You are right. Theyvweren't saving the team at that point. The doom had been sealed weeks earlier when Dusty's lack of urgency and insistence on benching the best players too often gave them no room for error and no ability to rest/refresh/reset the pitchers leading up to the postseason.
Astros might not have needed a Game 6 or 7 with Diaz. Perhaps the umps favored Rangers pitchers, but Heim is great defensively and framing. Maldonado lost a few steps in that regard. Then, there's the offensive difference. In a 7-game series that goes all 7, playing an all-star instead of the league's worst player likely makes a difference.
Unfortunately I guess we’ll never know regarding the offense. The pitching we know and saw how erratic and bad it was in 6 and 7.
Yeah, very unfortunate. Diaz is better defensively. Ump missed a close pitch that would've ended the inning before Heim's 2-run HR in Game 6. Very sad we'll never know.
When you sub Singleton for Chas for the final at bat... or decide to let Montero work through his issues... or wear down an Abreu when he had back issues... and that's before discussing putting someone rock bottom in offensive and defensive numbers into the lineup more than 2/3 of games...
They had a week off and won the division, and came back from a 2-0 deficit. Players didn’t perform after that, Haha quit your crying.
Playing Alvarez every day isn't a great managerial move. Playing Yainer Diaz isn't a great managerial move. Managers should not get credit for playing their best players, and then their best players winning. Managers should not get much credit for winning unless they are doing something really creative with the bullpen and it isn't a front office/pitching coach plan. Also, I don't think managers should get credit if a hitter is hot in the postseason. In other words, managers for the most part cancel each other out unless one of the managers makes some bonehead decisions (i.e., they don't get much credit for winning, but can get blame). I'm pretty sure Dusty is the only manager that didn't play a great hitter (20% better than average, at least 300 PAs) as a starter every game in the postseason in 2023, not counting injuries, maybe a rest day for a catcher, and guys in strict platoons (I don't even think the catcher and platoon exceptions are needed). Dusty did it to 2 players. We don't know what would have happened if Dusty played his best players. I'd say odds are good the Astros would have scored more runs if he had.
In the end it no longer matters. Some people blindly love Dusty and will defend him to the end. Some people recognize both his good and bad decisions as the Astros manager Some people will not be convinced that he ever made a correct decision or lineup card. The season is over as is the Dusty era. I'm excited for 2024 and hopefully a few moves that will extend the Astros golden era beyond it.
Dusty deserves his flowers whether or not fans want to admit it. Dusty answered the call when scandal comments were made. I can recall him speaking up for the team during the playoff series against the White Sox in 2021. I'm glad he was able to secure a championship in 2022. His lineups for 2023 deserved the questioning it received. It felt that Dusty didn't have a sense of urgency with some of the games with his decision-making or lack thereof. Let's also not forget though, 2023 was a tough year with injuries from Altuve to Alvarez and with the pitching health. I appreciate what Dusty did for this organization and it shouldn't be overlooked. Was he perfect? Nah, but he was the right person at the right time.
I'm glad Dusty retired, but I also very much appreciate his tenure. Came in at such a tough time, and went Game 7 of ALCS twice, Lost WS once, & Won WS once. That is an impressive run. We could have done a lot worse. Here's to a legend of the game, and a man that has earned a spot in Cooperstown.
Here here !! Everyone toast Dusty. He deserves it and I mean that, but his time was over a while ago. Thank you for your service but I hope I never see you in an Astros uniform again. He was absolutely the best choice in 2020. He was an OK choice in 2021 He was a bad choice in 2022 that fortunately didn't hurt. He was a terrible choice in 2023. And for all you who talk about HIM winning the WS in 2022 - look back at all the posts we made throughout that season calling him out for terrible decisions. I guess Crane had to bring him back in 2022 because he didn't want to be the owner who kept him from getting his ring. And then in 2023 didn't want to be the guy who didn't let him return trying to repeat. But now the team wasted one of the precious few years with a chance to win a World Series. Altuve, Bregman, Framber, Tucker, Verlander. . . None are under contract after 2025.
IDstrofan says Dusty was the best choice in 2020 just so he could clean up the mess. Not that he should ever win anything beyond that. Wow.
It seems your only purpose here is to stir up political and racial animus. Do us all a favor and shut the **** up.
