Pet peeve of mine is how the national broadcast teams never explain why there’s a train in our stadium. I’ve heard several commentators reference the train and it’s apparent aloofness. Anyways, rich/cool history, I wish they would share that on primetime broadcasts so people can understand why we have a train full of oranges above left field.
Odd coincidence that Junction Jack disappears just before Orbit reappears. Makes one think Orbit used his ray gun.
Orbit is great. Was a tongue in cheek response that even the Astros distanced themselves from the train theme on the rebrand. there was talks about removing the train during the CF renovation, but ultimately glad they kept it. Still hoping they one day add seat cars. Need to figure out the bathroom situation.
Alex Bregman’s rehab assignment continues, and the Astros’ lack of infield depth remains apparent https://theathletic.com/2763045/202...stros-lack-of-infield-depth-remains-apparent/ Including a game that was cut short by rain, Alex Bregman is parts of eight games and 29 plate appearances into his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land. On paper, that would seem like enough for him to be activated. But the Astros evidently want to see more before they insert their star third baseman back into the lineup. Bregman, who’s coming back from a left quad strain he sustained June 16, is 3-for-29 with six walks and two strikeouts with Sugar Land. His one single and two doubles haven’t made for a ton of in-game running, plus there was the right hamstring tightness that forced him from a game on Aug. 1. So while the expectation had been that he would be activated during the six-game homestand that wraps up Wednesday, Bregman will head back out to Triple A to play more rehab games. “He’s just not ready” was the line repeated Tuesday by Astros general manager James Click and manager Dusty Baker in their attempts to explain why Bregman isn’t yet back. “We don’t want to happen to him like what happened to (George) Springer (with the Blue Jays earlier this season), where you come back and then you’ve got to go back on the DL again,” Baker said. “That’s just something that we can’t afford to happen, especially late in the year. That’s all I can tell you. He’s not ready.” Click said the Astros have “just got to make sure this thing’s 100 percent behind him.” He also spoke of the need for Bregman to get his timing down at the plate before returning instead of returning and getting his timing down after the fact. Position players get a maximum of 20 days on minor-league rehab assignments. But if that’s not enough, a team can pull a player off his assignment, wait five days and start a new 20-day clock. That’s what the Astros are doing this week with Bregman, who last played in Triple A on Saturday and thus can start his new assignment as soon as Friday. The Skeeters have a six-game home series against Albuquerque that runs Thursday through Tuesday. It’s unclear how much more the Astros want to see from Bregman, but his return will be an obvious boon to a lineup that has been relatively average in July and August after a torrid June. Even if he performs closer to his 118 OPS+ of 2020-21 than his 158 OPS+ of 2018-19, Bregman’s plate discipline and high contact rate will make the offense a lot more difficult for opposing pitchers to navigate. Another product of Bregman’s return will be that the Astros can go back to having a solid bench. Yuli Gurriel is on track to be back Friday from his issue with a stiff neck, and Bregman’s subsequent return will allow Aledmys Díaz to move back into his valuable super-utility role. At that point, the Astros will no longer have to give at-bats to the likes of Robel García, Jacob Wilson and Taylor Jones. The Astros’ lack of infield depth has been apparent lately, to the point that it’s natural to wonder if they will regret not adding to their bench before the trade deadline. If all of their infielders are healthy, it won’t be an issue. But they could’ve used a rental bench bat, like veteran Josh Harrison (now on the A’s), as insurance against an infielder going down again after they parted with Abraham Toro to land reliever Kendall Graveman on July 27. In large part because of significant time missed by Bregman and Díaz this season, the Astros have already given 117 plate appearances to García, a February waiver claim who has proved to not be a major-league-caliber player with his .423 OPS. He was demoted to Triple A last week and replaced by another waiver claim, Wilson, a longtime minor-leaguer who was recently cast aside by the A’s. Wilson, who played third base and went 0-for-3 Sunday against the Twins, could be the odd man out when Gurriel returns. Jones, who came into Tuesday night’s game against the Rockies with a .505 OPS in 74 plate appearances, has gotten some time at first base in Gurriel’s brief absence. Because of the lack of alternatives, he actually has a chance at making a possible ALDS roster even if everyone is healthy. That in itself is telling.
The funniest thing is he's 33 and lost >1 mph in 2020. Aging, declining velo relievers aren't the kind of guys you're supposed to throw a boatload of money at.
Chas is fine as a Straw replacement. Astros would have been fine splitting up their ab’s, but Dusty was stubborn and played Straw nearly everyday thus Click had to trade him.
Chas really forced Clicks hand, major credit/props to him. edit: Chas kind of gives me Luke Scott vibes. Call me crazy. I’m happy with him as a 4th OF’er...not in love with him in the starting role, but with our other internal options, don’t hate him taking the majority of ABs until our upcoming options really force the change. Hopefully Meyers balls out, his double the other night looked great.
I really hope Dusty’s decisions with respect to playing time didn’t factor into Click’s decisions regarding trades. That would be Texans level FO dysfunction.
Thread deleted for spam??? over a the Astros Reddit, but I think the Astros still win 100 games, take 2/3 from the Angels and then sweep all 4 games from KCR.
It almost certainly did, we potentially had a better player on the bench (and in AAA), and Dusty wasn't gonna give either one a chance. It's dysfunctional yes, but the Astros never really wanted to hire Dusty, and firing him midseason when the team is playing well would have brought upon them another media s**tstorm, even if he completely deserves it (which he does). If he is brought back all of us will be stunned.
Can confirm...that I don’t believe it’s possible to be crazier than Luke Scott. https://bleacherreport.com/articles...ing-out-luke-scotts-take-on-history-and-obama
