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06-20-2005, 11:26 AM
Guess there's nothing else to cover sports-wise in Galveston this summer. This is nothing more than a "come up with a story about a local kid" waste of good column space. Maybe they just wanted to start a rumor to try and get their own phones to ring :notme: I'd like to challenge this writer to name just half of the players the team has on their top two minor league rosters, and then tell me after his last two starts, why would anyone think that Backe would or could fetch a quality major league hitter? Plus I like how he worked an unconfirmed offseason rumor into a fact and came up with the idea that Backe "was nearly dealt" last winter.
I will say this for the guy: He does a damn good job of coming up with one-sentence paragraphs.
Could Astros improve by moving Backe?
Larry Holder / Galveston Daily News (http://www.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=1e9a26ffd12fb901)
Roger Clemens has tried his best to silence the trade rumors.
The future Hall of Famer has denied time and time again that he is not looking for a trade. Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane has also said that he can’t see any circumstances where he’ll look to trade the Rocket.
Clemens hasn’t completely shut down trade talks by saying if the Astros wanted to trade him to a contender that the club will have to do a pretty good sell job.
With a 28-39 record and little relief in sight, McLane’s only selling tool to draw the fans to Minute Maid Park in August and September will be Clemens.
The club sits 15 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals and in fifth place in the National League Central Division. They’re also nine games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Wild Card.
But the Astros continue to believe that this team has a chance to compete for the postseason.
Astros general manager Tim Purpura even said this week that the team is a buyer in the trade market. He said the Astros will most likely go after another hitter to help the anemic offense.
And since Clemens is “off the market,” that only leaves three legitimate starters that the Astros can dangle over the sharks. And Roy Oswalt and Andy Pettitte are also off limits.
That really leaves only one person that teams in contention will make a play for — Brandon Backe.
The only way for the Astros to have even a remote chance at nabbing a solid bat is to include the Galveston native in the deal. :yadda:
He’s relatively young (27), improving with every start (except when he takes the mound on the road like in Sunday’s loss to the Royals) and displayed that he can pitch in tight situations such as the postseason. Not to mention he would give a National League squad another stick in the batting order.
The Ball High graduate has heard the whispers before. He’s already been traded once in his career and he was nearly dealt during the offseason.
The rumored deal would have sent him and Chris Burke to the Texas Rangers for perennial all-star second baseman Alfonso Soriano.
“I don’t get caught into the media or anything like that,” Backe said when the trade rumors were in full force in January. “I just go about my business around my house and do my own thing. It’s something I have no control over. My mind is focused on what I have to do to get whatever team I’m on to a championship and do my part.”
Aubrey Huff, Mike Sweeney, Preston Wilson, Carl Everett, Tony Womack and Jay Payton have been some of the names swirling throughout Web sites and newspapers across the country.
Of those players, Wilson will be the most likely player to be dealt. His sporadic output combined with his tendency for injury makes him a risk at best and I can’t foresee the Astros taking him in.
The Astros haven’t necessarily gone into specifics of who they want. But to acquire a legitimate threat, they’ll have to part with someone of value and someone who will help a team today.
You know it can’t be anyone in the team’s starting lineup considering how rotten the Astros’ offense has performed this season.
I’m sorry, but no team wants the lower third of the lineup. It’s about as appetizing as one of those green bologna sandwiches you’d eat in jail.
Willy Taveras, Craig Biggio, Lance Berkman and Morgan Ensberg are off limits no matter what anyone says. Mike Lamb and Jason Lane could be possibilities, but the Astros won’t scoop up much in return.
The bullpen has been solid as of late and no team could swindle Brad Lidge from the Astros, anyway.
The only remedy, as much as no one wants to hear it in Galveston County, would be to deal Backe. He’s the only player the Astros would consider dealing that could help a contender now.
“I’m happy here in Houston,” Backe said. “I think I’ve said it time and time again.”
But for the Astros to improve right now offensively, Backe might have to go.
I will say this for the guy: He does a damn good job of coming up with one-sentence paragraphs.
Could Astros improve by moving Backe?
Larry Holder / Galveston Daily News (http://www.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=1e9a26ffd12fb901)
Roger Clemens has tried his best to silence the trade rumors.
The future Hall of Famer has denied time and time again that he is not looking for a trade. Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane has also said that he can’t see any circumstances where he’ll look to trade the Rocket.
Clemens hasn’t completely shut down trade talks by saying if the Astros wanted to trade him to a contender that the club will have to do a pretty good sell job.
With a 28-39 record and little relief in sight, McLane’s only selling tool to draw the fans to Minute Maid Park in August and September will be Clemens.
The club sits 15 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals and in fifth place in the National League Central Division. They’re also nine games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Wild Card.
But the Astros continue to believe that this team has a chance to compete for the postseason.
Astros general manager Tim Purpura even said this week that the team is a buyer in the trade market. He said the Astros will most likely go after another hitter to help the anemic offense.
And since Clemens is “off the market,” that only leaves three legitimate starters that the Astros can dangle over the sharks. And Roy Oswalt and Andy Pettitte are also off limits.
That really leaves only one person that teams in contention will make a play for — Brandon Backe.
The only way for the Astros to have even a remote chance at nabbing a solid bat is to include the Galveston native in the deal. :yadda:
He’s relatively young (27), improving with every start (except when he takes the mound on the road like in Sunday’s loss to the Royals) and displayed that he can pitch in tight situations such as the postseason. Not to mention he would give a National League squad another stick in the batting order.
The Ball High graduate has heard the whispers before. He’s already been traded once in his career and he was nearly dealt during the offseason.
The rumored deal would have sent him and Chris Burke to the Texas Rangers for perennial all-star second baseman Alfonso Soriano.
“I don’t get caught into the media or anything like that,” Backe said when the trade rumors were in full force in January. “I just go about my business around my house and do my own thing. It’s something I have no control over. My mind is focused on what I have to do to get whatever team I’m on to a championship and do my part.”
Aubrey Huff, Mike Sweeney, Preston Wilson, Carl Everett, Tony Womack and Jay Payton have been some of the names swirling throughout Web sites and newspapers across the country.
Of those players, Wilson will be the most likely player to be dealt. His sporadic output combined with his tendency for injury makes him a risk at best and I can’t foresee the Astros taking him in.
The Astros haven’t necessarily gone into specifics of who they want. But to acquire a legitimate threat, they’ll have to part with someone of value and someone who will help a team today.
You know it can’t be anyone in the team’s starting lineup considering how rotten the Astros’ offense has performed this season.
I’m sorry, but no team wants the lower third of the lineup. It’s about as appetizing as one of those green bologna sandwiches you’d eat in jail.
Willy Taveras, Craig Biggio, Lance Berkman and Morgan Ensberg are off limits no matter what anyone says. Mike Lamb and Jason Lane could be possibilities, but the Astros won’t scoop up much in return.
The bullpen has been solid as of late and no team could swindle Brad Lidge from the Astros, anyway.
The only remedy, as much as no one wants to hear it in Galveston County, would be to deal Backe. He’s the only player the Astros would consider dealing that could help a contender now.
“I’m happy here in Houston,” Backe said. “I think I’ve said it time and time again.”
But for the Astros to improve right now offensively, Backe might have to go.