What the Heck, Bobby?

An Interview with Astros LHP David Rollins

2013-05-22T10:25:00.001-05:00

There's something about David Rollins that makes me feel right at home. It could be the northeast Texas accent that reminds me of the town I grew up in, a town about 100 miles from Rollin's home in the Carthage area. Or it could just be his easy smile and good nature. Or it could be that he's a lefty pitcher with mid-90's velocity, a combination that will earn the key to my heart every time.

Before I talked to Rollins, I spoke with Pitching Coach Don Alexander who described Rollins as having a plus fastball and the makings of a plus slider and a plus changeup, "Ball comes out of his hand real easy. Easy velocity. Repeatable delivery. Competes. All those things you want in a starting pitcher, especially being left-handed. I'm excited about what he's doing and I'm excited about his future."

Manager Rodney Linares is also high on Rollins, "He's got good stuff. Left-hander with great angle and he's got something on the ball. 92 to 95 miles an hour. Pitches inside to right-handed hitters which a lot of lefties don't. He's aggressive." Linares wants to see increased focus from Rollins when he gets two quick outs to keep things from getting out of control, but also went on to praise Rollins for buying into the program with Alexander's teaching, saying of Rollins, "He's only gotten better."

David Rollins - May 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Here's what Rollins had to say when I spoke with him earlier this month (edited for brevity and clarity):

On his velocity from the May 11th game: "Actually, last night (the 11th) was the hardest I’ve thrown all year. I was sitting at 94 and I topped out at 96. Usually I’m sitting 92, topping out at 94, and last night I think 92 was my lowest pitch I threw."

On what he's accomplished and what he's working on: "I think I’ve accomplished keeping the ball down and getting ahead of counts. We had a guy come in last week and he told us 'three pitches and get the guy out, get him out in three pitches.' It will pretty much save you a lot of trouble. [It’s] changing the mindset. The catcher sets up in one spot and you’re thinking you got to be right there perfect every time. I got the mindset my last game and last night. [It was] the first time I was thinking like that [and] I went out and I did pretty good. Then last night I did pretty good only giving up one hit. That’s what I’ve been working on a lot, keeping the ball down and actually working on getting my slider in the dirt when I’ve got 0-2 or 1-2, trying to put the guys away instead of giving up the 0-2, 1-2 hits, trying to eliminate that. Last night it really worked out for me. I could see the difference in the way I’ve been pitching the past couple of games. It’s a big difference."

Which Astros pitcher has a pitch he'd like to steal?: "I’d like to have Tyson's [Perez] cutter. He’s got a good cutter."

Which Astros hitter would he least like to face?: "I’d say [Matt] Duffy would be the one. Duffy and [Nolan] Fontana. Fontana is the only dude I’ve seen that hardly ever gets out. [Even] if he gets out, he’s always hitting the ball. He hardly ever strikes out. He’d be probably the toughest one. Him and Duff."

Who on the team makes him laugh?: "There are clowns. [Brandon] Meredith and [Chris] Epps, when they’re on their little spiel, those two are clowns. But they’re good dudes. I love having them around the field for me and in the lineup. They absolutely make me laugh all the time. Even Cruzy [Luis Cruz]. I live with Cruzy and he’s funny. He is hilarious."

What would he do if he couldn't play baseball?: "In the off-season I do baseball lessons. There’s a small town called Silver Springs, Texas. I think I was the only person that actually played pro ball besides my pitching coach that comes in and helps out the guys. When you come in, the kids are all listening, watching the whole time. I'd probably do lessons and probably get my golf game up because I’m a terrible golfer but I enjoy to play it."

Something most people don't know about him: "Well surprisingly, I can kind of cook a little bit. This off-season I moved to Dallas to start my hard training and I started working out real hard, kind of getting ready for the season and my trainer told me I had to learn how to cook. I’m pretty good with a George Foreman and a grill."

On the commuter trips in the California League: "They’re not bad. When you’re done playing, you've got to sit on a bus for about an hour, hour and a half. That’s not bad because I’d rather sleep in my own bed than a hotel bed because most of the hotel beds are terrible. I don’t mind them [the commuters]. It’s just part of the grind. You've just got to go and pay your dues."

During the interview, Rollins and I got off on a little tangent, talking about Rodney Linares who had just walked by and spoken with us. I told Rollins that I really like Rodney's style of management and he had this to say, "I love playing for him. He’s one of the better managers I’ve had. Being here with Rodney and after the trade, I just feel like I got accepted into the organization. It’s real nice."

I think the feeling is mutual. Rodney was effusive in his praise of Rollins, "He goes out there and he competes. So does Brady [Rodgers]. So does [Aaron] West. They all do to a certain point, but this kid is left-handed and the angle he creates ... they can't hit it. It's down. It looks like a strike, but it's down here and it's 95. That's good [stuff]." It sounds like I'm not the only one who's a sucker for a mid-90's throwing lefty.

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

Thanks for your time, David, and best of luck as the season unfolds.

Astros Minor League Recaps

2013-05-22T06:16:00.000-05:00

Tuesday's Games

Oklahoma City over Fresno 15-2
Brett Oberholtzer pitched a beauty - seven shutout innings allowing only three hits and a walk while striking out nine. Josh Zeid pitched a perfect eighth and Jose Valdez pitched a not-so-perfect ninth (3H 2R/1ER). The 'Hawks scored early and late with five in the first and 10 in the eighth. Scoring in the first came via back-to-back-to-back RBI doubles from Brett Wallace, Brandon Laird (3x6 2R) and Fernando Martinez. A two-RBI single from Austin Wates (2x4 BB R SB) rounded off the inning. The eighth was a wild one, including four walks, three singles (including RBI singles from Jake Elmore and Andy Simunic), two home runs (a two-run shot from Marc Krauss and a grand slam from Wallace), an error and a run-scoring wild pitch. Actually, Cody Clark was the only RedHawk who didn't get an RBI in the game.

Corpus Christi - Off Day

‏@ARob2627
Little off day fishing. Don't mind the goofy smile.

