I feel for the Houston Astros.

When I was in my “prime” as a .167 hitter and strikeout machine on a string of horrible Little League and youth baseball teams, several times my teams wore uniforms resembling the Astros rainbow threads from the 1980s.

We were bad. The 2013 Astros are worse.

Houston, with a payroll that wouldn’t even be pocket money for Alex Rodriguez this season, is on pace to lose 122 games. That would break the MLB record for futility.

The Miami Marlins, whose owner isn’t exactly throwing money around like Richie Rich, aren’t far behind the Astros’ pace.

Still, those clubs have some good players to build around.

This team, however, does not. Here’s the early anti-All-Star team in Major League Baseball:

Catcher: Miguel Montero, Diamondbacks. Big things were expected from Montero after he batted .286 and drove in 88 last season.

This year, though, he has been putrid.

First base: Adam Dunn, White Sox. He makes Pedro Alvarez look like a contact hitter.

Dunn is in 2011 mode with 47 strikeouts in just 123 at-bat with a microscopic .138 batting average.

Second base: Ricky Weeks, Brewers. There was hope he would rebound from a poor 2012 season. Now, the Brew Crew is just hoping he can get back to that low level.

Third base: Will Middlebrooks, Red Sox. If not for Middlebrooks, Alvarez would be here.

Middlebrooks was supposed to be the next, great Boston bopper. Instead he is a K machine.

Shortstop: Anyone the Pirates trot out there. Whether it has been Clint Barmes or John McDonald, Bucco shortstops have been easy outs.

Meanwhile, Jordy Mercer, who proved he could hit in his call-up to fill in for the injured Neil Walker, was sent down.

Outfield: Rick Ankiel, now with the Mets, B.J. Upton, Braves and Josh Hamilton, Angels.

How bad was Ankiel? Even the Astros released him.

B.J. Upton apparently is the bad Upton.

And Hamilton. Where do we start with Hamilton?

At this time last season, he was the best hitter on the planet. They were drawing up plans to build shrines in his honor in Arlington.

Now, Jeff Francoeur has a better WAR. The same Jeff Francoeur who had the worst WAR for a full-time player since that stat was created.

Pitcher: Philip Humber, formerly of the Astros.

This dude actually threw a perfect game last season. That just shows you how wacky the game of baseball is.

This season, Humber was 0-8 with a 9.59 ERA.

It’s a long season and some of these players are sure to bounce back.

The Astros? Not likely. More than 120 losses is a real possibility.

Mike Kilroy is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.