All other arguments aside, losing 4 out of 5 so far in these 2 series against the Reds is unacceptable. If we'd won 4 of 5 we would be up 3 games right now. This team simply cannot hit consistently. We strand so many runners it is mindblowing. This has been the 'Stros problem for awhile now. Does anyone else remember having bases loaded and no one out in game one against the Braves back at the Dome and we got nothing?!? Our pitching has way outperformed what it should have with Roy hurt so much and Wade struggling. We have the worst offense in baseball since the AS Break. Unless we get the bats going soon, it is over... Also, we better beat the hell out of Cincy today.
Woohoo, Ensberg's playing! Woohoo, Ensberg wastes a Biggio lead-off single by hitting into a DP. Way to go Jimy.
Astros suck. No excuse to getting housed at home to a non-contender. Astros never seem to wake up. They have been in a season long sleepwalk. .500 here we come again.
I don't like Jimy Williams, because I don't like how he always shuffles the lineup around, but I still think we got a chance.
Has Jimy really even shuffled the lineup around that much? besides swapping Ensberg and Blum in and out he's pretty much kept the same guys in and having the same batting orders Biggio Ensberg Bagwell Kent Berkman Hidalgo Everett Ausmus now, recently he's moved Berkman up to the 2 hole but for the most part it seems like we have the same lineup.
You believed Rob Dibble? Dibble is a moron, plain and simple. Rob should bother watching some games this year and then tell me that Houston has the worst defensive outfield in baseball. Hidalgo is the best defensive rightfielder in the NL this year(ichiro in the AL) and Lance Berkman has made himself into a really good leftfielder. Biggio has been serviceable in centerfield, I don't really see why he catches all this heat. He has a plus .700 OPS and has played a solid centerfield, what more did some of you expect? Rob Dibble is not a source of anything. He hates Houston in particular and as a former pitcher praises the Cubs more than any other team in the central. I wonder if he has looked up pitching statistics lately, because Houston's rag tag rotation has allowed fewer runs than the vaunted cubs rotation. And this with little from Oswalt and Miller scuffling, while Zambrano has been outstanding as has prior. Can anyone say overrated. DaDakota, Nobody here likes losing 2 out of 3 to the Reds, but it happens. Ask the cardinals how they liked the reds punking them at the beginning of this year. I'm sure the response would be similar. But you call yourself pragmatic, when in reality you are just ultra pessimistic. We are in first place, and in the thick of the WC race, with a rag tag pitching staff, and you want them to fold in the tent? What kind of fan are you? Fairweather? It would have been real easy for the team to give up when Roy Oswalt got hurt that fateful night in Atlanta, but they haven't, despite the fact they often have a disadvantage on paper in starting pitching every series. As far as Lidge goes, he needs to stay a reliever and have his workload reduced the rest of the year. He has great stuff, but is injury prone, so the bullpen is his future. He just is fatigued at this point of his rookie year. Jimy Williams has quirks I hate(Ensberg situation, infatuation with brian hunter/colin porter, pulling pitchers early) but he is still a decent manager. Not god awful. We have been hit really hard by injuries, probably 2nd most in the NL, compared to Arizona and we are in the thick of the playoff race after a slow start. We are stuck with him anyway, so we might as well learn to like him. I also want to say this to people wondering why we haven't gotten a starting pitcher via trade yet. The answer is in the 2004 roster. You have Roy back healthy hopefully, Miller, Carlos Hernandez seems to be progressing nicely, Redding has been solid this year, and we can probably resign Villone cheaply. Add in the fact Suppan wasn't a difference maker, Ponson cost way too much and Livan will cost 6 million dollars in 2004 if we traded for him, it isn't a shock we haven't made a move. Btw, Randall Simon and Tony Womack are not improvements for the Cubs, and lofton is a wash to the pre injury patterson. Ramirez will be a burden on them next year, and has hit horribly except in that 3 games at MMP. They aren't much improved in my opinion. My advice: don't give up on the Astros, you'll miss an exciting finish to the season, and this year anyone can win the NL, as all teams have a flaw somewhere, whether its Atlanta's pitching, the giants offense, cards/astros starters, cubs offense/defense, florida's inexperience, arizona's offense, LA's offense or the phils bullpen. This season is wide open in the NL playoffs if you ask me.