Lancaster over Rancho Cucamonga 13-12
It took five lead changes, but the JetHawks managed to prevail in a "California League Pitcher's Duel." Kyle Hallock (5IP 7H 5R/4ER 2BB 2SO 1HR) struggled through the first before settling down nicely. He was followed by Luis Cruz (1.1IP 3H 5R 3BB 2SO 1HR) and Jonas Dufek (1.2IP 3H 2R 2SO). Travis Ballew came in for the top of the ninth to preserve the 12-12 tie and threw a perfect frame, striking out two. Despite falling behind 5-0 in the first inning, the 'Hawks battled back with four in the bottom of the frame on an Andrew Aplin two-run homer and a Chris Epps (2x5 2-2B 3RBI) two-RBI double and added another run in the second to tie it up. They then took the lead in the fourth as Ryan McCurdy scored on a Carlos Perdomo (3x5 2RBI 3R SB) sac fly, but fell behind again in the top of the sixth. Naturally Lancaster re-took the lead in the bottom of the sixth on an Aplin two-run double and RBI singles from Matt Duffy and Preston Tucker (4x6 3B 2RBI 2R). Rancho Cucamonga then took a 12-10 lead with three in the seventh and one in the eighth before the 'Hawks came back to tie it in the bottom of the eighth as Epps hit his second RBI double of the game and Tyler Heineman drove in Tucker on a ground out. Ballew's perfect ninth gave Lancaster the chance to take the final lead change and the "W" as Tucker defeated the 5-man infield defense with a bases-loaded single to the left field wall. Joe Sclafani was three-for-five with a double, walk, stolen base and two runs scored. Matt Duffy was hit by pitches twice in the game, his 10th and 11th of the season.

Believe it or not, it could have been crazier as Stockton broadcaster Zack Bayrouty describes the aftermath of the Stockton/Lake Elsinore game from yesterday.

‏@ZackBayrouty
In 17-innings, saw a fan ejected for arguing a strike, 2 extra inning comebacks, a hitter K 7 times, the winning pitcher hits a walk-off HR

Quad Cities - Off Day

Player of the Day: A case could definitely be made for Preston Tucker, Chris Epps or Brett Wallace, but I'm going to go with Andrew Aplin. Aplin was three-for-six with two doubles, four RBI and scored two runs. He leads the California League in RBI with 38 and is tied for second in doubles with 14.

Pitcher of the Day: Brett Oberholtzer's seven shutout innings were outstanding. In his last three starts, Oberholtzer is 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA, a 0.882 WHIP and 22 strikeouts.

Happy Birthday - 5/22

2013-05-22T05:18:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to ~

3B Rio Ruiz (19)
Drafted by Houston in the fourth round in 2012 out of Bishop Amat High School in La Puenta, California, Ruiz is starting his first full season with the Astros as a part of the Quad Cities team. In 29 games, he is hitting .206/.320/.324 with six doubles, two home runs and 14 RBI. Over his last 10 games, he is hitting .278/.341/.389.

Tweet of the Day

2013-05-22T05:17:00.000-05:00

‏@theineman13
Great time at the pediatrics ward with @WestAaron14 and @ddddeevvvoooo today! We have some cool new friends!! pic.twitter.com/GY0N0lowqi

An Interview with Andrew Aplin

2013-05-21T10:28:00.001-05:00

When I spoke with Manager Rodney Linares about Andrew Aplin, he had this to say about him, "Appy's just a baseball player. [He] and [Nolan] Fontana are the definition of a baseball player. Fontana's got a little bit more finesse. Aplin is just greedy and getting after it, dirty, plays hard. Love him to death. Got a chance to be whatever he wants to be in this game. As solid as they come."

Interestingly enough, both Linares and Hitting Coach Darryl Robinson spent a lot of time enumerating all of the things that Aplin needs to work on: swinging at pitches in his zone and not trying to hit the pitcher's pitch, finding his power stroke, getting a better read on the pitcher as he runs bases. But that's not because Aplin isn't good, but as Robinson puts it, "I see more for him and he does too." Aplin is, as Morgan Ensberg might put it, a "Really Good Player," but Linares and Robinson both seem to think that Aplin can be so much more.

Andrew Aplin - May 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Let's hear from the man himself (edited for brevity and clarity) ~

What does he bring to the game and what is he trying to improve on?: "I think I’m a real big team guy. I like to bring a lot of energy, a lot of hustle and try to just lead by example, more of an example guy than a vocal guy. So I just try to play as hard as I can all the time to try to set that tone. Things I’m trying to improve on … just trying to drive the ball the other way using the whole field. I’ve been working with the hitting coach on that. It’s getting better."

What does he think Robinson had to say about him?: "He probably said I still have a lot of improvement which I do. Been in there consistently in the cage working with me. I love the guy. He is a real fun guy to be around. [On hearing the assessment that he hits like he has a chip on his shoulder.] I’m a little guy out there so I have to act like a big guy."

On his lefty/righty splits: "This year it’s been better off of righties, but over the years through college, it’s been about the same. My freshman year in college I struggled with it so I’ve worked on it a lot and practiced it hitting off our pitchers and it really helped me adjust to lefties, just learning [a good] approach to the lefties is what helped me the most."

Which Astros pitcher would he least like to face?: "I’ve never hit off of Kenny Long before but I see how he make some hitters look. I’d like to stand in there, but I don’t know if I’d like it to be in the stat book. Just something about him, whatever he’s throwing up there, it’s got to be really good because I stand in the outfield in awe sometimes. It’s pretty impressive. You see this kid walk up there, 160 pounds, and he’s just striking people out and getting them out left and right. It’s impressive. It’s really impressive. I played with him in summer ball in college in the Cape Cod [league] so I knew him before he got drafted [and] I was glad to have him [in the Astros organization]."

On his defensive skills: "I take defense really serious. Just because you can’t ever slump on defense. If [I'm] not hitting, I’d better be doing something else to help the team win. If it’s making a diving play, [if] it’s throwing somebody out, I always want to be a part of the team."

Who on the team makes him laugh?: "I like Brandon Meredith. He’s a character. I get to play outfield with him every day and he just makes you laugh nonstop all day. Him or Fontana. I’m roommates with Fontana and we’re nonstop joking with each other and messing around with each other so those two guys."

Who on the team does he like to just sit back and watch play?: "On this team I’d probably say Fontana. Kind of just sit back and just watch him. He hits the ball. He plays defense. He’s just a down dirty-nosed type player. Every night he’s just going to bring as much as he has and leave it all on the field. It’s just impressive to watch."

