It's easy looking back at it now, but maybe Dierker should have just pitched to Bonds in order to keep the crowd on our side. It almost stripped us of home field advantage. I think at some point you have to wonder if even our own team was embarassed to be walking him. When it comes right down to it, isn't respecting the game of baseball more important than winning. It was getting pretty ugly, and if Dierker hadn't redeemed himself in the last inning, I think I would have lost some respect for him. It was beginning to damage the game if you ask me.
<B>Anyone else get the feeling Rocketman95 and shanna sit across a desk from each other, yet never communicate vocally?</B> I fired him like two weeks ago for this crap. Now he's just taking out his anger on me! <B>I cared yesterday because I want them to make the playoffs, I'd be estatic if they made it and did well...I just won't be disappointed anymore if they don't.</B> So let's see... If the Astros win their next 3 games, roll into the playoffs, win the first 2 games of the series, and then lose the next 3, you won't be disappointed? Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. <B>When it comes right down to it, isn't respecting the game of baseball more important than winning. </B> Respecting the game is making the moves it takes to win rather than trying to help someone break a record. The Astros didn't owe Bonds anything. By the way, he had 4 or 5 actually at-bats in the series, and he had several ways that weren't intential -- just couldn't get the ball on the outside corner. He had his chances before the last AB.
Shanna, would it be ok to play a midget to win? I don't think so. Netiher do you. It was common sense not to play midgets, but because some jerk tried it, MLB had to make a rule banning midgets. I mean, sometimes, you have to use judgement. Dierker was crossing the line. There comes a point where you are doing damage to the game of baseball. And he was at the critical point. We may not owe Bonds anything, but the Astros owe the game something. And that just wasn't baseball. Pure and simple. The Astros weren't even competing. They were running. Baseball is entertainment whether you want to believe it or not, and when you get to that point you're not entertaining your fans, your own ball club, or anyone. That's when you've crossed the line.
<B>We may not owe Bonds anything, but the Astros owe the game something. And that just wasn't baseball. Pure and simple. </B> What wasn't baseball? Walking players that everyone else in the league walks? Why are the Astros so horrible for walking someone that every other team has done also? It's not like this strategy is unique to the Astros. The only thing the Astros owe the game is to play hard and not throw games.
Didn't we walk him like nine times? If so, that's not what every other team has been doing. His average was only one walk a game for the whole season. Not three. If every team did that he'd average like 500 walks. Is that baseball? I'm not so sure it is. And I doubt anybody would look at that as playing the game.
<B>Didn't we walk him like nine times? If so, that's not what every other team has been doing. His average was only one walk a game for the whole season. Not three. If every team did that he'd average like 500 walks. Is that baseball? I'm not so sure it is. And I doubt anybody would look at that as playing the game.</B> Of course early in the season people didn't do it -- he wasn't going psycho at the plate back then. In his last two series, SD (not competing for a playoff spot) walked him 5 times. LA walked him 8 times. I think that's a pretty popular strategy right now. Besides, it's not like these were all intentional walks. Our pitchers <I>tried</I> to pitch to him, but by being so careful against him, they ended up walking him. Only 2 or 3 of the walks were intentional. One of those was 3-0 before they intentionally did it.
(yawn) Oh I'm sorry, did you say something insightful or intelligent? Hmmm, must have missed it. (flush)
