All Decade Team Part 2: Houston Astros

In part 2 of the Brain Trust's All Decade series, we'll be looking at current opponents and possibly the largest rival from the mid 2000's, the Astros.  Although now and in the past few years the Stros have been bottom dwellers in the Central, I think some people forget just how stacked this team was in the mid and early part of the decade.  Really stacked.  Putting together this team, we actually had to do a little shuffling just to fit in all of the talent, so without further ado, and an ode to the Puma, here is your 2000-2010 Houston All Decade team:

This team can hit and in a ball park like Minute Maid, quite a few shallow flies to left would be leaving the park on this squad.  Top to bottom, the killer B's are a century team all their own. Sorry Carlos Beltran fans, not enough at bats to make the team....thank God.  Also, check out the line Moises Alou had in 2 years for the Stro's....damn.  Must have been since he pees on his hands instead of wearing batting gloves. Fact. 

1) 2B Craig Biggio          .266/139/469

2) CF Hunter Pence         .287/92/315

3) 1B Jeff Bagwell           .285/186/568

4) RF Lance Berkman     .297/322/1075

5) LF Moises Alou           .342/57/222

6) SS Miguel Tejada        .298/27/152

7) 3B Morgan Ensberg     .266/105/335

8) C  Brad Ausmus          .240/31/297

Bench: Jeff Kent, Carlos Lee, Richard Hidalgo

Here is where the Astro's All Decade team really gets an edge over some others.  This rotation is flat out disgusting, stacked with 3 potential Hall of Fame starters and 1 HOF closer.  This rotation has to be the best in the NL Central decade when thrown together, showing why the Astros and Cards battled it out so much in the decade, eventually taking them to the 05 World Series.

1) Roy Oswalt            143-82    3.24 ERA

2) Roger Clemens       38-18      2.40 ERA

3) Andy Pettitte           37-26      3.38 ERA

4) Wade Miller            58-38      3.79 ERA

5) Wandy Rodriguez    62-64      4.18 ERA

Bullpen: Billy Wagner, Brad Lidge

So there is the Stro's team.  How do they compare to the Cardinals?  Very differently I think.  This offense could not, and did not, put up the lines of Edmonds, Pujols, Rolen and crew.  But the rotation could potentially styme all of that production.  I think it would be a "crap shoot" picking which team would win a head-to-head and I think that is what lead to such exciting NLCS matchups in 04 and 05, where most of these players were all involved.  These two clubs may have the most competitive teams of the decade, and again, the Puma was arguably the second greatest player in the division.  

Thanks for reading. Go Cards!