Back to Exile...

I can't believe that my annual trek to Astros Spring Training is already over. The week went by so fast! I am so incredibly jealous of my fellow Osceola County Stadium fans who go down there for the whole month. Meanwhile, I had to go back to work. Elizabeth and I had to leave the Monday game against the Cards after the 8th inning, because we had early flights. (It didn't help that Wandy got into an endless first inning mess.) So I can honestly say that this year at Spring Training, I never saw the Astros lose a game. They ultimately did lose that Monday game, 6-4, but I wasn't there to see it. (And, egomaniac that I am, I have to think that if I'd just stayed one more inning, the Astros would have managed to eke out a win.)

Before I get too carried away reminiscing about my week in Kissimmee, I want to take a few minutes to post my Fans of the Game and a few player pix from Monday's game against the Cardinals. I have two couples as Fans of the Game. The first, Barbara and Bob from Tomball, were sitting in front of us in the first row of Section 103. (That location practically makes you honorary members of the bullpen!)

The next Fans of the Game are Jack and Patti, who were sitting next to us. Both of them were keeping score, and Jack provided some good insight on the game and the team.

I cannot overstate how fantastic it is to be surrounded at a game by great fans like Barbara, Bob, Jack, and Patti - and the others who I've featured in the past few blog posts. The few regular season games I attend in Washington - always as the fan who's cheering for the Other Team - are generally marred by the number of rude and drunk people who don't seem to care about baseball, but who show up at games and make themselves annoying.

Now a few comments about Monday's game. Wandy lost it in the first inning, giving away 5 ERs to the Cards, a deficit from which the Astros never recovered. However, on the bright side, he did manage to get his act together for the next 3 innings, and left the game without any further scoring damage. Since he didn't have a very good start, I'll forego the usual pitching picture and instead post a shot of Wandy laying down a successful sac bunt. (I love pictures with the ball in the air!)

The relievers continued to pitch well. Gervacio and Lopez each pitched a scoreless pair of innings, each striking out 3 batters. Loux gave up a solo homer in the ninth inning - only the third run allowed by the bullpen in the 5 Spring Training games I attended! Here's a picture of Gervacio; with his crazy pre-pitch poses and snappy sidearm throw, I can't take enough pictures of him!

It's funny - back in 2005, my first year at Spring Training, I mainly tried to take photos that were good closeups and in focus. I didn't get much in the way of action shots back then. I have a better camera now (a Canon SX10 - 10 mpixels, 20X optical zoom), but I also have learned to guess where the interesting play will be and to just focus there and hope for some action. My best pictures from Spring Training are definitely the ones where Something Happens. Here are a few from the March 22 game:

Keppinger leaps, but can't keep Greene from stealing second base.

Feliz, the catcher, and the ump all watch the ball fly... out of the stadium.

Towles makes a heads first slide into second base.

Shelton takes a pickoff throw to first base. (I just love those ball-in-the-air pix!)

OOPS!

Lee spent the inning sitting in the bullpen - perhaps to avoid the long walk from left field to the dugout?

I posted a whole lot more pictures from this and other games on the Astros Fans in Exile Facebook group. If you're a Facebook user, you should definitely join this group! If you aren't, you might not be able to see the photos. I'll post more of them on the Astros Fan in Exile website photo album when I have a bit of free time. Hope you like these pictures. Comment on this blog if you do! I never know if anyone is out there!!!

Before I post this blog entry, I have to add one more Fan of the Game picture - this one is of Austin (author of The Bottom Line, an Astros fan blog) and me. We've been reading each other's blogs and tweeting at each other for more than a year, but never met before Spring Training this year. See you online, Austin -- and at Spring Training again next March!

The Game That Wasn't

The weather report said light rain from 10-11 AM, and thunderstorms starting after 3. With Roy Oswalt on the mound, I felt pretty confident that we might be able to squeeze in most, if not all, of a game before getting drenched and fried. Alas, it was not to be. By the 1 PM start time, it was sprinkling and the infield was tarped. Shortly after, the stadium lights went on.  The standing room only crowd that had come to see the Mets was getting restless.

