By Arky Vaughan
Editor’s note - This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com on December 29, 1999.

Drayton McLane, Gerry Hunsicker and the rest of the Astros front office weren’t exactly met with holiday cheer after the announcement of the Mike Hampton trade two days before Christmas. The Astros were blasted by radio callers and the local newspaper alike. Houston Chronicle columnist John P. Lopez carped, like he did when Carl Everett was traded a couple of weeks earlier, that the Astros have become a farm system for big-market teams. (more…)

Drayton McLane, Gerry Hunsicker and the rest of the Astros front office weren’t exactly met with holiday cheer after the announcement of the Mike Hampton trade two days before Christmas. The Astros were blasted by radio callers and the local newspaper alike. Houston Chronicle columnist John P. Lopez carped, like he did when Carl Everett was traded a couple of weeks earlier, that the Astros have become a farm system for big-market teams.

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By Matthew Becker
Editor’s note - This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com on December 18, 1999.

In the last few days, the most common question asked on the TZ is “How do the Astros expect to win with this?” Well, the answer to that question is reliant on one condition: winning what? If you want to win the Central my friends, we’re already there. To put our moves in perspective, let’s look at what the teams in our division have done to “improve” their teams, and with apologies to Ray K, here are my Central Division Power Rankings. (more…)

By Michael N

Editor’s note - This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com on December 15, 1999.
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