Houston Astros: Five Things to Look Forward to in 2009

1. Roy Oswalt
-Can anyone outside of the Houston area name the other four Astros starters? Neither can I. Astros fans, enjoy watching Oswalt pitch every fifth day...it could get ugly on the other four.

2. The Development of Hunter Pence
-This is going to be a big year for Pence. The much beloved Astros outfielder is a solid player who can hit for power (25 hr) and run quite a bit (11 sb), but he struggles with his plate discipline. Pence only produced a .318 OBP in 2008 and he will not become a star player if he cannot get on base consistently. I can't help but think that Pence is just another version of Jeff Francoeur, which should be a scary thought for Astros fans.

scary commercial there Hunter...I want a homerun of a deal!

3. Brad Ausmus is finally gone!
-This should be a moment to celebrate for Astros fans. Ausmus was a fan favorite and a great defensive outfielder, but he was also an automatic out at the plate. But Ausmus finally left Houston paving the way for the Astros to sign a big name catcher! Oh wait, their stuck with Humberto Quintero, Lou Palmisano, and JR Towles....where have you gone, Ivan Rodriguez?

4. The Aaron Boone/Geoff Blum third base platoon
-GM Ed Wade is trying to answer the age old question: can two aging scrubs successfully platoon at one of the most important positions on the field and actually provide adequate production? I'm leaning towards no on this one. Should be fun to watch.

5. Jose Valverde celebration
-Seriously, is there a more passionate and emotional player in all of baseball? Valverde is absolutely crazy after that final out. Proof: