Hunter Pence to the show

by MHD on Apr 28, 2007 12:45 AM EDT

Pence being called up
Astros manager Phil Garner said top prospect Hunter Pence is being called up from Class AAA Round Rock and will start in center field for the Astros on Saturday.

Chris Burke will be moved to a utility role.

http://blogs.chron.com/baseballblog/archives/2007/04/pence_being_cal.html

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cool

he deserves the chance, and god knows the astros could use a bat. on the other hand, chris burke was one of their few guys with actual upside. hopefully after the biggio 3000 deathmarch is over he'll get another shot.

by jpahk on Apr 28, 2007 1:38 AM EDT reply actions

I swear

Burke must have slept with Garner wife or something cause he can not get a clear shot with this team slightest sign of struggle and to the bench he goes (and sometimes even when he isnt struggling!)

by goalieguy on Apr 28, 2007 8:45 AM EDT up reply actions

heh

when ensberg was emerging as a very solid player they kept benching him for lamb

by god allah star on Apr 28, 2007 9:02 AM EDT up reply actions

astros

i'm becoming more and more convinced that the astros have no idea what they're doing

chris burke could be a similar player to ian kinsler right now if they'd have left him at 2nd from the start but instead they're continuing to run biggio out there just for the hits

and then the thing that i still can't believe, jennings for hirsh and buchholz? jennings, who will be gone at seasons end, may actually be worse than jason hirsh who is under contract for the next 6 goddamn years...and then buchholz as a throwin, god

by Rob Castellano on Apr 28, 2007 10:33 AM EDT up reply actions

and Taveras

... extra suckage

by foolintherain on Apr 28, 2007 4:10 PM EDT up reply actions

sigh

I'll grant you guys all of that, but I wish the Cubs could suck that much and still make the playoffs or come close every year like they do ... Mahalo

Matt

I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.

by WayneCampbell05 on Apr 28, 2007 8:18 PM EDT up reply actions

In Garner's defense

I have seen the Astros play 6 games(against the Pirates) and i must say that Burke's range in CF was literally terrible. It was a liability. Unless the ball was hit in a 10 foot radius of where he was standing when the ball comes off the bat, he doesnt get to it. I don't care about teh Astros at all, so you have to understadn where I'm coming from with this. Hell I'm GLAD they had him in CF and we beat them 6 straight times. But if Pence can do anything with teh bat and have even decent range and good breaks on flyballs, then he'll be better out there than Burke was for the 6 games I watched him play this year.

Go Pirates!!!

by cool hand Charlie on Apr 29, 2007 8:32 AM EDT up reply actions

I'm going insane

I saw this entire subthread plagerized on a fantasy site.

The "deathmarch 3000" comment. The "Burke must have slept with Garner's wife". The comment how they played Lamb over Ensberg when Ensberg was getting established. All of it. But I'm not just thinking of this becauase there was also a comment about what the potential lineup will be and they prayed that Everett didn't bat 2nd

I just can't find it. Any site that I would have gone to this morning, I can't find anything. But I'm positive I saw all three comments together in a little blurb.

by Galt on Apr 28, 2007 1:07 PM EDT up reply actions

weeeeeeird

that's kind of creepy weird.

i sure didn't post anything on any other boards about pence

by god allah star on Apr 28, 2007 8:41 PM EDT up reply actions

round rock stats for pence

341/398/588
14 XBH (10 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR) in 85 AB
14/8 K/BB

after a 283/357/533 line in a full season at AA last year including 67 XBHs, i think it's safe to say he's ready for at least a chance to prove himself in the big leagues.

by jpahk on Apr 28, 2007 1:43 AM EDT reply actions

semi-related

Anybody gonna take a claim on Stephen Randolph after he got DFA'd? He put up great minors stats to start the year and he is left-handed....

Curtis Granderson fan

by jrose643 on Apr 28, 2007 10:01 AM EDT reply actions

just like I thought

once biggio is done, pencil burke in at 2B. they still don't have a legit CF, but this way they do get the best bats in the lineup.

by TigerFanInCleveland on Apr 28, 2007 10:02 AM EDT reply actions

Damn

I am going to a Round Rock Express game tonight, and no Pence? Bollocks!

They're playing Albequerque...do they have any prospects to speak of?

by ajohnst1 on Apr 28, 2007 11:53 AM EDT reply actions

hm

just Andino that i'm aware of.

by god allah star on Apr 28, 2007 12:36 PM EDT up reply actions

How was the game?

Specifically, did you pay any attention to McLemore, the lefty reliever for Round Rock? (2 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 K)... Any other notes and observations on RR players appreciated as well....Thanks in advance!

Curtis Granderson fan

by jrose643 on Apr 28, 2007 10:37 PM EDT up reply actions

And

did you get yourself a Fat Elvis bobblehead?!

Curtis Granderson fan

by jrose643 on Apr 28, 2007 10:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Bobblehead

Didn't get a Bobblehead...I actually didn't even know they were giving them out, so we didn't get there early enough. I was pretty disappointed, too, they were really cool.

As for the game, I'm sorry to report that I didn't pay too much attention to McLemore, specifically. I went with my girlfriend and had two extremely rowdy children sitting in front of me, so I found it hard to concentrate on the game. What I remember is that Round Rock's relievers got pretty lucky...Albequrque was stinging the ball all night, but in the later innings they ran into some outs on the bases, making some very poor decisions, so it helped out the Express' pitching staff quite a bit. I don't remember when this happened, specifically, so I don't know if McLemore was pitching or not, but, stats aside, pretty much every pitcher the Express threw out there last night was getting hit hard.

I was not impressed by Nieve at all. He's supposed to be a prospect, right? He threw two straight balls to the backstop in the inning where he melted down...and they weren't cheap, either. I mean, he gunned both of them over Munson, who stood up for both. I've never seen any pitcher do that.

by ajohnst1 on Apr 29, 2007 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions