Spring Training Opening Day (Wednesday) Hot Links
*Today marks the day of the official return of the Got Dang Astros. Pitchers and Catchers will be reporting so hard today y'all.
*UPDATE: Today
Tomorrow. #NeverSettle pic.twitter.com/N21CyhCQhQ
— Houston Astros (@astros) February 14, 2018
*In honor of the opening of Spring Training let's cast our minds back to the 2000 Astros and the Most Terrifying Spring Training Ever.
*Five things to watch at Astros Spring Training, by the Houston Chronicle.
Astros County's Five Questions for the Astros During Spring Training:
1. Did you get hurt?
2. How are you feeling?
3. You good?
4. Need anything?
5. Would you like to take a nap?
*The Astros would like to see Derek Fisher win the LF job. Fisher:
Every year I've gone in with the same mindset and I'm going to do it the same this year. It's just to compete and win a job. I know in years past it hasn't been that way, but I'm still going to continue to do what I've been doing, as far as picking the brains of the guys I get to be around every day. This team we bring back is pretty close to the team we had last year that everybody is going to remember forever.
*Harris County commissioners voted to approve a $105m plan to renovate the Astrodome.
I haven't lived in Houston for about a minute now, but I'm also a history/museums guy, so the plan to do something with the Astrodome makes me happy. But I can also understand that $105m could be better spent...I don't know, just bobbin' for brussels sprouts here, maybe improving infrastructure, or maybe something to do with flooding. Both sides have an equal chance of convincing me they're right, but only if they're the last person to which I speak.
*Brian T. Smith writes about how the Astrodome renovation can be a win-win.
*SI released their Top 100 MLB Players of 2018. On the 100-51 list:
#71: Dallas Keuchel
#69 (nice): Alex Bregman
#66: Josh Reddick
Or the #50-21 list:
#27 George Springer
*You can't read it unless you're a subscriber (and I'm not, yet, at least until they beef up the Astros coverage, or take me away in a Euro-Bourne Mercedes Terror Van x300, or, you know, hire me), but the Angels are committed to a 6-Man rotation.
Guess we'll wait and see where Altuve, Correa, Verlander and Good Son Kenneth Giles land....
*Yu-Who?! FanRag gives the Astros the Best Rotation in Baseball nod and now we will all die within a week.
*Good job, Hooks, who are giving $113,000 to Little League and youth programs among the communities hardest hit by the first landfall of Harvey:
Refugio Little League Board of Directors would like to give a HUGE THANK YOU to the @cchooks organization for your generous donation. Every child in Refugio who wants to play Little League baseball/softball will play for FREE this year. This is a huge blessing to our community. pic.twitter.com/XKagQhJXKx
— Refugio Little League (@RefLittleLeague) February 14, 2018
*Before You Go:
🤔 I can think of a reason. https://t.co/Pt3nTunBNK
— Justin Verlander (@JustinVerlander) February 13, 2018
Labels: Astrodome, Derek Fisher, Hurricane Harvey, Justin Verlander, Rotation, Spring Training