Can somebody please get pitcher Mike DeJean out of the Astros' hair? After tormenting Houston for what felt like centuries as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers' bullpen, DeJean moved his address to what would normally be considered the absolute safety of the American League. Yet, here he was again Wednesday afternoon, doing his thing dealing the Astros some misery in a close 3-2 Baltimore win over Houston. Taylor Buchholz, after surrendering a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth to all-or-nothing power hitter Jack Cust, took the loss in relief, which drops Houston's ST record below .500 at 5-6-1.

It bears repeating that wins and losses don't matter much in the Spring. What counts is how a team plays in those games and the general trends they're able to establish. On the positive side, the general trend of good Houston pitching continued Wednesday as Andy Pettitte gave up one run in 3.2 innings before reaching his assigned limit of pitches. On the negative side, the offense sputtered again, collecting only seven hits while having to rally late with a run in the seventh and a run in the eighth even to tie the game up after an early Baltimore lead. Baserunning continued to be less than perfect, as well. Ryan Thompson was caught stealing in the second inning when the Astros messed up a hit-and run play. Also on the negative side was DeJean who, as Dennis Hopper used to say on those Nike commercials, gives me "bad vibes, man. Bad vibes." Today, DeJean profited even after Cust screwed up. The Astros tied the score off him in the eighth when Cust's bad decision to throw to 3B allowed Charlton Jimerson to move up to 2B. A Ryan Thompson grounder later scored Jason Alfaro, but DeJean was still the pitcher of record when Cust blasted his homer.

It was the Astros, however, to some degree who hit in bad luck early in the game. With runners at the corners in the first against Kurt Ainsworth, Jason Lane whacked the ball deep to CF only to have it tracked down for what turned out to be a significant out. Lane later drove an out to the warning track in RF in the fourth. Beyond this kind of occasional show of power, though, the much-improved Oriole pitching staff kept Houston in the offensive funk it's been in going on nearly a week now. Adam Everett swung the bat well today, including a double, but it's been a while since we've seen a consistent, up-and-down-the-order attack. Perhaps a bit of home-cookin' in Kissimmee on Thursday will do the trick. By this point in ST, the players are often tired of the workouts plus the games plus the bus rides, and it usually takes a homer or a great play on defense or a goof in the dugout to lighten everybody up and shake loose whatever part of the club needs the most help.

That better all-around game will come, perhaps as early as tomorrow, when the Astros get back home. Morgan Ensberg will need to keep battling (without pressing, if possible) and hope that a couple of hits will fall in for him. Jeff Bagwell could use an extra-base hit or two, as well. He hasn't hit a homer yet this spring but, even more important, hasn't shown yet the power stroke that's there and will be there once the regular season starts.

These matters will change, I know. The doldrums of the last few days will not last forever. My own hope--and it is a fervent one--is that Houston will finish Spring Training on a stronger note than it has the last couple of years. The Florida portion of the schedule has gone reasonably well in the recent past only to find the Astros petering out a little bit at the home park just before the regular season opens. May that change this year. The siginifcant questions about Houston, particularly its bullpen, are beginning to be answered, and those answers are positive, despite Buchholz's mistake pitch today. The club might have an issue with 3B--both at starter and backup--if Ensberg can't get in gear soon, but there's a ways to go and some slack I'd like to see him given before anybody starts worrying about him seriously. Brad Ausmus is also a concern on offense. Can he meet his career average this season (a somewhat reduced career BA after a subpar 2003) or at least be helpful out of the eighth spot? I do not know, but I'm not inclined to be optimistic about him, given his age, the burden he carries in shepherding a young staff, and the historical decline of most catchers past the age of 32.

I am inclined to be optimistic that the Astros will get more out of Adam Everett this season than they might have expected. He's stronger now than he was last season, but his speed is still there. He and Biggio have a chance to be excellent table-setters for the rest of the order, better than what Houston had going a year ago. Now all the Astros have to do is get 'em in, a problem I lamented about over the weekend. That problem, too, will be solved (or not) with time. The key is to have patience. But alas, I have none.

To be honest, the season should start now--like, tomorrow. Forget the snowstorms; forget the desert heat; forget the next three weeks. Just start it up and let's play. This waiting for April 5th is for the birds. We know pretty much how Houston's Opening Day roster's going to look, and to me it looks pretty good. Just gimme one blowout win--say, an 11-1 or a 16-2 romp over the Cardinals or the Expos, and I'll pronounce the Astros and myself ready to go. Of course, that would probably leave Mike Gallo and Kirk Saarloos and Jeriome Robertson and Eric Bruntlett and John Valentin--guys who are hanging on by their fingernails as it is--outside the bus grasping the fender, screaming, "No, no! Three more weeks, please! Think of my wife and children! Think of my mortgage!"

Well, all right. As that great man Rush Limbaugh once said (that is, he said it only once), "I am a compassionate guy." I suppose if it's really necessary to play three more weeks of don't-count-the-scores-baseball, and if careers really do hang in the balance over that time, I suppose I can force myself to listen every day and bear a gentle thought for those whose ultimate destination might be my fair city. But the powers that be had better hurry up. March is way too long. It's that way every year and I wish somebody would do something about it. We already know how the game is supposed to be played: see ball, hit ball. Pitch it here, not there. When the ball comes to 2B, Jeff, use the glove to catch it.

That's the game. It's that simple. . .and that hard. There've been a few major leaguers this month who've insisted to management that they only need a week to get ready for the season anyway. I'm with them, boy. Let's get started. This waiting is for the birds.