 

Oddly, the Powers That Be decided to start the game just as it started to really rain. Who needs a spitball, when you can throw a snowball? Oswalt gave up a leadoff hit; then struck out the side. In the bottom of the inning, the Astros scored a run, And then it really started to pour and they put back the tarp. A little before 3 they sent us all packing.

I don't have any game pictures today, because I wasn't willing to get my camera all wet just to get my 500th picture of Oswalt on the mound. But I did manage to get a few Fans of the Game pix before the deluge. My special fans are Tracy and Austin from Odessa, Texas. Austin writes an Astros fan blog called The Bottom Line (check it out), and we've chatted online  in blog comments and Twitter, but we'd never met before Spring Training this year. Here they are at the game that never happened:

Next is a real Fan in Exile - Matthew from Queens who was brave enough to come to the game and cheer against the Mets. He's originally from Houston, and still cheers for his hometown team. We met when he tried to decode the writing on my Astros hat - the one with ASTROS written in Hebrew, which I always wear for Spring Training. 

The next Fan of the Game is Elizabeth, who has been working as an usher at the Spring Training games for the past 5 years. Sounds like a dream job to me, even if you have to tell people to go sit down for hours on end. She told us that she'd be glad to be on my website, and that we can't open umbrellas in the stands. (We didn't have one anyway, and we got soaked to the skin.) 

My final Fan of the Game comes from a bit further away. CJ from Hanover, Germany, is a general sports fan and enjoys baseball (which is not a sport that's played in Germany). Since he agreed to cheer for the Astros at this game, I'm giving him an honoray Fan of the Game slot.

Unfortunately, all of us were disappointed today, due to the rain. A Spring Training day without baseball is like, well, a day without baseball. The only bright side today was that the Astros did win their split squad game against Boston. Bud Norris, who was scratched yesterday due to illness, was the starting pitcher, but did not make it far in the game. He got hammered. Happily the Astros did some damage of their own, including homers by Matsui and Johnson, and came out on top, 10-7.

Only one more day of vacation. It's impossible that the week could have gone by so quickly!

Bullpen Looking Good in Spring Training

Three games into my trip to Astros Spring Training, I had still not seen the bullpen give up a run. Friday's 2-0 win over the Blue Jays was an all-reliever show, as Bud Norris scratched due to a tummy bug. He was replaced by non-roster invitee Josh Banks, who gave up only 2 hits and a walk, striking out 2 in his 3 innings. Lindstrom, Burdak, Fulchino, Gervacio, Lopez, and Corcoran followed, each pitching scoreless innings to complete the shutout - the third of the spring, and the second I'd seen in 3 games. Here's Banks on the mound:

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The highlight of the pitching was Sammy Gervacio, who has adopted a wild pre-pitch routine, that makes the crowd (and possibly opposing batters) crazy. There's really no point in describing it in words - you just have to see it. I'll post a video on YouTube. But meanwhile, here's a picture of his pre-pitch pose;

I think that such an uconventional might make a pitcher an object of some ridicule if he were not throwing well. But Gervacio's doing just fine this spring, and in Friday's game he struck out 3 batters, giving up one hit. I don't know if it's the pre-pitch shtick, his snappy sidearm (pictured below), or just that late in the game he's pitching to the opposing team's farm hands, but it seems to be working.

One thing that seems to be in relatively short supply this spring is the home run. I've only seen a couple of them while I've been there, and a glance at the team stats shows that there haven't been a lot. Corey Sullivan hit one in this game. However, it was not on this pitch:

It's always nice coming to Spring Training and realizing by the third game or so that  you have started to recognize the unfamiliar players who were picked up in the off-season, as well as the NRIs and minor leaguers who are up for a chance at the bigs. This year, there are  a lot of changes in the coaching squad as well, since the whole gang from last year got ditched after the awful season. The weirdest part to me is seeing someone other than Cruz at first base - he was there so long that it seemed that the position was his for life. But he's not there this year - instead it's Bobby Meacham standing by first base. I hear that Cruz has a lot of fan interaction in his new role with the Astros, but we miss him on the field!

