Quickies on Astros

I'm on vacation but I'm still crazy for the numbers so here are a couple to chew on...

Astros offense from their second basemen..
Matsui, .272 BA, 224 AB, 31 R, 1 HR, 18 RBI, 15 SB, .681 OPS
Others, .276 BA, 123 AB, 11 R, 4 HR, 17 RBI, 0 SB, .740 OPS

As I pointed out on the day of the signing, Matsui is a definitive upgrade from Craig Biggio. But Loretta was already a likely possibility and any combination of Blum or other utility infielders could produce the remarkably pedestrian numbers of Matsui. He was absolutely positively not worth $16.5 million over 3 years.
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Since his demotion out of the rotation, here are the numbers for Chris Sampson.
21.2 IP, 14 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 10 K, 2.07 ERA

Now that's how to accept bad news and rise to the challenge of showing your employer you are capable of much better than you have shown.
---- WEX