Why Everyone Hates the AL...or not

[Matt_Maloney]

Originally Posted by Cannonball If both teams play by the same rules, how does this make us competitive. If anything, we'll be less competitive initially because we don't really even have enough major league hitters to fill out 8 spots in the batting order let alone 9. I can't believe you used the word "logic" in that sentence.

When you're in a new league such as the AL, you learn to adapt. Ultimately the Astros will learn how to play AL ball fairly easy if Mr. Porter really does know how to manage. This is the same concept that can be applied to the Texans in the AFC South. When the Texans first joined as an expansion team, the Jaguars had an average offense with Brunell and Jackson, the Colts had Manning, and Tennessee was doing well with McNair. In that position the Texans eventually adapted to the AFC South and now look at them. Even look at the Rockets who went from an average regular season in 08 to take the eventual NBA Champion Lakers to 7 games in the 2nd round of the playoffs without their star players. When you're team is put in the opposition to great competitive teams, that team will learn to adapt and ultimately succeed only as long as the Astros are willing to make smart front office decisions and not trade away everyone to New York and Philly for the sake of rebuilding again and again.

[JunkyardDwg]

Originally Posted by juicystream Softball is the same game?

I love me softball too! Miss playing it.

[bobrek]

Originally Posted by Matt_Maloney ... In that position the Texans eventually adapted to the AFC South and now look at them....

Yes, their 11 year plan is working.

[josephnicks]

Originally Posted by bobrek Yes, their 11 year plan is working.

dumb comment...

[bobrek]

Originally Posted by josephnicks dumb comment...

Why? It was a sarcastic response to a poor analogy.

[josephnicks]

Originally Posted by jim1961 For me, the AL isnt the issue. The issue are: 2) That rivalries take a long time to make, and now we have to start from scratch.

we NEVER had a real rivalry to begin with.. cardinals and cubs are division foes, not our rivals.

no cub, cardinal, brave game has ever matched the aura that is in the air when the rangers are in town and vice versa.. real rivalries are formed from geography.. it would be nice to have both these teams actually be real good at the same time..

[bobrek]

Originally Posted by josephnicks we NEVER had a real rivalry to begin with.. cardinals and cubs are division foes, not our rivals. no cub, cardinal, brave game has ever matched the aura that is in the air when the rangers are in town and vice versa.. real rivalries are formed from geography.. it would be nice to have both these teams actually be real good at the same time..

Serious question, how old are you? I suspect you were never privy to Astros-Dodger rivalry back in the late 70s, early 80s. Also, the Braves in the late 90s, early 00s. Cubs and Cardinals have always generated interest, especially when the teams are competitive.

[Cannonball]

Originally Posted by josephnicks we NEVER had a real rivalry to begin with.. cardinals and cubs are division foes, not our rivals. no cub, cardinal, brave game has ever matched the aura that is in the air when the rangers are in town and vice versa.. real rivalries are formed from geography.. it would be nice to have both these teams actually be real good at the same time..

Wow. I've never heard of anybody feeling anything for those Rangers games. Elevating any of those series above the Astros battling the Cards for the division lead the early to mid-2000's or the Astros/Braves playoff series from the late 90s is crazy.

Real rivalries aren't formed simply from geography. That can help, but real rivalries are formed from playing each other a bunch in a largely tight, back and forth, intense series that grows into hatred. Let me give you two words: Rockets-Jazz. Also: Rockets-Lakers. Or how about these: Cowboys-Redskins, Chiefs-Raiders, Texans-Titans.

Take a poll of Astros fans and you're really not going to find any hatred for the Rangers. Sorry, that's not a real rivalry.

[msn]

Matt_Maloney, your posts are even more idiotic than the fool contract the Rockets gave your namesake.

Congratulations on asking for other people's viewpoint, ignoring it, failing to understand it, then reverting back to your trolling.

For the record: I do understand your preference and can respect it. Too bad you're either too unwilling or too stupid to do the same.

[bobrek]

How DID the Giants manage to actually win a game in this World Series?

[MadMax]

Originally Posted by bobrek How DID the Giants manage to actually win a game in this World Series?

because it's far and away the most unpredictable sport in any one game.

and because you should be picking the Giants simply because it doesn't make sense

[juicystream]

Originally Posted by Matt_Maloney so basically you guys want the pitcher to hit when pitchers can't hit worth s*** I'm thinking the AL is better so we can have an EXTRA HITTER on the plate instead of some dude who will just bunt or strike out when he SHOULD be RESTING HIS ARM in the dugout am I the only one who sees this logic if you want to be competitive.... I think so. /thread

Mike Hampton has a .246 career batting average.