Was he surprised about skipping Low A last season?: "It was a big surprise. Getting drafted, just that half-year, [I] did pretty well in New York and they told me I was going up so I figured I was going to Low A, and when they told me I was coming up to High A, I was just really proud, happy, thankful. When I got here, the guys took me in under their wing really good and we gelled as a team and won the whole thing."

What would he do if he couldn't play baseball?: "If I couldn’t play baseball, and if I had the money, I’d just like to golf every day. If not, stay around the game, coach kids and help people grow as players, just share experiences and share my knowledge of the game."

Something most people don't know about him: "As serious as I look on the field, I’m actually a big jokester. I like to have fun with the game. That’s what it is. It’s a game. You’ve got to have fun with it or it’s going to eat you alive so I like to go out there and joke around when it’s the time to joke around and try to keep the team loose."

How does this Lancaster team compare to last year's team?: "I’d say it’s just as good if not better. We have a lot of talent out here … a lot of good pitchers, a lot of hitting, a lot of guys that don’t take the game too seriously so when they’re not doing too well it’s not like you don’t want to be around them. Everybody wants to be around each other all the time so it kind of keeps the team going and doesn’t separate anybody from the team. That last two weeks [last year] we had unbelievable chemistry but I definitely see it in this team [as well]. In the clubhouse, everybody is just mixed together ... pitchers, hitters, nobody really separates."

What does he think about the Astros minor league system?: "This whole minor-league system ... it’s unbelievable how much talent we have and how many young guys that are already really good and really mature and are going to be pretty awesome down the road. There are a lot of opportunities in this organization. It keeps you motivated. The depth in this organization is unbelievable."

According to Linares, you could insert Aplin into a major league roster today and he wouldn't embarrass himself because he does so many things the right way right now, but he sees a guy who will develop into a player who will give you 15 or 20 home runs, 40 doubles, 50 steals and provide great centerfield defense to boot. Linares left me with this final thought about Aplin, "He's got a chance to be however good he wants to be and I think he wants to be really, really good. That's scary a little bit." Yeah, scary good.

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

Thank you for your time, Andrew, and best of luck as the season unfolds.

Roster Moves

2013-05-21T08:03:00.005-05:00

Lancaster
RHP Aaron West placed on the 7-day DL retroactive to 5/18

Astros Minor League Recaps

2013-05-21T06:35:00.000-05:00

Monday's Games

Fresno over Oklahoma City 10-3
Asher Wojciechowski had a rare hiccup in his outing on Monday, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on ten hits while striking out four in his five innings of work. Six of those runs scored via the long ball as Wojo gave up three home runs. According to the game story, Wojo had only given up one home run in the previous 134.2 innings pitched. Phillip Humber allowed two more runs across in his two innings and Alex Sogard pitched a scoreless final frame. Fernando Martinez (3x4) drove in two of the three RedHawks runs with a solo home run in the sixth and an RBI single in the eighth. A Jake Elmore RBI sac fly accounted for the other 'Hawks run. Brandon Laird was two-for-four with a double and a run scored; Che-Hsuan Lin and Carlos Perez doubled as well.

Midland over Corpus Christi 19-11
It would simply be easier to show you this than to try to explain what happened with the pitching staff.

Pat Urckfitz is the only pitcher that was totally unscathed in the run column and even he walked three batters (one intentional). Errors from Erik Castro, Max Stassi, Matt Heidenreich and Kiké Hernandez compounded the pitchers' woes. Home runs were the order of the day for the Hooks offense. A two-run homer from Zach Johnson in the second, a three-run home run from Michael Burgess (2x4 2R) in the fourth, and another two-run shot by Erik Castro (3x4 2B HR 3RBI BB 3R) in the fifth helped fuel the offense. Jonathan Meyer (2x4 2B BB R) had a good game as well.

Rancho Cucamonga over Lancaster over Lancaster 10-6
After winning five in a row (the last four while I was in Lancaster), the 'Hawks have dropped five of the last six. Do I need to come back out there to get you guys winning again? Don't make me turn this blog around. In the immortal words of Cher:

I say that with all love. Now, back to the matter at hand. Tyson Perez got roughed up to the tune of seven runs in only two innings pitched before giving way to two scoreless innings from T.J. Geith. David Rollins (3H 2BB 4SO) allowed two runs (one earned) in his three innings and then Michael Dimock gave up one unearned run on a walk, wild pitch and sac fly in the eighth. He then settled in to retire the side in order in the ninth in his Lancaster debut. Facing a 7-0 deficit before they came to bat in the second inning, the 'Hawks did make a valiant effort to come back but the hill proved to be a little too steep. Telvin Nash drove in three with a two-run bomb in the fourth and an RBI single in the seventh. Chris Epps hit a phantom home run in the eighth that landed him at third base and got Rodney Linares ejected from the game; the official scorer listed it as a double and an error. Epps (2x3 2-2B 2BB 2R) then scored on a Joe Sclafani (2x3 BB) sac fly. Preston Tucker was three-for-three with a walk, a sac fly RBI and scored a run.

Beloit over Quad Cities 4-1
Mike Hauschild pitched a beauty, five innings of no hit ball with two walks and five strikeouts. Unfortunately, Colton Cain, Mitch Lambson and Cameron Lamb allowed four runs (three earned) over the final four innings while Beloit didn't allow another hit after a Teoscar Hernandez lead-off single in the first inning. Hernandez stole second, advanced to third on an error and scored on a Rio Ruiz sac fly and that was the extent of the Quad Cities scoring.

Player of the Day: Erik Castro lacked a triple to hit for the cycle. Despite the Hooks loss, he is my man of the day.

Pitcher of the Day: Mike Hauschild earns the honors by allowing no hits in his five innings. He has only allowed one earned run in his last three outings.

Happy Birthday - 5/21

2013-05-21T05:58:00.000-05:00

No future Astros, but a couple of former Astros celebrate today today ~

RHP Barry Latman (77)
Obtained in a trade with the California Angels in December of 1965, Latman pitched for Houston in 1966 and 1967 at the end of his career. In 70 games pitched, he was 5-13 with a 3.49 ERA and a 1.273 WHIP. He was an All Star for Cleveland in 1961 when he went 13-5 with 5 saves in 45 games (18 starts).

