I Sincerely Hope Jeff Luhnow Knows What He is Doing

It struck me during the Houston Baseball Dinner that I'm not really that much of an Astros fan at the moment. The dinner was a neat event and it was fun to reminisce about the first 46 years of Houston's Major League baseball history. Yes, I know that the Colt 45s/Astros have played 50 seasons; however, for some strange reason, the anniversary video played at the event wrapped up with Craig Biggio's 3000th hit in 2007.

I attended the dinner with my Farmstros hat on. Over the past four seasons, being able to follow the Astros of the Future with you has provided me(and hopefully some of you) a diversion from the debacle which has been unfolding at Minute Maid Park. I get a kick out of keeping track of all the players trying to get to the big leagues with the Astros. I especially get a thrill when guys like Jordan Lyles, J.D. Martinez and JB Shuck do make it to the show.

However, attending the baseball dinner made me step out of my Farmstros hat and put on my "Astros Buddy since age 2 cap." From that perspective, I must admit that the state of the team currently playing in Minute Maid Park is such that for emotional and financial reasons, I would rather go to a Rice Owls game most of the time than make the trip to Crawford and Texas. Further, as a fan who grew up listening to ball games on the radio, it has gotten increasingly difficult to follow the club through that special medium as Mr. Hamilton's broadcasts become less and less focused on the action on the field.

Having said that, I am encouraged by the new direction that Jim Crane is heading with the organization. My thoughts about the new water and food policy have been well-documented as, to me, it is a tangible example of change and, as such, a source of hope for this fan of the club. I am also, encouraged about the possibility of Jeff Luhnow having the wherewithal to bring winning baseball back to Minute Maid Park. Indeed, there is a glimmer of hope accompanying the 2012 Astros.

Yet, at this point, it is just a glimmer. Over time, if it turns out that Jeff Luhnow knows what he is doing,(which I sincerely hope does), I may pull out my "Astros' Buddy since age 2 cap" more often. However, I'll be heading into this spring with the Farmstros cap firmly in place.