While watching Berkman hit two center-field home runs and drive in four runs tonight, I thought about the MVP voting.  Ryan Howard appears to have a commanding lead, but many think Pujols and Beltran are next in line.  If the MVP goes to the player that is most valuable for the team, consider this:

The Big Puma has 120 RBIs.  That is more than double the second place batter on the Astros (which happens to be Morgan “ride the pine” Ensberg with 53).  The Mets have three players with more than 100 RBIs, and St. Louis has five players with more RBIs than Ensberg.  In fact, Berkman has driven in 21% of the Astros’ runs, compared to Pujols at 16% and Beltran at 15%.
In my opinion, no one is more valuable to his club than Berkman is to the Astros.

After hiring the controversial well-known agent Scott Boras earlier this week, Carlos Lee has reniged on the deal, choosing to stick with his original agents.  Much speculation has come out over why Lee switched back, but neither Lee not Boras has spoken publicly.  If Lee has any intention of recieving an offer from the offense-needy Astros, this was a good move.  Since Boras burned the Astros with the whole Carlos Beltran deal, it’s unlikely that the Houston front office will ever negotiate with him again.  Lee is apparently on the top of the list for Houston’s off-season targets.

Preston Wilson has signed with the NL central leading Cardinals on Friday, days after Houston released Preston. After failing to negotiate a trade for the veteran outfielder, Wilson was released to sign on with any team (we were just hoping he would sign in the AL). Oh well…maybe his double-plays will come in handy in the seven games remaining between these two teams in September.

ESPN is reporting that Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria had decided to fire manager Joe Girardi last weekend, only to reverse the decision after meeting with team officials. A conflict occurred during the game when Loria, sitting near the dugout, began arguing balls and strikes with the umprire. Girardi and Loria then began yelling at each other…
The Marlins have no chance of catching the Met but remain a possibility for the wild card if the team starts winning.

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It is that time of the year, and the Houston Astros are making things interesting.  Of course we have to thank all the pathetic teams in the NL for even giving hope to a team that’s two games below .500 for the season.  Since the All-Star break the Astros lead the league in team ERA and team defense, while staying middle of the pack in offensive categories. (This was the winning recipe in last year’s trip to the World Series.)  The the combination of Oswalt, Clemens, Pettitte and Backe continued to throw quality starts, don’t be surprised to see this Houston team win the wild card (or even make a run at the division title).  Go ’stros!

Roger Clemens put up his best performance of the year, absolutely man-handling the Arizona Diamondbacks for seven straight innings Sunday.  With a 5-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh, Clemens was removed for a pinch hitter.  The Astros bullpen gave up 6 runs in two innings to lose the game, undoubtedly the most deflating loss of the season for the struggling ’stros.

As you might imagine, Astros fans are ready for change.  Here are some excerpts from  fans at the SportsJustice blog:

…a 5-1 lead and our two best bullpen players cant get the job done for ROGER CLEMENS, what a joke! trade qualls, lidge, huff, everett, ausmus, backe, and lane… get pence in the bigs put albers and sampson in the rotation get tejada and blalock and move on from these worthless players.

“I wish we could trade Garner…..He has got to be the biggest nucklehead on earth. How many games has he lost for us this year? I would venture to say at least 10. Clemens has 90 pitches and is rolling through 7 and you pull him for our bullpen?? I don’t get it! Garner has single handedly made poor decisions by not letting Roy O and Rocket finish games, just to have the bullpen choke! Fire Garner!!!”

Just admit it people, Pujols screwed up Lidge beyond repair. I think that the aura that surrounds him is just ruining the entire team. He looks defeated as soon as he gets on the mound. Get him off the team (I don’t care if you trade him, release him, send him to the minors….whatever) and this team will improve…

Also, Astros owner Drayton McLane has reportedly order GM Tim Purpura to “get a deal done”.  T-minus 22 hours and counting, Timmy.

Let the last minute trades begin! The Rangers, hoping to make the playoffs for the first time in…a while, have dealt Mench (Shrek), reliever Cordero and former major leaguer Laynce Nix to the Brewers for slugger Carlos Lee.  The Brewers, who probably weren’t going to hang on to Lee after 2006, were smart about getting something for him this year. (They were apparently $35 million dollars apart in early negotiations for a contract extension.)  Lee is a solid run-producer who has been healthy and reliable for several years now, and he should bolster the Rangers offense significantly.

I can’t believe what I’m seeing…the weak-hitting Astros have managed six runs against Reds started Bronson Arroyo (no slouch here) in the fifth inning.

While watching the Mets / Astros series last week, something struck me.  The way Carlos Beltran handles the outfield is outfight amazing.  It reminded of playing baseball on my Nintendo system (yeah, the NES).  Whenever a fly call was hit to the outfield, the fielder simply had to run to the red X on the field and wait for the ball to drop.  When Beltran fields, his paths are so straight I wonder if he can somehow see a red X.