LHP Tom Martin (43)
A sixth round draft pick by the Orioles in 1988, Martin came to Houston as a free agent in December 1995. He pitched in the Houston organization for two seasons before being selected by the Diamondbacks in the expansion draft in November 1997. He again signed with Houston as a free agent in April 2005 and was released in June of that same year. Martin pitched out of the bullpen in 55 games with Houston at the major league level in 1997. He was 5-3 with a 2.09 ERA and a 1.339 WHIP over 56 innings pitched.

Tweets of the Day

2013-05-21T05:57:00.001-05:00

‏@MorganEnsberg
That's how you do it!!! @TNASH100 just hit a ball 8 miles!!! Dude has pop!!!!

‏@MorganEnsberg
Seriously, @TNASH100 just hit that ball into the desert.

An Interview with Astros OF Preston Tucker

2013-05-20T10:24:00.002-05:00

Preston Tucker seems like kind of a quiet guy, but that may be because he lets his bat do the talking for him. Before I spoke with Tucker, I had already talked to Hitting Coach Darryl Robinson to get his take on Tucker. Robinson's eyes lit up, "Tuck. Tuck. You know, the ball comes off his bat like never before. He hits the ball hard."

The next day I talked to Manager Rodney Linares about Tucker, "His name's Bam Bam. He's one of loudest bats I've ever listened to. I'm talking about, he ranks up there with Vlad Guerrero and those guys. It's LOUD. People talk about the park where we play at, but when Tucker hits them, he hits them. It doesn't matter [where]. He's got a chance to be a special bat. Not only hit for power but hit for average. He's going to drive the ball and it doesn't matter if it's righty or lefty. He's getting better at the left-handers. If you hang it, he's going to bang it. That's what Bam Bam does."

It's all still a work in progress as Robinson works with Tucker to use the whole field and drive the ball to all parts of the ballpark. Robinson described a recent series where Tucker struggled because they were pitching him in, but he made the necessary adjustments and hit a double and base hit the other way in the last game of the series. Linares agrees that Tucker needs to refine his approach at the plate, but also notes that he is encouraged by his play in right field, "He's learning to play right field. He's getting good at it."

Preston Tucker - May 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

One of the first things I talked to Tucker about was how scouts seemed to downplay his talent prior to the draft despite his terrific college stats. Was he aware of that?: "Yeah, kind of. Most of the time numbers aren’t everything in college. You see some guys come out of college, but didn’t have great numbers that are really good and progressed pretty quickly through organizations and you see some guys with really good numbers in college [that] kind of fell short of expectations. I just do my thing. I had success in college. I plan on carrying it over. Someone told me I wasn’t going to be successful. I’ll just give it my best shot and hopefully it continues. So far I feel like I’ve been successful in professional ball and hopefully I keep it up. It's all where you end up really."

What does he bring to the game?: "Obviously I think my biggest asset would be my hitting. I can play the field. I’m not going to go out there and surprise anybody, wow anybody out there. I can play the corners. I played first [base] my first two years of college so I think I have some versatility and can play pretty much anywhere anyone needs me. I’ve been playing a little bit of both. I’ve been playing left and right here. I feel comfortable at both positions so I’m just kind of going out there wherever I see myself in the lineup. [Is he comfortable as a DH?] If it comes to that, yes. For the most part I do like playing at DH, but [it can be] a little tough. Especially [when] you have to sit and wait your turn, think about hitting the whole time, rather than go out there, focus on defense and base-running, and what not, but if that’s where someone wants to put me, I’d be more than happy to do that as well."

Which Astros pitcher would he least like to face?: "There’s a lot of good guys. One guy that I played college ball with [in Florida], I haven’t faced in this organization, obviously, [is] Kevin Chapman. He’s up in Triple-A Oklahoma City. He’s a big 6’4” lefty and throws hard, good slider and no one could hit him when I played college ball, especially lefties so that would be someone that I would probably have to battle. My confidence probably wouldn’t be as high as I’d like [it to be] against him."

What would he do if he couldn't play baseball? "I graduated from college with an anthropology degree, don’t know why. That’s the degree I got. I kind of got put in there as a freshman, hadn't decided what I wanted to do. Still haven’t decided what I want to do. I’d be going back to grad school, I guess, would be the right answer." [He went on to tell me that he's somewhat interested in business, advertising and finance.]

What did he think about getting drafted by the Astros?: "It was unexpected, that’s for sure. Beforehand, I hadn’t heard from them. My agents spoke with a couple teams but I didn’t know the Astros were interested. I knew they had picked a lot of great players before me so I was kind of excited to get in the organization, especially with Fontana having already gone to them. We were still playing. We still had probably about a month left of college ball because we had the whole playoffs to go, but it was definitely in the back of my mind the whole time we were playing college ball. I was looking forward to getting ready and starting my career with the Astros."

What does he think about the Astros farm system?: "When I got to spring training, I see all this talent, especially the outfield. I asked some guys who had been here if other organizations are like this and they said, 'No, this is something special.' There’s so much talent and a lot of guys are still working their way up [that] would already be up in the big leagues on a lot of teams just because there are so many. It’s kind of backed up because there are so many good players. I think some guys will weed themselves out. Some guys will just ride their way all the way to the big leagues and I think we’ll have a successful team in a couple of years."

Who on the team makes him laugh?: "Brandon Meredith. Absolutely. He’s always in a good mood. He sits right behind me on the bus. He’s a fun guy to talk to. He’s a fun guy to hang out with. One of my other good buddies, M. P. Cokinos, he’s one of those guys who’s really easy-going, always in a good mood. Both of those guys are just hard workers so they are always focused, but like to joke around too. I like to surround myself with those guys."

On something most people don't know about him: "I play guitar. I guess that some people don’t know [that]. I’m not going to give you something embarrassing or anything like that. I like to play guitar. It’s one of my hobbies. I normally shut it down during the season because I don’t like to haul the guitar around with me wherever I go. But in the off-season, I do like to pick it back up and it’s something to pass the time, when you’re bored. It’s something I’ve done since the eighth grade and I just enjoy doing it. I’m not too interesting. I just play baseball. Wake up. Eat some breakfast. Go to the field."

