Everytime I think of Randy Johnsons tenure here, I think of the San Diego series when we lost Game 1 at the dome. Cant believe we lost that series.
Wasn't it pretty widely known that the Big Unit had no desire to be in Houston? I kind of remember there being video when he was told he was traded in the dugout during a Mariners game and he looked very unhappy. I could be remembering it wrong though ... I was never under the assumption that him signing with Houston in the offseason was a realistic possibility when he was with the Stros. I never got my hopes up like I did with Beltran
You had a shitty GM. I would have definitely traded me for a Poster To Be Named Later and Cash Considerations.
We were targeting Roger that off-season instead of Randy Johnson since we thought Rocket had a better chance of coming here. (Roger wanted to get out of Canada...) Problem was that the Hendricks brothers and Hunsicker didn't get along.
It was a potential trade from Toronto (and Clemens wanted a restructured contract) that set Hunsicker into ballistic mode. Hidalgo and Elarton, iirc. But, ETA, it had nothing to do with Randy Johnson.
You are partially right... the opportunity cost of getting Roger that season would have been Randy Johnson. They were both available at the same time. http://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/Robertson-For-different-reasons-Hampton-2087266.php http://www.chron.com/sports/article/Clemens-dealings-just-not-normal-3327737.php
From a couple weeks before the Roger debacle: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/astros-wont-re-sign-johnson/
Lulz at Randy Johnson ever staying in Texas. They made a good-faith effort, that's all. eta: and I fail to see how those 2 situations are related at all, other than tangentially.
Multiple factors: 1) Randy wanted to go Arizona 2) Randy wasn't going to take less money to stay in Houston, a team he had been a part of for only a short run Hunsicker had unrealistic beliefs about the industry. He was a good GM, but he was extremely reluctant to accept the fact that money was escalating and that deals were getting longer and agents were getting more powerful. The Astros definitely played poor small market team for years after revenues were rising around baseball. Billy Wagner was absolutely 100% right about Drayton.