For those who say Lidge is injury prone so don't make him a starter, I guess we should move Oswalt to the bullpen then too..huh? Everyone knows that you can go from first to third on a single against Biggio...his arm stinks. I have seen this team underperfom all year....and have ZERO faith in them pulling it out. I think we would be lucky to finish 2nd in our division, and are more likely to finish 3rd. First place in a year where the Central division SUCKS means nothing. DD
This statement can't be said enough. What is the use of winning the division, just to get rolled in the playoffs by the Braves, or whoever else meets the Astros in the playoffs. Someone posted earlier that Mike Cameron is a FA this year. The Astros should try looking at trading for Carlos Beltran. The Royals know they can't pay him, and will want something in return...what? I don't know but its worth the call to try and acquire him. IIRC Kevin Millwood is a FA this coming offseason, as wounded and taped together the Astros rotation is, this guy would be a welcomed breath of fresh air. I always hear Drayton McLane talking about making the Astros a champion, asking fans what they can do to help make the Astros a champion, well Drayton... OPEN THE WALLET! Get some quality players who are proven MLB-ready players, rather than relying on a rookie or rookies to come through in the clutch. Gerry Hunsicker has worked miracles with the budget he gets from Drayton, I could only imagine what he could do with Boston's, New York's (both teams), LA's, Arizona's budgets. The Cubs went out and got players for the stretch run, the Cards whose pitching staff is more obliterated than ours, went out and traded for Sterling Hitchcock, now he's not a premier pitcher, but he is an arm that can give some quality innings, something the Astros sorely lack. I can't wait until after the 2004 season, so Drayton can recoup some of his "losses" and sell the team, hopefully to an owner who really wants to win. DaDakota, I share your pain and disappointment in watching this team underachieve against teams they should beat day-in-day-out. Speak your mind, thats what the BBS is for.
First place in a year during which the Central Division SUCKS means postseason play and a shot at the World Series. Craig Biggio is not the worst player in major league history. He slumped. He has hit well of late. Craig Biggio has 8 outfield assists. This ties him for third among NL center fielders and fourth in the major leagues. Morgan Ensberg is not the greatest player in major league history. He has slumped since the All-Star break. In fact, his OPS since then is .616, which is worse than Biggio's in that same time span. But that doesn't matter, because Jimy Williams sucks, the Astros suck, Craig Biggio sucks, and Morgan Ensberg is a golden god. Novak - weren't you the one who was complaining all last year about Drayton not opening the wallet, and then decided to shut up about it when he signed... that one guy, what's his name? Jeff Kent? The Cubs did indeed get players for the stretch run. Bad players. Bad, old players. WHY DO YOU WANT THIS FOR THE ASTROS? ARRRRRRRRRGH.
