This sounds eerily familiar.... with the Chas, Yainer, CF positions, and lineup construction https://bleacherreport.com/articles/380326-the-hugs-are-over-dusty-baker-needs-to-be-fired At third, Baker had a young Edwin Encarnacion who never meshed with Dusty. In center, Baker first brought one of his Chicago boys, Corey Patterson, over and insisted on playing him regularly. Every Reds' fan on the planet knows how well that worked. The next year, General Manager Walt Jocketty signed Willy Taveras. That's not Dusty's fault. But it was Dusty's fault that he continually used him to set the table in the lead-off slot with a season-ending .275 on-base-percentage.
Playing favorites and sticking to old ideas about lineups (“fast guy go first”) … sounds about right.
The good news is that if everyone is healthy the top of the lineup is set. I really, really hope he keeps Bregman 2nd. He hits into double plays but sees a lot of pitches, doesn't strike out much and gets on base. And he can do damage when he is swinging well. He also hits RHP as well as anyone on the team. If he stays in the 2nd spot and the Astros win ALCS and possibly W S. I think Alex has a very good chance at an MVP. I like Pena's speed, defense, and attitude. He definitely fits in well on this team but needs to hit 9th, or 8th if Maldy is in the lineup. Last year was great but this is a different team that needs Altuve-Bregman-Yordan at the top of the lineup.
Crane and Brown don't have the guts to fire little johnnie, they won't even get him to play our best lineup when we are fighting like hell for a playoff spot F all 3 of em
Crane is the best owner in Houston sports history. He's just been given bad directives from MLB and bad advice from Bagwell and co. Dana Brown has not been a GM up to this point for a reason...his buddy Biggio shoe horned him here. Dusty was a MLB hire.
Brown was hired at the 11th hr and already had a WS winning Mgr in place that he didn't choose. He also saw Dusty win the power struggle with Click. To me he gets the benefit of the doubt for another 3-4 months. Until this offseason any and all moves are pretty much dictated by the cards he was dealt. Now if the Astros win the W.S. again, he must let it ride until Dusty retires or they DON'T win a W.S. but I'll take that. ( I said that last year too) But we won't see what Brown is really like as a GM until he is rid of Dusty. And that's not his fault, it's survival and it's smart.
He could also end up being the p***y that allowed his manager to keep us out of the playoffs, in his first year as the GM of a dynasty
I agree with you but, This is what's wrong with the Stros this year. That and the Stros pitchers wearing themselves out at the WBC.
If Brown can not assert himself he is not GM material. It's as simple as that. Who is in Sugar Land and who is in Houston is the GM's decision. There is no reason for him to cede that authority to Dusty. If he exercises that authority and catches hell for it from Crane he is better off going elsewhere.
Facts are, Framber, Pressly, Garcia all pitched in the WBC and they haven't been nearly as good as they were last yr. Certainly not good enough to overcome the Dusty factor
Um... fact is... front office barred Framber from pitching in the WBC. Pitch clock had a much bigger role than WBC.
https://www.si.com/mlb/astros/news/...g-world-baseball-classic-focus-houston-astros Valdez Skipping World Baseball Classic To Focus On Astros Framber Valdez was advised by new general manager Dana Brown on decision to miss World Baseball Classic.
