Houston Astros

It looks like the Houston Astros have come to a crossroads of sort. During this offseason they have to decide on which players to keep, which to acquire, which to let go, and which not to pursue.

Think of it as a poker game, minus the cheesy sunglasses and ESPN's inexplicable decision to put this cure-for-insomnia "sport" on its airwaves.

Or, think of it like that line from Kenny Rogers' song "The Gambler":

"You have to know when to hold them, fold them, walk away, run", etc.

Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle is tired of all the fan bellyaching down south in Big Texas , and he has decided to offer the fans a forum to give management their advice. 

Jeff Bagwell is a name that resonates with the Houston Astros franchise.

Growing up in Houston and being branded a die-hard Astros fan since birth, I remember watching in awe as Bagwell smoked balls out of the ballpark.

I really think people tend to forget how good Bagwell really was.

Actually, Bagwell was the very first professional athlete I ever interviewed way back in the mid-90’s (I want to say it was 1994).

The hit song at the time was Sister Hazel’s “All For You” and Drayton McLane (at least to the best of my knowledge) already had gray hair.

One question, hundreds of answers: Which Astro had the greatest offensive season at his position?

Major League baseball has been asking fans this same question in an effort to choose each team's best-ever collection of stars.

They are calling it MLB 9s.

Scroll down to find out why Lance Berkman doesn't make the cut, why Dickie Thon should be remembered as a Hall-of-Famer whose career got cut short, and why Craig Biggio was so much more than just "Mr. Hit By Pitch".

Michael Bourn is now amongst the cream of the crop in terms of MLB defensive talent.

On Wednesday, Nov. 11, Bourn was named as a Gold Glove winner; and he’s the first Houston Astros outfielder to win the award since Cesar Cedeno (1972-1976).

Houston, you have a problem.

Your ballclub is bad, really bad.

The Astros, a perennial contender for much of the last decade, have fallen on hard times.

Building and maintaining a consistent winner in baseball is one of the hardest things to do in all of sports. In football, basketball, and hockey rosters can completely change over within the course of two or three years.

The economics of baseball don't allow such turnover to take place. Guaranteed contracts and no-trade clauses tie a team to player regardless of performance or injury. While reconfiguring the economics of the game is an entirely different discussion, the Houston Astros are one of the teams most affected by the current set up.

Now that the World Series is over, we are now in the free agency period of baseball. It reminds me a little of the climax of Christmas and the letdown of the "After Christmas" sales that tell us that the season of excitement is all over. (Granted, there are those who will use the huge After Christmas discounts this year to do their Christmas 2010 shopping).

It’s going to be a busy offseason for the Houston Astros franchise.

With reorganization and revamping on the hearts and minds of team owners and managers, the true tasks lie ahead.

Free agency, of course, is just a part of that process, as a handful of Houston Astros players have now officially filed.

Those names include: Jose Valverde, Miguel Tejada, LaTroy Hawkins, Jason Michaels, and Darin Erstad (Doug Brocail has also filed for free agency with the Astros declining his 2010 option and both Mike Hampton and Aaron Boone recently filed for arbitration).

The Houston Astros have named Jamie Quirk their new bullpen coach, according to senior director of digital media Alyson Footer.

Quirk was the bench coach for the Colorado Rockies from 2003-08 before joining the Cincinnati Reds last season as a scout.

“Jamie has a wealth of experience and comes highly recommended,” Astros general manager Ed Wade told Footer on Wednesday, Nov. 4. “He had a long playing career and spent 15 seasons as a Major League coach. He’s another solid addition to our staff.”