As great as it is to see the future of the Astros team out here in Spring Training, it's also fantastic to see the players of the past - and that goes for the Killer Bees more than anyone else. Craig Biggio was at a couple of games this week, and was inundated with requests for autographs and photos. His new life as a high school head coach might be rewarding (especially with his kid on the team), but he looked like he enjoyed being back with the Astros for a few days too.

There won't be any pictures from Saturday's game, since it was the Sabbath. Elizabeth and I walked to the game but didn't take cameras. But I don't miss having pictures from Brett Myers less than lights-out start. Just read the box score.

Astros Fans, Young and Young at Heart

Another quick game at Osceola County Stadium today, as the Astros shut out the Blue Jays 2-0. In the three games I've seen since I arrived, the Astros relievers have not yet given up a run. I'm going to have more to say about this game later, but right now I'm in a bit of a rush -- I've got some really special guests coming over in a little while to join Elizabeth and me for our Sabbath dinner. But first, I want to post my Astros Fans of the Game.

The first is a familiar face at Astros Spring training -- Helen Knowling, also known as the Baking Lady for the cookies that she's baked for the team for years. If you haven't seen her at the game, you've probably heard her cow bell. Mrs. Knowling is a long-time season ticket holder at the ball park, and a great fan.

 

The next Fan of the Game came prepared to cheer - she brought a sign to show her team how she feels. Hope is well named - we should all be hoping for a great season for the Astros. Her cheering paid off, both with a win and a foul ball, which she got autographed after the game. Here she is with Brian Esposito.

 

My next Fan of the Game asked a very common question at baseball games: "Is it the ninth inning yet?" Jonanna  asked this in the third inning, but was rewarded for her patience with a foul ball, which she also got autographed after the game.(This question reminded my sister of the time her then-young daughter asked in the middle of a ballgame: "Mommy, do those men have to pay a lot of money to play that game?") Joanna lives in Tallahassee, but her mom Vanessa was born in Houston, so they were cheering for the Astros

 

Last but not least, here are two fantastic fans, who live in Houston, but who are honorary Fans in Exile anyway - Carole and Bob.

I need to go get dinner ready now, but come back later to see some awesome photos I took at the game today!

Old Home Team vs New Home Team

I don't wish the Nationals ill. Really. I live in the Washington DC suburbs, and I hope that the Nats do a lot better this year than last year. I love to cheer for the underdog. Lord knows I did it long enough when I grew up in Houston! So sure, I'll cheer for the Nationals...except, of course, when they are playing the Astros.

It's hard to completely gloat over the Astros' 11-2 victory over the hapless Nationals, given how badly my new hometeam has played so far this spring. Washington lost the game in the first inning, thanks to a dreadful performance by their big off-season acquisition, Jason Marquis. The Astros batted around and ended the inning 5 runs up on the Nats. Marquis didn't make it through the fourth, giving up 8 earned runs on 8 hits and 4 walks, before he reached either his pitch count or the limit of his manager's endurance.

On the other side, Wandy had a nice start - much better than his last one. He pitched a full 4 innings, giving up 2 runs (both solo homers) on 4 hits, no walks, and 7 strikeouts. All in all a solid performance from Wandy. We really need him to take up where he left off last year.

