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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Sports Justice: Astros are dead last in minor league talent

This is outrageous! Outrageous that Justice got the The Bill James Handbook 2009 already, that is.

Goodbye, Jake Peavy. Get out that checkbook, Drayton. To keep the Astros competitive is going to be expensive. They’re probably not going to be competitive anyway, but it’s your only choice.

The Astros are dead last when the minors are ranked, according to The Bill James Handbook 2009. Oh well. We had a nice run. It was only 2001 that Baseball America tabbed the Astros as their Organization of the Year.

Don’t blame all this on Drayton. He deserves a huge share of the blame for preferring to keep Bud Selig happy by cutting corners on signing bonuses for draft picks. There were also plenty of mistakes in scouting and player development that have nothing to do with Drayton.

Repoz Posted: October 22, 2008 at 11:23 PM | 11 comment(s) | Login to Bookmark
Related News: General, Houston

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1. The Ghost of Pete Incaviglia Posted: October 23, 2008 at 02:34 AM (#2992650)

Thank you, Captain Obvious.

2. Howie Menckel Posted: October 23, 2008 at 03:30 AM (#2992800)

Wow, just noticed that our 26th-year NL-only fantasy baseball league with farmhand reserves has 51 such players from the 16 NL teams.

and NO Astros
yikes

3. Newtype Posted: October 23, 2008 at 05:29 AM (#2992829)

There were also plenty of mistakes in scouting and player development that have nothing to do with Drayton.

Isn't he the one who hired the people who made the mistakes?

4. Chase Utley, Shooty's Favorite Robot (Joey Belle) Posted: October 23, 2008 at 08:14 AM (#2992858)

Probably shouldn't have traded everyone in the system for Tejada. But hey Manny's available. An outfield with both Manny and Carlos Lee is something to take great pride in.

5. Fly, the most judgment-free human being on Earth Posted: October 23, 2008 at 01:01 PM (#2992934)

The ValleyCats have been beyond terrible the last 2 years. I've watched some comically bad baseball. Once, they went around the horn after a strikeout, and the ball hit the third baseman square in the chest. He reached out his glove, but just completely missed it. He did everything he could to avoid crying, and then lobbed it back to the pitcher. An usher behind me was heard to say "These guys suck. They're terrible." Then I turned around and realized it wasn't the usher, but the guy in charge of promotions and advertising.

6. Matt H. Posted: October 23, 2008 at 02:04 PM (#2992985)

Bill James is smarter about baseball than I am but what methodology is he using that puts Prince Fielder above Lincecum and Ramirez? Seems like a once in a generation SS and ace are harder to find than a young power hitting 1B.

7. Golfing Great Mitch Cumstein Posted: October 23, 2008 at 03:02 PM (#2993046)

Both lists are strange and some of it is the fault of Justice's unclear writing.

In the list of best players under 29, there are only two players above 25. Seems odd.

And what is the list of teams? The list of teams with the best major league roster players under the age of 29; best players under the age of 29 in the system?

If it is system talent, the Yankees and Red Sox seem low.

Also, is it under the age of 29 next year? Because if not, as someone pointed out in the comments section, Albert Pujols should be there.

Justice has some of the dumbest readers if his comments section is any indication. Except for baseballchick, who I think is lisa in the comments.

8. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: October 23, 2008 at 03:18 PM (#2993065)

Probably shouldn't have traded everyone in the system for Tejada.

Troy Patton and Michael Costanzo are the only ones I would consider prospects from that deal. I, too, wanted to say the Astros traded away all their good prospects, but I am struggling to think of a good prospect they traded away other than Patton. I think they're just lousy at drafting.

9. Harris Posted: October 23, 2008 at 03:27 PM (#2993073)

their minor leagues may be bad....but I bet they'll have the best veteran middle relief core by the start of next season.

10. Walt Davis Posted: October 23, 2008 at 10:31 PM (#2993399)

Then I turned around and realized it wasn't the usher, but the guy in charge of promotions and advertising.

Same guy actually.

In the list of best players under 29, there are only two players above 25. Seems odd.

OK, this must be that crazy metric James cooked up last year. We discussed it somewhere, a convoluted formula didn't make a lot of sense. But if memory serves it heavily weights how far away you are from 30. It's probably closer to a measure of "value provided between now and when they turn 30" than it is "best players under 30." If memory serves, last year's list didn't have Pujols. And neither does this year's.

11. Mike Emeigh

Posted: October 23, 2008 at 10:44 PM (#2993402)

If it is system talent, the Yankees and Red Sox seem low.

It's not. I believe, from what I've read elsewhere, that it's the most talent under 25 on the major league roster. The Astros don't have much of that.

Houston's minor league system does have some talent, mostly pitchers and mostly at the lower levels of the system.

-- MWE

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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Sports Justice: Astros are dead last in minor league talent

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