Today is the first full-squad workout of the season!
*Lance McCullers is experimenting with a couple of new grips on his changeup, a pitch he hasn't thrown much in his first two seasons with the Astros.
Everything I throw is hard, hard, hard, and I'm trying to get a little 'stop and go' in my game, a little more 'pitchability,' so to speak.
*Carlos Correa, who will be out for a couple of days after getting his wisdom teeth removed, is ready to improve upon last year.
I want to be a better hitter than I already am, and I feel like I can do that. I can get so much better.
*Carlos Beltran is looking towards October.
This team is really, really close to winning...I have to have the opportunity to play in October. That's what it's all about...Once you get to October, anything can happen. I feel like this team is going to give me that opportunity.
*Brian T. Smith wrote an erotic column about Beltran.
*Will Harris says the Astros have a chip on their shoulder:
Pitchers and catchers are here and I don't think as a whole we maybe didn't hold up our end of the bargain last year. You give us that little extra chip on our shoulder and give us something to prove, it could be something that could push us.
*Brian McCann is already pleased with Dallas Keuchel's delivery:
It's exactly what I thought it would be. The angles he creates are special. He gets the ball to move late, he gets the ball to stay on the plate until the end and then it falls off, and he can do it to both sides.
*The Cardinals have paid the $2m to the Astros, apparently.
*Jon Singleton talked about being removed from the 40-Man roster after hitting .202/.337/.390 in 2016.
I was only disappointed at myself because of the year that I had. There was no one to blame but myself.
*MinorLeagueBall asks if Ramon Laureano is the best Astros OF prospect.
*Five things to know about the Buies Creek Astros.
*Goose Gossage: Still a douche.
*Meet the latest boy genius of baseball.
*Here's a good article on the challenges facing Fitzgerald's.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
