Houston Astros baseball team

Tell me your good stories if you have any.

I remember they were all fired up. Paul Wall and Chamillionaire released tribute songs, everyone wore Astros merch and they hadn’t even won anything yet. They just made it to the world series.

I watched the Chicago White Sox all that year. When it came down to White Sox/Astros, it was really exciting. Would the winner break an 88 year drought, or win its first and thus starting a new drought? It was an “either one” moment.

Seeing how excited Milo Hamilton was and standing in lines at the store to buy Astros Stuff.Me,one of my friends,and my Dad traveled over 4 hours just to get to Houston the night that they made the World Series just to celebrate in Houston and buy Astros Stuff.I wish the Astros still had a winning team and I wish I could do it again.The City of Houston didn’t go to bed the night that they made the World Series.The lines at the store where full and the stores didn’t close that night.Even though they were swept by the White Sox, the city of Houston celebrates the 2005 National League champions.

One year out of 50, that was big for Houston. They had good teams in the 80s and 90s also, but never could draw any interest. To be honest, I’m surpised the franchise didn’t move back in the 70s.

To be honest, the 2004 Astros to me, a sportswriter in Maryland, were far more interesting. Had they won the pennant, get THIS —

the projected Game 7 starter would have been …

Roger Clemens.

On Hallowe’en night.

Under a full moon.

At Fenway.

No lie. Look it up and extrapolate the pitching rotations. Clemens would’ve started Game 3, and with a four-man Series rotation…

2005? Meh. Just doesn’t compare for me.
Sorry.
Oh, and didn’t Weird Al’s parody of a Chamliionaire song get 10 times as many Youtube hits? (Yep – White and Nerdy…)

The Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres have both stumbled out of the gate in the 2012 Major League Baseball season. Thats a surprise for Philadelphia, but not for San Diego.

Philadelphia Phillies @ San Diego Padres Series Overview

Game 1: Thursday, April 19

If you are interested in betting on baseball this season, games like the first one in this four-game set are the real tough ones to deal with. Philadelphia will start Vance Worley, while San Diego will go with Joe Wieland. Pitchers at the lower end of the starting rotation are harder to figure out in general, but this is even more the case when dealing with the third week of the regular season, a time when arms are still loosening up and pitchers are trying to find themselves. Its hard to definitively know just where Worley and Wieland are. All things considered, one should probably bank on the Phillies, given their identity as a regular playoff team (they have made the playoffs every year since 2007), to cobble together enough runs to dig out a victory on Thursday.

MLB Betting Pick: Philadelphia

Game 2: Friday, April 20

The team that has to stand out as the choice of MLB betting experts in the second game of this series is Philadelphia. The Phillies are going with a top-end starting pitcher, lefty Cole Hamels, while San Diego is sending Edinson Volquez to the bump. Volquez is carrying an earned-run average of over 4.20 into this contest. Hamels is a steady hand who knows how to change speeds and get hitters off balance. Given the fact that San Diego has been by far the most impotent team in the National League West (nine fewer runs than the next worst scoring team entering Monday, April 16), Hamels should be able to hold the Padres in check. The Phillies are a high-percentage selection on Friday night in Southern California.

MLB Betting Pick: Philadelphia

Game 3: Saturday, April 21

When you do your homework and assess your best best sportsbook on this game, the third in the four-game series, the main problem for San Diego is that when it sends Cory Luebke to the mound, it will be giving the ball to a man who has not gotten past the sixth inning this season. Luebke is a little-known pitcher who has yet to cultivate a clear-cut reputation as a workhorse. Who will oppose Luebke on the hill for the Phillies? The answer is none other than Roy Halladay, one of the elite pitchers in the sport and a guy who can certainly pitch a complete game in any given start. This is a mismatch, and even though Philadelphia entered April 16 as one of only two National League teams to score fewer than 30 runs, the Phillies should be able to win this game because of the pitching matchup.

MLB Betting Pick: Philadelphia

Game 4: Sunday, April 22

The Phillies will return to the back end of their rotation in this game, sending Joe Blanton to the mound against Anthony Bass for the Padres. Bass is a middle reliever being pressed into service as a starter in this contest, but hes been very effective each time hes taken the ball this year. The Padres will relish seeing Blanton after Hamels and Halladay. Theyll bust loose with the bats and win this contest on Sunday.

