Fences Rider of the Month: Madison Butehorn, S

When GM Jeff Luhnow joined the Astros in December of 2011, he began one of the most comprehensive rebuilding efforts in recent memory. Since the Astros had lost in the World Series in 2005, the team had been stuck in baseball purgatory, winning between 73 and 86 games per season for the rest of the decade. That was too few wins to make the playoffs but too many wins to land impact draft talent. Luhnow allowed the team to bottom out. He traded away their veterans for prospects, which allowed their young players a chance to play and develop in the majors. They won just 55 and 51 games in his first two years (2012 and 2013), which landed them top draft picks and a larger draft spending pool.Luhnows plan followed a similar blueprint to the one the Rays used to become successful in the late 2000s and that the Cubs followed recently to become the best team in the NL. It can be a painful, five-year rebuild, but once its finished, teams are set up for sustained success. So its no surprise that the Astros developed into a really good team under Luhnow, but its a little surprising that it happened so quickly. In just his fourth season with the team in 2015, the Astros made the leap to 86 wins and a playoff berth as several of their elite prospects like Carlos Correa and George Springer became impact major leaguers.Following their recent hot play this season, the Astros have climbed within three games of the AL West-leading Rangers and just half a game out of the wild card. Given their talent advantage and improved trajectory, the Astros appear poised to take control of the West and win their first division crown since 2001.Luhnows plan has worked, but a couple of months ago, the teams outlook could not have been more different. To start this season, the Astros quickly fell to 10 games under .500. The kind narrative would have been that the Astros young stars had entered sophomore slumps; the cruel narrative would have been that the Astros success in 2015 was an extended hot streak, and the team was not ready to have sustained success. However, both of those narratives fall victim to the common fallacy of baseball fans to over-inflate the importance of the first month of the season.Over the course of a 162-game season, many excellent teams will have extended periods of poor performance. However, when those slumps happen at the beginning of the season, they form an impression of teams that can be difficult to reshape, even after their play and results improve. The Astros are a perfect example of this. Their 7-17 start to the season was the second worst in the AL, but since May 1, they have the best record in the league at 48-29. Custom Nike Detroit Tigers Jerseys .J. -- Josh Cribbs was in the Pro Bowl in February and out of a job six months later. Custom Nike Philadelphia Phillies Jerseys .com) - The Montreal Canadiens embark on their first road trip of the season as they head out west to battle the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. https://www.customjerseysnikebaseball.com/ . PETERSBURG, Fla. Custom Nike Baseball Jerseys Fake . It says Pocklingtons lawyer filed the appeal Friday in a California court. CTV Edmonton also says Pocklington gave a $100,000 cash deposit as part of the conditions of his bail, and that he will be out on bail until his appeal is heard. Custom Nike Cleveland Indians Jerseys . Just as Montreal was settling into the first full working week of a new year, the Impact announced the appointment of their new head coach. CHICAGO -- Carlos Rodon hopes to wrap up his second big league season no worse than his first as the Chicago White Sox open a season-ending series with the Minnesota Twins on Friday.If the 23-year-old left-hander earns his ninth victory in his 28th and final start of 2016, it would match the win total from his rookie season.It would also complete a successful late-summer rebound from the 2-8 record he owned on July 31 after giving up five runs on eight hits in a 6 1/3-inning outing during Chicagos 6-4 loss to the Twins.Entering Friday, Rodon is 8-10 with a 4.08 ERA. He went 3-0 with a 1.47 ERA in five August starts, and he is 3-2 with a 4.80 ERA over five starts in September. The White Sox (77-82) have won seven of his past 10 starts.In his most recent start, Rodon delayed the Cleveland Indians American League Central clincher with a superlative outing Sunday. He threw eight scoreless innings and struck out a career-best 11 in the White Soxs 3-0 victory. He gave up two hits and walked three.That was the best Ive seen him, White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. Strike one was the biggest thing, and it was with authority. It was placed well. After that, it just seems like he got better as the game moved along. A couple of guys get on, he seems to turn it up in key situations in the middle of the game, late in the game. He just had it all.Rodon is 2-2 with a 3.71 ERA in six career games (five starts) against the Twins, including 2-1 with a 4.32 ERA in four starts against them this season.Minnesota (57-102) snapped a three-game losing streak Thursday with a 7-6 victory over the Kansas City Royals.The Twins, who come into the seriess with 10 losses in their last 12 games, will send out right-hander Tyler Duffey (9-11, 6.dddddddddddd18 ERA) for the 26th and final start of his second big league season.Duffey beat the Seattle Mariners on Saturday, allowing two runs on four hits with no walks and four strikeouts over seven innings.I finally found a good rhythm to keep me composed, to keep from pulling off the ball, Duffey said after the game. I located a lot better today. Got behind a couple times, but defense bailed me out, had some good plays in the outfield and scored enough to win.He is 0-1 with a 4.63 ERA in two career starts against the White Sox. In his lone appearance against them this season, he took the loss on May 8 after allowing three runs in seven innings.Duffey spent most of the season in the Twins rotation before being sent down to Triple-A Rochester in late August. He rejoined Minnesota when rosters expanded earlier this month.The series continues Saturday afternoon as Minnesota left-hander Hector Santiago (12-10, 4.87) meets White Sox righty James Shields (6-18, 5.82 ERA).Shields has the second-most losses in the American League behind Tampa Bays Chris Archer, who beat the White Sox on Thursday go close his season at 9-19.Ventura said Thursday that ace left-hander Chris Sale (17-9, 3.21) would start the season finale Sunday against Twins lefty Jose Berrios (2-7, 8.61).The White Sox have outscored the Twins 88-71 through 16 matchups this year. The teams have split the past 10 games after Chicago won the first six. ' ' '