New-look Astros, with new faces, new league, open spring training

Kissimmee, Fla. (AP) — New manager, new league, a roster full of new faces and even new uniforms.

The Houston Astros have changed about as much as a baseball team can change in the aftermath of the two worst seasons in franchise history. Whether they can start winning more games after back-to-back 100-loss seasons is now the big question.

”“This year (the uniform change) kind of sets the tone because they 9the players) visually see things have changed,” manager Bo Porter said Monday.And when you realize that things have changed, you first realize that they’re never going to be the same.

“We made these changes because we want guys to understand that we have to play with a different energy, we have to play with a different focus, we have to prepare differently because we want different outcomes.”

After losing 106 games and then 107 last season, the Astros will conduct their first organized spring training workout Tuesday. Rather than the familiar deep red colour scheme, the Astros will have a blue-and-orange look like they had in some of their early days.

“When I heard we were changing colours, I was hoping this is what we’d go back to,” said catcher Jason Castro. “It’s given us a little bit of a facelift, and it’s something new and fun for everybody.”

Philip Humber, one of the new pitchers brought in to compete for one of two open spots in the Astros rotation, appreciates the change for the sake of change.

“You come in and get to wear the new uniforms, but at the same time that’s just window dressing; it’s about what we do on the field,” Humber said. “I think that’s part of it, but like the new signs you see around the clubhouse, our focus needs to be about the process. We’re reshaping this organization and we’re excited to be a part of having a chance to start a new tradition, and hopefully a winning one.”

That will take a lot of work, as Porter acknowledged, and it may be a long time before the Astros start making a splash in the American League.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re in the American League, National League, Little League, T-ball, you have to work on the fundamentals,” he said. “I am a firm believer that anything that can make you lose a baseball game is major because when it happens, they’re going to say that was the biggest play of the game.”