The bullpen was stellar, with Byrdak, Chacin, Corcoran, and Lopez combining for 5 shutout innings.That's 10 straight no-run innings from the relievers in the two games I've attended. (I can't make any claims for the two away games the Astros have played since I arrived, both of which they lost.) Here's Byrdak:

The offensive power was spread pretty much accross the team, with the Astros scoring 11 runs on 13 hits and 1 error. One star of the day was Michael Bourn, who has not had a great Spring so far. In Wednesday's game, he went 3 for 3, stole a base and scored 3 times. I think this picture, of Bourn sliding into second on a steal, may turn out to be one of the best ones I will take in Spring Training this year:

Hunter Pence continued to do his thing, going 2 for 3, with 2 RBI, resulting in a nice round .500 BA. It's wonderful to watch the enthusiasm Pence brings to the game, even though he's now a veteran player who doesn't need to compete for his job in Spring Training. He doesn't clap his hands in glee when he gets a hit any more, like he did in 2007, but you can tell that he's really into what he's doing - even if it's "just" Spring Training.

Another player who had a good game Wednesday was Chris Johnson. He has a lot more to prove in Spring Training than Pence does, and he came through, going 2 for 4, with a double, a single, a walk, and 3 RBIs. Here he is playing third base - the ball came in too late to spoil Guzman's triple, but it's a good actiion shot.

Another player with a good game Wednesday was Quintero. In addition to his usual nice job behind the plate, he also did well on the upside of the plate, going 2 for 3, with a double and 2 RBIs. Quintero supposedly has a lock on the backup  catcher role, with Towles and Castro duking it out for the main spot. Here's a shot of him catching Wandy in the bullpen during pre-game warmups.

Nice work by Jason Michaels, with the Astros only long ball in this runfest, as well as a real nice catch in right field at the warning track. I had to include at least one KISS-MEE picture in this blog!

With 11 Astro runs and great pitching, there are a lot of kudos to go around for this game. I've posted some of the highlights here, and uploaded a lot more of the photos to the Astros Fan in Exile website's Photo Album, the Astros Fans in Exile Facebook group, and my AFIX Daily Booth.

Now off to see the Astros play the Blue Jays. More news and photos later... 

You are Not Alone...

Being a Fan in Exile generally means that I'm the odd one out in a baseball crowd, one of the few cheering for the Astros when they come to play in my current place of residence, the Washington DC area. That's one of the joys of Spring Training - the opportunity to join in with a crowd that's cheering for my team, blending in within a sea of Astros hats and jerseys. I've never put too high a value on being a conformist, but now and then it's nice to be part of the in-crowd.

As always, I'm meeting some great fans at Spring Training this year. So before I get around to writing about the game (an easy 11-2 bashing of the poor Nationals), I want to tell you about my Fans of the Day from today's game:

My sister Elizabeth and I got lucky today - the folks sitting around us were wonderful Astros fans. Elizabeth sat next to Carmen, who was here from Houston with her family. She's a longtime fan and it was great swapping Astros stories with her. She knows a lot about the players, past and present, and seems to really appreciate them - we even cheered together when Willy Taveras (now in a Nats uniform) hit a homer, just because he used to be one of our guys. (Happily the Astros enjoyed a pretty sizable lead so we could afford to be generous with our cheers.) Carmen's son is a high school freshman, who plays baseball for his varsity team, which recently had the "honor" of losing to the team that Craig Biggio coaches.

The folks behind us were having a blast, dancing in their seats and cheering for the Astros today, so I asked them if they'd also be in today's group of Fans of the Day. Here they are: Doug, Jeanne, and sister Karen.

Sitting a few seats down from us was Marie "Red" Mahoney, another veteran of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, who was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.  A native Houstonian  (and like my mom, a San Jacinto HS grad), Red was an outfielder for the South Bend Blue Sox and later for the Fort Wayne Daisies. To my knowledge, I've never met a female pro baseball player before coming to Spring Training this year - now I've met two in two days!

After the game, we went to the Astros store, so I could buy a Spring Training 2010 hat. There I met a woman named Kim in an Astros' Ensberg jersey. I told her that if she's an Ensberg fan, she should really check out his terrific new baseball blog, Morgan Ensberg's Baseball IQ. She said she would and agreed to have her picture taken for my blog. Here she is (modeling the Ensberg shirt), with her son Caleb. From his hat, I'd say he's a budding Astros fan too.