Rodney Linares had something else to say about Tucker that really stood out for me, "It's a really good mix when you have guys like Tucker and [Matt] Duffy who are really quiet and to themselves when the game's going on, but they're actually awesome teammates. They pull for each other so bad. It's more like a family than a team and that's one of the things I like." It seems that, although Tucker is a quiet guy, he lets his bat and his actions on the field speak for him. And those are just loud enough.

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

Thank you for your time, Preston, and best of luck as the season unfolds.

Roster Moves

2013-05-20T05:29:00.001-05:00

Lancaster
RHP Michael Dimock assigned from Quad Cities to Lancaster

(Although I haven't seen anything official, this tweet from this morning seems to confirm the move.)

‏@slimdim23
Good luck to my fellow river bandits. Next stop LAX, so long davenport #blessed #hardworkpaysoff

I will update with any corresponding moves as they become available.

Astros Minor League Recaps

2013-05-20T05:24:00.003-05:00

Sunday's Games

Oklahoma City over Sacramento 9-3
Brad Peacock pitched the first five, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and four walks. He struck out five. Kevin Chapman gave up the final run in relief and was sandwiched with scoreless outings from Jason Stoffel and Rhiner Cruz. Fernando Martinez (2x4 BB R) and Jason Jaramillo (1x3 BB R) made the only two extra-base hits count as each contributed a two-RBI double to the effort. Che-Hsuan Lin went two-for-five and scored twice.

Corpus Christi over Midland 5-3
Starter David Martinez allowed two runs on a home run to former Astros farmhand Jake Goebbert in the bottom of the first inning, one of only two hits allowed over five innings on his way to his seventh win of the season. He walked one and struck out six. Josh Fields, in his fifth rehab appearance gave up one hit in yet another scoreless outing. He was followed by three innings from Mike Foltynewicz who allowed one unearned run on three hits and two walks while striking out three. The Hooks scored one in the third and two more in the fourth on an Erik Castro (3x3 BB) two-run home run to take the lead. A sac fly from Rene Garcia (1x4 2B 2RBI) scoring Kiké Hernandez (2x4 2B SB) and an error allowing Ben Orloff (1x3 BB SB) to score gave the Hooks a little breathing room in the seventh. George Springer was hitless in three at-bats, but walked twice and stole three bases. After a rough start to the season, Erik Castro is hitting .354/.415/.583 in May.

Rancho Cucamonga over Lancaster 11-7
This just wasn't a particularly good night for pitchers, except for Jonas Dufek who got the final out in the top of the ninth to stop the bleeding. Brady Rodgers (5IP 4H 3R 1BB 4SO) kept the team in the game, but four runs issued by Chris Devenski (3IP 4H 4R 1BB 4SO) in the top of the sixth and four unearned runs allowed by Travis Ballew (0.2IP 3H 4R/0ER 1BB 1SO) in the top of the ninth turned out to be too much to overcome. Lancaster put one across in the third on a Delino DeShields (2x5 3RBI) RBI single and two more in the fourth on a Telvin Nash 2-run homer to tie the game the first time. Then the 'Hawks put up four in the sixth to re-tie the game, thanks to home runs from Matt Duffy (3x5 2R), Tyler Heineman (2x3 2BB 2R) and Delino DeShields, but a third comeback was not to be. Joe Sclafani was two-for-three and walked twice, and Chris Epps went two-for-three with a walk and a run scored.

Beloit over Quad Cities 3-2
Daniel Minor got the start, going four innings and allowing one run on five hits with two strikeouts. Richard Rodriguez pitched a scoreless fifth before giving way to the second half of the tandem, Lance McCullers. McCullers allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks while striking out five and was yet again denied his first professional win as they left men on second and third in the bottom of the ninth and fell just short despite scoring once in the inning. Carlos Correa was two-for-four with a walk and an RBI; Jesse Wierzbicki was two-for-five; and Austin Elkins was two-for-two with a double, two walks and a run scored.

Player of the Day: Erik Castro gets the love today for a great three-for-three outing and a two-run dinger in yesterday's game, but he also deserves acknowledgement for the great month he's had thus far. After struggling a bit in April, Castro has hit .354/.415/.538 in May and .368/.429/.553 in his last 10 games.

Pitcher of the Day: David Martinez gets the nod for being the first pitcher in the minor leagues to get to seven wins. In 11 games (six starts), Martinez has a 2.00 ERA and a 1.022 WHIP. He has walked only nine batters in 45 innings while striking out 29.

Happy Birthday - 5/20

2013-05-20T05:24:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday to ~

SS Jose Fernandez (20)
A non-drafted free agent signing out of the Dominican Republic, Fernandez spent his first two seasons in the Astros organization playing with the Gulf Coast League Astros before graduating to Greeneville (14 games) and Lexington (20 games) in 2012. His combined line for the two teams was .231/.336/.337 with eight doubles, one home run and 11 RBI.

Tweet of the Day

2013-05-20T05:23:00.001-05:00

‏@BHolmes130
Working on my pickoff move in my apartment #grind #gettingbetter

An Interview with Morgan Ensberg

2013-05-19T11:52:00.001-05:00

Speaking with Infield Coach Morgan Ensberg last weekend when I was in Lancaster was a treat for me for many different reasons. But the best part of talking to Ensberg was to see and feel his love for the Astros and his passion for helping, coaching and mentoring the minor league players in the Astros system. He is honest, unfiltered and thoughtful in his opinions. Speaking with him was very refreshing and very encouraging.

This is what he had to say (edited at a minimum for clarity) ~

I told Ensberg that I was somewhat surprised to see him as a coach because I assumed that he would be coming back into the Astros fold as a broadcaster. He responded, "I was going to originally interview for the TV and radio and, as we started talking, I made it very clear that it rips my heart out that the Astros stink. It’s not okay. You’ll notice now that my tone changes in that it’s not okay. I feel I am an Astro. That’s who I came up with. That’s who I played the majority of my career with. And we had great winning teams. And to watch them really struggle, I’m not okay with it. And so when I came back, at a certain point, I said 'Listen, anything that I can do to help you whether it’s in the broadcast booth, if it’s coaching, whatever it is, I want to do. If you tell me go clean bathrooms, I’ll go clean bathrooms.' It was about making sure that the Astros get back to being great, and it morphed into a coaching job. I was originally going to be talking for the broadcast booth but I said, 'Wherever you feel like I can help the team the most for now.' That’s how we got to this."

