Your Minor Opinions staff presents to you the 2005 Astros Top 10 list.  Among other variables, we considered age, talent, production, and the combination of those factors to determine who belonged and who didn’t.  We have also included information on players who were considered for the list and rejected.  Finally you will find a list of players who did not merit consideration for the top 10 list but in our opinion are players to watch for a variety of reasons.
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The Black Sox scandal didn’t occur in a vacuum. It was the culmination of more than a decade of league officials and club owners not dealing seriously enough with gambling influence in the game. While the brazenness of throwing the 1919 World Series may have been shocking, gamblers paying ballplayers to lay down should have surprised no one who’d been paying attention.

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The Astros 2004 draft class was marked by a number of draftees making a strong debut in the system and leading their respective teams to a league title (Greeneville) and a league final and runner-up (Tri-City).  Hitting, both for power and average, and strong pitching were the hallmarks of this draft class’s first season.  We begin our 2004 Draftee Round-up with the outfield.
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