Astros Open 2018 Season Friday: World Champions Aim to Win First Game
Catcher Max Stassi. Photo by Dale King
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla — (By Dale King, Realty News Report) – The call of “Play Ball” will cut through the warm South Florida air at 1:05 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, marking the official opening of Major League Baseball’s 2018 Spring Training season.
The Houston Astros — the 2017 World Series champions, who last played competitively when they defeated the L.A. Dodgers 5-1 on Nov. 1, 2017 — will face their cross-field neighbors, the Washington Nationals, at the newly named FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. FITTEAM, a Palm Beach County wellness company, purchased the stadium naming rights for the next 12 years.
The Astros arrived Feb. 14 at the expansive West Palm Beach training complex they share with the Nationals to begin preseason work. That arrival coincided with Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day and was overshadowed by the tragic school shooting in Parkland, about 40 miles south of the ballpark.
All 30 Major League teams will honor the 17 victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting this weekend by wearing Douglas High caps before games to show solidarity with the community and to raise funds through a raffle.
Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, a Marjory Stoneman Douglas alumnus, spoke at a local prayer vigil the day after the shooting. In 2017 Rizzo donated $150,000 to the school to help install lights for the ballfield where he developed as a player. The school had held a fundraiser on Jan. 25 to raise additional funds needed for the lighting so the baseball team could host night games.
Conversations around the Astros’ clubhouse this week focused largely on the team’s potential to defend its World Series title as the 2018 season approaches. The roster features a strong lineup with three All-Star starters: infielder Jose Altuve, outfielder George Springer and shortstop Carlos Correa. Each had standout regular seasons and played key roles in the postseason.
Infielders Alex Bregman and Marwin Gonzalez have continued developing into prominent contributors for the club.
The starting rotation was significantly reinforced when Justin Verlander joined the Astros in a trade on Aug. 31. Veterans Dallas Keuchel, Lance McCullers and Charlie Morton also delivered important postseason performances.
Manager A.J. Hinch has kept his overall strategy close to the vest. He has hinted at adjustments but has not revealed any sweeping changes to the team’s plan.
Hinch noted a few tactical shifts: he plans to make Yuli Gurriel more versatile across the infield and expects third baseman J.D. Davis to see time in the outfield.
On the new additions to the bullpen, Hinch praised relievers Joe Smith and Hector Rondon. “Joe is tough on right-handers and can hold his own against left-handers,” he said. Of Rondon, he added, “He has the velocity at the end of the game and the experience. They can help replace some of the guys we lost and give us the flexibility we need. They’re pros; they understand themselves and what the bullpen needs.”
With a pitching staff skewed toward right-handers, Hinch is still determining how best to use left-handed pitchers such as Tony Sipp, Buddy Boshers, Anthony Gose, Reymin Guduan, Cionel Perez, and ace Dallas Keuchel.
At a recent luncheon in Houston, New York Yankees fans good-naturedly teased Hinch about the Yankees reclaiming the World Series title next season. Hinch replied evasively, “We’ll see.”
Shortstop Carlos Correa pushed back at the banter. “We are the reigning champions. They [the Yankees] will have to go through us,” he said.
Outfielder George Springer took a measured view: “Just because you accomplished something doesn’t mean it’s over. Every guy here has tasted what it’s like to win and to be the last team standing.”
Pitcher Collin McHugh noted the continuity on the roster: “We got a lot of guys back from last year’s team.” Among them is Jake Marisnick, the center fielder who missed the 2017 World Series due to a fractured thumb.
Marisnick reported the thumb is fully healed. He hit 16 home runs in 106 games last season and finished 12th in the American League in at-bats per home run with a 14.38% rate.
“We’re all just anxious to get back together and start having fun again,” he said.
The Astros wrapped up practice early as temperatures climbed into the unseasonable 80s around midday. Autograph seekers gathered, though the crowd was calmer than in previous days. One young fan in a Jose Altuve shirt waited patiently with a baseball in hand for players to sign.
A couple visiting from Houston for an eight-day trip said they planned to catch several games. They are also season-ticket holders at Minute Maid Park, the Astros’ home stadium.
Jose Altuve, the 5-foot-6 Venezuelan second baseman, remains a key player to watch. In 2017 he recorded more than 200 hits for the fourth consecutive season, hit 24 home runs, drove in 81 runs, and won the American League Most Valuable Player award as well as the Hank Aaron Award.
George Springer earned World Series MVP honors after hitting five home runs in the seven-game series, tying a record set by Reggie Jackson in 1977.
The Astros plan a few road appearances before the regular season begins. Tonight the team will be honored at the weekly “Clematis by Night” street festival in downtown West Palm Beach, where the World Series trophy will be on display.
Team members are also scheduled to visit the White House to meet President Donald Trump on March 12.
