Brian McTaggart gives injury updates on Moehler and Kaz as well as some info on the stros, all in a negative light as Tag tends to do.

Jose de Jesus Ortiz officialy opens up the “negative free zone,” or as I like to call it, the anti-McTaggart zone. He does his best to shed some positivity on the Astros‘ current situation, from the major-league to the minor-league level.

Finally, head over to Astros County and join the debate on whether or not the Astros should move to the AL West. I say no way Jose.

Here is your Houston Astros Media Round Up for today:

Alyson Footertalks to Houston Astros Pitching Coach Dewie Robinson about what he sees in this years pitching core. “Robinson likes the quality of this group more than the pitchers the Astros had in camp during Spring Training last year.”

There is a nice article on veteran infielder Jason Smith over at Chron.com

Brian McTaggartmakes his projection for Houston’s opening day roster and I gotta say, I think he is pretty much right. I might swap Capellan for Otiz but neither is Brandon Backe which is probably the way it is going to work out. Sorry Brandon.

Astros first round draft pick and catching prospect Max Sapp has suffered two Seizures.  For more info, check out the article at Chron.com.

Finally, Jose de Jesus Ortiz has a few columns you need to check out; De La Vara Impresses, Berkman Hits Road for Game in Sarasota, and Keep Astros Sapp in your Thoughts.

In non Astros related media, there is a good video on spring training autographs that I came across at Big League Stew that will remind you why you love baseball, just in case you forgot.

Houston lost today’s contest to the Cincinnati Reds 8-2. Looks like Berkman taking the road trip wasn’t enough to give the team their second W of the season.

From astros.mlb.com

Stros at the plate: “Brian Bogusevic had two hits. … Lance Berkman was 1-for-3 with a first-inning double. … Hunter Pence was 1-for-3 with a sixth-inning single. … Geoff Blum was 1-for-3. Jason Smith tripled in the eighth and scored on a two-run homer by Drew Sutton. ”

Stros on the mound: “Starter Jeff Fulchino was hit around and gave up four runs, three earned, on five hits over two innings. … Gilbert De La Vera pitched two scoreless innings with one walk. … Fernando Nieve gave up two runs, one earned, with one hit and two walks in two-thirds of an inning.”

Sounds to me like Nieve and Paulino have eached pitched themselves right out of the picture.  Maybe Houston can trade Nieve?  Teams will probably just wait until he hits the waiver wire and then pick hiim up.

Today make a dozen losses in a row for Houston and fan blogger Chip Bailey from the Houston Chronicle is asking if a manager can lose their job in Spring Training. Really Chip? Gimme a break.

 De La Vara and Arias both pitched two scoreless innings which is good news.  We still have 3 weeks of Spring Training so everyone needs to chill out, especially you Chip.

Also, one thing I have taken from this Spring Training so far is that Houston has a nice core of talent coming up right now.  Not necessarily a large amount of players but a good group of quality players.  Two or three years from now these guys are going to be making impacts at the big league level.

So far Houston has only won one game in the Grapefruit League this Spring Training and people are wondering if it is time to hit the panic button. 

Before I get into what I think here is the opinion of a few Houston Astros’ sports writers:

Alyson Footer, Houston’s MLB.com beat writer, says she is “worried” in a recent post on her blog, Alyson’s Footnotes.

The fashionably negative Brian McTaggart, one of the Houston Astros beat writers from chron.com, surprisingly says it’s not time to hit the panic button…yet.

And chron.com fan blogger Chip Bailey needs Astros’ fans to tell him why he shouldn’t panic, because he is ready to.

I don’t think it is near time to panic.  Caution? maybe. Worried? sure. But definitely not time to panic. 

Houston has been outscored 31-78.  Pretty bad right? No.

This is without Carlos Lee (although he is on his way back to Florida after Panama was the first team to be eliminated in the WBC), Miguel Tejada, and Lance Berkman.  Wait, Berkman is still at Spring Training isn’t he? Well yeah, but he hasn’t traveled to hardly any of the road games.  So the potency of our line up is well…missing. 

So far, this Spring Training has been an opportunity for Houston to get a good look at their prospects and try to get their pitchers some work in. Btw, no Roy-O either.

Check back with me when Houston gets their big bats back in the lineup.  Until then, I am more concerned with Roy’s work load on team USA for the WBC.  He should have been out of that game a little earlier.

Panic time? No way.  Maybe if it were April.

Apparently Backe and Wandy have been taking fungo bats to each others rib cages for fun.

From chron.com:

“Backe could miss at least one start after suffering a strain of the left posterior intercostal muscle, commonly referred to as a strained rib cage muscle.

