Post by bstros on Apr 18, 2007 7:27:58 GMT -5
Riding El Caballo — and loving it
By JOHN P. LOPEZ
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
He came in riding a white horse. He was last seen riding a redheaded stick pony.
That's what stands out most about Carlos Lee. It's the way he blends in.
In keeping with the theme of Lee's nickname — El Caballo — and the growing fandom known as Los Caballitos , who don floppy Spanish-style cowboy hats, let's put it this way:
Lee isn't acting like a hired hand.
Hired hands usually come in looking like hired guns, whether in perception or reality. Huge contracts and stature can do that to people.
They can create distance. They can make teammates feel as if they are unapproachable.
Take the previous multimillion dollar stars who have made their way down the old dusty trail, following owner Drayton McLane's money into the Astros' clubhouse.
Randy Johnson was that way — not an awful teammate but prone to stick his nose into his locker, speak only when spoken to, and be evasive when asked if he had found a comfort zone in Houston.
Ask Johnson's teammates. They didn't know much about him, either.
Jeff Kent was that way.
Even Roger Clemens, while always helpful with young players and a good teammate whenever he was in the clubhouse, carried an aura of being bigger than anyone else in the room. Clemens could intimidate and not even know it.
But here's Lee, just a dozen games into his Astros career, doing as much with his demeanor and approach as with his mighty swing.
The cost of entertainment
"That's the Big Bambino down there," Astros icon Craig Biggio said. "I'm trying to find a nickname to call him. I don't know what to call him. But he's just a happy guy.
"(Lee) said Drayton paid him $99 million for offense and $1 million for defense. But I think it's more like $99 million for offense, $500,000 for defense and $500,000 for entertainment."
Putting a price on the run-producing power and danger Lee has brought this Astros lineup is easy. It is indeed $100 million that McLane will pay the slugger.
But putting a dollar figure on the things you cannot find in the box score of Tuesday night's 6-1 romp over the Marlins, or any other game Lee plays, is another story.
No story has been more relevant to the Astros thus far in 2007.
The starting pitching staff already has suffered a loss to injury. The bullpen already has been shaken up. The defense has been sketchy. And the offense — Tuesday night's 10-hit effort notwithstanding — has been subpar.
Yet here are the Astros, recovering from a season-opening slump to scratch their way back to .500 at 6-6 heading into a nine-game road trip.
The reason they are here is El Caballo. Whenever it is that Lee rides into the sunset, it will be on a stick pony.
Lee has been the one constant through 12 games. He was a big producer again Tuesday night, going 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and four RBIs.
After the home run, Lee bounced around on the toy pony in the dugout.
"Keep it up," manager Phil Garner said, "and I'll ride it."
The stick pony was a gift from a fan. Before the game, Astros pinch hitter Orlando Palmeiro was seen playfully riding the thing. That's what often happens in the pregame.
No one-trick pony
Palmeiro stuck the toy into a bat rack when the game started, but when the offense was stymied early, he hid it in the tunnel behind the dugout. That was that?
Not quite.
Without Lee, the Astros could well be a two- or three-win team right now. With him, even though they may not have all the parts in the field or on the mound, they will always
be a threat to break open a game.
More, they're saddling up on El Caballo and playing the
game loose and confident, even when so many elements of the team are by no means overwhelming.
The Astros are hardly perfect. But they've found a key piece — on the field and off — that could go a long way toward making them a contender.
"That was pretty darned funny," third baseman Morgan Ensberg said. "The guy is all of 250 pounds, and he comes in riding on a little horse."
No matter where this year's Astros end up, they will enjoy the ride.
Listen to John P. Lopez weekdays from noon-3 p.m. on 790 AM. john.lopez@chron.com
By JOHN P. LOPEZ
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
He came in riding a white horse. He was last seen riding a redheaded stick pony.
That's what stands out most about Carlos Lee. It's the way he blends in.
In keeping with the theme of Lee's nickname — El Caballo — and the growing fandom known as Los Caballitos , who don floppy Spanish-style cowboy hats, let's put it this way:
Lee isn't acting like a hired hand.
Hired hands usually come in looking like hired guns, whether in perception or reality. Huge contracts and stature can do that to people.
They can create distance. They can make teammates feel as if they are unapproachable.
Take the previous multimillion dollar stars who have made their way down the old dusty trail, following owner Drayton McLane's money into the Astros' clubhouse.
Randy Johnson was that way — not an awful teammate but prone to stick his nose into his locker, speak only when spoken to, and be evasive when asked if he had found a comfort zone in Houston.
Ask Johnson's teammates. They didn't know much about him, either.
Jeff Kent was that way.
Even Roger Clemens, while always helpful with young players and a good teammate whenever he was in the clubhouse, carried an aura of being bigger than anyone else in the room. Clemens could intimidate and not even know it.
But here's Lee, just a dozen games into his Astros career, doing as much with his demeanor and approach as with his mighty swing.
The cost of entertainment
"That's the Big Bambino down there," Astros icon Craig Biggio said. "I'm trying to find a nickname to call him. I don't know what to call him. But he's just a happy guy.
"(Lee) said Drayton paid him $99 million for offense and $1 million for defense. But I think it's more like $99 million for offense, $500,000 for defense and $500,000 for entertainment."
Putting a price on the run-producing power and danger Lee has brought this Astros lineup is easy. It is indeed $100 million that McLane will pay the slugger.
But putting a dollar figure on the things you cannot find in the box score of Tuesday night's 6-1 romp over the Marlins, or any other game Lee plays, is another story.
No story has been more relevant to the Astros thus far in 2007.
The starting pitching staff already has suffered a loss to injury. The bullpen already has been shaken up. The defense has been sketchy. And the offense — Tuesday night's 10-hit effort notwithstanding — has been subpar.
Yet here are the Astros, recovering from a season-opening slump to scratch their way back to .500 at 6-6 heading into a nine-game road trip.
The reason they are here is El Caballo. Whenever it is that Lee rides into the sunset, it will be on a stick pony.
Lee has been the one constant through 12 games. He was a big producer again Tuesday night, going 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and four RBIs.
After the home run, Lee bounced around on the toy pony in the dugout.
"Keep it up," manager Phil Garner said, "and I'll ride it."
The stick pony was a gift from a fan. Before the game, Astros pinch hitter Orlando Palmeiro was seen playfully riding the thing. That's what often happens in the pregame.
No one-trick pony
Palmeiro stuck the toy into a bat rack when the game started, but when the offense was stymied early, he hid it in the tunnel behind the dugout. That was that?
Not quite.
Without Lee, the Astros could well be a two- or three-win team right now. With him, even though they may not have all the parts in the field or on the mound, they will always
be a threat to break open a game.
More, they're saddling up on El Caballo and playing the
game loose and confident, even when so many elements of the team are by no means overwhelming.
The Astros are hardly perfect. But they've found a key piece — on the field and off — that could go a long way toward making them a contender.
"That was pretty darned funny," third baseman Morgan Ensberg said. "The guy is all of 250 pounds, and he comes in riding on a little horse."
No matter where this year's Astros end up, they will enjoy the ride.
Listen to John P. Lopez weekdays from noon-3 p.m. on 790 AM. john.lopez@chron.com