I asked Ensberg how the idea of the extra coach was working out so far, "It’s really been great and it’s been something that Jeff Luhnow and the powers-that-be have thought about. I think it’s great to get another set of eyes. We tried to get away from having too many cooks in the kitchen. I think this just allows these kids to have another coach there, especially with me specializing in a certain area. I think it helps that, but most importantly, it’s great just to have support for these kids."

Who came up with the "Really Good Player" Award, "It was me. It was something that I heard and I just thought it was fun. It’s obviously there all in good fun, but I thought it was a good phrase and it was something that really caught on. You know what? I think it’s important to acknowledge when an individual has done well. I had a trophy made at this place in L.A. that cost me $18.73. It’s kind of like one of these women with wings, like a champion. I obviously [had to] get it in fuchsia because that’s the type of award we're dealing with here. I had a little nameplate engraved 'You’re a Really Good Player, Player of the Game.' It’s something that helps just build camaraderie among the guys. They’re the ones that [vote on] it, and I think that’s an important distinction. I think a lot of times in the past when you’re growing up, your coach chooses it, but this is an award where your teammates choose it.

The Really Good Player Award

"And this also has to do with the harsh realities of life which is that, although these are still kids, they are men now and unfortunately it’s dog-eat-dog. You have to show that there are winners and losers, and even though a guy might go four-for-four or two guys go four-for-four, one of those guys has to win. Obviously we had our first ever three-man victory [for the game on May 12th], but I will put a star or asterisk by that because [you have to] throw all the rules out the window on a no-hitter with a piggyback.

"It’s important to be positive because baseball is such a difficult, negative game, but it’s also very important to be brutally honest. I’m very hard on these guys and it’s not because I want them to feel bad. It’s just that the game of baseball is going to rip your heart out, and my job is to prepare them for the big leagues. Make no mistake about it. This has the most talent of any team I’ve ever seen that’s not in the big leagues. I’ve never seen a team with this many big league players on it at one time, and I refuse to say good job or just pass them on to the next level by being overly positive if that’s not the case. [They need to] understand what is expected of them. [They need to] understand what is right and what is wrong, especially with the infield. They know that I’m going to bring up things that have to do with effort … I don’t bring up anything that has to do with ability. They can't choose whether or not they are fast, strong. We never talk about that. But I will be all over them ... on effort problems. If they have a situation where they’re not doing it correctly, it’s not okay. They know [I’m not going to be] yelling at them directly into their face, but they know I’m not going to be happy, and I’m going to bring it to their attention. It’s constant accountability.

"The reason why I coach is not so I can coach in the future. The reason why I coach is because baseball's a very scary game. Make no mistake about it. Even though these guys are doing really well, they're staring at the ceiling at night scared to death. I’ve been there. I’ve been in that situation and I don’t want these kids to feel ... it’s almost anxiety or terror. I want to be there for them to help them get through this because this is just a very difficult game that they play, and it’s very emotional. And again I’m not going to just pat them on the back and say the way you’re doing it is good. It’s not good unless it’s the way a big leaguer does it and that’s what I teach."

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

Ensberg's passion is infectious. It's hard not to feel his enthusiasm when watching the Lancaster team. And it's impossible not to see and appreciate his compassion for and belief in these players.

I've already posted interviews with Telvin Nash, Travis Ballew and Delino DeShields. I have been working furiously over the weekend to transcribe the rest of the interviews and hope to have several more interviews coming out this week, with Preston Tucker, Andrew Aplin, David Rollins, Brandon Meredith and Nolan Fontana. I hear that they're all Really Good Players.

Astros Minor League Recaps

2013-05-19T08:36:00.000-05:00

Saturday’s Games

Beloit Snappers 5, Quad Cities River Bandits 3

The River Bandits were poised for victory before entering the eighth frame on Saturday. After that point however, Quad Cities would see three different pitchers and an accumulation of five runs, pushing them behind for the loss. Vincent Velasquez started on the mound and through five, gave up just three hits, two walks and struck out five. Velasquez was replaced by Jamaine Cotton (H, 1) in the sixth, who gave up one hit through the seventh, but found a little trouble to start the eighth and left before recording any outs, leaving three base runners. Cotton ended up with two runs (0ER) on two hits, a walk and a K. Mitchell Lambson took the hill next for two outs and recorded a hit and a walk while picking up his fourth hold before being replaced by John Neely to end the eighth. Neely (1-2) went on to pick up his first blown save and the loss after giving up three runs on four hits in the ninth. At the plate, bats were hushed. but the River Bandits did rack up four stolen bases in the game-Ariel Ovando, Austin Elkins, Jesse Wierzbicki and Terrell Joyce each stole one. Teoscar Hernandez hit one-for-five with an RBI triple, marking his fourth, three-bagger of the year. Hernandez leads the team in that category.

Lancaster JetHawks 4, Visalia Rawhide 8

This was another game Saturday that saw a later inning comeback, this time resulting in a JetHawks loss. Things started strong for Lancaster however; starting pitcher Thomas Shirley threw four innings and struck out nine while allowing two runs on five hits and a pair of walks. Blair Walters (3-1) took the helm in the sixth frame and ended up with three runs (1ER) on five hits with a couple of walks. Walters also picked up the loss and his first blown save. Theron Geith took the mound to finish out the match and added three more runs on three hits, a walk and struck out one. The JetHawks tallied four hits (and 5BB) in the game and three of those were for extra bases. MP Cokinos (1X2 R 2B 2BB) and Delino DeShields (1X3 2B BB) both hit doubles while Brandon Meredith (1X2 R HR 4RBI) clubbed a two-out, three-run homer in the fourth.

Corpus Christi Hooks 4, Midland RockHounds 12

Corpus fell behind early here and couldn't manage to get back into contention. Nick Tropeano (0-3) pitched the first three and two thirds and found some trouble early, taking the loss. For his shift, Trope' was charged with seven runs on seven hits while walking three and striking out the same. Bobby Doran took the hill next and through two more innings of work, recorded another four runs on three hits, a walk and K-ed 3. Kenny Long was the last pitcher in the game for the Hooks and he allowed a run on three hits with a walk and strikeout. Every Hooks pitcher gave up a homerun in the game (all to the same player, Anthony Aliotti). Domingo Santana ( 3X5 2B 2RBI 2SO) and Kiké Hernandez (3X5 R RBI SO) both had three-for-five nights at the plate with extra base hits. The duo accounted for six of the Hooks' nine hits on Saturday and three of the four runs.

