut 22 games into the 1964 season, batting .196.



After Runnels, nobody wore the #3 jersey for almost two decades. But that's when the Astros acquired a fan favorite with my favorite baseball nickname ever. Phil "Scrap Iron" Garner. By the time he came to Houston, Garner had played in three playoff series and been a beast in two of them with the Pirates in 1979, batting .417 in the NLCS and .500 in the World Series (12 for 24). He came to the Astros in a huge trade that netted the Pirates a very good young second baseman named Johnny Ray who was expendable because of Bill Doran in the minors.
After a sluggish start in '81, Scraps was quality at third base for half a decade. He hit .274 with 82 RBI, 24 steals, and 13 dingers in 1982, and had 14 HR, 79 RBI and 18 steals in 1983. His speed dropped off as he hit his mid 30s, but he was still a patient hitter and a strong glove at third. In the 1986 post-season, he had a couple of RBI. Of course, Garner wasn't done with the Astros when he left the team in 1987.
After managing the Brewers for eight years and the Tigers for three, he became the Astros manager at age 55 in 2004 after Jimy Williams was pried from his chair in the dugout. It was later found that his heart had stopped beating four years earlier, but he was just too mean to die.

And now I'm imagining Jimy Williams dealing with Chandler Rome. Scraps lit a fire under the Astros and they finished the season 48-26 after a ****-ass 44-44 start. The Astros won their first playoff series ever before losing to the Cardinals in 7 games in the NLCS. The next year, they started 15-30, went 74-43 the rest of the way to surge into the playoffs and win their first (and only) NL Pennant.

But Garner's greatest moment came in a Brewers' uniform as their manager in 1995 when he went on the field and got in a fight with White Sox manager Terry Bevington.





Firebrand Carl Everett wore the # from 1998-1999 and provide the Astros' offense with some much needed bulldog mentality, even though Carl was maybe 40-60% crazy. He came to Houston in a trade for John Hudek in 1998. He hit .296 with 15 HR,, 76 RBi and 14 steals that year, and was off the charts in 1999 - 25 HR, 108 RBI, 27 steals, and a .325 average. Slugged .571 with a .969 OBP. But he was just as terrible as everyone else in the playoffs and ended up getting traded to Boston for another Everett, Adam.

I've never felt more sorry for a guy than #3 Kaz Matsui. For one, he had to take over for Craig Biggio at second base. But mostly, because the entire world knew he had to have surgery for an anal fissure, which is just the worst sounding thing ever.

King Tuck, professional Lollygagger, wore #3 for a couple of years before giving it up to Myles Straw. One half of my favorite dream team, McStrawmick, he played 196 games for the good guys over parts of 4 years, batting .256 and playing some decent centerfield.

Then there's the new guy. Hadn't done much yet, let's do a brief recap.

Hit his first career home while his parents were being interviewed on TV.
Hit his first career walkoff on April 24th vs the Blue Jays.
Was part of a MLB-record 5 home runs hit in one inning on May 17.
Had his first 4-hit game and multi-homer game and second walkoff home run game on July 3.
Tied Carlos Correa for most home runs by a rookie shortstop for the team (22).
Became the first Astro rookie to win a Gold Glove
Became the first rookie shortstop ever to win a Gold Glove.
Kept the Astros' rally alive in Game 1 of the ALDS to set up Yordan's game winning homer.
Hit a solo shot in the 18th inning of Game 3 to beat the Mariners 1-0.
Was 3 for 4 with 1 run scored, 2 doubles, a homer, and an RBi in Game 1 of the ALCS.
Was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored, a homer, and 3 RBI in Game 4 of the ALCS.
Was named ALCS MVP by batting .353 with an .824 slugging percentage and a 1.176 OPS.
2 for 5 with 1 run scored in Game 4 of the WS
3 for 4 with a run scored, a homer, and 2 RBI in Game 5 of the WS
2 for 4 with a run scored in Game 6 of the WS
Was named WS MVP by batting .400 with a 1.023 OPS.
Youngest MVP in WS history.
Only rookie shortstop to ever hit a home run in the WS
First AL player to ever win LCS and WS MVP in the same year.

Decent first year.

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Love me some manager on manager fighting......that's just rue feelings coming out.

Awesome. Love me some Scrap Iron.

