THE MAN keeps oppressing the Astros and they keep winning. As long as there is a human element then the Astros will be on the short end of calls, until they are no longer a force of dominance. I'm not saying it's intentional, but the numbers show the Ump scorecards are always worse against the Astros. Also, it feels like challenges always go against them. It's like NY says "This is an Astros game. Whatever decision goes against them Is what we decide "
The Astros have been doing poorly at Ump Scorecards for 2 primary reasons: 1. Maldy got old and it appears to be affecting his framing (and hitting and blocking) the past couple of seasons. Castro and Vazquez were much better framing while wearing the orange. 2. Umpires make more mistakes calling balls strikes than the other way a round. The Astros hitters knowing the strike zone better means they are going to get screwed more than most.
Do they have ump scorecards for individual players? I would think Alex is very high among balls being called strikes against him. It may be a good tool to see what pitches, even if they are balls, can't be left in an umpires hands to make the right call.
Not ump scorecards, but baseball savant has Bregman tied at 7th for most balls called strikes with 8. Chas has 7. Team-wide, Astros are 4th. Oddly, Astros finished 22nd last year after 2nd in 2021.
21st in most middle middle called strikes. 23rd last season. The Astros are really good at swinging at middle middle pitches.
I wouldn't say "really" good, but semantics...I can't imagine regularly watching one of the worst teams.
Swinging at middle-middle fastballs correlates really well with chasing sliders off the plate as it is really f#$%ing hard to distinguish between a high 80s slider off the plate and fastball right down Kirby.
Spoiled...It wasn't that long ago we were. Remember the days when the Astros tv ratings were lower than Cosby Show reruns?
Pretty sure I have PTSD from post-shoulder-injury Morgan "Pigeon S!!t" or "Old Man on Beach" Ensberg.
Holy s*** was that the worst. Dude just wouldn't swing the bat. Didn't matter how juicy it was. I don't think I can remember a more frustrating player than that version of Ensberg...a season after finishing 4th in the MVP race, too.
For me it was changing his batting stance.....IN THE MIDDLE OF AN AT BAT!!!!! Maybe the most lost I've ever seen any hitter.
Good, Iooks like ABs are being split between Meyers and Julks now, with Chas as an OF mainstay. I am ok with Dubon continuing to start everyday until he cools off. Like Chas, he's earned the right to be in the lineup everyday, at least for the time being. Now to just find Yainer more ABs.....
I, foolishly of course, thought maybe Diaz would catch Javier regularly. I don't know if we have a guy who can replace Maldonado (or Brantley), and Dusty refuses to let us find out. Just send him down and call up a pinch runner or something if he isn't gonna play more than once a week.
