Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
For their first season in the American League West, the Houston Astros are finally making the moves they need to make to get from a struggling franchise to one that is building a strong future. Part of that will certainly bring losses and down times. Something special is in the air around the Astros however. Maybe it’s the fresh start that the entire team is getting that stirs the feeling that makes fans say, “Anything can happen in Major League Baseball!”
As we approach Spring Training, one thing for sure that is exciting for the franchise is the fact that so many jobs on the team are wide open. The young players and young veterans alike will need to go to camp and work hard to gain their starting spot. It’s possible for a first year player to get a starting job. Anything at all is possible for this team right now and that is exciting.
First year manager Bo Porter is handling the team with poise that leads you to believe that he will still do so even in the midst of their first losing streak. It makes you wonder what took so long for Porter to get a managerial job. Of course it is his first season and time will tell what happens once the games start flashing by. One thing for sure, there is a stark difference between a team that is expected to struggle because of any number of reasons and a team that is expected to struggle because they are young and rebuilding.
I can’t say that I felt this way about this team in the last several years. Right now they seem to be itching to get things going. That’s the excitement that is surrounding Porter and the team. Watch these guys this year. Watch the matchups with the powerhouse teams like the Los Angeles Angels. You might be surprised in some of the results.
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