Some media links for today:

Richard Justice makes 15 “rock-solid” predictions for the Astros’ 2009 season including Roy Oswalt winning the Cy Young and Lance Berkman winning the MVP.

Jose de Jesus Ortiz gives a look-in to Houston’s intra-squad game today.

Alyson Footer writes in her Spring Training blog about her day today at Spring Training, including her having to ask Darin Erstad about his face injury.

Finally, former star of Teen Wolf Tim Kurkjian posts an Astros video on his Spring Training blog.  The way the video finishes will make any Stros fan smile.

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.

Toby Hall was considering rehab to treat his torn labrum but has decided on shoulder surgery instead.  According to Alyson Footer of astros.mlb.com  Houston has voided Hall’s contract and are looking to pin the surgery bill on the White Sox, where Hall injured the shoulder initially.

Hall’s plans for now?

“Now it gives me peace of mind, after seeing the MRI and seeing what I’ve been dealing with for the last couple of years, puts me at ease about getting it fixed,” he said. “I’m going to fly around this week and meet with a few doctors and try to narrow it down to see who’s going to give me my future.”

That narrows it down to  J.R. Towles, Humberto Quintero, and Lou Palmisano for the Astros catching job.

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.

According to Alyson Footer of astros.mlb.com Toby Hall has a torn labrum. 

“Catcher Toby Hall received bad news Saturday morning when the MRI taken on his right shoulder revealed “an unstable shoulder and a torn labrum.”"

Hall was one of the many catchers vying for a spot on the roster out of Spring Training.  Hall will be sidelined for at least a month.

This is why I love Carlos Lee.

From Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle:

“Just days after several New York Yankees attended Alex Rodriguez’s press conference to support the disgraced steroids user, Carlos Lee, Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt parodied the Yankees as Lee held a brief press conference after his first workout of the spring Thursday.

After the Panamanian missed the club’s first full-squad workout Tuesday at Osceola County Stadium because he thought the reporting date was Thursday, Berkman chastised the slugger and Oswalt ridiculed Lee’s excuse. Once Lee was in camp, though, they all had fun with the misunderstanding.

Oswalt even suggested the gesture of mocking the infamous A-Rod press conference that was held last Tuesday afternoon in Tampa. Once practice was over, Berkman hugged Lee and sat at his side.

“We got to have one other person,” Lee said.

A few seconds later, and long after he had showered and dressed to go home, Oswalt sat nearby because he had waited for nearly an hour just to participate in the skit.

“He’s 100 percent backing me up,” Lee said as the sluggers declared love for each other.

“Let’s get through this together, Carlos,” Berkman said.

“I got confused with the reporting date,” Lee said. “I really thought it was on Thursday. It was on Tuesday, but I take full responsibility of it. There’s nothing I can do about it. All I can do is catch up with all the conditioning Lance got in the last two days.”

Berkman quickly chirped in: There’s no doubt. … It’s going to take you a lot longer than that to catch me.”

Lee has such a good relationship with his teammates and he consistently produces on the field.  What more can you ask for?  How about mocking Alex Rodriguez? That’s what I’m talking about.

In other Spring Training news, Astros non-roster invitee and veteran catcher hopeful Toby Hall is feeling discomfort in his throwing arm.  An MRI is scheduled to try and diagnose the problem.

Chris Sampson is scheduled to throw his first bullpen session Monday.

Roy Oswalt and Mike Hampton each threw batting practice today.  Oswalt is ahead of schedule relative to the other pitchers at Spring Training due to his preparation for the World Baseball Classic.

Today was the date for the first full squad workout, that means everyone…unless you’re Carlos Lee.  According to Alyson Footer of Astros.mlb.com, Lee didn’t report today because he had the “report for Spring Training” date mixed up.  Lee is now scheduled to arrive in camp on the 19th.  Fortunately for Stros fans and the media, Lance Berkman did show up and he wasn’t real happy with Lee:

“On one hand, it’s Carlos, Berkman said. “That’s just the way he is. He’s a great teammate, we love having him in here and obviously he’s a tremendous RBI guy. But part of you certainly is like…he and myself and Miggy and may be a couple other guys, we’re going to be looked to to carry the load. I think it’s a good example for the young guys and everybody else to be here when everybody gets here.”

Miguel Tejada DID arrive today and temporarily addressed his teammates and the media.  Nothing new however.

Finally, some good news from the camp, Mike Hampton’s heart “glitch” worked itself out and he should be back in camp Thursday at the latest.

For more on Berkman and what he thinks about Drayton McLane among other things, visit Alyson Footers Spring Training blog.  Pretty interesting stuff.

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.

Baseball is a game of ups and downs.  Baseball is back and things are looking up and BAM, Mike Hampton has an irregular heartbeat and Jose Valverde has a forearm infection.

Astros.mlb.com’s Alyson Footer is reporting that a EKG on Mike Hampton earlier today revealed an irregular heartbeat.  Hampton flew back to Houston to undergo a procedure to correct his heartbeat with the application of electrical current. (yikes)

According to Footer, Wade appeared unalarmed by Hampton’s condition.  Wade had this to say:

“From what I understand, it’s not an uncommon condition and it’s not an uncommon procedure he’s going to go through.  They cleared him to work out today without problems. Other than travel time back and forth between here and Houston, we don’t expect him to miss any time.”  Sounds like Hampton should be fine.

Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle  also reported from the Astros Spring Training home in Kissimmee, Fl.  Jose touched on Astros closer Jose Valverde and his condition as of today: “Dr. Michael Link examined Valverde on Monday and prescribed antibiotics to fight an infection that caused severe irritation, swelling and bruising on his forearm.”

Valverde: “I was a little nervous because I wake up in the morning and I see my arm like this and I said, ‘I have to go check with the doctor or trainer (so they can) let me know what happened, what happened.  And the doctor said everything’s good.”

According to both Footer and Ortiz, both players should both be fine and continue their spring training regiment as planned.

According to Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chonicle Jose Valverde will not participate in this years World Baseball Classic. 

Ortiz writes that “Cooper’s eyes lit up when Valverde used colorful, forceful language to make clear that he will not participate in the World Baseball Classic.  Valverde, who is on the Dominican Republic’s provisional roster, hasn’t officially withdrawn his name from WBC consideration. But he was quite clear when his manager asked.”

Here is what Cecil Cooper had to say about Valverde’s decision and the World Baseball Classic: “He’s a big part of what we do,” Cooper said of Valverde. “He is the stabilizer. He is the anchor. That’s great that he wants to be here and be a part of this and not be concerned with going to pitch over there. That’s great. He’s committed to us and our season, and that’s great.

“Not that it’s not important to pitch for the WBC, but that shows his commitment here. He looks in pretty good shape, too. He looks in good shape. Yeah, great shape. You can tell he’s pretty excited. He’s already thrown a bullpen already, so I’m sure he’s probably happy to have all that contract stuff behind him also.”

This is good news for Astros fans in that it shows Valverde’s commitment to the team.  I hope that this will carry over to the end of the season when his contract will be up.  Also, it will give fans the chance to compare Valverde’s performance with Oswalt’s as Roy is pitching in the classic this year.  (which I think is awesome)  Some people think that playing in the WBC can affect a player’s season.  So I guess we will have to wait and see.