I would.

Cobra39

My favorite thing about Twitter is when they give you no background information or context.

Is Grae Kessinger related in any way to Don Kessinger, Cubs ss of the late 60's-early 70's?

I don't remember understanding why the Astros fired Garner, or the way they did. After they made the WS in 2005 it took a couple of years to understand there was going to have to be a rebuild. They tried to keep competing with an aging team. It didn't work but that wasn't his fault. When they fired him they didn't even wait until the end of the year. Was there some kind of hard feelings between the Astros management and him? Does anyone remember?

McInnis said:

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I don't remember understanding why the Astros fired Garner, or the way they did. After they made the WS in 2005 it took a couple of years to understand there was going to have to be a rebuild. They tried to keep competing with an aging team. It didn't work but that wasn't his fault. When they fired him they didn't even wait until the end of the year. Was there some kind of hard feelings between the Astros management and him? Does anyone remember?

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I don't know that there was anything specific to Scraps that got him fired other than the organization was sinking and Drayton cut Purpura loose. Biggest mistake Drayton ever made, and there were some big ones, was chasing Gerry Hunsicker out of Houston as GM in 2004. That guy built the championship roster and was amazing at finding those bench players he could sign on the cheap to fit Drayton's payroll. After 05, they had players retire, move on, and some like Backe get hurt or not pan out. As you said, they got old, and quick.

Farmer1906 said:

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yeah this just happened
dude you need to lighten up pic.twitter.com/CvaxWZgfpF

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) March 27, 2023

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Thank you for making my day

Dusty Baker says that Yordan is scheduled to play all nine innings tonight, but that might change given that the team did not get back to Houston until after 3am today. @SportsTalk790

— Michael Connor (@MC790) March 27, 2023

Dusty Baker says Lance McCullers Jr is progressing while continuing to throw on flat ground.

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) March 27, 2023

Dusty Baker has several internal options for second base while Jose Altuve is out and he also pointed out: “We might go outside the organization.” pic.twitter.com/Lnf0Ig9xu0

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) March 27, 2023

Updates from Dusty Baker on Hunter Brown and his rotation in April. @SportsTalk790 pic.twitter.com/YyyIDfipju

— Michael Connor (@MC790) March 27, 2023

Dusty Baker on Michael Brantley: “Michael is gonna be here for the ring ceremony then he’s gonna go back to Florida because..he’s way behind. First we have to determine where his health and well-being is, how much do we push him.” pic.twitter.com/EJTIh3Jusi

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) March 27, 2023

Dudty Baker asked if Yordan Alvarez will be ready for opening night: “I think so.” pic.twitter.com/1LveDginmf

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) March 27, 2023

Dusty Baker on Michael Brantley: “Michael is gonna be here for the ring ceremony then he’s gonna go back to Florida because..he’s way behind. First we have to determine where his health and well-being is, how much do we push him.” pic.twitter.com/EJTIh3Jusi

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) March 27, 2023

Dusty Baker says he could set his final roster by tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/5BgOzPeiNm

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) March 27, 2023

So possibility of both Altuve and Uncle Mike joining around June 1 would be a nice little giddy up!

Came in pretty quick

Edit: Oops double post

The power is in the eyes of the beholder.

Here are https://t.co/Z3s2EpgF39's #OpeningDay power rankings. 💪 pic.twitter.com/xuMwkIfc2a

— MLB (@MLB) March 27, 2023

Farmer1906 said:

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yeah this just happened
dude you need to lighten up pic.twitter.com/CvaxWZgfpF

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) March 27, 2023

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Brown giving more info than Dusty.

Dana Brown on the plan for how they will handle second base with Altuve out. @SportsTalk790 pic.twitter.com/HzlFY9TIvk

— Michael Connor (@MC790) March 27, 2023

Dana Brown on the backup catcher spot and if the 60 day IL is a possibility for Jose Altuve. @SportsTalk790 pic.twitter.com/IXoSi6mAtG

— Michael Connor (@MC790) March 27, 2023

Dana Brown is excited for Opening Day and provides an update on Michael Brantley. @SportsTalk790 pic.twitter.com/rAzXeLtPnk

— Michael Connor (@MC790) March 27, 2023

Sounds like we'll see Brantley in a month.

Wifey has guns