Oklahoma City RedHawks 3, Sacramento River Cats 6

One big inning secured the fate of Oklahoma City on Saturday. The RedHawks did not get on the scoreboard until the eighth inning and by then it proved to be too late. Jarred Cosart (4-1) was on the hill to start the game and the first four innings went by with little issue. After entering the fifth frame though, things began to unravel and after recording one out Cosart left the game with three runs on four hits, three walks and four Ks. Josh Zeid came in for the final two outs of the inning and allowed three runs of his own on two hits and a walk. Brett Wallace tried to get Oklahoma City back in the match in the eighth frame, hitting his sixth homer of the season-a two-out, three-run shot. Wallace finished at the plate batting two-for-four with a double and the homer, run scored and three RBI. Fernando Martinez also hit two-for-four on Saturday with one strikeout.

Player of the Day: Brandon Meredith and Brett Wallace are going to have to split the lauding today. These two account for seven RBI and a pair of homers on Saturday and not only that, single-handedly knocked in every run for their teams. Great games, guys.

Pitcher of the Day: Thomas Shirley may not have gotten a win or even been on the winning team yesterday, but the guy still performed like a winner, striking out nine over four innings. That's remarkable. Vincent Velasquez also deserves a mention here for his stalwart five innings at home yesterday.

Happy Birthday - 5/19

2013-05-19T06:01:00.000-05:00

No future Astros with birthdays today, but a couple of former Astros are celebrating ~

C Alan Knicely (58)
Drafted by Houston in the third round in 1974, Knicely was mostly used as a backup catcher and pinch hitter throughout his career. He played in only 11 games for Houston between 1979 and 1981, and then got into 59 games for Houston in 1982.

1B Alan Zinter (45)
A first round draft pick by the Mets in 1989, Zinter only played in 67 games in the major leagues, 39 of them for Houston in 2002. He is currently a minor league hitting coordinator for the Cleveland Indians.

Tweet of the Day

2013-05-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

‏@ChronAstros
Beer and shaving cream postgame celebration in shower for #Astros' Cisnero.

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

Congratulations on the first major league win, Jose!!!

Roster Moves

2013-05-18T17:52:00.004-05:00

Houston
2B Jose Altuve activated from the Bereavement List

Oklahoma City
2B Jake Elmore assigned from Houston to Oklahoma City

Lancaster
IF Jean Batista assigned from Extended Spring Training to Lancaster

Astros Minor League Recaps

2013-05-18T15:05:00.000-05:00

Friday’s Games

Beloit Snappers 3, Quad Cities River Bandits 1

Quad Cities manufactured a run in the first inning Friday, utilizing a Teoscar Hernandez (3X4 R 2B) stolen base and a Carlos Correa (2X4 RBI SO) RBI single, but that would be their last score of the game. Brian Holmes (3-3) picked up his third loss after pitching the first four, allowing two runs on four hits (2HR) and striking out three. Jordan Jankowski had the second shift of the tandem and through his four frames, he allowed one more run on three hits and struck out seven opposing batters. Outside of the sixth inning Jankowski gave up just one hit and recorded 1-2-3 sets in the fifth and seventh.

Lancaster JetHawks 6, Visalia Rawhide 4

Lancaster got out to an early lead Friday and never looked back. Luis Cruz (2-3) was on the mound for the first five innings and kept them scoreless, giving up two hits, two walks and striking out five. Kyle Hallock tallied his first hold and followed Cruz for the next three frames. Hallock found a little trouble in the seventh inning, giving up four runs and he finished at four runs on five hits a walk and two strikeouts. Delino DeShields had an awesome night at the plate, batting two-for-three with two RBI, two walks, a run scored and two stolen bases. MP Cokinos also had a productive night, recording two hits in four ABs, two runs, two RBIs and his third home run of the season-a solo shot in the seventh.

Corpus Christi Hooks 1, Midland RockHounds 0

The Hooks broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning Friday on the road at Citibank Ballpark. They went on to win, in shutout fashion, behind solid pitching. The fifth-inning-run was a product of Max Stassi’s (2X3 2B RBI) first double of the season, scoring Jonathan Meyer (1X4 R). Jake Buchanan (4-0) took the start and threw the first five innings, picking up his fourth win along the way. Buchanan gave up five hits, walked one and struck out five, including all three he faced in the fourth frame. Josh Fields took the mound for an inning in the sixth as part of his rehab assignment and recorded a 1-2-3 frame to earn a hold. Pat Urckfitz picked up his first save after coming on for the last four outs. Urckfitz gave up a hit to start the ninth but erased the runner at first on a pick off during the next at bat, finishing with the save and that lone hit. George Springer was the only other batsman of note, recording two hits in four ABs and a strike out.

Oklahoma City RedHawks 2, Sacramento River Cats 4

The RedHawks started strong but allowed two runs in the fourth and fifth inning and that was enough to seal their fate. Ross Seaton (0-4) recorded the loss after taking the hill for the first four frames of work. Seaton cruised through the first three innings in 1-2-3 fashion and then gave up the runs in frames four and five, leaving with four runs on six hits, a walk and three Ks. Kevin Chapman replaced Seaton in the fifth and pitched two shutout innings, walking 3 and striking out two with no hits. At the plate things were pretty quiet, but Andrew Simunic went two-for-four with a double, stolen base and RBI while Che-Hsuan Lin went two-for-three with a double, walk and RBI of his own.

Player of the Day: Delino De Shields is the man today for his great night at the plate and on the base paths Friday.

Pitcher of the Day: Jake Buchanan, come one down. Buchanan pitched a solid five on the road Friday to help his team earn another win. Good job.