 Rounding out today's group of Fans of the Day is my sister Elizabeth, who took off work and came down here from Denver to keep me company at Spring Training. She was a big Astros fan as a kid, but moved away from Houston at age 15. She's still a baseball fan, but now cheers for the Rockies. As I'm writing this blog, it's just past midnight, and it's now March 18th - Elizabeth's birthday. We're going to the beach to celebrate (something she doesn't get much chance to do in Denver), then we'll be back for 4 more Astros games from Friday through Monday. So if you see Elizabeth at the stadium at Friday's game, wish her a Happy Birthday!

We sat with all these fine fans behind first base today, and I have a whole lot of good pictures from the game. (Much better than the ones taken through the net yesterday!) I'll post some pictures and a few game comments about our 11-2 trouncing of the Nats in my next blog. Meanwhile, check out my Astros Fan in Exile Daily Booth for ongoing photo updates. And if you're on Facebook, join the Astros Fans in Exile group!

We are most definitely NOT ALONE!

Not a Snowflake in Sight

Fan of the Day: Dolly Niemiec Konwinski. If you don't know who that is yet, read on!

Welcome to Kissimmee, Florida. Some may think of it as Disney's motel-infested backyard, the armpit of Orlando. But to me it's Osceola County Stadium, spring home of the Houston Astros, a world where success is a perfect pitch, a sliding steal, a flat-on-your-face in the grass catch. And I am here with my trusty Canon  there to catch it all for you, my faithful readers. I arrived in Orlando Tuesday morning, got in my rental car, and went to my home for the week, an apartment place about a mile from the stadium, where for 80-some bucks a night, I got a 2 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath unit, with kitchen, living room, and washing machines. Not fancy, but clean and super-convenient for anyone whose main purpose in being here is access to the ball park. My traveling partner for the week, my youngest sister Elizabeth, wouldn't be arriving until late afternoon from Denver, so my cousin Jon came over from Tampa to see the 1 PM game against the Redsox.

I have to say that the seats that were made available in the Spring Training pre-sale this year were not so good. (Who in the Astros franchise should I complain to about that?) Although I went online to get my tickets the moment the pre-sale started, the "Best Available" for this game (a higher-cost "premium" one) was either all the way down the line in the lower level, or up against the press boxes in the upper level,  right behind home plate. I opted for the latter. The view of the field was great (same as the broadcasters'), but it's a pain to take pictures when you're under the protective netting - at least half the time my camera's automatic setting opted to focus on the net, not the players.Yes, of course, I could just manually focus, but it's annoying and anti-social. So I decided to limit my picture-taking for this game, and just enjoy watching the game and visiting with my cuz. I'll have a lot better pictures from the other games this week, when I'll be sitting down near the field, but I do have a few pictures to share with you. (See my Astros Fan in Exile website and my Daily Booth for additional pictures this week!)

Tuesday's 3-0 Astros shutout over the Redsox was all about pitching, with Roy O kicking off the game with more great stuff. The Wiz threw four shutout innings in his classic fast-paced fashion. Oswalt gave up only a pair of hits and a walk, and suddenly the game was half over, just an hour or so after the first pitch. Things are looking really good for the Astros ace - he has not yet given up a run in Spring Training. It was a special treat to see Osewalt pitch, since last year he was away at the WBC when I was here. Let's hope that Tuesday's performance is a  harbinger of what't to come with him this season, after last year's disappointing results.

Oswalt was followed by a string of relievers - uneventful single inning appearances by Lindstrom, Fulchino, Gervacio, and Majewski. Wesley Wright closed, earning a save, after pitching out of the Redsox's best chance of the day to catch up. I had not seen Lindstrom, an off-season acquisition, so this is my first Spring Training picture of him - sorry it's not much of an action shot. I will get better ones in a later game when I'm sitting closer to the action without the net.

