I think he would get that message regardless when he has a $100 million dollar payroll, and the best his fans are hoping for is around .500.
Who cares if they have a winning season?! A winning season is like kissing your sister. Playoffs or rebuild the team is the only option.
There is the key phrase - "if they knew how", although I would add, "in a game situation". I doubt if I would ever have someone like Carlos Lee bunt. It also depends on who is coming up. For example, if it were Pence on 2nd and Lee on 1st with Berkman, Blum and Maysonet due up, do you really want Berkman bunting?
Most of the time, a winning season is the only way to make the playoffs. Secondly, a lot of the success they will have "rebuilding" depends upon the success of the young pieces they already have in place. They won't have any better chance at "reubilding" successfully than they do at making the playoffs this year, if they don't get continued improvements from Bourne, Pence, Wandy, a back-to-norm Berkman, and signs that Keppinger can be an everyday player. You guys are ridiculous... you'd rather have a horrid season with the "hope" that some magic prospects can come in and grow into a perenial powerhouse (which hasn't happened ANYWHERE since the ~1996 Yankees), rather than have a solid season from the mix of youngsters and veterans that they currently have, with the hope that the addition of more developed youngsters with key veterans can put this team in playoff position? Good thing you guys haven't been rooting for any other teams in baseball... because they ALL would have you severely dissapointed.
Who's suggesting he's a 1.000 OPS hitter? He's performing virtually identical to his first season in the majors. Year 1: 450 AB, 0.899 OPS Year 2: 595 AB, 0.783 OPS Year 3: 183 AB, 0.893 OPS What is so flukey about year 3 for a young player that should be improving?
And he wasn't a 3 hitter then. Nothing flukeish about consistency and improvement. I just don't consider him an elite enough hitter in that situation. That is all.
The Astros had a winning season last year. No playoffs. A winning season doesn't garauntee playoffs. Trade the old guys for a youth movement. Pence is overated. Berkman is washed up and Lee is just a big fat guy who can hit a home run every now and then. This team is not going to the series. Get over it. NO! I want the owner to deal with reality. I want a team that is being built towards greatness. Not a team that teases you with mediocrity. I've always been a big fan of the Astros. This team just doesn't do it for me. They look like they are just going through the paces. I'll always be disappointed if my team loses. I hope that makes me normal somehow.
Morgan Ensberg will be a commentator at the Clemson-Arizona State series this weekend on ESPN. I wonder if he "retired" or that he couldn't find a job.
Oh yeah, just wanted to let you know that I'm watching the game and I put on my Berkman jersey while holding my Carlos Lee bobblehead as my dog named Hunter is licking my face. Are you satisfied now?!
how was maysonet not looking to swing the bat at all that ab with moehler coming up behind him? he had 3 borderline strikes that he took. JD said that as a young player you need to know the situation, but since he clearly didn't, why didn't somebody tell him?
I suspect he was caught between wanting to reach base to bring Moeller up and trying to drive in the run. I wish he'd been swinging on that 3-0 fastball.
no reason to be worrying about turning the order over when there is a runner in scoring position, and with us having just put up a 3-spot in the first inning. the first 2 pitches were right around the strike zone too.
How about the season Joe Mauer is having... he's been one of the best hitters in baseball for a few seasons now but he already has 12 HRs in just over 100 ABs this season. He had 9 all of last season. Tejada's arm is really, really bad... so bad I'm worried about Berkman getting injured on routine put outs.
yeah, he puts some pressure on berkman with just about every throw. that's why i've never understood how people always say that he should move to third because he's such a poor fielder...i can't imagine him trying to routinely make that throw. ah well, hard to complain about the guy right now.
I made the same point in a previous post. Moving him to 3rd would eliminate some of his range limitations, but his throws would become even more of an issue. It still may be the wise thing to do if Tejada was willing and somebody else could play short. Maybe Maysonet if he sticks around or Matsui if he ever gets healthy? It won't likely happen this season anyway... esp. with Tejada hitting like this. They won't wanna mess with his mojo.
