Welcome to the Tuesday Boil, including Chapter 86 of Everystros.
Houston Astros News
The Astros Window Closing? Don’t Bet On It (Houston Press)
Josh Hader on playing for Astros | 01/30/2024
From Houston Astros to New York: Yankees claim Matt Gage (Play Crazy Game) — if you like english, or grammar, don’t follow this link.
AL West News
A’s — Tropicana, site of A’s new Las Vegas stadium, will close April 2 (SF Chronicle)
M’s — Mariners acquire Polanco from Twins in 5-player deal
Mall Cops — Rangers finalize 1-year deal with reliever Robertson
Halos — Angels agree to deal with OF Aaron Hicks
MLB News
Can these 30-something stars recapture peak form? — I’m surprised they didn’t include José Abreu in this one.
Ricky Tiedemann aiming to make impact in Majors in 2024
Marlins hoping for more postseason success in 2024
The 25 best Major League Baseball play-by-play broadcasters (YB)
Houston Astros Birthdays
LHP Brailyn Marquez (26)
Everystros LXXXVI
100. Ryan Pressly (Bagwell score 66.30) is a six-foot-two right-handed pitcher from Dallas, TX. Born on December 15, 1988, he was an 11th-round choice of the Boston Red Sox out of Edward S. Marcus High School in 2007. Seven have reached the majors out of the round, led by Brandon Belt (29.6 bWAR). He’s also one-of-10 to get to the bigs after being chosen 354th overall, a group led by Steve Stone (17.0 bWAR).
By the time Pressly got to the majors, he was a member of the Minnesota Twins organization and spent six seasons with the club (17-16, 3.75, one save, 317 IP, 282 K). On July 27, 2018, the Twins sent him to Houston for Jorge Alcalá and Gilberto Celestino. Post-trade, Pressly pitched in 26 games and walked three while striking out 32. He had an even 0.600 WHIP and kept his opponents to a .138/.179/.200 slashline while pitching at 1.45 aLI.
In the six seasons since the trade, Pressly has gone 15-17 with a 2.85 ERA and 105 saves. He’s walked 61 and struck out 321, with a 0.996 WHIP and a .206/.255/.322 opposing slashline. In 2019 and 2021, he made the American League All-Star Team.
On July 14, 2022, Pressly entered to pitch the ninth inning in a 2-2 tie with the Los Angeles Angels, then struck out three without giving up a run, a hit, or a walk in a 3-2 10-inning victory. In Game Five of the 2022 World Series, he entered in the eighth inning with a 3-2 lead, runners on the corners, and one out. He then struck out Brandon Marsh and got Kyle Schwarber to ground out to first without surrendering a run. In the ninth, he struck out Rhys Hoskins, induced a J.T. Realmuto fly ball out, hit Bryce Harper with a pitch, then got Nick Castellanos to ground out to end the game to put Houston up, 3-2 in the series.
Pressly is poised to serve in whatever role is called for in the 2024 season for Houston.
99. Darryl Kile (Bagwell score 12.88) was a six-foot-five right-handed pitcher from Garden Grove, CA. Born on December 2, 1968, he was Houston’s 30th-round choice in 1987 out of Chaffey College. He was one of two to reach the majors out of the round, along with Steve Wapnick. As a 782nd overall selection, Kile was one-of-four to get to the majors, and the only one to post a bWAR over 0.3.
Kile made his major league debut in 1991 and was a part of Houston’s rotation for seven years. He was 71-65 with a 3.79 ERA, with 562 walks and 973 strikeouts in 1200 innings. He also posted a 1.408 WHIP and made the National League All-Star Team in 1993 and 1997. As a hitter, he slashed .114/.166/.158 with one homer and 24 RBI. He drew 19 walks and struck out 178 times, collecting 48 sacrifice hits.
On April 24, 1991, he pitched six innings of no-hit ball, striking out five and walking two in a 1-0, 13-inning win against the Cincinnati Reds. On June 18, he struck out five and walked three over eight innings, and allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits in a 3-2 loss to the Montreal Expos. On August 16, he held the Dodgers to one run on five hits and four walks, striking out four over 7 1⁄3 innings in a 4-1 loss to Los Angeles. On September 7, he pitched 7 2⁄3 innings and allowed five hits and two walks but no runs, striking out six in a 6-0 win against the Philadelphia Phillies.
