Threats

Get used to it. These are the times we live in. I wonder how many parents will keep their kids home today. Check this tweet from last night:

Lisa Falkenberg ‏@ChronFalkenberg 11h11 hours ago

Lisa Falkenberg Retweeted Ericka Mellon

Semi-serious question. When was the last time someone actually planning a mass murder provided advanced warning? https://twitter.com/e_mellon/status/677337296551747589 …

Lisa Falkenberg added,

Ericka Mellon @e_mellon

Corrected date: #HISD schools remain open Thurs. following email threatening violence, similar to those sent to NY and LA. Police alerted.

I guess for folks that don’t have access to today’s Chron because you don’t subscribe, you probably don’t want to read the story about holding up the City of H-Town contracts to expand IAH. It is kind of sad.

Our new closer Ken Giles had 15 saves last season with the Phillies. How many games did the Phillies win last season?

Here is from MLB.Com:

By now, you’ve heard the names. Luis Valbuena will start at first base or third base, general manager Jeff Luhnow said, and Minor Leaguers A.J. Reed (No. 4 on Astros’ Top 30 prospects list, per MLBPipeline.com), Tyler White (No. 28) and Matt Duffy (No. 30) will be in the mix at both positions, along with Jon Singleton. Luhnow said at the Winter Meetings that the first-base job was Singleton’s to lose, though manager A.J. Hinch said he sees it as an open competition.

“Jon Singleton has answered a lot of questions in the Minor Leagues, and he hasn’t been given an opportunity, certainly on my watch, to play significant days in the big leagues,” Hinch said. “We didn’t give him enough at-bats last year due to a lot of reasons, and we weren’t afforded, sort of, the opening.”

Singleton, 24, remains the wild card at the corners. He’s crushed Minor League pitching the last couple of years, but hasn’t been able to swing the bat consistently well enough in the big leagues to stick on the roster. Last season, he hit .191 with one homer and six RBIS in 58 plate appearances, drawing 10 walks against 17 strikeouts. At Triple-A Fresno, he hit .254 with 25 doubles, 22 homers and 83 RBIs in 448 plate appearances, drawing 64 walks against 99 strikeouts.

Signed to a five-year, $10 million contract the same year he was first called up to the big leagues (2014), Singleton’s left-handed power is enticing, but now is the time to prove his worth considering the options the Astros have, including slugger Reed knocking on the door this spring.

“Where our club is today, [Singleton] needs to perform to stay on the team, and he knows that,” Luhnow said. “He knows coming into Spring Training, it’s his job to lose, but he’s gotta keep it. He’s gotta perform to help the club win games, and he’s capable of doing that. I have confidence that he’ll step up to the occasion.”

I finally got around to Colvitaire last night for my annual Christmas season dinner with Marisol and her coworker Jill. Colvitaire is a very nice place to grub out.

The Phillies were 63-99 last season of course.

At this point I have no idea who will be our starting first baseman on Opening Day.