Nope, Astros will go to the AL and that spells the end for true Astros fans, or alot of them at least. I will only follow a National League team named the Astros, and based in Houston. Since LA, NY and CHI have 2 MLB teams apiece the current Astros should change their name to something else next season and give us an expansion team in the NL and have them be the Astros. That way it'll be possible to not only have a Hou-Tex world series, but a crosstown world series. Lol stupidest thing I've thought of but whatever, sounds like a fun idea.
most of this post is reasonable; I understand how you could feel that way. just understand that if someone else feels differently it doesn't make him any less of a "true Astros fan". that's a ludicrous concept in itself, really. as for me: screw the AL, but this team is my Astros and when they're the AL West's doormat next I'll still be following.
His comment is confusing in so much as generally a "true" fan wouldn't care what league their team was in. I think the "true" fan will follow their team through thick and thin.
Maybe some people are actual fans and not a bunch of front runners like a bunch of jerk off sports fans these days.
I see this thread is still trying to differentiate between true fans, casual fans, and non fans. Well, lets face it, most people go to the park to be entertained. If your team is losing consistently and losing isnt entertaining to you, you are not going to go. If we are going to define true fans as those that go to see your team, win or lose, than this is probably the minority of those in the stands during wining years and the majority during losing ones. For people like me that follow the team from a distance (300+ miles away), going to any game isnt really possible, and my true fan quotient cant be based on home park attendance. What does hold some weight is whether a town is a baseball town or not. That is, many go to games because of their love for baseball, not just the love of your team. Houston isnt a baseball town per say imo. So attendance fluctuations are going to look like a sine wave if the team is inconsistent, and bottom out when they are consistently bad. I think what league your team is in is less important than whether they are winning or not to the casual fan. As for me, really the only thing that bothers me about moving to the AL is losing the possibility of payback to those teams that have beat up on us over the years (unless the Stros and that team make it to the WS). Teams like St Louis & Atlanta have an added weight to them when we supersede them to the playoffs. While the Rangers will become the AL team I most want to beat, the revenge factor hasnt established itself yet, although I have little doubt it wont take long.
thoughts on this: 1) the concept of "true fan" is just ludicrous and stupid, because it is too subjective, and as such defined by each person according to his own subjectively defined set of subjectively measured altruisms. For some, "true fan" means you never criticize your team. For others, it means you study the team's strengths and weaknesses and discuss them. For still others, it means if the team changes its identity (changes leagues, etc.) then it's dead and a "true fan" would never support these new imposters. I have even been called a "true fan" for arguing (correctly) that Bagwell is a no-doubt hall-of-famer. It's too subjective. There is no such thing, objectively, as a "true fan". And the funny thing is, I'm going to get replies vehemently defending the concept of "true fan", defined of course by some set of arbitrarily contrived subjectively measured altruisms. *sigh* People are wired different. Can't we understand that, and that be enough? 2) Houston *is* a baseball town. A damn good one. This has been discussed over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. If you don't see it that way, I respect your opinion. I disagree. Of course, this is also a bunch of overly subjective bull**** and barely worth discussing. Guess I'm bored.
I respect your opinion as well. But it seems to me that a true baseball town doesnt see there stadium evacuated when the team does badly to the same degree as a non baseball town. Add to this that the TV ratings seem at a all time low as well. Fans not going to games? Not watching on TV? If Houston IS a baseball town, they have a funny way of showing it.
name me the cities where a team endures 2 100 loss seasons in a row and still sells tickets well. it doesn't happen. add to that the "lame duck" feeling of this season as we're one of 2 teams in the history of MLB that's forced to change leagues, and attendance like this shouldn't surprise anyone. also add the fact that everyone knows that aside from Altuve, virtually no one on this roster now will be on the roster when this team is competitive again.
and add to all those excellent points that everyone will have a different definition of "baseball town", all based on arbitrarily contrived criteria, many of which are entirely subjective. it's all: bull****. By the way, my arbitrarily contrived, entirely subjective reason for arguing that Houston is a great baseball town is the fact that little leagues, softball leagues, select leagues, etc. are absolutely roaring with attendance and growth. The game is alive and well, we don't need MLB and Butt Selig's bull**** to be a great baseball town.
Yep...the Cubs are one of the lone exceptions. There are exceptions to the rule for the following reasons: 1. a franchise with more than 100 years existence...the Cubs fit this bill, but if you've been to a Cubs game you realize pretty quickly, it's less about the Cubs and more about the Wrigley experience. But even the Cubs have had only 2 years in their history where they've lost 100 games...they lost 103 gtames in 1962...and they lost 103 games in 1966. What we're seeing right now in Houston...2 100 loss seasons back to back...is extremely rare. 2. a brand new franchise with tons of novelty. they'll sell no matter the record, for the most part, particularly if coupled with a new stadium.
The objective definition of a 'true fan' is someone who has (or is willing to) claim a team through the bad times, and is therefore able to truly appreciate the good times. I'm not talking about watching every game or spending a money on merch. But through so many bad years of Astros baseball, if your heart still acknowledges them as your MLB team, you're a true fan. Being a true fan isn't measured outwardly. I think this applies to any sport. Being a true fan is about a degree of monogamy (lol).
Here we go... ↑↑ arbitrarily contrived criteria ...guess all the other "objective definitions" floating around out there are invalid. ↑↑ subjectively measured altruism ...my heart still pumps blood through both ventricles and both atria ...because it isn't measured at all! ↑↑ subjectively measured altruism ...you mean I can't appreciate another club and even support them when they're not playing my team? *gasp* I'm not a "true fan"!!!! it's a true bull**** sentiment.
The Nats are a great story. I'll be cheering them on throughout the playoffs. They give me hope, seriously. If the flippin' Expos can have the best record in MLB in September, then my Astros can rise out of the dust all Phoenix-style and start kicking ass again.
I'm rooting against them, purely for how they handled Strasburg. Despite being the team I have hated most, I'm kind of rooting for the Braves. Even if Chipper stole Bagwell's 2nd MVP, he's a sure fire HOF (watch him be 1st ballot, while Bags may still be on the ballot despite similar numbers) and deserves to go out on top. Also don't want to see them screwed over by the 2nd Wild Card in its first year. One nice thing is, Astros will play a big part in the 2nd wild card spot. We just took 3 of 4 from the Phillies, we have 6 games against the Cards, 3 against the Pirates, and our last series of September against those hard charging Bud Seligs.
