[Official] Astros @ Mariners

Enlightenment is when a wave realizes it is an ocean.

 

Each team has one Interleague rival they play every year. Iconic match ups that make sense. Angels vs Dodgers. Mets vs Yankees. Astros vs DBacks.

I hate those DBacks so much. I'm glad we get to fight over bragging rights with them each year. Okay I made that last part up. Frankly,if I had to guess who our interleague rival was, I would have guessed the Rockies before looking it up.

 

This isn't aimed at you specifically, but you made some points I wanted to address.

To many here it seems, if something isn't flawed, then it is fine. That is a very black and white way to look at things. Some of us see things in a different light. Even things that are working pretty well can be tweaked to work a bit better. Yes, there is some senseless b****ing going on, granted. But some of it is also passionate analysis.

To wonder why our home record is only 1 game better than the last place A's, to take notice of a managerial decision that went bad, or to contemplate whether a different guy leading off would help are all valid points of interest for someone looking at how we might could be better than we are.

What I am asking is for all criticism not to be lumped into the same basket. b****ing for b****ing sake is one thing. b****ing for the sake of seeking improvement in the team is another.

 

Man stands in his own shadow and wonders why it is dark.

 

Rangers get the Padres, Mariners get Rockies. Rangers/Rockies makes too much sense for MLB, given how much Colorado hates the State of Texas.

Sure, there's smart b****ing and stupid b****ing. I don't see a problem with calling stupid b****ing stupid.

Never have I been so glad to have missed a series thread. I have no idea what got yall started on this tangent; I'd go back and read it but I'm no masochist.

 

It's a fan forum and thus opinions are going to be all over the place.

It's one thing to get frustrated by some of the off the wall comments. I get it. What I find laughable are the few posters on here that think they're going to change the way someone thinks/feels about something and will keep making posts in order to prove their way of thinking is right and the poster with the differing viewpoint is crazy or wrong for thinking/feeling this way.

Case in point. There are many on here (me included) who get an uneasy feeling everytime Hinch puts the ball in Giles hand. None of you are going to change how I or anybody else feel about this no matter how many stats or passive aggressive comments you want to dish out. Can't remember what movie it was from, but Clint Eastwood had a line where he said, "you can't help being you anymore then I can help being me". Think it might have been "Unforgiven".

At the end of the day we're all Astros fans, and they've NEVER had a start like this in the HISTORY of the franchise. Let's just enjoy the journey and see how this thing plays out.

 

Emphasizing or reiterating a point isn't always about trying to change someones mind. But I agree it can look that way.

I made a similar point in saying "People think the way they think".

Enjoying how the season plays out doesn't depend on blog board harmony

 

As long as the roots are not severed, all is well. And all will be well in the garden.

 

No matter where you go, there you are.

 

Kudos on the Being There reference.

 

I never said most of the things I said.

The future ain’t what it used to be.

You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six.

No one goes there nowadays, it’s too crowded.

 

If all the animals along the equator were capable of flattery, then Halloween and Thanksgiving would fall on the same day.

 

These mountains that you are carrying, you were only supposed to climb.

 

In the garden, growth has it seasons. First comes spring and summer, but then we have fall and winter. And then we get spring and summer again.

 

Wonder how many have seen this movie. "I like to watch". Shirley Maclaine FTW.

 

I understand getting frustrated when people try to be a "mind-changer"... especially on deep-rooted opinions like the DH, sacrifice bunts, the shift, etc.

Then again, if you've already made up your mind about who he is and how you feel when he goes in the game... and no amount of stats or current/future excellence is going to change your mind... why continue to even discuss it? In your mind, you're always going to be uneasy with him, no matter what he does, till you're not.

What gets annoying is those who come in here and proclaim that "he's just not a closer", "needs to be demoted", "doesn't ever come through"... when all of that is far from the case (especially this year).

 

Backwards spelled forwards is backwards.

 

What these people are really saying is we wish we had a Craig Kimbrel type closer we could replace him with.

 

I wish the Astros had a lineup filled with Mike Trouts.

And there's no guarantee that a Kimbrel would cause "no worry". Wagner caused people plenty of worry, especially in non-save situations. Lidge was fine... till he wasn't.

I also think people forget some of the ups/downs young pitchers have to go through... especially ones with "stuff". Wagner was a phenom who threw a fastball exclusively that he was able to rely on solely... but he had to evolve as a pitcher as he got older. Lidge was also a phenom... till his head/mechanics got in the way.

 

One of my questions regarding Giles has gone unanswered. Assume Giles continues along his current path the rest of the season. Essentially a 90% success rate on saves and bad-frustrating appearances amid good-great appearances. Regardless of how he gets his 90% success rate, are folks happy with his season?

While I would certainly prefer Kimbrel or the old Lights Out Lidge, 90% success is 90% success. Doesn't matter if he strikes out the side or gives up a couple of hits.