Avoid driving in flooded areas. Getty Images
Michael Herzing, former president of the Texas Auto Writers Association, will be providing auomotive coverage for SportsMap. His first offering includes key tips for car owners.
Stay away from high water
Is it my imagination or does it seem that people in Texas lose all their common sense when it is raining? You’re driving along in a heavy rain and you see water over the curb ahead. And you drive right into it? Folks, don’t ever drive in high water. It can damage the brakes, transmission, differential, and the wheel bearings. And if the water gets inside, you can forget it.
Please use common sense during these fall storms. If an area usually floods, don’t drive there. If you drive through curb-deep water and make it through fine, stop by your shop in the next few days and have them check the brakes. The lubrication can be washed off of the brake hardware ,and it corrodes and causes premature brake wear and sometimes failure. Unless you want to spend huge money on brakes and differentials instead of clothes and food, get your car checked out ASAP.
And for heaven's sake, unless you are a mechanic or you are independently wealthy, don’t ever buy a car that has been flooded, even if it is cheap.
Check under the hood
While not as crucial as it used to be, checking under the hood occasionally can head off little problems before they become big ones. Of course, not many people do it — when was the last time you actually looked under your hood? Now that I have reminded you about it, it’s time to figure out how to do it. Check your owner’s manual. There will always be a section on under hood checks. Keep a pair of old gloves and a roll of paper towels in the trunk.
Read the safety warnings in your owner’s manual and any warning stickers that may be under the hood. Most everything under the hood will be hot, so be careful. Except for checking transmission fluid level, all checks should be done while the engine is turned off. If the engine is running, don’t put your hands near any belts or fans, unless you want to be called “Stubby.” If you are not comfortable with touching a hot or running engine, then just do the checks that can be done with the engine cold, and have someone else do the rest. The secret is to do it.
When is the best time to buy a car?
There are a lot of different answers to this question, but usually, the end of the year is the best time. It all depends on what factors you look at. Dealers hate to pay taxes on their inventory, and if a vehicle is on the lot January 1, taxes must be paid. Since the end of the year has people thinking about other things besides car sales, it is typically the low point of the year for auto sales. Something has to give, and it’s usually the dealer’s prices. If you have the money or the credit, you are in good shape.
If you are in the market for a convertible, buy during the rainy season. Most people buy convertibles as the weather gets nicer, so a convertible that's for sale at a dealership may have been on the lot for some time, and the dealership would want to move it. If you are buying a motorcycle, do it either during the bleakest part of winter or the hottest part of summer. If you are buying a kid's motorcycle, do it just after Christmas.
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The Houston Astros walked out of Phoenix with a three-game sweep of the Diamondbacks, but the biggest win of the series might not have been in the standings, it could’ve been the emergence of their latest young spark plug.
Once again, the pitching carried the load. Brandon Walter continued his breakout season with another strong showing, and right now, he looks like Houston’s third starter if the playoffs began today. Behind him, Ryan Gusto and Colton Gordon have quietly helped stabilize a rotation ravaged by injuries. All three own ERAs under 4.5, a luxury the Astros couldn’t have anticipated heading into the year. Another thing they couldn't have anticipated was Lance McCullers' ERA this season being almost seven.
Walter’s rise comes at the same time the McCullers situation grows murkier. After starting the season late, he’s on the injured list again, this time with a blister on his pitching hand. Though the issue isn’t related to his arm, the “vibes” simply haven't been there. He’s struggled in four of his last five starts, and one wonders whether a "phantom" IL stint might be in his future, especially with Cristian Javier and Spencer Arrighetti progressing in rehab assignments. The roster squeeze is coming, and McCullers might not make the cut.
Crushing dingers!
Offensively, the conversation begins and ends with Brice Matthews. The first-round pick has quickly shifted from injury fill-in to potential staple, nearly winning the series by himself with three home runs across the first two games. His athleticism has popped in the field, and while contact concerns remain, the power and energy are real. Matthews is the only prospect of his pedigree ready to contribute, so the club made a wise decision to take a shot on upside, and Matthews delivered. That's why we were so emphatic about the Astros elevating Matthews. Get him in the lineup as a DH if you have to, whatever it takes, this offense needs pop. Then lo and behold, not only does he give the offense a lift, his defense also helped seal a win against Arizona.
Veteran slugger Christian Walker might be heating up too, posting a .348 average with three home runs and an .895 OPS in July. That’s a promising development, especially in a month when the Astros have flipped their typical formula. The pitching has been average — 18th in ERA, 18th in WHIP, 21st in opponent batting average — but the offense has been elite: top-five in slugging, OPS, and runs scored.
Injury bug
Still, questions persist. Chief among them is the health of Yordan Alvarez. His recent comments about his hand injury — specifically, his uncertainty and acknowledgement that rest hasn’t helped — were troubling. If surgery isn’t an option and time off isn’t working, what is the long-term solution? At this point, fans are right to worry about whether Alvarez will ever fully return to the dominant form he once showed.
Trade deadline
With the trade deadline one week away, general manager Dana Brown has to weigh all of this. The pitching could soon be bolstered by returns from the IL. But the offense, especially with no clear return dates for Alvarez, Jeremy Peña, Jake Meyers, and Isaac Paredes, might need immediate help. Despite the sweep, Houston scored just three and four runs in the final two games of the Diamondbacks series. If they’re serious about contending for a championship, another bat may be required. They'll see much better pitching in the postseason.
If the Astros do decide to add an arm, a power right-handed reliever could make sense. With Bryan Abreu the only truly dominant righty in the bullpen, a little late-inning muscle wouldn’t hurt.
Bottom line: the Astros are winning, and they're doing it in multiple ways. But with health concerns piling up and playoff positioning tightening, there’s still plenty of work ahead. Fortunately for Houston, they may have just found another foundational piece in the most unexpected place, a rookie who’s already changing the conversation.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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