The Sean Salisbury Show

The Sean Salisbury Show

Sean Salisbury and co-host Brian LaLima bring you a high-energy look at Houston sports weekday mornings, talking Astros, Rockets, and Texans while...Full Bio

 

Connor: My Favorite Astros That People Might Forget Were Astros

So we should be sitting back counting down the minutes to opening day this week...but that is obviously not happening. So like most of us, our sudden free time has me thinking of random Houston sports stuff while we have nothing else to do. Today, here's the first of daily a daily list I will put out during our downtime to pass the time. My favorite Astros that people might forget were Astros at some point. 

Looking at this list you are going to say...I did not forget that guy! And I know that. I am going at this from the angle of casual sports fans probably forgetting that these guys ever played here. I am strictly going with guys that I remember playing, some big names and some very obscure names as well. I will explain each pick briefly below each name listed.

Carl Everett (1998-1999)

Carl Everett #3

If you have not hit google to search Carl Everett and dinosaurs...do it after you finish reading this blog. He had a really good big league career but was a total nut job. Traded away to Boston after his time here for another Everett (Adam), I loved Carl Everett in my early days because I loved his batting stance and swing. While nobody could match the swing of Ken Griffey Jr., it had a slight similarity that I loved.

Miguel Tejada (2008-2009)

Houston Astros v Arizona Diamondbacks

He was a very forgettable Astros because of the PR disaster around him. After trading for him it came out that he used to be a massive juicer and than on top of it, ESPN confronted him with documentation that proved he was older than he actually was. His two years in Houston were actually pretty damn good. The dude did not care about drawing walks and just went up there hacking and wracked up a ton of hits in his two seasons here. He was the white whale of my Astros childhood that got here too late. For years they were rumored to be chasing him in trades and when it finally happened, I was way too excited about it.

Ivan 'Pudge' Rodriguez (2009)

Houston Astros v Pittsburgh Pirates

His time here was truly forgettable, but who did not love a dude nicknamed Pudge. I just always enjoyed watching him play and seeing him in an Astros uniform despite being washed at that stage of his career was kinda cool.

Jeff Kent (2003-2004)

NLCS: Cardinals v Astros Game 5

He and his time here were not forgettable. He is a borderline hall of fame player and lived up to his name in his two years here. People probably hated him because he pushed Craig Biggio away from second base, but I loved watching him play here and this moment is one that I, like many of you, will never forget.

Vinny Castilla (2001)

Vinny Castilla #19

Castilla could flat out rake and he did just that when he was here. I always liked him because of his commitment to wearing those badass Oakley shades and his awful mullet style haircut.

Colby Rasmus (2015-2016)

Wild Card Game - Houston Astros v New York Yankees

This is a name is too recent to say people forget he played here, but over time, I think we will one day be sitting around remembering how this dude became Barry Bonds out of nowhere in the 2015 postseason. He became a folk hero during that playoff run thanks to his massive bombs and partying with his shirt off in the clubhouse. Long live the legend of Colby Rasmus.

Octavio Dotel (2000-2004)

Astros v Cubs

He basically played for every team in the majors and was really good for a really long time. He is one of the first players I remember loving to play with on video games because he threw straight smoke with that wild throwing motion. He was part of the six man no-hitter in Yankee Stadium in 2003 and set a big league record by striking out four batters in an inning to get his three outs. I will also never forget that he was a key part of the Carlos Beltran trade in 2004 that sent him to Oakland as part of the three team deal with the A's and Royals. 

Erik Bedard (2013)

Cincinnati Reds v Houston Astros

Erik Bedard has no business being on this list, but this one is for strictly one reason. My cousin and I have spent so much time in our lives just talking Astros baseball and when they moved to the AL for that 2013 season, he bought us tickets for opening day to watch them beat the Rangers that night at Minute Maid Park. During that game he came up with the idea that he needed to get a jersey made for the most random player on the team each season and it started that season with Erik Bedard. He still has that thing and it is still one of the greatest Astros jerseys you can own.

Jose Valverde (2008-2009)

Houston Astros v Los Angeles Dodgers

Who didn't love Papa Grande? There was just something about that big fat guy pretending to job out of the bullpen that I always loved. He threw straight gas and when you go back and watch him, you wonder how did he ever know where it was going.

Randy Johnson (1998)

BBN-PADRES-ASTROS-JOHNSON

We will never forget his INSANE short run in Houston, but casual fans will. I lost my mind as a seven year old when I found out they got him and I still have my jersey t-shirt I got when he landed here stored away in a box somewhere.

Wesley Wright (2008-2013)

Houston Astros v Colorado Rockies

This one is super random. He makes my list because I will never forget when he would take the mound my younger brother would always say, "if that guy can get into a strip club, so can I". Dude did look like he was about 10 years old. Crazy to think he was here as long as he was.

Doug Fister (2016)

Houston Astros v Seattle Mariners

Do I really need to explain why he is on this list? I didn't think so.

So there is my random list. This was all done off the top of my head and again, I know that some of these names really don't fit here, but from a casual fans perspective, I think some of these fans would remember these guys played here.

Fire away with any names that come to mind for you, shoot them to me on twitter, @MC790. As always, hear me every morning on The Sean Salisbury Show from 6-10a on SportsTalk 790.


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