The “Luhnow to the rescue” Astros Fan.

                

                 Astros fans couldn’t wait to ring in the New Year, and change that last number from a 1 to a 2 in their season ticket check dates.  Mainly because the ending of the 2011 season marked the Astros worst recorded season in franchise history.   Progressively deteriorating since their wild card bouts in 2004 and 2005, the Astros took the league’s “clown crown” last season with a whopping 106 losses. 

                 The dismal season rightfully calls for a fresh spring house cleaning, starting with the roof.  With the hiring of an essential St. Louis piece of the winning puzzle in Jeff Luhnow as the new G.M., the Astros can start rebuilding with the peace of mind that they shouldn’t see another 100 loss season under the new regime.

                Luhnow, proving to be a behind the scenes mastermind in creative and relentless farm-system revamping in St. Louis, should hopefully add some spice to Houston’s managerial bland stew.  Astros fans have had to witness their only hopeful players being shipped off to more prominent and significant teams over the last few years.  Just to name a few of them… Lance Berkman, Roy Oswalt, and most recently Hunter Pence.  In exchange for what?  In hindsight, not much, except a paramount of tics in the wrong upsetting column.  The uncanny ability of the Astros to lose their supposed star players blamed partly on Ed “don’t let the door hit you on the way out” Wade, who heads back to Philly this season, which he never really left in the first place.

                No real big player moves have been orchestrated under Luhnow’s reign yet.  Except for a “risky-now, but hopefully rewarding later” trade with the Red Sox for new hopeful SS Jeff Lowrie and right-hander Kyle Weiland, who should fit well in the rotation.  A rebuilding of this nature will take time, and I expect Luhnow will be very busy this spring, and for many springs to come for that matter.  As of now the view for 2012 doesn’t look pleasantly positive for Astros fans; however these franchise-rebooting moves being made this season are a step in the team’s hopefully perennial right direction.