Results tagged ‘ Kissimmee ’
Spring Training is underway for the Astros
The Astros officially kicked off their new era under new management Monday when pitchers and catchers took the field at Osceola County Stadium for the first workout of Spring Training. Astros manager Brad Mills said everything went as smoothly as could have been expected, as 28 pitchers and seven catchers put in a few hours of work for the first time as a group.
Perhaps the best news for the Astros as they hit the field was that everyone is healthy, including catcher Jason Castro and Brandon Lyon. Castro missed all of last year and Lyon sat out most of the year following surgery.
“I was pleasantly surprised to see the guys in great shape,” Mills said. “The guys did a lot of things this off-season [to stay in shape]. With a lot of new players and a lot of new staff, it was good. I thought they did a good job. Yeah, there are some things they have to tighten up a little bit, but for the most part I thought it was real good.”
The pitchers are broken into six groups, with three groups throwing in the bullpen each day. Among those getting on the mound Monday were J.A. Happ, Jordan Lyles, Brett Myers, Zach Duke, Wesley Wright and Henry Sosa.
The position players won’t work out as a group until Sunday. Among those who showed up at camp Monday were Jordan Schafer, Jose Altuve, Chris Johnson, Jed Lowrie, Jimmy Paredes, Brett Wallace, Brian Bogusevic, Jack Cust, Jake Goebbert, J.D. Martinez, J.B. Shuck and George Springer.
For a complete rundown of the day’s news, click here.
For a video package with interviews with Jim Crane, Jeff Luhnow and Brad Mills, click here.
Here is Day 1 in pictures:
Astros manager Brad Mills puts on his sunglasses as he emerges from the clubhouse for the first workout of spring.
Pitcher Paul Clemens, acquired from the Braves in the Michael Bourn deal, stretches.
Astros manager Brad Mills talks to one of his coaches.
Astros pitcher Bud Norris awaits Monday's first stretch.
Astros manager Brad Mills talks with the media prior to the workout.
Astros manager Brad Mills address a group of pitchers.
Astros catcher Jason Castro gets put through a drill.
Jordan Lyles fires a pitch to Humberto Quintero. Can you spot the ball?
Astros owner Jim Crane does an interview.
Astros owner Jim Crane talks with manager Brad Mills prior to Monday's workout.
Players trickle into camp in Kissimmee
There is no official “reporting” date to Spring Training as there has been in years past, but several players were at Osceola County Stadium on Sunday — one day ahead of the first workout for pitchers and catchers.
J.A. Happ and fellow starting pitcher Bud Norris were among a handful of players to seize the opportunity to get on the back fields and play catch. Also working out Sunday were pitchers Lucas Harrell, Fernando Rodriguez, Wesley Wright, David Carpenter, outfielder Jake Goebbert and catcher Jason Castro.
Other who were in camp Sunday: Chris Snyder, Jack Cust, Zach Duke and Jorge De Leon.
“There’s going to be a lot of competition for positions, but it’s always going to be good just to see everybody again,” Happ said. “It’s good to have a little time off, but after so long everybody is going to be ready to get going again.”
The Astros will have 63 players in camp this year, including 23 non-roster players. The pitchers and catchers will take their physicals prior to Monday’s workout.
“We’ve been in Houston so long, champing at the bit,” said infielder Brett Wallace, who reported well ahead of the Feb. 26 first workout for position players. “Getting in last night and getting the chance to get in there, it’s like reality that it’s about to start. I think we’re all excited to get going this year.”
The Astros have more jobs up for grabs than any camp in recent memory. The top three spots in the rotation are decided, with Wandy Rodriguez, Brett Myers and Norris returning, and Carlos Lee (first base), J.D. Martinez (left field), Jose Altuve (second base) and newcomer Jed Lowrie (shortstop) likely to be in the Opening Day lineup.
“We’ve got to come in here and be positive, and that’s our No. 1 priority,” Norris said. “A lot went on last year besides playing baseball that kind of had us living in limbo land with the ownership, but finally we got that settled and I’m sure [new owner Jim] Crane is going to have an opportunity to talk to us and we’re going to have an opportunity to talk to him. It’s a fresh start. That’s what we needed.”