MLB Betting Pick: San Diego

The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays provided baseball fans with some memorable moments at the end of last season, with the former suffering through an epic collapse down the stretch that allowed the latter to sneak in to the postseason on the final day of the regular season. The Red Sox didnt do any favors for their fans in regards to helping them forget what happened last season with just one win through their first six MLB Betting games this year, and after being outscored by 16 runs through those first two series, they will need to respond with a sense of urgency at home.

Tampa Bay Rays @ Boston Red Sox
Friday April 13, 2012 2:05 PM ET
Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
MLB best sportsbook Line: Tampa Bay Rays

While Boston has struggled to open this new season, the Rays are right where they want to be at the top of the American League East. David Price will be on the mound for Tampa Bay after allowing just two earned runs in a win over the New York Yankees in his first start, while the Red Sox counter with Josh Beckett.

MLB Betting Preview: Tampa Bay Rays

The 26-year old Price allowed just two earned runs on five hits over 6.1 innings against the Yankees, striking out five, and will be called upon for another All Star-worthy performance against the next division rival the Rays face. Tampa Bay scored at least four runs in four of its first five games, so despite the supposed lack of depth it is clear that they have enough weapons to put up some offense. Their 4-2 comeback win over the previously unbeaten Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park is proof that this team still cant be counted out regardless of what the odds are against them.

MLB Betting Preview: Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox have had no problem with offense either, scoring seven or more runs in three of their first six games, but they havent gotten much help from a shaky pitching staff. Beckett enters this contest with a 13.50 ERA after allowing seven earned runs over just 4.2 innings of work in a 10-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers, and will be eager to put his first start behind him. On two occasions already this season the Boston bullpen has been tagged for a loss, and that is the difference so far between a 1-5 start and a .500 record.

MLB Betting Preview: Outlook & Pick

The Rays pitching has been good for quite some time now, and Price is one of the biggest reasons. The 26-year old still has a lot to prove, and with a 6-3 record against Boston over the past three seasons it is clear he enjoys playing against this AL East division rival. The Red Sox on the other hand have continued their inconsistent ways early on this season, and given the way that Beckett was lit up but the Tigers, it is hard to put money on the underdog in this baseball betting situation.

MLB Betting Pick: Tampa Bay Rays

Most online betting sharps didnt give San Francisco much of a chance in the World Series two years ago, but they won it over Texas and even though they took a step backwards last season, the Giants have the tools to be a pesky darkhorse in the National League in 2012.

The Lineup

Only Seattle scored fewer runs than the Giants in 2011, and they were 28th in batting average. The Giants lost Carlos Beltran to St. Louis, but they did add center-fielder Angel Pagan from the New York Mets and right-fielder Melky Cabrera from Kansas City. The Giants still have third baseman Pablo Sandoval to pair with left-fielder Aubrey Huff in the middle of the lineup and theyll have catcher Buster Posey back after he missed most of the 2011 campaign with a broken leg suffered in a play at the plate (the Giants have since asked Posey not to block the plate in those situations). The pieces are in place for the Giants to have an improved lineup and while theyll never be compared with the likes of the New York Yankees or Texas Rangers, San Francisco has good enough pitching that the hits just have to be timely and they have to cash in on their scoring opportunities. The Giants would also do well to get a little more speed on the basepaths as they were 24th in stolen bases last season, and since they arent an overly powerful team, theyll have to generate runs via other methods.

Ryan Theriot came over from St. Louis and he is probably the Giants best bat off the bench; he also adds some veteran leadership and has won a World Series before, and he is a solid fielder, where the Giants were 14th in success percentage in 2011.

The Pitching

Everyone knows the Giants MLB betting odds are predicated on their pitching and specifically, their rotation. You would be hard-pressed to find many teams with a better duo at the top of the rotation than two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, who just signed a huge extension and will have that to live up to. Madison Bumgarner is coming along nicely in the No.3 spot, while Barry Zito is still capable of doing a job in the fourth slot, although his contract still ranks as one of the worst in baseball history. The fifth spot will probably go to Ryan Vogelsong after he returns to the group after a back problem, and that part of the team is pretty much set in stone. It all starts with the horses up front, Lincecum and Cain, and the Giants have a chance to beat anyone in the major leagues at least twice through their rotation.

Sergio Romo, Santiago Castilla, Ramon Ramirez and Jeremy Affeldt are all back, as is Javier Lopez and the latter two give the bullpen a left-handed edge. The Giants will hope that closer Brian Wilson is healthy and back to his best because even though they still saved 79% of their chances (good for fourth in the majors), there wasnt a fear of the San Francisco lineup without Wilson at the back end. That should change this season.

