Jesse Livingston: Hampton still has it, Ortiz ‘hellip; not so much
Mike Hampton will probably make his yearly trek to the disabled list at some point this season, but he’ll still be a fixture in the Astros’ 2009 rotation. Russ Ortiz will not be so fortunate.
Fans shouldn’t expect the same Hampton, who won 22 games and had 177 strikeouts during his 1999 All-Star campaign with the Astros, but Hampton has proven he can still be an effective pitcher when healthy. The left-hander still has a good sinkerball and can mix in a high 80’s to low 90’s fastball. Plus, he’s a battle-tested veteran who will mesh well with his teammates.
Ortiz is barely holding on to the No. 5 spot in the rotation after edging out Jose Capellan at spring training, and he is coming off Tommy John surgery in 2008. He has stunk it up during the last three seasons, posting inflated ERAs and will most certainly be the first one out the door should he struggle. I’ll give him until late June before Astros general manager Ed Wade calls Round Rock, mining for a replacement.
Mario Trinidad: Awful back end of rotation won’t help Astros
The Astros made a huge mistake by keeping either of these pitchers. The Astros’ problem is their inability to get a pitcher who can actually help them win.’
I agree with Jesse. Ortiz will only last a few months because he is unreliable and has no record that shows he is worth the No. 5 spot. The Astros should not continue to hold on to a player in this situation and expect to receive positive results. I highly doubt Ortiz will last until the end of the summer or help the Astros win when he is on the mound.
Mike Hampton has been a professional for 19 years. That can be a really hard number to deal with when it comes to pitching effectively. I really have a hard time believing he will be the reason Houston becomes a championship team this year.’ I believe he can win games, but that is it. The man is past his prime and will continue to deteriorate in his second stint with the Astros.
Keith Corero Jr: Lack of prospects will keep Ortiz, Hampton in rotation
Frankly, I don’t even know why Jesse and Mario have faith in Hampton or Ortiz.’
Both pitchers are well past their primes and haven’t shown anyone that they can be a reliable starting pitcher in a Major League rotation in recent years. However, that didn’t stop Astros general manager Ed Wade from going after these washed up veterans.
Hampton and Ortiz will stay in the rotation longer than most people think because the Astros have no young players in the minors to call up and replace them. They got hosed on the Miguel Tejada deal, losing all of their prospects, and now they have to rely on Hampton and Ortiz to give them quality starts. Pitchers with mediocre stuff, such as Hampton and Ortiz, will need the Astros’ bats to come alive and give them run support.
If I have to give a timetable, it would be the end of summer. Wade needs to make a deal to acquire a fourth or fifth starter that still has good years left. I still don’t know why they didn’t re-sign Randy Wolf, who pitched great for the Astros towards the end of last season.
Judge Dredd: Who cares? The Mets are better than the Astros
Judge Dredd couldn’t give a crap about how long Russ Ortiz and Mike Hampton stay in the Astros’ rotation. If it weren’t for the Astros actually being located in Houston, these two guys wouldn’t even be on Judge Dredd’s radar.
Judge Dredd’s attention was occupied by the dominating performance that the awesome combination of Johan Santana, J.J. Putz and Francisco Rodriguez made in the Mets’ season opener against a young, athletic Reds squad. The Mets, by the way, are again Judge Dredd’s pick to win the National League Championship Series.
The 2-1 season-opening win for Judge Dredd’s team would have definitely put a smile on Judge Dredd’s face if he had emotions. Instead, the only thing the dominant pitching performance by Santana and his new reliable relievers warranted was a well-deserved thumbs-up.
Verdict: Judge Dredd admits he didn’t read any of responses from today’s contestants. He did put their names into a hat and held his own random drawing for Fighting Words supremacy. And the winner is ‘hellip; Mario Trinidad.
