I'm sure somebody here can respond to him about how him getting emotional and trying to do too much/press is just a narrative that isn't really being supported by the stats.... things should regress back to the mean eventually. Just need to increase the sample size, etc. etc., bleh.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A very, very candid Jose Altuve on his seventh inning at-bat. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Astros?src=hash">#Astros</a> <a href="http://t.co/sOZhj1YmOH">pic.twitter.com/sOZhj1YmOH</a></p>— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chandler_Rome/status/644720672443265024">September 18, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">McCullers: "We had a really bad road trip, but that’s all it is. We lost a lot of close games. We’re a great team. You chalk it up as that"</p>— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanDrellich/status/644722368745615360">September 18, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I asked A.J. Hinch if Jose Altuve had the bunt on. Here is what he said: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Astros?src=hash">#Astros</a> <a href="http://t.co/CxFUZcnu0F">pic.twitter.com/CxFUZcnu0F</a></p>— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chandler_Rome/status/644722408230793216">September 18, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Springer: "They won. There really isn’t anyting to say. It’s not an issue. We’re 2 ½ out with 15 or so to play. … anything can happen."</p>— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanDrellich/status/644722447288172544">September 18, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tony Sipp “You can’t take away from how they’re playing. They’re playing really good baseball. But I definitely think we have a better team"</p>— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanDrellich/status/644726321264750593">September 18, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
: "We had a really bad road trip, but that’s all it is. We lost a lot of close games. We’re a great team. You chalk it up as that" really bad of a road trip is an understatement. this was like losing 8 in a row. one game at a time now.
It's pretty difficult to get swept in a 4 game series..... but not impossible. I bet statistically there's a <15% chance. Astros have fallen off a tad at home lately, yet their road *****-ness continues full throttle. To be fair, they do have injuries.
Ridiculous...common sense says after getting your ass kicked 3 games that a BUNT would increase chances versus Altuve swinging all over the place Hinch. You were out managed this entire series and we know you'll never own up to it
You originally cited Hinch's refusal to pitch Feliz as a reason that they lost game 1. How come you are conspicuously leaving that off of your reasons now my friend?
I work at a bar in Lubbock and I was rocking my texans gear tonight....rangers fans really let me have it
I love it when a player says "we're a great team" and claims were the 'more complete team" after you just got your asses handed to you. These players are just immature. They think they are better than they play. The play speaks for itself. Just admit you sucked and move on. Fans don't want to hear how great you are after a 2-8 road trip and losing baseball in the second half of the season. It's not like the downward spiral just started. At least Altuve was being honest.
Guys, there are some forum members that are surprised by this debacle, some of us are not, because for a long time we've said the same things again and again. Numbers were given, but the eye action said otherwise. I am not going with particulars, as you all know my position. Now, I "expect" this team to go 8 and 7 in the remaining games, that would only give us 85 victories and that would not be good enough, so this team NEEDS TO PLAY better than what they have shown for 3 1/2 month now. For almost 4 month this team is playing UNDER .500 and in September we are one of the worse team in baseball with a 4 and 11 record. Right now, i will say this, if this team can't at least 9 and 6 on the remaining games, WE DON'T DESERVE TO BE IN THE PLAYOFFS. That record would mean winning all series except the Rangers 3 games. If we can't beat the M's nor Arizona to get into the playoffs, DO WE DESERVE TO BE THERE???? Enough of this team continuing to be on top JUST BECAUSE others were worse, Is time for the BEST TEAM to win, not the one that is most average. If we don't get to the playoffs, this team would have choked in a big way, now they have 15 games to proof they are good, AND DESERVE TO BE IN THE PLAYOFFS. Will they do it? I HOPE. Should we EXPECT them to do it? No. For us to win, we need to win big, if we allow to play 1 run games our manager will find ways to lose, like taking a starter early, or not playing guys that should, or pinch hitting with no reason (i still remember the pinch hitting of Conger for Valbuena, why?) and so on. Hinch does not play small baseball, and on close games, that is important. He does not play Marisnick enough, his last 30 games he is hitting .281 with an OPS over .830, and we all know how good he is on defense. But, you know my worries about Hinch lineups, now people understand what i am saying because people are SEEING with this bad stretch that i was right and many of the things i've said. Our rotation was great when we had 6 man rotation, well, use VV as a starter then, lets go 6 again. Forget about Fresno, bring the guys up, WE NEED THEM HERE. Lets go 6, meaning, lets go back to a 6 man rotation, thats when ALL OUR STARTERS WERE GREAT.
There is a 100% chance that all of the usual suspects would have criticized Hinch for bunting with Altuve after we inevitably stranded runners at 2nd and 3rd like we do most every single time. Be pissed at the guys for not executing. But choosing to not give up an out with your best hitter at the plate with a runner in scoring position is not some indefensible decision. The Rangers pinch ran for Prince Fielder in a tie game Tuesday night. The difference is that the team made the manager look smart. When every single player is struggling, it is really hard to look like a smart manager.
You are making GREAT arguments, i will give you my 2 cents. First of all, i do like to play small baseball, but i agree with Altuve not bunting in that situation, but for a different reason. Springer was hitting behind, and he is one of our worse hitter with RISP, so i don't trust him that much in that situation, so i prefer Altuve hitting in that spot than Springer. Now, it the hitter behind Altuve was Correa, and the number 4 hitter gives him protection, then i have no problem. Now, thats why i DON'T WANT ALTUVE HITTING FIRS. I prefer Springer. In that situation, i would have Springer bunting without any doubt. Your second point, if Hinch makes the decision correctly, and the Astros don't execute, then the blame is on the players, not the manager. But now would you give a good reason why he pinch hit Conger for Valbuena in the LA series? Conger hits righties much better than Valbuena. Hinch has made many bad decisions, and right now he is part of the problem, not the solution.
ok this makes more sense also...a bunt still best case scenario in this situation if Hinch understood how to put a lineup together for a bunt to be effective for games with little to no room for error
And for the record, I don't think Hinch is perfect. I've questioned numerous decisions on this road trip. Going to Harris on Tuesday could potentially be a season-defining mistake. My point is that when your starting pitching can't get to the 6th inning, your bullpen can't hold a lead, and your offense pees their pants any time runners are in scoring position, it's tough for me to put much blame on Hinch. Nobody is playing well right now.
I agree 1,000%. I didn't have an issue with it; in fact, when Brownie asked Ashby if he thought it was a bunt situation, I immediately thought, hell no! I rarely advocate giving up outs - but with Altuve? No way. Conger? Sure. You dance with who brung'ya; Altuve's a giant reason for our success this year and with the team struggling - and with the Rangers' offense clicking as it has - you don't step all over a potentially big inning.
I agree but Altuve should had not been there it was Springer. Why is Choo hitting second? He takes pithes, allows Deshields to run and has power and drives runs. Choo is a better hitter than Choo but Deshields gets walks and steals. Why is Altuve hitting first? He sshould be hitting third or cleanup because he is our the best hitter with RISP. I have many issues with Hinch Lineups
Could have gone either way with it, and it sucks that the worst case scenario happened. Not as concerned about playing for the big inning in the 7th inning on, with impending bullpen pitchers being shuffled in/out to actively prevent that, and number of AB's you have left as a team are scant. Interesting that the Rangers played small ball AND ended up having a big inning the very next time they came up, so the two are not mutually exclusive (and that's the best case scenario). The top of the lineup was a collective dissapointment throughout the entire series (even the game they scored 5).
