Well, that's just crazy talk. People love to b**** when totally justifiable decisions just don't work out. There's not quite so much praise when they do, kinda strange how that happens.
OK, so I just watched the condensed game...my only thoughts: Are the Stros regularly this crappy on defense? A team with the offensive struggles they have just can't afford to give up outs like they do. Dominguez at 3B is the only plus defender I've seen on the whole squad. Not even making errors, it's the botching of simple plays that's a killer, giving up outs on a team that cant afford anything of the sort.
Yep. They have problems making the routine plays. Slow to get DPs started. Throwing to the wrong base. Making tags. All the things that don't show up as errors, but ultimately costs the team outs.
The Astros were a good storyline earlier, but they were never as good as the streak. The Astros aren't currently sucking again. It was just a regression to the norm. Just be glad that there are finally some players on this team worth keeping long term. If nothing else, finding Keuchel is like finding a #1 prospect out of nowhere. And he's under club control for a long time too. Springer will likely settle in as an above-average OF with potential to be an All-Star. Altuve is a borderline star player at 2nd base. Singleton should be a solid 1B/DH. And the Astros still have one of the best farm system in the MLB. Things are still trending up.
Agreed; I was actually under the hope that norm had risen from .350-.380 baseball to somewhere around .450. Especially in a set of nine games against the Nats and the damned Rays. Indeed. Never stopped keeping up with it, and the outlook is infinitely better than it was in 2010/2011.
what's tellit's new site that he talks minor leagues on? appears we have to head over there now for updates on the farm.
At what point does this get put back on coaching, though? I'm not sure I can blame a MLB manager for mistakes that I teach my 8-9 year olds in LL practice. It's infuriating to me to watch crappy fundamentals. ??? C, maybe Castro, if he can get his **** together with regularity Singleton 1B ??? 2B ??? SS Dominguez 3B ??? LF CF Fowler is one of the few remotely acceptable OFers they have, and that is not a compliment ??? RF, Springer, if he can get his **** together with regularity DH Altuve: No brainer That is an incredibly terribly bad defensive baseball team.
So you bash Nick for being overly negative... and then come in to say that Springer might not be a roster regular because he "can't get it together"? K.
You want to blame coaching, but then list all the "bad" defensive players and say this is an "incredibly terribly bad defensive team". What is it? I would think coaching would be the main issue if you thought this team was capable of playing good defense, but simply was being mis-coached. Also, fwiw, Villar has the best defensive WAR on the team this year (better than Matty D), and Springer has been fine in the OF... minus the hiccups he had when he was first promoted (admitted "jitters" on his part), but you still seem to hold him accountable for that as a reason why he "can't get his **** together". (and I'm the one who's too negative all the time???) Agreed that they often don't make the fundamental/routine play... but I wouldn't say coaching is the main reason... they likely "know" what they're "supposed" to do... youth and inexperience gets in the way as well.