This will be the first in what I'm sure will be a lengthy series in which members of the media gush over some member of the Astros (Bernardo Fallas' Brad Mills piece technically could have been Volume 1) with no real reason.
Today's Emission comes from Richard Justice, on Hunter Pence:
But the more Astros scout Rusty Pendergrass saw of Pence, the more he liked him. He saw a guy that cared, a guy that worked hard, a guy that was absolutely committed to being great...
He learned the family story, about how Hunter's dad, Howard, made all kinds of sacrifices so the kid could have every opportunity to succeed. And the thing, Rusty kept seeing was a player that did things to help his team win games...
...The thing that has impressed almost everyone about Hunter from the start is his work ethic and how much he cares. Sometimes, the veterans have made fun of him. Extra rounds of batting practice before games, sometimes extra rounds after games, too...
...At some point, the Astros will have to begin to think about signing Pence to a long-term deal, but that's a discussion for another day. For now, it's enough to look forward to watching him play another season and to appreciate that the Astros have him.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
