Houston Astros Round Table Discussion

Its another week and another round table discussion, so lets get to it.

Which Houston Astro has impressed you the most so far this season?

Brandon: The Astros who has shown me the most at this point in the season has to be Brett Wallace. Coming into the season, I had guarded optimism for the first baseman as he has alot of potential but I didn’t know if this was the year it was going to click. He had a good spring training but wanted to see what he could do once the games mattered and I have been pleasantly surprised. He has one home run and six RBI through his first 12 games which is great considering he only had two HRs and 13 RBI in 51 games last season. He has even improved his average from .222 last year to .256 this season and over the last seven days he is hitting an impressive .381. The thing that gives me the most hope is that he has already 7:6 K:BB ratio compared to last season’s 57:11 K:BB which means he is seeing the ball better and a better understanding of the strike zone.

Trevor: Angel Sanchez has by far and away been the most impressive Astro in this young 2011 season with his .412 OBP, Sanchez has been on the base paths for this Astro team when they needed someone to step up. I don’t think that he will finish the season batting above .300, but I think that he has shown that he has what it takes to be a starting SS for this team. Barmes may be coming back in a month, but he may have lost his job to a man that is getting pitch counts up, getting on base, and making plays that dazzle at SS.

Greg: In case anyone missed my Star Performer of the Week Award– Angel Sanchez is the Astro that has impressed me the most so far this season. Sanchez was originally passed over for a starting job but has posted outstanding numbers while filling in for the injured Clint Barmes. Sanchez has also played excellent defense and should be silencing some of his critics any day now. If Sanchez continues to play as well as he has Brad Mills will be faced with a tough decision once Barmes and Keppinger come off the D.L.

Jesse: I am going to go with both J.R. Towles and Humberto Quintero. There are several other players that have performed better, but the catching tandem of Towles and Quintero has performed very well so far this season. If they continue to hit the way that they have to this point, then it will go a long way in lessoning the blow of Jason Castro’s injury. Both players have not hit well in their career, and the current platoon between the two seems to have helped both of them perform better. So far production from the catching position has been very impressive, and a pleasant surprise.

Who was your favorite Houston Astro of all-time?

Brandon: Craig Biggio is my favorite Houston Astro because he was a perfect example of loyalty to an organization, being a team player, and giving 100% on every play. Craig Biggio played 20 seasons for the Houston Astros playing catcher, every outfield position, and second base towards the end of his career. You never heard the guy complain, he just went out and played ball. He was a seven time All-Star, won three Gold Gloves and the Silver Slugger five times. He also is part of the 3000 hit club.

Trevor: Being a young fan, I have to say Lance Berkman is my favorite, but my reasoning extends beyond the field of play. I have been able to meet and talk to Lance on a couple different occasions, and he has been one of the most easy going, likable people I have ever met in my life. From joking around about how he cannot work out with the rest of the team due to his knack of getting everyone to stop focusing and goof around, to his life as a father, Lance is the complete package when it comes to someone kids should aspire to be when they pick favorites in this game. Berkman was the best player on this team for a decent stint of time, but his demeanor said otherwise. Players like Berkman allow you to take pride in the game of baseball, and I wish him the best in St. Louis.

Greg: Through the years my list of favorite Astros includes Bob Watson, Glenn Davis, Jeff Bagwell, and Roy Oswalt. But my favorite Astro of all-time is Steve Finley. Although Finley spent only four years in Houston, he won me over immediately with his awesome fielding prowess and all-out style of play. I had a feeling that Finley had superstar potential and I was devastated when he was traded away. Finley won five Gold Gloves after being dealt. He should have won twice as many. I was living in San Diego when Finley was a member of the Padres and I was able to see him play every day either on TV or in person. I have never seen a better centerfielder. Finley could do more than field though. He hit 30 or more homers five times and had a career total of 304 as well as 320 career stolen bases.

Jesse: This is a tough one, because my favorite player of all-time is Nolan Ryan, but the part of his career that I followed the most was when he was with the Rangers and therefore do not associate him with the Astros. My favorite Astro of all-time probably has to be Craig Biggio, just because of the success he had coupled with the way he played the game. He was a guy that you just had to root for regardless if you liked him or not. He was also the ultimate team player moving positions when the Astros chose to go a different direction at second base. Hopefully Craig gets inducted into the Hall of Fame when his time comes. He was definitely one of the greats to play the game in an Astros uniform.