As I sat at Minute Maid Park last night watching the Astros grab their third win of the season, the first against the Atlanta Braves, I had to wonder, "When was the last time that the Astros started the season 3-1?"

Four games is hardly a reasonable sample size, but stats are kept from day one, game one so I figure if they're there...I'm using them.

You have to go back to 2006 to find a season where the Astros started the first four games with a winning record. That year they were 3-1 as well, having started at home against the Marlins and the Nationals. If history were to repeat itself, then after 10 games the Astros would have a still winning 6-4 record like they did six years ago.

In 2006 the team finished the season with a record of 82 wins and 80 losses and ranked 2nd in the NL Central. Could history repeat itself? Anything is possible I suppose, but I still think that a winning record at the end of the season might be a little lofty.

What can the 2012 Astros achieve? We'll see large improvements in the play on the field. We'll continue to see a team that throws a wrench in the plans of contenders. These aren't the 2011 Astros so teams can't just bank on a win when they play Houston. This team will make the opponent work for it - and fairly often they'll make them lose.

As for the win/loss record? I've said before that 63 games is the World Series for the Astros this year, but I'm starting to rethink that. I'm starting to believe that a finish of a .500 season is the World Series. Can they do it? Only time will tell, but I'm going to have one hell of a good time watching to see if they can.