I think that it is going to be interesting. The Mariners ownership and front office has a lot of pressure on them to improve the team and win the division. They did not increase payroll a few years ago and then last year actually traded key pieces - I cannot see them doing it at this deadline. They are going to add bats come hell or high water - they have the farm system (top 3) to do it and they have the money. They, I believe, are being set up to really overpay because the Orioles, Yankees, Astros and Dodgers all are looking to add as well. The Rangers ownership actually wants to trim payroll and trade for future assets and try again next year - the problem is that the Astros and Mariners have let them creep really close.
Would you say that long term, keeping the Rangers from selling trade deadline (by sucking) could ultimately help Seattle and Houston?
Star Wars displays - best toys for Christmas as well, had the bigger and more expensive toy sets --- my dad would disappear to the hardware department where they always had a bunch of old men and one really hot teenage girl working.... Most of the time my dad said "**** it" and would punish us by making us walk through Sears to end up and Montgomery Wards.... which had the poorer version of stuff Sears had. I always wanted to go with my Grandma, she said "This is a Foley's town" and then would go take me and drop $500 on various things I wanted as long as I told her she looked elegant.
Seattle using max resources to "go for it" in a season where they have major question marks and injuries that may be major would actually be a benefit to the Astros short and long term. I criticized the hell out of Luhnow in 2016 for "standing pat" (and downright questioned his ability to make trades or be a war-time GM). Boy was I wrong on all fronts. He saw that even with some upgrades, would have been a long-shot. The Astors didn't really "let" the Rangers creep closer. Sure, they lost 2 out of 3, but the net result of the next series' had them with an even larger deficit than prior to the Astros series. I still don't think their pitching staff holds up the rest of the year (as Eovaldi had his annual IL stint yet?), but they were never as bad as their record shows (but I also don't think they're capable of going on an extended run without solid pitching or all-world hitting that happened last year).
I just meant you can’t even tell how nasty a pitcher is when you’re at the game unless you have great seats. That said, personally I go for the atmosphere and to watch my team win…I’d rather go watch them shell an awful pitcher than get shutout against Skenes.
Maybe "you" can't, lol. And while seats behind home plate may give a great vantage point... just remember that the dugouts are never behind home plate, and yet those guys are not only expected to be able to see balls/strikes accurately, they see everything about a pitcher from mechanics to possible favoring arms/shoulders/legs to eventual pitch movement.
Disappointing series, but not disastrous. Astros had already been swept 5x this year... so, glad they avoided another sh*t-fest. Astros won the one game they had a legit starting pitcher. We can't throw Bloss and Arrighetti much longer and still expect to compete. We need at least one starter who isn't in the organization, then hope JV returns early-mid August. We need another bat, plus Tucker's activation. Great game for Chasmania. Stros will wake up in 1st place. Keep it rolling !!
No, I think the Rangers selling helps the Astros, because it gives more options on the market. The M's will end up with bats regardless, they will overpay just to get one or two. I still think they are the one team that could push the Jays to sell Guerrero before this winter. I know personally I perked up a little when I heard that the Orioles and Astros had spoken about Kjerstad. That guy is plug and play - he could roll out of bed and hit.
Dude, and I don't say dude a lot but you're flooding me with memories and nostalgia, we lived parallel lives, this sounds just like what I experienced.....