Happy Birthday - 5/18

2013-05-18T06:01:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to ~

LHP Edwin Villarroel (18)
A non-drafted free agent signed out of Venezuela in July 2011, Villarroel spent his first professional season with the DSL in 2012. In 14 games (11 starts), he was 4-7 with a 2.25 ERA and a 1.353 WHIP.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

OF Carroll Hardy (80)
After coming to Houston from the Red Sox, Hardy played in 61 games for the Colt .45's in 1963 and 1964. His career numbers, as well as his numbers for Houston, are uninspiring. More interesting are these tidbits from Baseball-Reference:

He is the answer to a trivia question as the only player to pinch hit for Ted Williams; it happened on September 20, 1960, in the last weeks of Williams' career. Williams fouled a ball off his foot in the first inning, Hardy took over for him and lined into a double play. He is also the answer to an even more trivial question, as the only player to break a scoreless tie with a walk-off grand slam in the 12th inning (No-one has done this in a later inning). It happened for the Boston against Cleveland on April 11, 1962.

He is also from Sturgis, South Dakota. No word on whether or not he is a motorcycle enthusiast.

RHP Nelson Figueroa (39)

Originally drafted by the Mets in the 30th round in 1995, Figueroa pitched in 26 games for Houston in 2010 and 2011 with a 5-6 record, a 4.88 ERA and a 1.563 WHIP. Figueroa has played in nine major league seasons for six different teams. He has also played in 18 seasons for numerous minor league teams, the independent league Long Island Ducks, and the Dorados de Chihuahua in the Mexican League. And he was MVP for the Uni-President Lions in the 2007 Taiwan Series. And he's played in the Dominican Winter League and in the Mexican Pacific League. He also played for the Puerto Rican national team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and again in 2013 when he was instrumental in sending the USA team to defeat in the second round. Figueroa is the regular United Nations of baseball. He is currently playing for the Diamondbacks organization for their AAA club.

Tweet of the Day

2013-05-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

‏@OrtizKicks
Reid Ryan said his top priority is to take care of the fans and take care of the players.

Photo Friday - Lancaster Edition

2013-05-17T11:12:00.000-05:00

I haven't labeled my Lancaster trip photos yet. I haven't even finished weeding out the bad ones, but if you're game to look through a ton of photos, you can find them here. In the meantime, here are some of my favorites.

Brady Rodgers

Chris Devenski

T.J. Geith

Delino DeShields

Luis Cruz

Tyler Heineman

David Rollins

Telvin Nash

Brady Rodgers

Photos by Jayne Hansen

*The players featured in these photos are hereby granted permission to use these photos for personal use. All other uses require permission and acknowledgment.

Checking in with Delino DeShields

2013-05-17T09:44:00.000-05:00

As you may recall, Delino DeShields has agreed to check in from time-to-time throughout the season. This time, I was able to literally catch up with him in person on Sunday, the day he was activated from the DL.

DeShields hasn't been able to get much momentum going yet this season with injuries to his finger and thumb. According to Hitting Coach Darryl Robinson, Delino's timing was off after the first injury and he was just getting back in stride when he was injured again. Robinson is working with DeShields to make sure he sees some pitches, works the counts and does what a good lead-off man does. If he does that, the hits will follow.

Astros Minor League Recaps

2013-05-17T06:09:00.000-05:00

Thursday's Games

Oklahoma City over Sacramento 7-2
Because of the tornadoes in the Dallas area on Wednesday night, the RedHawks ended up taking a bus to Dallas early Thursday morning to catch a flight, only to encounter more delays. Several team members barely made it to Sacramento before game time.

‏@AndySimunic
24 hrs later....we finally made it to California....that was some kind of travel day #canwedoitagain

‏@chuckiefick
@AndySimunic we are in California too. Except, you're in Sacramento, and we are still in LA.

‏@AndySimunic
Minor detail

All of which makes their win Thursday night even more impressive. Brett Oberholtzer (4.1IP 4H 4BB 4SO) gave up the only two runs of the game before handing things off to the bullpen. Four relievers combined (Alex Sogard, Josh Zeid, Rhiner Cruz and Eric Berger) to allow only one hit the rest of the way. And that was a good thing because OKC trailed most of the way and the bullpen gave them the chance to get on top with a four-run seventh in which Andy Simunic (3x5 2R) hit a three-run double before scoring on a passed ball and error. Brett Wallace (2x5) added on a pair in the ninth with a two-run double. Jonathan Villar (2x4 2B BB R) and Austin Wates (2x4 R) also had good nights at the plate.

San Antonio over Corpus Christi 6-2

Starter R.J. Alaniz allowed two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out five in his four and two-thirds innings. Matt Heidenreich finished off the frame. Josh Fields pitched a perfect sixth with one strikeout in his rehab appearance. Jorge de Leon allowed four runs, including a three-run homer, in his three innings of work. The Hooks offense struck early with an RBI single from Erik Castro in the first and late with a Rene Garcia (3x4) home run in the eighth. But in between, they were unable to capitalize on two Jio Mier doubles and a Jonathan Meyer double.

Visalia over Lancaster 6-5

David Rollins got the start, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five in three innings and was followed by two scoreless innings from T.J. Geith. The 'Hawks took the lead in the seventh, but Tyson Perez (3IP 3H 2R 1BB 1SO) surrendered two runs in the eighth to give the lead back to Visalia and was charged with the loss. Matt Duffy drove in two in the fourth and one in the seventh as he went three-for-five. Tyler Heineman (2x5) and Preston Tucker (1x4 BB) drove in the other two. Joe Sclafani went two-for-four with a double, walk and two runs scored. Sclafani is hitting .346/.433/.423 in his eight games with Lancaster. Andrew Aplin was two-for-three with two walks and a stolen base.

Quad Cities over Wisconsin 3-1
Colton Cain put up a solid four and a third innings, allowing the only Wisconsin run on five hits and two walks. Cain's tandem partner, Mike Hauschild came in with one out and one on in the fifth and gave up a single before inducing a double play ball. In three and two-thirds innings he allowed four hits while striking out three. John Neely pitched the ninth for his seventh save of the season. The River Bandits put up a trio of runs in the fifth by playing a little small ball. Austin Elkins scored on a throwing error, Carlos Correa drove in a run on a ground out and Miles Hamblin contributed an RBI single. There were no extra base hits in the game and Ariel Ovando had the only multi-hit game, hitting two singles.

Player of the Day: Despite all the travel delays and lack of sleep, Andy Simunic came through in the clutch with a two-out bases-clearing double for OKC in a very nice three-for-five night.

Pitchers of the Day: The OKC bullpen gets some love today for keeping the RedHawks in the game. Congratulations in particular go to Alex Sogard for a great AAA debut and Josh Zeid for his third win of the season in relief.