After Oswalt, who's always the highlight of a game, my next biggest interest in the bullpen was to see Sammy Gervacio, who has adopted a very strange pitching ritual. I saw his odd delivery in a televised game against the Mets last week; it had the NY broadcasters in stitches.And I have to agree that it's very odd and somewhat amusing. Gervacio momentarily faces third base, holding the ball up to his right, then very abruptly turns towards the plate, before throwing in his sidearm pitch. I don't know when he adopted this - I did find it in some late-season videos on the mlb.tv archive, but he definitely was not doing it in Spring Training last year.  At least, I never saw it, and it's not the kind of thing that you wouldn't notice. I tweeted Alyson Footer (the source of all arcane Astros player trivia) to ask her why he's adopted this weird pitching ritual, and she said "no idea." I will post a video of Gervacio's delivery on the Astros Fans in Exile Facebook group, but meanwhile, here's a snapshot of that sidearm:

This game was largely about pitching, but to win you have to score at least once. The Astros managed to eke out a handful of runs in a mostly small-ball type of way with the better half of a split squad. (Pence, Blum, and Feliz were among the players who went to Tampa for the evening loss to the Yankees.) Carlos Lee scored from third base on a wild pitch in the fourth inning; in the sixth, he hit into a double play, allowing Matsui to score from third. Brian Esposito, a late inning catcher, hit an RBI double in the eighth for the Astros' third and final run. Towles continued to make his case for a slot on the major league lineup with a pair of singles, bumping his BA to .550 in his first 20  at-bats. (That's a whole lot better case than last year's .190.)

You can read the box  score to see the rest of the game numbers. Although this blog is about the Astros, it's also about the nature of fandom, especially for fans who cheer for teams that they rarely see in person. So last but not least, for today's blog - the Fans of the Day. First FotD is Dolly Niemiec Konwinski, who I met as I was leaving the ballpark. That's me with her in the picture up at the top of the blog. In case you didn't recognize the name, let me introduce you: In the early 50's, she was an infielder in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (the league of women players that was featured in the movie, A League of their Own). Dolly's not actually an Astros fan - she admitted to me that the cheers for her hometown White Sox - but she's a great fan and advocate of the game, so she gets top billing among my Fans of the Day.

My second Fan of the Day is my cousin Jon, who was kind enough to drive in from Tampa to watch a ballgame with  me:

And I have to give a special callout to my Spring Training friends, who I met last year and kept in touch with on Facebook in the off season. They all have Spring Training season tickets and they've been keeping tabs on the team before I could get here.  Here's Mitch and Kevin from NY:

And here's Carole, who actually does live in Houston, but she's an great Astros booster and an honorary "Fan in Exile" anyway:

Off to the stadium to see Wandy Rodriguez and the rest of the Astros take on the mighty Washington Nationals. My old home town vs my new one. May the best team win - and I sure hope that's the Astros! More new and PICTURES to come!!!

Flashback to Spring Training 2005 - Where are they NOW?

As the Astros headed into their first Spring Training game today, I was reminiscing about my first trip to Kissimmee back in 2005 - quite an auspicious year for the team! After a miserable start to the season, they ended up winning the pennant for the first time in team history. Could this year be a rerun (preferably without the miserable start)? Time will tell. I'll be down in Florida to check out the 2010 Astros in one week and 5 days. But meanwhile, thinking about those 2005 pennant winners -- do you wonder WHERE ARE THEY NOW? I took a few minutes to check up on the players, with the results (and a few pix from Spring Training 2005) below.

PITCHERS:

Roy Oswalt - The Wiz is still our ace (even after a disappointing season last year) and a budding restauranteur.

Wandy Rodriguez - Still an Astro starter and hoping to top his 2009 best-ever season.

Roger Clemens - Retired (did he ever OFFICIALLY retire?) and hanging around at Astros Spring Training to watch his son Koby.

