Safety Dance
The White House visit by the Houston Astros is now in the rear view mirror. Even with that, they are still rolling strong throughout Grapefruit League. They have an overall spring record of 14-6, which is the best among all of the teams that call Florida their spring homes. All players on the roster, whether they be pitcher or position player, are hitting and pitching tremendous strides. That includes your people's champion and mine, Evan Gattis, who is currently batting a .310 BA with an .804 OPS. .459 of that OPS is, surprisingly, the on-base percentage, or OBP. He may not be hitting for a whole lot of power, but he is getting on base and moving guys across.
This all really comes as no surprise, since he had already begun to show progress in his hitting approach last season, when his playing time was diminished severely. Thankfully, that will not be the case going into this 2018 title defense season, when El Oso Blanco will step into the shoes left behind by retired future HOF, Carlos Beltran. Additionally, he will still be used as a third catcher to spell both Brian McCann, who has been struggling to get a hit so far this spring, and Max Stassi, who really has nothing left to prove at the minor league level and is more than capable of playing in the big leagues.
All of this leaves skipper A.J. Hinch some options as to what to do when constructing the everyday lineup. It's the same luxury he had last season, when the spacemen won their first ever championship in franchise history. Already this spring, he has begun to spell some guys, including Gattis, as a means of preserving their strength and overall health. The Houston Chronicle broke this story last weekend. You can check it out at the following link.
Frankly, I believe this to be a tremendous idea. Anything that can save our guys from extended trips to the DL is always a good thing. Not sure if this is different from how Hinch executed last spring, but even if it is a new idea, it's still a fantastic one! I'm sure the bear will benefit tremendously from it, since he was one of the ones being talked about in that article. Since he'll only be catching once a week, it is good for him to get a rhythm going on that.
Funnily enough, if for no other reason, it has lifted Evan's spirits. I mean, he's even been trying his hand at some Twitter comedy. At least, the organization seems to think so from his stint at the White House. How often can a player do such a spot on impersonation of a Will Ferrell character? I'm willing to bet, not a whole lot. Just see for yourselves:
Look for 2018 to not only be the Year of the Dog, but also the Year of the Bear!
This all really comes as no surprise, since he had already begun to show progress in his hitting approach last season, when his playing time was diminished severely. Thankfully, that will not be the case going into this 2018 title defense season, when El Oso Blanco will step into the shoes left behind by retired future HOF, Carlos Beltran. Additionally, he will still be used as a third catcher to spell both Brian McCann, who has been struggling to get a hit so far this spring, and Max Stassi, who really has nothing left to prove at the minor league level and is more than capable of playing in the big leagues.
All of this leaves skipper A.J. Hinch some options as to what to do when constructing the everyday lineup. It's the same luxury he had last season, when the spacemen won their first ever championship in franchise history. Already this spring, he has begun to spell some guys, including Gattis, as a means of preserving their strength and overall health. The Houston Chronicle broke this story last weekend. You can check it out at the following link.
Frankly, I believe this to be a tremendous idea. Anything that can save our guys from extended trips to the DL is always a good thing. Not sure if this is different from how Hinch executed last spring, but even if it is a new idea, it's still a fantastic one! I'm sure the bear will benefit tremendously from it, since he was one of the ones being talked about in that article. Since he'll only be catching once a week, it is good for him to get a rhythm going on that.
Funnily enough, if for no other reason, it has lifted Evan's spirits. I mean, he's even been trying his hand at some Twitter comedy. At least, the organization seems to think so from his stint at the White House. How often can a player do such a spot on impersonation of a Will Ferrell character? I'm willing to bet, not a whole lot. Just see for yourselves:
I don't know about you readers, but I think the bear may have a future as a stand up comic or SNL featured player once he retires from the game. But that could just be me. Want even more proof of the bear's recent comic side? Just look at a tweet he sent out two days ago:Great delivery from @BulldogBeing though 😂 pic.twitter.com/ecEQ9u2DBS— Houston Astros (@astros) March 12, 2018
Say what most might about how Evan Gattis is "not a cornerstone player" and all that jazz, this veteran is gonna be around for a while. How else will the core four of George Springer, Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa be backed up? As great as these four are, they'll need some veterans sprinkled in to help keep the championship years and potential dynasty going. The bear already fits the bill of such a player. And when GM Jeff Luhnow extends him over next winter, I will be turning on the gloating jets so hard on some of the CDH trolls out there.On a serious note, I dont think it is possible to win a World Series without flinstones vitamins. #yabba_dabba_true #ad— Evan Gattis (@BulldogBeing) March 14, 2018
Look for 2018 to not only be the Year of the Dog, but also the Year of the Bear!
Original Photo Credit: Karen Warren of the Houston Chronicle
Using his glove as a visor + Gnarly beard = PIMP BEAR!!!!
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