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Astros’ 2016 And The Slam Of The Clubhouse Door

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  • Updated: October 4, 2016

It’s rumored some teams in MLB are still playing in a phenomenon referred to as “the playoffs.” While winning the Wild Card game and kicking the Royals around a bit in the ALDS last season, the Houston Astros packed up their duffle bags Sunday, and went their separate ways, leaving behind an 84-78 season.

For them, the off-season got a disappointingly early start, and many players left wistful Tweets of departure and gratefulness, while upper management began making plans for the changes deemed necessary for an improved 2017.

Notes Left Behind

“I hate losing. A winning season is a success, but it doesn’t get you anything. I’m proud of the fact that 84 wins isn’t good enough.”-manager A.J. Hinch. When asked to compare the Astros to MLB’s best teams, he replied, “We are absolutely as close as you could expect,” and after two winning seasons and one playoff appearance, he believes the team is “built the right way.”

And, this from Hinch: “Nothing more exciting than postseason baseball. Plenty of work ahead to have us playing next Oct. Thanks @astros fans for the passion to win.”

“2016 was a fun year, thanks to all my teammates and coaches. Best part about it is that there is so much to improve on…just the beginning.”-Alex Bregman (3B); Hinch appreciates Bregman’s willingness to do whatever he’s asked, adding, “I love the makeup that he has.”

“Thank you, Astros fans, for all your unwavering support this ’16 campaign. Missing playoffs is an awful feeling. We will be back!”-LHP Dallas Keuchel

“The 2016 season will be a season I’ll always remember! I’m very blessed and extremely thankful for every opportunity that was thrown my way!”-RHP Brady Rodgers, who lost his first big league start (8-1 to the Angels) in Houston’s season finale, Sunday, October 2.

Related: Best NFL QB? Astros Got ’em Both in Brady Rodgers

“This year has been full of blessings, both on and off the field. I have learned from my teammates, life, people, and the importance of the fans. Thank you all for your support, day in and day out. I promise to work harder so that next year we can play in the post-season. It’s now time to meet my newborn in Dominican Republic, and spend quality time with my loved ones. Very fortunate to be playing for the Astros. Looking forward to maximizing my career for years to come in Houston. Big hugs for everyone in Houston.”-RHP Michael Feliz (#FuegoFeliz)

“3rd pro season in the books! Blessed my childhood dream became a reality. Grind for 2017. S/O Houston for the love.”-IF/OF Tony Kemp

Related: Tony Kemp: Astros’ Young Gun with Big Pop

“Thank you for all the support this year thru the ups and downs, Astros fans. Such an awesome journey.”-RHP Chris Devenski, who led the team in ERA with 2.16 (47 minimum IP). Hinch spoke recently on Devo’s value out of the bullpen for a pitcher who had spanned the minors as a starter: “The dream would be for him to be a starter.” Shuffling bullpen parts many times during the season (different set-up men, different closers, etc), Hinch defended, “I don’t care how we get to the 27th out.”

Related: Finding Devo: Devenski Waits His Turn

“Thank you, fans, for your support this year! I had a lot of fun, and look forward to a great off-season! 2017 can’t get here soon enough!”-Orbit, Astros mascot

Video: Watch Olympic Orbit prance through his floor routine

The previously oft-injured (large portions of 2014 and 2015) OF George Springer, played in all 162 games. He finished the season with 744 plate appearances, tying for 2nd-most in Astros’ history (Craig Biggio, with 749 in 1999, and 744 in ’97). In fact, Springer is the first Houston player to appear in all 162 games since Carlos Lee in 2007. Only two other players in MLB join Springer in that marathon category this year: Kansas City’s Alcides Escobar, and Baltimore’s Jonathan Schoop. Teammate Jose Altuve was just one behind with 161 GP.

From 2011-2015, the Astros had the worst road record in baseball: 137-268. For 2016, Houston finished with a winning road record (41-40) for the first time since 2004.

Video: Watch Astros’ 2016 Highlights

A Peek Into 2017

A sobering thought (and a cause for nightmares for opposing pitchers next year): Hinch on AL batting champ (.338), Altuve: “He can get better.” Altuve ended 2016 tied for 4th-best in Astros history with a 7.7 bWAR, and amassed an MLB-best 216 hits. He’s had 200+ hits in half of his six seasons (the last three). Altuve finished with a .376 BA in road games, the best mark by any MLB player since Ichiro Suzuki‘s .405 away from Safeco Field in 2004.

Video: Watch Altuve’s 216th 2016 hit

Nine combined AL batting titles merged earlier this week in Anaheim when Altuve was greeted by the king of the spray hitters, Rod Carew. Coincidentally enough, the league’s batting champ award is now (for the first time) officially called the Rod Carew American League batting title. Altuve’s combined 204 runs scored and RBIs accounted for 28% of the Astros’ 724 runs. Despite Altuve’s 2016 hit barrage, Houston ended up 24th out of the 30 MLB teams in batting average: .247.

Related: Jose Altuve’s Grand: Fastest Astro to 1,000 Hits

Video: Watch Carew’s 3,000th hit (8/4/85)

Turning 33 next June, Yulieski Gurriel will be considered an MLB rookie in 2017. He was one at-bat shy, this season, of exhausting his MLB rookie status.

Related: Astros in 2017: The Power of Yulieski Gurriel

Root Sports Southwest (the Astros’ regional broadcast network) held their final “‘Stro Poll,” asking “which young player holds the key to the Astros’ success in 2017,” gathering 415 total votes:

35%: Bregman

34%: RHP Lance McCullers

31%: SS Carlos Correa

The Luhnow Lowdown

In the end-of-season press conference, GM Jeff Luhnow intoned confidently, “We’re going to have the resources to go out and sign some players,” adding that owner Jim Crane is willing to provide an “increase in payroll.” Possible positions of need mentioned by Luhnow include the outfield, first base, and catcher. Dipping into the free agent pool might be a key here.

Don’t forget the starting rotation, Jeff. In 2015, the starting staff’s numbers were a respectable 3.71 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, in 983.2 IP. This past season? 4.37 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, in 917 IP. Astro fans everywhere beg you to check that box.

Luhnow also announced that the entire coaching staff will return for 2017. That’s the first time that’s happened in Luhnow’s five years with the Astros.

Possibly addressing angry fans believing he was too inactive at the August 1st trade deadline, Luhnow responded by suggesting that had he known the team would lose both Keuchel and McCullers to injuries the last several weeks of the season, he would’ve made a move at the deadline.

Speaking to the season-long slump by 2015 bullpen stalwart Tony Sipp, Luhnow insists he expects a bounce-back year from him, adding that he thought the lefty was the “glaring hole in the bullpen.”

Luhnow added the final jump-off to a busy off-season and optimistic 2017 by declaring, “We’re as motivated as we ever have been; patience will be the tough part, now.”

Yeah, yeah…..some teams are still playing 2016 baseball. But, for Astros fans, Luhnow’s statement is a timely reminder when one look at the calendar reveals that pitchers and catchers report some 10 dozen days from now.

Brad Kyle

Seen here, meeting Nolan Ryan at Dell Diamond in Round Rock (TX), around the turn of the century.

Brad was born and raised in the shadow of what eventually became Colt Stadium, and then, in '65, the Astrodome.

Brad's a semi-retired entertainer, having been lead singer (and flautist) of high school rock cover band Brimstone (Houston, early '70s).

He currently sings karaoke nightly, and also performs at nursing homes and private parties.

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