Andy Pettitte - Still pitching for the Yankees (and we didn't think he'd last 2 more years and let him go)

Brandon Backe - Since the Astros released him in 2009, the only news I've seen has been his arrest in a drunken scuffle with police. (However the player we traded to the then-Devil Rays to get Backe is now back in Astros uni -- Geoff Blum)

Brad Lidge: On-again, off-again, not-quite-lights-out Lidge is the closer for the Phillies.

Dan Wheeler: Relief pitcher for the Rays.

Chad Qualls: Closer for the Diamondbacks.

Russ Springer: Pitched for the Rays in 2009, currently an unsigned free agent.

Ezequiel Astacio: Pitched in 2009 for the Des Moines Iowa Cubs (Cubs AAA).

Mike Gallo: Bumped around the minors, not currently pitching anywhere I can see.

Chad Harville: Put on waivers and picked up by Boston before the end of the 2005 season, now retired.

John Franco: Released during the 2005 season, ending his record-setting career (most games pitched in NL)


CATCHERS: 

Brad Ausmus: Signed up for another year as the Dodgers backup catcher, with an option for 2011. (Remember that high kick he tried out in 2005, hoping to improve his batting?)          

Raul Chavez: Signed minor league contract with Blue Jays, invited to Spring Training as non-roster invitee.

Humberto Quintero: Still the backup backstop for the Astros.          

INFIELD:

Jeff Bagwell: Retired after unsuccessful attempt to come back in 2006, but still working for the franchise - it's great to see him coaching the minor leaguers at Spring Training.

Craig Biggio: Retired after his 3000-hit season in 2007; now coaching his kids' high school team and doing tons of charitable work in Houston.

Lance Berkman: First baseman for the Astros. (No pix from Spring Training '05 - he wasn't playing, due to his offseason football injury.)

Morgan Ensberg: Unfortunately, he never achieved the super-star potential he showed in 2005; didn't sign with a team in 2009, he's now retired. UPDATE: But you can still follow him - on his baseball blog: http://morganensberg.wordpress.com/.

Adam Everett: Shortstop for the Tigers.

Eric Bruntlett: Minor league contract with the Nationals, in Spring Training camp as non-roster invitee. Moment of fame in 2009: Playing for the Phillies, made a game ending unassisted triple play. (I always loved that guy's defense!)

Mike Lamb: Signed a minor league deal with the Marlins; in Spring Training camp as a non-roster invitee.

Jose Vizcaino: Retired, works for the Dodger's front office.

OUTFIELD:

Luke Scott:  He’ll be at Orioles Spring Training trying to figure out where he fits in their roster -- and how he's going to protect himself now that MLB has outlawed guns in the locker room. 

Willy Taveras: Just signed a minor league deal with the Nationals, and is in Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. (He went 0 for 2 in today's game.)

Jason Lane: Bopped around the minors for the past few seasons, currently somewhere in the Marlins system.

Chris Burke: Spent most of 2009 in the minor league affiliates for the Padres and the Braves. He currently has a minor league contract with the Reds.

Orlando Palmiero: Retired after 2007 season.

COACHES

Phil Garner (manager): Two years after the Astros fired him towards the end of the 2007 season, Garner interviewed for (but didn't get) the Astros Manager job last fall... I don't know what he's doing now.

Jose Cruz (1B Coach): Removed from his long-time gig as first base coach after 2009 season, he's now working for the front office. (But look for him in uni at Spring Training.)

Cecil Cooper (Bench Coach): After his stint as the Astros manager ended with the dismal 2009 season, Coop moved back to Katy, TX.

Doug Mansolino (3B Coach): Ousted from the Astros around the same time as Garner (who he eerily resembles)...I don't know where he is now.

Jim Hickey (Pitching Coach): Pitching Coach for Tampa.

Gary Gaetti (Hitting Coach): Working as a hitting instructor for Baseball USA in Houston.

AND MOST IMPORTANT (to me)...

David Whitehill (my oldest child, who was brave enough to go to Spring Training with his Astros-crazy mom): Moved to NY with his wife Marissa, where he works as an architect and cheers for the Yankees. Where did I go wrong?