THESE ASTROS ARE ON A ROLL
By Randy Byers - 2015 Houston 5A Baseball
As I was sitting in front of my computer, chasing down Prep, Juco, and Astros leads today, callers started coming over the air on (790AM-KBME - the Official home of the Houston Astros) the Matt Thomas Show, and The Drive Home with Charlie Pallilo. Not just any callers, but Astros Fans. You can't imagine how moving that is after so many years of futile attempts to field a Major League Product; 10 years to be exact! The fact that the Houston Astros are relevant here in December of 2015 is joyous to say the least! Oh how a few years, and unbelievable people make a huge difference.
While they were tough, gut-wrenching years that included 3-100 loss seasons, they were a part of the process, a process that so far, Jim Crane and Jeff Luhnow have kept their word on following. ("The Master Plan" or "Grand Plan"). That master plan has started to come to fruition, maybe a couple years earlier than most of us in the so-called, "educated baseball community" figured it would. The Astros new successes have all of us on edge, antsy, maybe a little nervous, awaiting a deal at the winter meetings this week that will make everyone even more proud. That deal may not be forthcoming this week, but then again, it might be. Those of you that have put your trust in Jeff Luhnow and company know there will be improvements made to this team.
I will be the first to tell you when the I think the Astros brass makes a deal that is a reach, or a bad deal. But you have to understand, this organization is competing against 29 other teams for their pieces of improvement. Their excellent, championship winning farm system, didn't get where it is overnight. Luhnow must be vigilant but prudent and sensible in the process. His baby is the farm system, despite the success, or lack of success of the major league team. It is the life-blood of this version of the Houston Astros and you can bet Crane and Luhnow aren't going to blow it up on "a" player.
Three days before the draft of Carlos Correa I sent out a simple statement on social media saying, "Don't be surprised if the Astros draft Correa". It was met with some in fandom and media as ridiculous, but some also deemed it possible, knowing Luhnow's tendencies. But before the draft, most thought it to be a reach at best. This move allowed the Astros tremendous flexibility in that draft while still getting what looks to be the best player available. Admittedly, I studied Luhnow's tendencies at St Louis and had a source that was able to convince me of Luhnow's extreme interest in the young SS from Puerto Rico. But that's just one example of Luhnow and staff's unbelievable talent of scouting out the player in the player. AJ Reed might just be another. Already named the Baseball America "Minor League Player of the Year", Luhnow says, "Reed will be a Major League Star". Whether he is or isn't, Reed is certainly sending out the signals with his play that would have any general manager singing his praises.
The new Astros have an attitude, an ambition, a way of doing it unlike any others in the game. This has permeated the Astros organization with the hiring of the best front office in franchise history, to the hiring of what might be their best President in their history in Reid Ryan. Ryan has made Minute Maid Park, the place to be. The food, the promotions, and other activities, there is something for everybody. His "all-inclusive" and "customer friendly" approach, with futuristic ideas and services to the fandom, are unmatched at the price by anyone in the business. Of course, the product on the field makes that all possible, opening up wallets that have been slammed shut for years. But Ryan has captured the moment and is making the Houston Astros a topic of conversation in many more households than in past years.
We all have our favorites in the organization (me; Robbie Grossman, and Scott Kazmir); Oh how I wanted Robbie to be the player for the Astros that he was for his Cy Fair Bobcats, and Scott Kazmir to just blow away guys like he did for his Cy Falls Eagles. Things don't always work out but good decisions by some of the most competent people in baseball, I believe, will always prove successful in the long run.
As the 2016 MLB season rapidly approaches remember this, they might not sign the biggest name to the biggest contract, but what they will do is entertain you at the very least, and likely win you a championship sooner than most in the game ever could have imagined.
