Editor’s note - This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com.
It’s very comforting to me to see that, shockingly enough, The Houston Astros are still the team to beat in the National League Central.
After an off-season that saw the No-Longer-In-Motion-Stars show mercy in general on the rest of the division by trading Mike Hampton to the Mets and specifically to the Chicago Cubs and the residents of Waveland Ave. by getting Carl Everett out of the National League completely, one might be led to believe that the gap had been closed between the Stros and the rest of the scrubs in the Central. If you watch enough ESPN or Fox Sports Net, you might actually come to the conclusion that the Reds have surpassed the “mud n’ blood” crew. (more…)

By Limey
Editor’s note - This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com on February 23, 2000.

Ray Lopez made one of the most crass comments I’ve heard about a pitcher. He said that Mike Hampton was much better than Jose Lima, as T2 was the ace and so faced the other team’s #1 starter. Lima, he maintained, was the #3 pitcher and so faced only the other team’s #3 guy. I’ve heard this repeated in the TZ, although it’s usually jumped on with gusto by those of us that know better. In addition to getting the rotation wrong (Shane Reynolds was the opening day pitcher and thus the Astros #1), Knight conveniently ignored the fact that off days, injuries and rain outs quickly make a mockery of the #1 vs #1 theory. (more…)

By Historian
Editor’s note - This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com on February 9, 2000.

It would be fantastic if every ballplayer who played for Houston lived up to the hype and expectations surrounding their arrival. Some were high draft picks of which much was expected. Some came through the farm system with rave reviews. Some were free agents brought in to get the Astros “over the hump”. Others were trade material for which Houston paid a great price to acquire. Alas, for every player who becomes a star, two or three just never pan out whether it be through injuries, failed opportunities, bad timing or they just weren’t as good as somebody thought they were. (more…)