Intangibles

Bruce Bochy enters his sixth season with the Giants and he did a fine job holding the team together in the face of injuries last season, and Lincecum wasnt at his best, and he didnt get Beltran until later in the season. The team seems to respond to his methods and that will always give them a chance because even though these men are professionals, the best teams are the ones that listen to their managers and trust their judgment; the Giants seem to do that with Bochy.
The Giants are right in the middle of the major leagues in terms of average age (28.6 years, 15th in the majors), and many players have the experience of the 2010 World Series win, so experience shouldnt be a problem whatsoever.

How It Will Play Out

You can find the Giants as an MLB betting darkhorse to win the National League pennant and World Series, and they should do battle with Arizona and Colorado for the crown in the National League West. They have to use their speed to get more runs in after losing Beltrans bat, but they know that the pitching will be fine and that will allow the Giants to take a few more chances.

Look for the Giants to be active ahead of the trade deadline and they could even get another bat, like they did with Beltran last season. If they do that, they have a very good chance to come out of the West. Check out San Franciscos MLB betting value.

San Diegos MLB betting chances for the season arent that great, but they do have a young squad worth watching in the future. However, the future wont get you paid now, so it would be best to avoid the Padres odds this season.

The Lineup

Offense has long been a problem for the Padres, especially playing in spacious PETCO Park, and last season, only Ryan Ludwick reached double digits in home runs; he had 11 and is now in Cincinnati. This season, the onus is on center-fielder Cameron Maybin and right-fielder Will Venable to pick up some of the slack. If there is a positive, its that the Padres were first in the majors in stolen bases last year, powered by 40 for Maybin and their speed on the basepaths will help them generate more offense because theyre not a team that is going to bomb you with long ball, or even hit that well for average. Second baseman Orlando Hudson is a veteran presence, while third baseman Chase Headley may be their best contact hitter and catcher Nick Hundley isnt far behind. The Padres are just lucky to be playing in a division like the National League West where pitching is at a premium and offense isnt a priority, however, the Padres have to make some moves to improve their hitting soon or else theyre never going to compete.

They did manage to make a move in the offseason, landing outfielder Carlos Quentin, who promptly got knee surgery and he hopes to miss only the first month of the regular season. Quentin is a two-time All-Star from his time with the Chicago White Sox, but the Padres need him in the lineup and this relationship isnt off to a good start.

The Pitching

Mat Latos and Aaron Harang are no longer in San Diego, but the Padres picked up Edinson Volquez in the Latos trades and hell be essential to the teams MLB betting odds. He has the stuff to be a top-tier pitcher in the major leagues, but Volquez has gone downhill since getting elbow surgery in 2009 and the Padres hope he can regain the form that made him a 17-game winner in 2008. Only Cory Luebke and Clayton Richard are assured of rotation spots, along with Volquez, while Tim Stauffer should get a spot when he returns from the disabled list because of a strained elbow, and Dustin Moseley is on the shelf with a shoulder problem.

Huston Street is the new closer with Heath Bell now in Miami, and the rest of the bullpen is a mash of mostly right-handed relievers, a couple southpaws and a few pitchers who can step into the rotation in the face of injuries. Micah Owings is probably the best of the bunch and the Padres should throw him into the rotation until they get healthy. Also, the middle relievers lost Chad Qualls to Philadelphia and Luke Gregerson is probably the No.1 setup man. For a team that lives off their pitching, San Diegos hurlers are a mess right now, but things should get better throughout the season and playing at PETCO doesnt hurt, either.

Intangibles

Bud Black is going into his sixth season with the Padres and has a 2010 award for National League Manager of the Year on his mantle, and he received a little help from the front office by getting Quentin, but the Padres need more to really be a force in the league. The Padres have usually had one stud pitcher to get them by, but that may not happen this year, so Black has to make do with what he has. The Padres are also an incredibly young team, and currently only Houston and Kansas City are younger, so the veterans on the team will have to step up and help Black steer the kids in the right direction.

The Padres are one of the best fielding teams in the majors as well, so they dont beat themselves with errors and quite frankly, they cant afford to.

How It Will Play Out

Most MLB betting lines dont give the Padres much credit and theyre a darkhorse in the West, for the National League pennant and definitely for the World Series. The Padres are looking ahead to next year with their young lineup, and seeing day-to-day progress is their main goal.

There are some solid pieces on the roster and the hitting could even exceed the pitching this season (but not by much), but it wouldnt be smart to wager on the Padres online betting odds in 2012.

