Post by PB on Mar 23, 2008 12:28:59 GMT -5
Houston, Texas - July, 17th 2006
After two disappointing seasons, no one expected the Houston Astros to be serious contenders in the National League Central. Plagued by injuries, poor hitting performances, and careless signings, things looked bleak for Houston in 2006. Preseason polls indicated that a mere 22% of Major League Baseball's management believed the Astros could make a serious splash in the NL Central pennant race. However, after an impressive first half, the Astros' fortunes are beginning to change.
Winter meetings marked the beginning of a complete overhaul to the Houston franchise. Cashing in on his business empire, amusement park mogul Peter D. Bouloukos purchased the Astro Organization for 325 Million and immediately gave Houston a new facelift. Manager Phil Garner was fired after two lackluster seasons and ingeniously replaced by renown mentor and zen master, Mr. Miyagi. Born and raised a Yankee fan, Bouloukos did not hesitate to ship off his prospects in exchange for veteran talent. Arriving from Oakland, Carlos Pena and Placido Polanco have revived Houston's struggling offense and provided stability in the infield. To bolster the Astros weak bench, utility man Chone Figgins, backup catcher Rob Hammock, and speed demon Victor Hall have proved to be great additions.
Even Astro spring training was productive and insightful. While Mr. Miyagi strengthened Houston's mental toughness and fundamentals, Roger and Debbie clemens ran the strength and conditioning circuit. Placido Polanco was a main beneficiary of this new workout regimen, seeing his average and doubles increase against lefties and reporting that "my pecs and triceps have gone from James size to Nanz size!".
Seeing the change and progress, Bouloukos knew Houston was going to make some noise and they have done just that. Starting with a strong April, Houston quickly took lead of the division and have yet to look back. But it has not been an easy journey. The Cardinals have been tenacious in the fight for 1st place and will only get better with their addition of Chase Utley. However the Cardinals were able to counter with the offensive upgrade of Raul Ibanez, the promising young starter in Runelvys Hernandez, and most importantly the addition of the leathal bat of Nomar Garciapara.
I caught up with Astro Captain Lance Berkman during the Home Run Derby for his thoughts on the new management and scope of the season thus far. "Well I gotta be honest and say that Bouloukos has been the best thing that has happened to this franchise and I really like our chances at winning the Central. Mr. Miyagi brings a whole different approach and philosophy to the game. His focus on the cerebral aspect of baseball has developed many of the guys' character here; I've seen drastic improvement in their consistency, clutch performance and most importantly, their team leadership skills. Our club house atmosphere is phenomenal. It is always fun taking the youngsters like Burke and Pena to a good Ol' Texas Rodeo or just Eiffel Towering some dumb bitches! And I think acquiring Ibanez and Nomar has made our club serious contenders. We no longer have a farm system, Roy, Eric, and I are in our prime, it is our time to compete."
Well there you have it, after a series of organizational changes and trades, Houston has has silenced critics and been a huge surprise this season. If the Astros stay healthy and Nomar's bat does what it is capable of, they should have a good shot taking the National League Central.
This is Guy Ledouce reporting from the field.
After two disappointing seasons, no one expected the Houston Astros to be serious contenders in the National League Central. Plagued by injuries, poor hitting performances, and careless signings, things looked bleak for Houston in 2006. Preseason polls indicated that a mere 22% of Major League Baseball's management believed the Astros could make a serious splash in the NL Central pennant race. However, after an impressive first half, the Astros' fortunes are beginning to change.
Winter meetings marked the beginning of a complete overhaul to the Houston franchise. Cashing in on his business empire, amusement park mogul Peter D. Bouloukos purchased the Astro Organization for 325 Million and immediately gave Houston a new facelift. Manager Phil Garner was fired after two lackluster seasons and ingeniously replaced by renown mentor and zen master, Mr. Miyagi. Born and raised a Yankee fan, Bouloukos did not hesitate to ship off his prospects in exchange for veteran talent. Arriving from Oakland, Carlos Pena and Placido Polanco have revived Houston's struggling offense and provided stability in the infield. To bolster the Astros weak bench, utility man Chone Figgins, backup catcher Rob Hammock, and speed demon Victor Hall have proved to be great additions.
Even Astro spring training was productive and insightful. While Mr. Miyagi strengthened Houston's mental toughness and fundamentals, Roger and Debbie clemens ran the strength and conditioning circuit. Placido Polanco was a main beneficiary of this new workout regimen, seeing his average and doubles increase against lefties and reporting that "my pecs and triceps have gone from James size to Nanz size!".
Seeing the change and progress, Bouloukos knew Houston was going to make some noise and they have done just that. Starting with a strong April, Houston quickly took lead of the division and have yet to look back. But it has not been an easy journey. The Cardinals have been tenacious in the fight for 1st place and will only get better with their addition of Chase Utley. However the Cardinals were able to counter with the offensive upgrade of Raul Ibanez, the promising young starter in Runelvys Hernandez, and most importantly the addition of the leathal bat of Nomar Garciapara.
I caught up with Astro Captain Lance Berkman during the Home Run Derby for his thoughts on the new management and scope of the season thus far. "Well I gotta be honest and say that Bouloukos has been the best thing that has happened to this franchise and I really like our chances at winning the Central. Mr. Miyagi brings a whole different approach and philosophy to the game. His focus on the cerebral aspect of baseball has developed many of the guys' character here; I've seen drastic improvement in their consistency, clutch performance and most importantly, their team leadership skills. Our club house atmosphere is phenomenal. It is always fun taking the youngsters like Burke and Pena to a good Ol' Texas Rodeo or just Eiffel Towering some dumb bitches! And I think acquiring Ibanez and Nomar has made our club serious contenders. We no longer have a farm system, Roy, Eric, and I are in our prime, it is our time to compete."
Well there you have it, after a series of organizational changes and trades, Houston has has silenced critics and been a huge surprise this season. If the Astros stay healthy and Nomar's bat does what it is capable of, they should have a good shot taking the National League Central.
This is Guy Ledouce reporting from the field.