On April 18, 1992, Kile struck out seven over six shutout innings, allowing five hits and four walks in a 4-2 victory over the San Diego Padres. On April 24, he pitched eight four-hit innings and allowed two runs, one earned, striking out three in a 4-2 win against the Atlanta Braves. On April 29, he struck out 11 Mets over eight innings, giving up one run on five hits and a walk in a 1-0 loss to New York. On October 2, he pitched a complete game win over the Dodgers, striking out 11 and allowing five hits and three walks in a 6-1 win.
On June 22, 1993, Kile held the Dodgers to one run on nine hits over a complete game, walking one and striking out four in a 5-1 victory. Five days later, he kept the Braves scoreless over 8 2⁄3 innings on five hits and four walks, striking out eight in a 3-0 Houston win.
On July 3, Kile pitched a six-hitter and struck out five in a 6-0 win against the St. Louis Cardinals. Five days later, he struck out six and earned his 10th victory of the season despite giving up four runs on eight hits in a 10-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. On August 17, he pitched a three-hitter, striking out eight and walking two in a 4-0 triumph over the Florida Marlins. On September 8, he allowed one walk and one run, but no hits in a 7-1 victory over the Mets.
On June 5, 1994, Kile pitched eight innings and gave up two runs on five hits in a 4-2 win against Philadelphia. On July 24, he struck out five Bucs and gave up one run on five hits and three walks over eight frames in a 13-1 win over Pittsburgh.
On May 3, 1995, Kile struck out four and walked zero, pitching six three-hit innings in an 11-2 win against the Chicago Cubs. On May 28, he earned a Quality Start although he walked seven and gave up three hits in 6 2⁄3 innings, striking out five and allowing two runs in a 3-1 loss to the Braves. On June 3, he struck out 10 and allowed one run on three hits and one walk in a 2-1 victory over Atlanta.
On April 28, 1996, Kile struck out nine Padres and allowed one run on five hits and four walks over eight innings in a 3-2 win against San Diego. On May 4, he struck out seven over eight shutout innings on four hits and three walks, in a 2-1 loss to Montreal. On May 18, he struck out eight and kept the Bucs to one run on four hits and a walk over eight innings in a 2-1 loss to Pittsburgh. On May 27, he struck out 10 and walked two, pitching a six-hitter in a 5-3 victory against the Pirates.
On June 23, Kile struck out 12 and gave up one run on six hits and four walks over seven innings, in a 4-3 loss to the Dodgers. On August 23, he struck out nine and gave up one run on seven hits and a walk over eight frames in a 1-0 loss to the Cards. On September 12, he struck out nine and pitched a seven-hitter, walking zero in a 4-1 victory over Philadelphia.
On April 3, 1997, Kile struck out seven and gave up three runs on two hits and three walks in a 3-2 loss to Atlanta. On April 14, he struck out eight over eight innings, and gave up two runs on six hits and four walks in a 4-2 win against St. Louis. Five days later, he kept Los Angeles to one run on seven hits and four walks, striking out three over eight innings in a 2-1 victory over the Dodgers. On May 4, he struck out four and walked three, striking out six in a complete game, 1-0 win against Florida. Five days later, he gave up one run on five hits and five walks, striking out four over seven innings in a 3-2 loss to the Marlins.
On May 14, Kile pitched eight shutout innings, striking out three, walking three, and allowing four hits in a 1-0 win against the Mets. On May 24, he pitched seven shutout innings, striking out five and allowing three walks and four hits. On June 8, he pitched a five-hitter, walking one and striking out two in a 9-0 win against San Diego. On June 25, he pitched eight innings of one-run ball, giving up six hits and two walks while striking out seven in a 5-1 victory over Pittsburgh.
On July 5, Kile struck out a dozen over eight innings, giving up one run on four walks and two hits. On July 10, he shut out the Pirates on six hits and two walks, striking out seven in a 7-0 win. On July 20, he pitched a four-hitter, walking one and striking out six in a 9-0 win against Montreal. On July 25, he struck out eight and pitched a seven-hitter, in a 5-2 win against Montreal. On September 13, he struck out 13 and gave up one run on four hits and four walks in a 5-1 win against the Dodgers.
On October 28, 1997, Kile was granted free agency and soon afterward signed with the Colorado Rockies. After two seasons with the Mile-High club (21-30, 5.84, 421 IP, 274 K), he played three years with St. Louis (41-24, 3.54, 544 1⁄3 IP, 421 K). On June 22, 2002, Kile died of a heart attack at the age of 33.