Simple NO

No Way in Hell. Last year they won like 50 games with 2 legit players in their lineup, now they have none. The Braves are just terrible right now

If they did, it might be one of the biggest stories in sports for a while. Nearly everybody thought they were the worst team in baseball before Opening Day

no way… with the Cardinals, Brewers and Reds in their division… good luck winning anything… I would be surprised if they were ahead of the Cubs at the end of the year…

Its going to be a long year for the Astros fans like me. I just dont see a lot of upside on this club, outside of a few of the young guys. If Wandy Rodriguez continues to put up decent numbers, I wouldnt expect him to be in Houston after July. Frankly, Im surprised he didnt get moved last season.
Castro makes a big error then starts laughing within seconds of making the error I’m sorry but where is the fire?
How does a pro baseball make four errors in one game?
Houston is the fourth most populous city in the nation but yet the Astros’ player payroll is at the bottom of the league it makes no sense to me.
My lil league didn’t commit errors like that. It was sad to bring several from our team and have the kids point out the lazy play.
Yeah but when your catcher doesn’t know little league rules like never throw behind the runner. Come on man. Way to lose it catcher.

They are bad, but not all time bad

maybe they will, but you never know

I am glad you are willing to sit here and criticize the Houston Astros, and their team. But in all honesty, I didn’t see you out there playing baseball professionally. I do not see you hit home-runs, or get any strikeouts on the mound. Easy to look at what the Astros have done and be critical of it like you know everything. But when it comes down to it, they are out there for the love of the game. Respect that. And unless you lace up a Major League Baseball uniform, which isn’t any time soon, you are in no position to act like you know everything.

The worst record in the 2000s was the tigers in 2003, with a 43-119 record. I wouldn’t be surprised if there 56 wins went down to below 43. The Astros are horrible the best pitcher Wandy Rod. He might have above a 4.00 ERA this year. Also there whole team they have no key players. Since no Pence there best hitter is Carlos Lee. Who hit a 275 with 18 HR last year. These stats might make the best on the team at hitting. These stats suck. So the Astros will suck. I actually think they will go below 43 wins this season.

NO WAY. They are not that bad of a team. They are not worse than my 2003 Tigers (119 lost) or Clevand Spiders 1899 (lost 134, won only 20 all year). Its not going to happen.

I’m not a Houston fan. But I follow all teams in MLB. The Astros have no heart. I really thought they would bring in proven MLB to work in the front office. But really have done nothing.

yes i think they will

To have a record they would need 121 losses, the 1962 Mets, an expansion team like the Houston Colt 45′s, were 40-120.

Can they lose 121 games?

Okay so we all can pretty much again that Kerry Wood stinks, or do we I guess it is all on opinion. But would you say that Kerry Wood is a has been, or a never was and why? His rookie year with the Chicago Cubs, he looked like he could have been a good pitcher, a couple of games into his rookie season he struck out 20 Houston Astros batters. But after that season his career went down the drain, the next season he had to have Tommy John surgery that had him lost for the entire 1999 season, and he battled injuries off and on as a starting pitcher. Then in 2007 he moved to the Cubs bullpen as a relief pitcher. And he spent the next 2 seasons in their bullpen, and a closer in 2008, before they acquired Kevin Greg and didn’t resign him, he think spent brief time with the Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees, before he returned to the Cubs for the 2011 season, which I believe he saw Ron Santo’s funeral as a perfect time to whine his job back with the Cubs. And thus far this season, in just 2 games he has blown wins for the Chicago Cubs, so you must think that he is on the right team, he sucks and the Chicago Cubs sucks. So is Kerry Wood a has been or a never was and why?

Has been. Wood was Rookie of the Year, led in NL in K’s in 2002 or 03, an All-Star and had a 20 K game. Injuries derailed his career.

Wow! You’re harsh! It’s only 2 games into the season and you’ve pegged a guy as humiliated. It might be so. Shouldn’t we see what things look like at the end of April, though? I mean, it’s baseball. Two days really says little, doesn’t it?

He won the ROY in 1998, and we all know about the 20 K’s. From 2001-2003, Kerry Wood won at least 12 games, had an ERA under 3.70, and had at least 217 K’s, leading the league with 266 in 2003. In 2008 for the Cubs, he saved 34 games having an ERA of 3.26 and was an all-star. It’s been 2 games. Please stop flipping out.

