NY author causes stir with Houston Astros book, but it's not about “that”
BEST OF THE BEST
28 February 2024
While the Astros are in Florida preparing for another deep playoff run in 2024, a new book about the club is set to drop on March 5. The book is written by New York author Robert W. Cohen and is titled, The 50 Greatest Players in Houston Astros History.
With a title like that, we know not everyone is going to be pleased with the list. And the book hasn't even been officially released yet.
However, the list has been leaked and Astros fans have thoughts, as one would expect. So let's start with Jose Altuve's placement on the list. Many believe Altuve is already the best Astro ever, based on all the incredible playoff moments he's provided during the greatest stretch of baseball in franchise history. That, along with two championships, has many believing he's a no-brainer to come in at No.1.
To the dismay of many Houston fans, Altuve is ranked 3rd behind Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio respectively. The rest of the top five includes No.4 Lance Berkman, and No.5 Roy Oswalt.
Some other points of contention on the list include Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan at No.16 and future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander at No.17.
Upon further review of these rankings, the picture is becoming very clear. This list was put together with a focus on total resumes with the Astros.
With that being the measuring stick, Altuve coming in behind Bagwell and Biggio makes sense. They're already in the Hall of Fame and have had more regular-season success than Altuve.
We expect Altuve to finish his career as the best Astro ever, but according to the criteria, he still has work to do. Altuve is 1,013 hits behind Biggio, and his career OPS (.834) is much lower than Bagwell's (.948).
The argument for Altuve has always been about being clutch in the postseason. Altuve already has the second-most postseason home runs (27) in MLB history, behind only Manny Ramirez (29).
Be sure to watch the video above as we address the debate over Altuve's ranking and many other surprising placements on the list.
Teaser: Does Yordan Alvarez crack the Top 20? Mash the video above to find out!
Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan every Monday on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel.
We'll continue to drop videos throughout the week!
What battles Houston Texans must win to shock the world, derail Chiefs dynasty
Jan 16, 2025, 3:49 pm
Make no mistake about it, the Texans have their biggest challenge of the season this Saturday in KC, trying to keep the Chiefs from moving on and possibly winning their third straight championship.
And the level of difficulty goes much further than just a fierce opponent. The Chiefs are fully rested, and the Texans will be short-handed again on offense.
After releasing disgruntled receiver Diontae Johnson and tight end Cade Stover heading to IR, Houston will need someone outside of Nico Collins to make an impact in the passing game. Joe Mixon is a prime candidate to catch some passes this week, but he missed practice on Thursday (ankle) so that will be something to watch.
Not to mention, Robert Woods has missed practice time this week with a hip injury. Which means outside of Collins, the Texans will have to lean on John Metchie III, Dalton Schultz, and Xavier Hutchinson to move the ball through the air.
As opposed to the Chiefs who have a full complement of weapons with Travis Kelce, Hollywood Brown, DeAndre Hopkins, and burner Xavier Worthy, with Patrick Mahomes pulling the trigger. Oh yeah, they also have Andy Reid calling the plays.
It certainly appears the Chiefs have the edge of offense, but the Texans defense has gotten healthy at the right time. Especially on the defensive line that gave Justin Herbert fits in the Wild Card round.
X-factors
Tank Dell was Stroud's most effective target against the Chiefs in December, recording over 100 yards and scoring a touchdown. Collins was held to just 60 yards on 7 catches. If that happens this time around, that could spell trouble for Houston. Metchie is now the Texans No. 2 receiver because of injuries, and he got off to a terrible start last week, fumbling on the first offensive play of the game. He's done a decent job of getting open this year, but he's struggled to hold on to the football. The moment can't get too big for him this week. Also, Texans OC Bobby Slowik has to do a better job of calling plays that will keep the team out of third and long situations. Something that has plagued the team all season.
On defense, limiting Mahomes' ability to create big plays with his legs will be key. He escaped through the B gap several times in his last matchup with DeMeco Ryans' defense. Those runs led to first downs and KC's first touchdown of the game.
What does Vegas think?
The Chiefs are favored by 9, and the total is set at 41.5 points.
We have so much more to get to! Be sure to watch the video above for our in-depth preview and predictions for the big game.
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