Sterling Hitchcock sucks. Why the Cardinals wasted the cream of their bad farm system on him is beyond me. And why does everyone think the NL is so easy to pick this year. It doesn't have a dominant team like the Yankees, or dominant pitching like Oakland(unless Arizona or LA makes it). The braves have serious pitching and defense question marks, and the giants are doing their winning with smoke and mirrors: look at their runs scored, runs allowed if you don't believe me. The rest of the NL is a crapshoot. I'm not saying the Astros will win a playoff series this year, but damn it's not like the NL is so stacked we should fold the tent and go home. I could see an Anaheim coming out of the NL, easily. But you don't get that chance unless you get to the postseason first. What makes you think we can afford beltran? He'll want his 10 mil per, and we already need to make room for Jason Lane in our crowded outfield. If you suggest we trade Wagner or Hidalgo to make room, you only are fixing one hole but creating another one. And biggio hasn't been that bad to warrant that, either. As far as a pitcher goes, sure I'd love to get Vasquez or Colon or Millwood to add to Roy-Wade, but if you are Gerry, in our situation, and if you think Carlos Hernandez can make a full recovery, why do you bother? You know you can keep Villone cheaply, redding has done nothing to lose his spot, and you still have oswalt who you expect to be healthy after offseason surgery, and miller. You also have Jeriome Robertson and possibly Kirk Saarloos as depth. So instead you spend the 10-15 mil it takes to get millwood or colon, screwing up your budget unless you make a hole or two elsewhere when you might have had just as good of an alternative in house to begin with. Plus, I don't see why Drayton is accused of not wanting to win. Look at the FA's we lost: Kile: we made as good if not better of an offer than Colorado, but he was from the west coast so he left. Johnson: We made a 13 mil offer, and he took around the same money to go home to Arizona. Hampton: he shot off his mouth about not wanting to be here so what would you do, keep a disgruntled employee. We got arguably the best reliever in baseball in Dotel by trading him. Alou: We had Lane and Daryle Ward who were highly thought of young outfielders, along with Lance and Richard. It didnt work out with Ward, but in the Astros financial situation, why wouldn't you trust in your young talent. Plus if you keep Alou, you don't get Kent, who is the best hitter on the team currently. Newsflash: Not every team in baseball can spend like NY. Just because Steinbrenner is trying to ruin baseball by spending double a good mid market payroll and threatening to go higher, doesn't mean the astros can spend 10-15 million dollars over their budget. If we did, it would be a florida marlins type deal or like what Cleveland did last year, eventually it would come back to bite us. I want to win just as much as anyone, but to say that our owner who hasn't let any major free agents leave without offering a competitive deal doesn't want to win, is absurd. Remember it was Mclane who told hunsicker to go get Johnson, and wanted us to get Clemens in toronto, until problems between his agents and Hunsicker broke down. Wasn't he also the owner who signed Drabek and Swindell, two local heroes, to big contracts? And he agreed big raises for biggio, bagwell, and hidalgo after his great year in 2000. He also told Hunsicker to go get Alou, and granted brad ausmus his 6 mil option this year. But I guess he doesn't want to win right? It's his fault Randy Johnson wanted to go to Arizona, Mike Hampton b****ed out his teammates, Darryl Kile's family wanted Colorado, Roger Clemens fell through. The only major FA he didn't go hard to keep was Alou, but I remember last year, nobody even cared until Daryle Ward failed miserably, so how is it his fault. Is it his fault the reason we are mid market is the cable deal in houston sucks? That is where the money in NY is, besides Steinbrenner who owns Manchester United and is an anomaly. They have cablevision/YES, we have local KNWS or FOX SW. We have a huge population like New York, but we don't nearly have the TV revenue. That is why we can only make 65-70 mil while NY gets 100 million dollars. And how is that his fault? Some of you may think I don't care about winning. But it isn't so. We are damn lucky in Houston to have had a team be as good for a stretch of 10 years like the Astros. But instead of being grateful, fans resort to picking on the owner when it isn't his fault we can't spend like NY, or ripping on the two best players they ever had because they haven't won a championship, not to mention a playoff series. Why don't you ask the fans of KC, Minnesota, Florida, Montreal, Pittsburgh, and SD how it feels to win once or twice in 10-15 years? It sucks. Or ask cleveland fans how much fun rebuilding so drastically and suddenly is, without a title I might add? Or milwaukee fans who haven't seen the postseason in 20 some odd years? At least we have been competitive every year for about a decade. Once you get to the playoffs anything can happen. But a lot of