“The injury occurred during the first inning of Backe’s third spring training outing (second start) Sunday against Pittsburgh when his left foot slipped while he was delivering his final pitch of the inning.

“The last pitch of the first inning, my front foot, my landing foot, slipped on me a little bit and caused me to basically collapse on that side,” Backe said. “I guess what caused it was the ribs pushed together or whatever.”

Backe stayed in the game but was pulled after two innings, one shy of his target goal of three. He allowed two hits and one walk.”

This is a real bummer for Brandon as he isn’t in the position where he can afford to miss a lot of time.  Sounds like he was actually pitching well before he got injured.

“Russ Ortiz, Jose Capellan and Felipe Paulino are among his competition, and they could get a leg up if Backe is on the shelf for a long period of time.

“I don’t need to miss any time,” he said. “Missing time is only hurting my situation.

“But I’m going to work as hard as I can to get back and get this thing ready for me to get back on the mound.””

Are you listening Russ Ortiz?  This injury is definitely not going to help Backe’s bid for the 5th spot.

Jose de jesus Ortizof the Houston Chronicle is reporting that the Astros have renewed outfielder Hunter Pence’s contract for 09 for $450,000. 

It sounds like the front office is trying to work out a deal to pay Pence more and that the deal may be worked out by March 11th.  He definitely deserves more than that.

If Pence stays in the majors the whole year, which lord help us if he doesn’t, he will be eligible for arbitration in 2010.

According to Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle, Miguel Tejada may reconsider his bid to play in the World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic.

“At the same time, I have to realize that this is the last year in my contract and I need to work hard because I want to show all the other teams that there’s still a lot left in me. God willing, I want to start the season well to see if Houston wants me to stay here, which would be my desire.”

With Hanley Ramirez of the Florida Marlins and Jose Reyes of the New York Mets playing for the Dominican squad, Tejada is looking like the odd man out at short.  Because he may have to play a different position than that of the one he plays for Houston, Tejada is reconsidering. 

“I think it’s more important for me to prepare to play short, because that’s what I’ll play here,” he said. “But as I’ve said, I’ve always been honored to represent my country. It doesn’t matter how I represent it, I have always loved to wear my country’s jersey and hold my country’s flag.”

Tejada said that with the Astros’ approval, he would still play in the WBC at a different position, but only if they OK’d it.

“I can’t go to the Classic to play another position when I have a team where I work and then I’d go play another position. I think for Houston it would be an honor for me to go there and play my position. Even if it wasn’t every day, but at least I’d be playing the position I’d be playing here the whole season.

“If the team accepts that I go and play another position, I’d even be a catcher. I’d play any position they’d tell me to play. But first I have to check with the team. I don’t know what decision the team will make.”

Richard Justice discusses first round draft pick Jason Castro’s playing time this spring.

Jose de Jesus Ortiz talks to Cecil Cooper about his contract status with the team.

And finally, Dan Shaugnessy relives some great Spring Training moments while making me wish I had his job…well, if he covered Houston.

Roy Oswalt was looking good today Jose de Jesus Ortiz reports from Spring Training.  On Roy Oswalt throwing BP to Reggie Abercrombie and Lance Berkman.

“Two pitches later, Oswalt and the rest of the group broke out laughing at the unmistakable sound a ball makes when it breaks a bat.

“Man,” Abercrombie yelled. “That’s a brand new bat. That’s brand new.”

Not anymore. Berkman followed Abercrombie, and Oswalt broke one of the perennial All-Star’s bats, too.”

Here is what Cecil Cooper had to say about Roy :

“Roy actually threw the ball really, really well,” he said. “He seemed to have a lot of life on his ball. His ball was moving. He worked on his changeup a little bit. Roy looked pretty good. He actually threw some breaking balls too. The slow one and the hard one. He threw the ball well. It was good for him to see that up and down (five-minute break between throwing).

“Today he threw five (minutes) and then sat down for five and went back. We’re trying to simulate a little bit of what will happen in games to try to get them ready for games. It was good. I thought he threw the ball really well. He’s on pace to be able to do his pitching for the WBC. He’s good.”

Check out his post for more.

A few links for some interesting columns of today:

Richard Justice looks at both sides of the Astros possibly signing Pudge Rodriguez.

Brian McTaggart gives his take on the risk of Roy Oswalt pitching in the World Baseball Classic.

Alyson Footer reports that Roy Oswalt will stand by Miguel Tejada.

Jose de Jesus Ortiz talks to Hunter Pence about the dangers of glass doors and the benefits of stickers on said glass doors.