—–
Veteran relief pitcher Brandon Lyon, who underwent surgery last year to repair the detachment of his right biceps tendon and to also mend a tear in his labrum, was understandably eager to get to Kissimmee. Lyon has been throwing off the mound at home and said he comes to camp with no limitations.
“I’ve thrown a few times off the mound, which is kind of rare for me coming into Spring Training,” he said. “I usually don’t throw too much, but I felt like I had to throw a couple of times and get on the mound and see where I’m at. I’m actually pretty happy where I’m at. I feel like I’m ahead of where I usually am right now.”
—-
Catcher Jason Castro, who missed all of last season with a serious knee injury and underwent foot surgery two months ago, reported to camp on Sunday in good shape. He underwent surgery Dec. 9 to remove the sesamoid bone from his foot after injuring it playing in the Arizona Fall League and sat out all of last season after undergoing surgery to repair a large tear in the meniscus and having a reconstruction of the right ACL.
“I feel really good health-wise,” Castro said. “I’ll be ready to go. That’s a big reason why I’m excited. I wasn’t sure how the whole rehab process was going to go, but everything has gone really well. That makes me even more excited to get going, knowing I’m healthy.”
Here are some photos from Sunday:
Astros jerseys are lined up in the clubhouse.
More jerseys ready to go.
The pristine field at Osceola County Stadium.
A line of home plates awaiting catchers. They'll be manning them on Monday.
Lucas Harrell, David Carpenter and Fernando Rodriguez stretch.
Jason Castro plays catch as Brett Wallace awaits a throw.
Brandon Lyon and J.A. Happ play catch.
Mills already at work in Kissimmee
Astros manager Brad Mills, who arrived at the team’s Spring Training complex in Kissimmee, Fla., on Monday, was roaming around the back fields at Osceola County Stadium on Wednesday morning, taking in the start of a sunny, 80-degree day in central Florida.
Mills said several players were already at the facility working out, including Travis Buck, J.B. Shuck, Henry Sosa, Humberto Quintero, Angel Sanchez and Brian Bixler. Pitchers and catchers will work out collectively for the first time Monday, and the first full-squad workout is scheduled for Feb.26.
“I wanted to get down here and check out the complex and walk around it and make sure everything is ready for us when we start on Monday,” Mills said. “We’ve got about seven or eight guys working out and taking BP and stuff on the field, and I thought I’d walk around and say hello and see how they’re doing. It’s kind of neat. The fields are in pretty good shape, and it’s beautiful.”
Mills expects the remainder of his coaching staff to arrive on Friday, and the staff will have meetings on Saturday and Sunday in advance of the start of camp. Mills, entering his third year as manager of the Astros, has been talking frequently with new bench coach Joe Pettini, who joins the Astros this year after 10 years in St. Louis.
“We’ve spent a lot of time on the phone going over a lot of things,” Mills said. “I think the [Spring Training workout] format is going to change because he’s done things differently. I don’t expect any problems at all. Joe and I have talked many times on the phone and it’s all gone really well.”
Astros spring roster
We are a little more than a week away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Astros spring camp in Kissimmee, Fla. There are currently 61 players on the spring roster, including 21 non-roster invitees. Below is the current spring roster, with non-roster players listed in italics:
PITCHERS (22 on 40-man + 6 non-roster)
58 Fernando Abad (L)
68 Juan Abreu
28 David Carpenter
63 Xavier Cedeno (L)
72 Paul Clemens
73 Rhiner Cruz
71 Jorge De Leon
66 Enerio Del Rosario
21 Zach Duke (L)
52 Sergio Escalona (L)
30 J.A. Happ (L)
64 Lucas Harrell
– Livan Hernandez
69 Arcenio Leon
59 Wilson Lopez
41 Jordan Lyles
37 Brandon Lyon
39 Brett Myers
20 Bud Norris
60 Lance Pendleton
62 Aneury Rodriguez
43 Fernando Rodriguez
51 Wandy Rodriguez (L)
65 Henry Sosa
67 Jose Valdez
74 Henry Villar
56 Kyle Weiland
53 Wesley Wright (L)
CATCHERS (3+1)
15 Jason Castro (L)
22 Carlos Corporan (S)
55 Humberto Quintero
18 Chris Snyder
INFIELDERS (8+8)