98. Gerald Young (Bagwell score 36.30) is a six-foot-two switch-hitting centerfielder from Tela, Honduras. Born on October 22, 1964, he was a fifth-round pick in 1982 by the New York Mets out of Santa Ana Valley High School. Overall, he ranked fourth-of-11 to be chosen out of the round, a group led by B.J. Surhoff (34.4 bWAR). A 111th pick overall, Young ranks second out of 16 to reach the majors, led only by Corbin Burnes (13.5 bWAR).
On August 31, 1984, the Mets sent Young and Manuel Lee to the Astros as PTBNLs in an earlier trade for Ray Knight. Young reached the major leagues with the Astros in 1987, and appeared in 605 games over parts of six seasons. He slashed .246/.330/.302, going 432-for-1755 with 55 doubles, 17 triples, three home runs, and 153 stolen bases in 224 attempts. He drew 220 walks against 204 strikeouts, scoring 249 runs and driving in 109.
On July 26, 1987, Young entered as an eighth-inning defensive replacement, then hit a game-tying RBI-single in the ninth inning, and eventually scored in a 5-2 win against the New York Mets. On August 20, he hit three singles and a double in a 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. On September 14, he hit four singles and scored twice in an 8-1 triumph versus the Los Angeles Dodgers.
On May 1, 1988, Young walked in the first, singled and stole two bases in the third, singled in the ninth, then hit a game-tying RBI-single in the 10th, also stealing a base in an eventual 7-3 14-inning loss to the Montreal Expos. On May 13, he hit a double and three singles with a run and an RBI in an 8-2 win against the Chicago Cubs. On June 3, he doubled and scored in the first, hit a third-inning single, and added a seventh-inning RBI-double. In the ninth inning, he walked, stole a base and scored the go-ahead run in an 8-4 win against the San Francisco Giants.
On June 19, Young walked, stole second and scored in the first, led off with a double in the sixth, then led off the eighth with a single and a steal, later in the inning scoring a run to close Houston’s deficit to 4-3 against the Atlanta Braves. He then led off the ninth with a triple and scored again in a 6-4 Houston win. On July 10, he hit three singles and a double scoring twice in a 6-5 win against the Mets. On August 30, 1989, he hit four singles with three RBI in an 8-4 win against the Cubs.
On October 5, 1992, Houston granted Young his free agency. Young went on to play at the major league level with the Colorado Rockies (19 games, .053/.217/.053, one RBI) and the Cardinals (16 games, .317/.364/.488, three RBI).
97. Lee May (Bagwell score 40.06) was a six-foot-three right-handed first baseman from Birmingham, AL. Born on March 23, 1943, he reached the majors for the first time with the 1965 Cincinnati Reds. He eventually spent his first seven seasons with the team (761, .274/.321/.490, 147 home runs, 449 RBI, two All-Star appearances). On November 29, 1971 Cincinnati sent May, Tommy Helms and Jimmy Stewart to Houston for Joe Morgan, Denis Menke, Jack Billingham, Ed Armbrister, and César Gerónimo.
May played three seasons for Houston, appearing in 448 games including 432 starts at first base. He had a .994 fielding percentage in all that time, a total of 3,738 innings on defense. At the plate, he went 464-for-1693 with 81 doubles, five triples, 81 home runs, and five stolen bases in seven attempts. He drew 103 walks and struck out 364 times, scoring 211 runs and collecting 288 RBI.
On April 23, 1972, May hit a come-from-behind three-run ninth-inning go-ahead homer in a 13-7 win against the San Francisco Giants. On May 10, he hit two singles, a triple, and a homer, with three runs scored and three driven in as Houston topped the St. Louis Cardinals, 10-7. Two days later, he hit two singles, a double and a home run, scoring all of Houston’s runs in a 4-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
On June 2, May hit two singles, a double and a home run again, with two runs and two RBI in a 7-1 victory against the Montreal Expos. On July 3, he hit two singles and a home run with five RBI in a 13-9 loss to the Atlanta Braves. On August 4, he hit a double and two solo home runs in a 6-1 victory over the Giants.
On August 6, in the first game of a twin-bill versus the Giants, May doubled and scored in the second, hit a game-tying RBI-single and scored a go-ahead run in the sixth, then drove in a pair of runs in the seventh (although it was on an error in a 7-3 win against San Francisco. On August 17, he hit a third-inning go-ahead home run, a seventh-inning solo bomb, a single in the eighth and a single with a run scored in the ninth, in a 17-5 drubbing of Montreal.