teams in baseball are virtually eliminated before the season begins because of financial constraints. What if walt weiss doesn't save game 3 for Atlanta in 99? What if Dierker uses Dotel instead of Jackson in 2001? What if Oswalt was healthy in 2001? What if we didn't meet up with the one team who finished the year as red hot as the Astros in 98? The playoffs are a lot about luck, especially in a 5 game series. I'm upset that we lost those series, but at least we gave ourselves a chance to win it all. Only one team wins the championship every year, and with baseball's economic structure more than half of all the teams start off behind the 8 ball from the get go. And the one team that usually wins the championship, the Yankees, has the biggest financial advantage in sports. I understand it's natural to get mad when the hometown team goes down for the count, whether its after a miserable regular season, or a 1st round playoff series, or simply finishing 2nd best in all of the game. I also understand fans need someone to blame, and an owner of a competitive mid market team is a perfect target. But those fans are blaming Drayton Mclane, who happens to be the best owner the Astros ever had, when they should be blaming the captalist MLB financial structure, and the lack of a great cable deal instead. It's a shame fans forget about signing Jeff Kent, giving Berkman and hidalgo their extensions, trading for Randy Johnson and Moises Alou, trying hard to get Roger Clemens, and signing Greg Swindell and Doug Drabek, two high profile hometown free agents, as if they never happened, but vilify the owner when he loses some good players, even though he made as good of offers to keep the players compared to those they signed. The astros can not spend like the Yankees, not right now at least. But I'm going to remain a fan of my hometown heroes win or lose, because I don't need a championship to make my life complete, although I'd be jumping for joy for years if it ever happened. If you think money grows on trees and only care about winning it all, no matter how you do it, go be a bandwagon Yankees fan for all I care. But don't blame the owner just because the system is unbalanced towards those with big populations and TV contracts. I, for one, think Mclane is a good owner and appreciate the competiveness of our franchise the last decade. Why don't some of you do the same?
Comparing Oswalt to Lidge as injury-prone starters is ridiculous, and I think you know this. Oswalt has a groin injury that's bothered him for a while, not ruptured ligaments that bothered Brad Lidge for about 37 years in a row in the minors. It's why he went from being a starter to a reliever, it's the same career path Rob Nen(I think it was him) took. Started as a starter, but after a bunch of arm injuries switched to a reliever - and the rest is history. The "Make Brad Lidge a Starter" idea is a bizarre one, at best.
Are you on the Astros payroll or something? You consistently have this homer defense of anything Astros. Justin Pope isn't the cream of anything, he's like a 23 year old A ball pitcher who's had elbow problems. Jason Lane wasn't a highly thought of young player by most anyone who knew he was a 25 year old playing double A ball. Sterling Hitchcock sucks but Robertson and Saarloos are depth? Ooookay. Just because our franchise doesn't suck royally doesn't mean we don't have a right to expect certain things from an owner who coins the phrase, what have you done to become a champion today. He should put up or shut up.
DVauthrin - Well said! Also, folks need to keep in mind that the Astros did not lose Kile for nothing. They got Colorado's 1st round pick in the draft that year and that pick was used on Brad Lidge.
It doesn't matter. Whoever wins the NL Central will get smoked in the playoffs by either the Braves or the Giants. IMHO, here is what the Astros need to do: 1. Get a Center Fielder. Biggio should be platooned, at best. He is not an every day starting center fielder. 2. Get a new trainer. The Astros have been plagued by injuries, especially to starting pitchers. Get them a new trainer to get them in shape to handle an entire season. 3. Let Ausmus go. Don't resign him. Platoon Chavez and Buck as your starting catchers next year. 4. Let Jimmah go. The man just makes strange decisions. 5. Make some deals. This team needs veteran starting pitching badly.
RM_Tex, Good post..... For those that think Lidge should not be a starter because of injuries...what about Carlos Hernandez, should he be moved to the bullpen too? Sink or swim...sink or swim...... I guess I just have higher standards then most. DD
We just don't have the pitching we need to be consistent...Admit it...We have better clutch hitting than in the past, but we can't win without consistent pitching... I still have the faith, but we have to win the division, because the wild card is out of the question, which I think Philly will win... Go Stros'...
Clutch hitting? What? We stink at Clutch hitting...why do you think we lost 2 out of 3 to the lousy Reds and their horrid pitching staff? If we have Clutch hitting we would have won at least 2 of those games...... DD