With opening day just hours away for the Texas Rangers, and the 25-man roster now locked in, the time has come for the curtain to lift for the teams across the MLB and the best best sportsbook regular season to begin on North American soil. It hasnt been that long since the Rangers were last on the field, fighting for their first World Series championship, and coming up just short against the St. Louis Cardinals. Other than the team replacing former ace CJ Wilson with Japanese sensation Yu Darvish, not much has changed in Texas since they won the American League a year ago, and the biggest question now is whether or not they will get another chance to finally bring a title home.

The Rangers had to be bitter as they watched the headlines break about their former ace signing a long-term deal with the division rival Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, especially considering the way that they helped build Wilson up to this point in his career. The addition of Darvish should help erase the loss of Wilson from a talent standpoint though, and with Neftali Feliz to rely on as a starter until he returns to the bullpen for the playoffs, Texas starting rotation appears to be in pretty good shape. Darvish will be slotted in to the No. 1 spot at the top of the rotation, with Feliz at the opposite end, and a combination of Derek Holland, Colby Lewis, Alexei Ogando and Matt Harrison filling in the spots in between.

Its no MLB betting secret that for as strong as the pitching staff looks on paper, the real strength of this Rangers team is its offense, led by Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz. The Angels loaded up this past offseason with the addition of Albert Pujols to an already strong batting order, but that was a necessary move to compete with Texas depth from top to bottom. Considering that Mike Napoli is the teams seventh hitter, and he batted in 30 home runs a year ago, it is hard to deny the depth down the chart. This team has an excellent blend of speed and power with the perfect mix of young and veteran talents, and all of the experience that they gained as a unit on their run to the World Series will only help make them better this season.

One of the biggest reasons why the Rangers are still considered a top best sportsbook favorite to return to the World Series this season is the terrific job that the club has done with its young prospects over the years, setting the team up to be a legitimate contender for quite some time. The offense is Texas strength right now, but whether or not the team has the arms to compete with the Angels and New York Yankees to represent the AL once again is another story. This team should be good for around 95 wins this season, but dont expect another run like last year.

The Cincinnati Reds have not only gained a few players in their own right, but theyve watched division rivals lose their cornerstones in the offseason. Hopes are high in Southwestern Ohio.

Cincinnati Reds

If you are interested in betting on baseball this season, the Cincinnati Reds would make an attractive choice in the National Leagues Central Division. This team is not the clear hands-down favorite, but it has a better chance than most of walking away with the division flag. Manager Dusty Baker is viewed as one of the best dugout leaders in the sport, and whats more is that Cincinnati has been able to make overall improvements to its roster. First of all, the Reds went out and grabbed starting pitcher Mat Latos from the San Diego Padres. Latos was an excellent starter for San Diego last season, showing the ability to be the kind of hurler who can take the ball and deliver not just solid innings, but dominant ones.

Latos has imposing stuff thats likely going to be better than most of the number two starters that can be found in the National League. Cincinnati has therefore upgraded a starting rotation whose number five starter, Bronson Arroyo, is still a very capable professional, the type of veteran who will got out to the mound every five days and offer 5 2/3 innings of decent ball. As long as the top end of the rotation Latos and staff ace Johnny Cueto can regularly pitch into the eighth inning once summer arrives, the bullpen should remain fresh, thereby preserving the arm of fireballing lefty closer Aroldis Chapman, who has regularly exceeded 100 miles per hour on the radar gun in his burgeoning career.

For plenty of MLB betting experts, the Reds are a legitimate choice in the N.L. Central not just because they acquired Latos, but because they held onto another player first baseman Joey Votto. If Latos was the big fish Cincinnati reeled in, Votto who won the National League MVP award in 2010 is the fish that didnt get away. Votto will hit third in the order and make sure that Scott Rolen, who will hit behind him in the clean-up spot, sees a lot of good pitches to hit. Thumper Jay Bruce is hitting fifth, so the Reds will be able to smack the ball in their home ballyard. The Great American Ballpark is a hitters park, and the Reds have a team thats suited for it. This is something that will give Cincinnati a (Red) leg up on the competition in 2012.

When you do your homework and assess your best best sportsbook on this team, youll also be inclined to trust the Reds because of the ways in which their foremost adversaries have been reshaped in the offseason. The St. Louis Cardinals watched Albert Pujols go to the Los Angeles Angels for an obscene amount of money, and the Milwaukee Brewers were powerless to prevent slugger Prince Fielder from moving on to the Detroit Tigers. Cincinnati is the most stable team in the division, making the Reds the safest choice in the N.L. Central, though St. Louis will certainly have something to say about the matter.