I don't think it's Purpura's fault. If you don't have your owner's support (read: Money) then there isn't much you can do but bring up rookies. Coinciding with Bagwell becoming near useless and Berkman's injury, this really is pretty much what we should have expected.
Did Garner just concede this game? Why leave out Bagwell, Biggio and Berkman for the same game??? Couldn't he have broken it up, 1 game each. What message does this send to Astacio: I dont think you can win Ezequiel, so I'm giving my good hitters a rest. Thats no way at all to treat a prospect pitcher at all.
The problem is the Astros offense has become very average. Every single position player save for Berkman is either average or below average offensively. In years past we had position players that simply tore it up offensively. Biggio, Bagwell, Kent, Beltran...When these guys were hitting they could carry the rest of the team on their backs. We haven't had this happen this season. Lane was probably the closest with his 1st week of the season, but the rest have been pitifully average with no power at all. There really is little we can do at this point. We can and should give up Clemens for some kind of hitting prospects. We absolutely need a slugging 3rd baseman that can field. We need to play Lane all season to see if he is the answer in left. If not then we shop for someone that is. Same for Taveras. It's going to be a long season unfortunately.
The scary thing is that the Astros offense is not even close to very average ... This is the worst offensive team I have seen the Astros have in a long time. Personell-wise they have an average offensive time, but production-wise, the offense is extremely below average Just like the Rockets though, I still love em. Time to rebuild and start anew.
My rose-colored glasses are officially off. Actually now they're in the trash can. They were off the last time we couldn't score any runs for Rocket. (I'll still follow and root for the team, though!)
Nice we lose 16-0 today I sure hope the Braves have blisters or splinters in their hands for all of the hits and runs they got from today's game. All I can say is, man these Stros need some serious help. It' sad when the only teams that you can be glad that you aren't are colorado, kansas city, and maybe tampa bay.
Dude, I wish they were average. They are far below average. This year is lost because the club let Boras play them - fine, whatever, people make mistakes. But Uncle Drayton better open his wallet next year. Assuming that Bagwell continues to cash his checks at 1st base next year, we'll need major help at catcher, shortstop, and 3rd. You need a star at one of those positions to help carry this team.
Now you’re just being silly. The Astros don’t have enough good will in the bank for them to expect fans to endure this product with no “whining”. They have been a good team in the past 10 years but that has still only equaled one playoff series victory and their prospects for the future right now are grim.
McLane had nothing to do with the fact that the bats disappeared in the playoffs up until this past postseason. And while the prospects for this team aren't exactly the rosiest in the league, grim is much too harsh a word. When you have players like Berkman, Oswalt, Pettitte and Lidge among some decent up and comers (who won't always play like they are now), along with some payroll flexibility, your future's not grim.