27 Jose Altuve
12 Brian Bixler
93 Delino DeShields Jr.
16 Matt Downs
70 Marwin Gonzalez (S)
13 Diory Hernandez
23 Chris Johnson
45 Carlos Lee
4 Jed Lowrie (S)
46 Scott Moore (L)
38 Jimmy Paredes (S)
36 Angel Sanchez
75 Jonathan Singleton (L)
3 Joe Thurston (L)
76 Jonathan Villar (S)
29 Brett Wallace (L)
OUTFIELDERS (7+6)
95 Brandon Barnes
19 Brian Bogusevic (L)
6 Travis Buck (L)
11 Jason Bourgeois
9 Jack Cust (L)
77 Jake Goebbert (L)
50 Fernando Martinez (L)
14 J.D. Martinez
– Justin Ruggiano
1 Jordan Schafer (L)
47 Brad Snyder (L)
8 J.B. Shuck (L)
94 George Springer
Spring Training tickets on sale Saturday
Individual tickets for 2012 Astros Spring Training home games will be available for purchase by the public on Saturday , beginning at 9 a.m. CT.
The Astros open the 2012 Grapefruit League season at home on March 3 vs. the Washington Nationals at 12:05 p.m. CT at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee, Fla. This year marks Houston’s 28th season in sunny Kissimmee. Workouts for pitchers and catchers in Kissimmee, which are open to the public at no charge, begin on February 20.
Tickets, which are priced the same as last spring, can be purchased in several ways: online at www.astros.com; at the Osceola County Stadium box office (home games only); by telephone at 1-800-745-3000 and in person at Florida Ticketmaster outlets (home and road games). The box office is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET and on all game days.
Osceola County Stadium ticket prices for individual games are: $24 for Dugout Box Seats, $22 for Outfield Box Seats, $20 for Upper Reserved Seats and $15 for Outfield Reserved Seats. Please note that tickets to any of the four premium games (Phillies, Cardinals, Yankees and March 27 game vs. the Tigers) are $3 higher per ticket.
PROMOTIONS
The 2012 spring schedule once again includes giveaways and promotions for fans of all ages. On March 6 vs. the Mets, the first 2,000 fans will receive an Astros Visor, and on March 13 vs. the Phillies, the first 2,000 fans will receive an Astros Drawstring Backpack. Both giveaway items are compliments of Holiday Inn Main Gate East.
Following the three Astros Sunday home games (March 11, 18, 25), the Kids Run the Bases promotion will give kids the opportunity to run the bases . The Astros are also offering Value Days for fans on several dates. A ‘2 for $28’ special offer will be available on four dates (March 6, 18, 23, 28) and includes two outfield reserve tickets, two hot dogs and two Coca-Cola fountain drinks for $28. Additionally, the popular ‘All You Can Eat’ promotion is back and will be offered on the following four dates: March 5, 9, 15, 30.
ATTRACTIVE SCHEDULE
The Astros Spring Training schedule includes 15 home dates, with eight of those games landing on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, making it convenient for Houstonians traveling to Florida in March.
Two popular opponents, the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets, will visit Kissimmee on March 5 and 6, respectively, and will be followed by the Toronto Blue Jays (Friday, March 9) and A.L. Central Champion Detroit Tigers (Sunday, March 11). The Astros will then host the five-time defending NL East Champion Philadelphia Phillies on March 13 and the Blue Jays again on March 15. The Mets return on Sunday, March 18, followed by the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals (March 20) and the Nationals on Friday, March 23. Another division rival, the Pittsburgh Pirates, will be in Kissimmee on Sunday, March 25, followed by the Tigers (March 27), the Miami (formerly Florida) Marlins (March 28) and the Braves, who return for the second time on Friday, March 30. The Astros wrap up their Spring home schedule by hosting the AL East Champion New York Yankees, who will make their one visit of the Spring on Saturday, March 31.
TICKET INFORMATION, SPECIAL OFFERS, PRICES REMAIN SAME
Season tickets for Florida Spring Training games can be purchased now by calling 321-697-3201. Season ticket prices for all 15 games, which includes free parking, are as follows: $330 for Dugout Box Seats, $300 for Outfield Box Seats, $270 for Upper Reserved Seats and $225 for Outfield Reserved Seats.
Also available for purchase is the “Getaway Weekend Plan,” which includes tickets to all five Saturday and Sunday home games and is priced starting at $90 (includes free parking).
Brian McTaggart
Recent Comments