same here. but kinda like the WNBA and MLS--I'm happy when Houston wins, and I care, but I just don't pay much attention because those sports just don't really connect with me. AL baseball sucks. It's almost like if the Oilers, rather than leaving, would have been busted to the CFL. I'd still have watched, but it wouldn't have been the same.
Sorry guys, not a huge baseball fan, but why is the reaction here so negative? Isn't the only difference the DH rule and maybe the loss of a few rivalries?
Imagine the Rockets only get to play the Jazz/Spurs/Lakers/Mavs every 3 years or so, and instead get a heavy dose of teams in say Cincinnati, Kansas City, Nashville & other such places (i.e. teams you know nothing about, have never cared about). Oh, and the games will now be played on 11 foot rims. What would your reaction be?
Wouldn't a 9 foot rim be a better comparison? Or maybe on offense, there would be one extra man every time.
I don't live in Houston, so for the Rockets I bought league pass. With the strike going I'd gladly spend the money on MLB extra innings instead, but it isn't worth it to watch an American league version of the Astros. I get the MLB channel and can watch some games of the Astros or when they play the Dodgers, or Cubs since I also get WGN. If they move to the American West I'll see the Angels but it's just not the same watching American League baseball. I'm probably more of a baseball fan than Astros fan, but I may eventually adapt should the Astros move. I just don't want to. It's frustrating because as a kid I was an Astros buddy, met several of the players got to go on the field at the dome, and a couple of times and it meant a great deal getting them to autograph balls I had. I saved them forever. But when the organization doesn't care enough and is willing to change leagues for cash, it will take a while for me to get over it. I'll really have to think long and hard about continuing to support a team that does that.
Only the DH rule isn't really an "only" situation since it changes the whole game. It changes the strategies for how you pitch, position players, the way you score, run bases, when you steal a base, when you bunt, etc. There are so many changes and different things that come into play because of that rule. The types of players that get drafted or selected for teams or at least how important certain parts of a player's game differs as well. The rivalries are different, and in the American League there's the evil Yankees outspending everyone, and making it generally annoying. The Redsox are the same just to a lesser degree. I go to some Angels games, and watch a few on TV. I like some players on American league teams, and some coaches in the AL. But it isn't the same.
I just realize that even ignoring the Astros fans that will be put off by the move for the time being, there will not longer be all the Card, Cubs, Dodger, Braves, etc. fans that come to the games as well. Would highly doubt that there are more fans for the AL teams in Houston (excepting of course fairweather Yankee/Red Sox fans) than fans of NL teams.
This is what I'm doing. When I was a kid in Beaumont, the AA team there, the Golden Gators, was an affiliate of the Padres. It wasn't around long, but a huge number of players (John Kruk, Benito Santiago, Alomar brothers, Ozzie Guillen) ended up doing really well in the majors. I still name all of my fantasy teams "Golden Gators". The Padres have always been my 2nd national league team. (It doesn't hurt that they're the rival to the Dodgers.) I'm an Astros fan first, but I will watch some Padres games and wear a Padres hat some.
That's cool. They have a really nice field in San Diego, and they are a team that outperformed last year on a low salary too. I like that about them. I like the way the team is run in San Diego. I used to love the Dodgers when I was little. They were second to the Astros. Then I hated them, especially when they got Manny Ramirez, Milton Bradley, or players like that. I do love Vin Scully. The guy is amazing so it's always fun to watch the games he broadcasts. I don't hate any of their players now, and kind of like most of them. I may like them more depending on what the new ownership of the team ends up looking like. I'm going to have to wait and see how everything plays out.
Shaq would still be playing. You'd have Shaq sitting on the offensive side ready throw his weight around, and Dwight Howard swatting shots away on the other end. I demand this new fun version of basketball be implemented, but lets only do it in the Eastern Conference. The West already plays exciting basketball.
I like Bochy a lot. I'm not a big fan of their pitching staff, but they are interesting to watch. They are a fun team. I hadn't thought about them before.
I'm not a big fan of Brian Wilson, or Lincecum. They are fun to watch and usually exciting, but Lincecum is inconsistent and Wilson is too much about the show.
If I must have a NL team, it will be the Phillies. I was born there and have always casually followed them assuming they weren't a threat to the Astros.
