By Ken Jackson
Sports Writer
It’s spring in Kissimmee, so what do you do? The usual.
Put on the sunglasses and sweatshirt, pour a thermos of hot coffee and head on down to Osceola County Stadium.
The Houston Astros will open their Grapefruit League schedule today at 1:05 p.m. against the Washington Nationals. Ticket prices are unchanged from last year: $22 and $20 for box seats; $18 and $15 for upper reserved.
The Astros struggled through a 74-88 2009 season, and the new year brings change. The biggest one is on the top step of the dugout. Brad Mills, who managed 11 years in the minors and was the Boston Red Sox’s bench coach for the last five years, is the new skipper after Cecil Cooper was let go near the end of 2009.
In addition to Mills, pitching coach Brad Arnsberg, first-base coach Bobby Meacham and bench coach Al Pedrique are new to the staff.
Mills first order of business will be to assemble a starting pitching rotation that can compete with the top teams in the National League Central — the St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs.
The most consistent starter last year wasn’t longtime staff stalwart Roy Oswalt, who was 8-6 with a 4.12 ERA; it was Wandy Rodriguez (14-12, 3.02 ERA, 193 strikeouts in 203 innings). Oswalt ended 2009 on the disabled list because of a bulging disk in his back, but came to Kissimmee preaching his good health.
The next two spots in rotation are question marks. Brett Myers came from the two-time National League champ Philadelphia Phillies as a free agent, but he is coming off a questionable season (4-3, 4.84 in 18 games, 10 starts) and mid-season hip surgery.
The righthander said that he is healthy and can be counted on to start every fifth day, and that the Astros should be able to contend for the postseason despite finishing 17 games out of first place last year.
“They have a good-enough team, they beat us six out of seven last year, and hopefully I can make it seven-of-seven,” he said in January when signing with the team. “There’s some familiar faces here I’ve come to know over the years, so I should be comfortable enough to fit in.”
“The hip’s fine, and if me and Roy can go handle business and the other guys can learn from us, we should compete.”
The back end of the rotation will be very young. Rookie Bud Norris earned a spot after a July call-up from AAA Round Rock. He made 10 starts, going 6-3 with a 4.53 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 55 innings. Felipe Paulino has made 20 major-league starts between 2007 and ‘09. He will duel this month with veteran Brian Moehler for the No. 5 spot.
The bullpen, thanks to two other fresh faces at the back end, looks solid on paper. The club traded prospects to the Florida Marlins to get Matt Lindstrom, and it signed Brandon Lyon from the Detroit Tigers. Both have closer experience and are expected to fight for the ninth-inning role vacated by Jose Valverde, who signed with Detroit. Veterans Jeff Fulchino, Alberto Arias, Tim Byrdak and Chris Sampson return to the relief corps.
If the starting pitching is a question mark, then the offense will be counted on, especially early in the year, if Houston is to be around during the stretch run.
The outfield, a plus on offense and defense, returns intact. Center fielder Michael Bourn won his first Gold Glove in 2009 while hitting .285, scoring 97 runs and stealing a National League-leading 61 bases. Carlos Lee (.300, 26 HR, 102 RBI) and Hunter Pence (.282, 25 HR) are in left and right field, made much smaller by Bourn’s range.
First baseman Lance Berkman has carried the torch for the Astros for 11 years, but also comes off a year that saw wrist, calf and back injuries limit his time. Missing 36 games, he still hit 25 home runs and drove in 80. Kaz Matsui returns at second base.
The left side of the infield will look new. The club watched shortstop Miguel Tejada and his .313 average move back to his former team, the Baltimore Orioles, and another former Phillie, the clean-fielding Pedro Feliz, signed a free-agent deal to play third base.
Tommy Manzella, who has five career big-league at-bats thus far (all coming last year), is penciled in as the starting shortstop, although utility men Jeff Keppinger and Geoff Blum, last year’s third baseman much of the year, will be available to step in.
Manzella and catcher Jason Castro, who will push J.R. Towles and Humberto Qunitero this spring behind the plate but will likely start the year in the minors, are the clubs top two rookies to watch in spring training.

Houston Astros spring training schedule
Date    Opponent    Site    Time
March 4    Washington    Kissimmee    1:05 p.m.
March 5    Detroit    Lakeland    1:05 p.m.
March 6    Atlanta    Kissimmee    1:05 p.m.
March 7    Atlanta    Disney    1:15 p.m.
March 8    Toronto    Kissimmee    1:05 p.m.
March 9    N.Y. Mets    Port St. Lucie    1:10 p.m.
March 10    Florida    Kissimmee    1:05 p.m.
March 11    Washington    Viera    1:05 p.m.
March 12    Toronto    Dunedin    1:05 p.m.
March 13    Washington    Kissimmee    1:05 p.m.
March 14    Atlanta    Kissimmee    1:05 p.m.
March 16    Boston (ss)    Kissimmee    1:05 p.m.
March 16    N.Y. Yankees (ss)    Tampa    6:05 p.m.
March 17    Washington    Kissimmee    1:05 p.m.
March 18    Detroit    Lakeland    1:05 p.m.
March 19    Toronto    Kissimmee    1:05 p.m.
March 20    N.Y. Yankees    Kissimmee    1:05 p.m.
March 21    N.Y. Mets    Kissimmee    1:05 p.m.
March 22    St. Louis Cardinals    Kissimmee    1:05 p.m.
March 23    Pittsburgh    Bradenton    1:05 p.m.
March 24    N.Y. Mets    Port St. Lucie    1:05 p.m.
March 25    Philadelphia    Clearwater    1:05 p.m.
March 26    Pittsburgh    Kissimmee    1:05 p.m.
March 27    Tampa Bay    Kissimmee    1:05 p.m.
March 28    Florida    Jupiter    1:05 p.m.
March 29    Pittsburgh    Bradenton    1:05 p.m.
March 30    Philadelphia    Kissimmee    1:05 p.m.
March 31    Atlanta    Disney    1:05 p.m.