Houston Astros (89-73, .549, 2nd in NL Central)

What a bad year to be an Astros fan. You go into the 2005 season after missing the World Series by one game and leave it with an ass-whipping at the hands of the White Sox. If this keeps up, Houston fans are going to turn into the flinchy, beaten fans usually seen in Boston and Chicago.

Roger Clemens is still unaccounted for and was telling anyone who would listen at the World Baseball Classic that he was done for good after that (maybe he just wanted more free stuff from the Roger's retiring chuckwagon).

Jeff Bagwell is working his way back, but even he admits he's probably played his last game which is too bad, considering how hard he's clung to his playing days. The fact that he's played at all with his body breaking down that badly reminds me of the same sort of pain Mickey Mantle played though - not the same astronomical results, but the same determination.

Finally, how is Lidge going to perform this year? It's got to be pretty uncomfortable within five feet of Lidge everywhere he goes in Houston these days. I think Phil Garner is man enough to keep him in there, but how he performs in the first two weeks of the season will go a long way to deciding what happens for the rest of the season.

If he struggles, Garner will need to pull him to stave off full-scale riots at the ballpark and save Lidge's career from himself.

It's not a bad team, but minus those three players the stock of the Astros falls dramatically. If Clemens comes back and if Lidge rebounds, then they are right up there with the Cubs and Brewers for second. If not, It can be a very long season for Houston.

Houston Astros
C: Ausmus; Chavez; Quintero
1B: Bagwell*; Lamb; Berkman
2B: Biggio; Burke
SS: Everett; Bruntlett
3B: Ensberg
LF: Berkman; Burke; Bruntlett
CF: Taveras; Preston Wilson
RF: Wilson; Lane; Palmiero; Scott

SP: Oswalt; Pettitte; Backe; Rodriguez; Astacio; (Clemens)
CP: Lidge
RP: Qualls; Wheeler; Springer; Gallo; Miller