The Giants just had pitchers get RBIs in 3 consecutive postseason games helping propel them to the WS, and last night made it a 4th consecutive game where their SP had an RBI.

I really enjoy that.

[bobrek]

Originally Posted by MadMax because it's far and away the most unpredictable sport in any one game. and because you should be picking the Giants simply because it doesn't make sense

That was actually a rhetorical question to the OP who seems to think the AL is the greatest 'conference' in all of baseball despite the NL having won the last 2 World Series.

I always root for Bochy. Years ago, when Bochy was on the Astros, my wife's grandfather (85+ at the time), was remarking how much he loved Bochy as Bochy strode to the plate. He was going on and on about Bochy. Bochy stroked a double. A few seconds later her grandfather said "who's that on second base". Ahhh, we miss pawpaw.

[MadMax]

Originally Posted by bobrek That was actually a rhetorical question to the OP who seems to think the AL is the greatest 'conference' in all of baseball despite the NL having won the last 2 World Series. I always root for Bochy. Years ago, when Bochy was on the Astros, my wife's grandfather (85+ at the time), was remarking how much he loved Bochy as Bochy strode to the plate. He was going on and on about Bochy. Bochy stroked a double. A few seconds later her grandfather said "who's that on second base". Ahhh, we miss pawpaw.

Oh, I know...I just thoroughly enjoyed that game last night, so I wanted to chime in

[juicystream]

Originally Posted by bobrek That was actually a rhetorical question to the OP who seems to think the AL is the greatest 'conference' in all of baseball despite the NL having won the last 2 World Series. I always root for Bochy. Years ago, when Bochy was on the Astros, my wife's grandfather (85+ at the time), was remarking how much he loved Bochy as Bochy strode to the plate. He was going on and on about Bochy. Bochy stroked a double. A few seconds later her grandfather said "who's that on second base". Ahhh, we miss pawpaw.

Bochy was the manager of the Padres in 1998.

Damn you Kevin Brown and Sterling Hitchcock.

[bobrek]

Originally Posted by juicystream Bochy was the manager of the Padres in 1998. Damn you Kevin Brown and Sterling Hitchcock.

I blame the scheduling. Game, off day, game, off day, game. The results had nothing to do with the Astros lack of offense. If only the DH had been around back then......

[rocketsjudoka]

Originally Posted by Matt_Maloney if that's not enough for you AL haters I don't know what is plus the AL Tigers are probably going to come out on top in the Series this year, so the AL is the better conference with better competition

Do you care to revised this statement?

[rocketsjudoka]

As far as the AL I live in an AL city and as nice as it will be getting to watch the Stro's more often I still hate the move. Baseball is a game about tradition and the tradition of the Astros is they are an NL team and have been since before they were called the Astros. You might not respect that because you want to see the Stros pick up some aging slugger who can't field to crank out a few more homers a year. To me that's not worth giving up the tradition that we have built up. If you were even alive in 1986 you would remember the great battle we had with the Mets. You will probably remember though the great battles we had with the Cards and Braves in 2004 and 2005. We are basically tossing that history onto the trash heap.

[bobrek]

Originally Posted by rocketsjudoka Do you care to revised this statement?

It would not surpise me if the Tigers won the whole thing. It is just funny that his premise is that the Tigers will win because the AL is the better 'conference', yet he does not address the fact that the NL has won the last two series.

[rocketsjudoka]

Originally Posted by bobrek It would not surpise me if the Tigers won the whole thing. It is just funny that his premise is that the Tigers will win because the AL is the better 'conference', yet he does not address the fact that the NL has won the last two series.

The Tigers might but they certainly didn't look like the better team representing the better conference last night. Heck even Zito got a base hit.

As far as the argument that pitchers are just a waste at plate consider that pitchers getting hits have proved critical in WS and playoff games before. Orel Hershiser got several RBI's in the WS against the A's and Roy Oswalt has gotten some key RBI's in playoff games. Anyway that is part of what makes NL baseball interesting, trying to balance offense with defense and every now and then getting that surprise.