CNN/SI Preview: Houston Astros
Posted: Thursday March 11, 1999 10:16 AM
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Reynolds had more wins in 1998 (19) than Greg Maddux or Kevin Brown. Todd Warshaw/Allsport |
By Ryan Hunt, CNN/SI Shane Reynolds knows he isn't Randy Johnson.
Houston doesn't need him to be. Reynolds isn't overly dominating.
He doesn't have a fancy nickname. He definitely isn't 6-foot-10 with a
menacing look. But Reynolds was comparative with Johnson in one respect
last year -- victories. Reynolds had 19 wins last season -- the same number
Johnson, now a Diamondback, had with Seattle and Houston -- and his ERA was
a mere 0.24 higher than the Unit's. In fact, before they landed
the "Big Unit" right before the trading deadline, the Astros were going
along just fine with Reynolds as their ace. Houston was 21 games over .500
when Johnson came aboard, with Reynolds being a big reason why.
Reynolds, along with fellow double-digit winners Mike Hampton,
Jose Lima and
Sean
Bergman, won't make Houston fans forget about the overpowering
performances Johnson had in the Astrodome. But another quiet, steady season
could just well bring the Astros another NL Central title. And it
may get Reynolds a nickname. 1998 Recap (102-60, 1st place, NL
Central) The problem in Houston hasn't been in the regular season.
The Astros won back-to-back division championships for the first
time in franchise history, but struggled for the second straight year in
postseason play. After their first 100-win season, the Astros were
dominated by Kevin Brown and
the Padres in the Division Series. Johnson was the story down the
stretch, going 10-1 with a 1.28 ERA in what would turn out to be his only
11 regular-season appearances in an Astros uniform. But a lot of the credit
for Houston' success in 1998 has to go the offense, which led the National
League in runs scored (874) and was second in batting average (.280).
1999 Outlook As if losing Johnson to free agency and failing
to acquire Roger Clemens
wasn't painful enough, losing outfielder Moises Alou to a
possible season-ending knee injury stings even worse. Alou, who
finished third in the NL MVP balloting behind Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire,
tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while working out at
home in the Dominican Republic. Houston will have to find a way to replace
his .312 average, 38 home runs and 124 RBIs. Second-year OF
Richard Hidalgo, a highly touted prospect, will replace Alou in the
outfield, but it likely will be second-time-around Astro Ken Caminiti
who will bear the burden of matching Alou's production. If the 35-year-old
Caminiti, who never hit more than 18 homers in any of his eight Houston
seasons, can find the stroke he had in a breakout 1996 season -- .326, 40
homers, 130 RBIs -- and stay away from nagging injuries, things should be
normal at the plate in Astroworld.
The pitching
staff has to avoid injuries as well, since it is not very deep. Phenom
Scott Elarton, one of the reasons why the Astros did not deal for Clemens,
likely will step into the starting rotation. However, they will have a new
battery mate after the trade of Brad Ausmus. Mitch Meluskey, a
switch-hitting prospect with power who had all of eight major league
at-bats last season, will battle with veteran Tony Eusebio
for the full-time catching slot. Now the good news. Houston still
has the Killer B's (Craig Biggio,
Jeff Bagwell
and Derek
Bell) intact. The group combined to hit .315 with 76 homers and drive
in 307 runs, and with Caminiti, will have to pick up some of Alou's slack.
Even with all of the changes, however, the Astros remain the solid
favorites to win their third straight NL Central crown -- and perhaps this
time, even more.
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