On August 29, May hit a walk-off game-winning solo home run for a 2-1 win against the Philadelphia Phillies. September 17, he hit two singles with a double and a home run with five RBI in a 15-11 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. On September 23, he hit two singles and two doubles with one RBI in a 7-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
On May 6, 1973, May hit one home run and collected five RBI in total as Houston topped the New York Mets, 14-8. On May 25, he hit a pair of home runs for three RBI in a 7-2 win against the Bucs. On June 21, in a 12-2 victory over the Padres, he hit a single and three home runs for five RBI. On July 12, he hit a single and scored in the seventh, then hit an eighth-inning game-tying two-run double in an eventual 7-6 win over Philadelphia.
On August 2, in a 4-2 loss to the Dodgers, May hit a game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to send it to extras. On September 2, he hit two jacks for four RBI in a 9-0 triumph against Los Angeles. On September 9, he hit a go-ahead eighth-inning three-run homer in a 5-4 victory over San Francisco.
On April 12, 1974, May hit a three-run go-ahead sixth-inning home run, the eventual difference-maker in a 5-3 win over Los Angeles. On April 29, he hit three singles with two home runs for four RBI in an 18-2 rout of the Cubs. On June 6, he hit a pair of solo home runs in a 4-0 victory over the Expos. On June 11, he singled in the second, hit a game-tying RBI-double in the seventh, later scoring, then added a single and scored again later in the inning in a 10-1 win versus the Phillies. On July 9, in a 5-2 win over the Cards, he hit a second-inning solo home run, added a two-run fifth-inning bomb, then singled in the eighth inning.
On December 3, 1974, the Astros traded May with Jay Schlueter to the Baltimore Orioles for Rob Andrews and Enos Cabell. May went on to play six seasons with the O’s (794 games, .254/.299/.423, 123 home runs, 487 RBI) and two with the Kansas City Royals (68 games, .301/.370/.445, three home runs, 20 RBI). SABR Bio
96. Joe Ferguson (Bagwell score 104.25) is a six-foot-two right-handed catcher from San Francisco, CA. Born on September 19, 1946, he was an eighth-round choice of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1968 out of the University of the Pacific. He was one-of-four chosen out of the round, but easily led the group with a 21.0 bWAR). Chosen with the 161st overall pick, he belongs to a 15-man fraternity led by Mike Hampton (28.1 bWAR).
Ferguson played his first seven seasons with the Dodgers (699 games, .245/.359/.419, 91 home runs, 326 RBI) over two hitches with the team, and half of 1976 with the St. Louis Cardinals (71 games, 201/.317/.349, four home runs, 21 RBI. On November 23, 1976, the Cards sent Ferguson with Bob Detherage to Houston for Jerry DaVanon and Larry Dierker.
Ferguson played 183 games over two seasons for the Astros, hitting .243/.375/.420 while starting 173 of them behind the plate. In 1455 2⁄3 innings of defensive work, he made 13 errors out of 1044 chances for a .988 fielding percentage. He also threw out 79-of-209 runners trying to take a free base, which was slightly above the league average CS-rate.
On April 29, 1977, Ferguson hit two home runs for four RBI, adding a single in an 11-3 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates. On May 7, he singled in the fourth, then hit a two-run 11th-inning homer to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals, 3-1. On June 20, he hit a fifth-inning single and a seventh-inning go-ahead two-run double in a 6-3 triumph versus the Montreal Expos. On July 14, he hit a game-tying fourth-inning RBI-double, then hit a go-ahead eighth-inning RBI-single in a 4-3 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers. On July 22, he hit a sixth-inning RBI-single to pull Houston within a run of St. Louis, then tied the game with an eighth-inning RBI-single in a 4-2 win versus St. Louis.
On April 21, 1978, Ferguson hit an eighth-inning three-run go-ahead homer in an 8-6 win against the Dodgers. On July 1, Houston traded him with cash to the Dodgers for PTBNLs Jeffrey Leonard and Rafael Landestoy.
Ferguson played in parts of four seasons for his second hitch with the Angels. In 1981, he moved to the American League and joined the California Angels for parts of three seasons (60 games, .199/.321/.305, four home runs, 15 RBI).
Ferguson is notable due to his Bagwell score (my homegrown WAR-based statistic where zero is replacement and 100 is Bagwell) being over 100. His stats aren’t anything much more than league average, but his score is very high due partly to the positional adjustment attached to catcher. Plus he was also pretty darn good in a tight spot.