those names on that list . 2019, sure we didn't win it all, but that was one of the funnest seasons being a 'Stros fan.
It’s an odd thing in my life. 2015 to ~2019, my kids were babies, the money was flowing, my body was healthy…and the Astros were badass, and I appreciated it, in the moment. I remember pretty much every night putting my kids to bed I would stare at them thinking “this is the youngest they will ever be”. And I remember watching all those playoff series from 2017-2019 thinking “the stros will NEVER have another run like this”. I didn’t anticipate how quickly my physical abilities would deteriorate in my 40s, but i definitely knew parenting and Astros fandom were peaking.
I think his interest in staying with the Astros was more than genuine... and it led to mutual interest. He still got a 33 million dollar/year extension to stay... he wasn't giving any sentimental discounts regardless of his previous career earnings. He also got extended before he had to (similar to Altuve)... and those sorts of initiatives usually get done when somebody endorses their interest in staying. As far as giving thanks or pointing out the benefits of the Astros' system, I also believe that to be genuine. Maybe thats just the sort of individual he is while Cole is wired differently. JV continued to extol virtues in his brief Mets stint when as you said, he didn't have to. Cole NOT giving thanks or barely mentioning the Astros unlocking something is more troubling because JV was an MVP/CYA well before he worked with Strom. Cole was not. Cole owes a lot to the coaching staff and catchers that helped him reach his true potential.
Despite how he couldn't win a game to start last season, he actually had a pretty solid season. Too bad he won't make it to 300 wins. The TJ surgery hurt, but so did going to the Giants and Mets, who's inability to score runs, made it nearly impossible to win games. If he had stayed in Houston or gone to say, the Yankees or Dodgers I think he would have 280 wins, and not sure he'd be retiring as he'd hold on to hope of getting to that magic number.
Also, I may be the only one that never really cared about pitchers wins... and I know pitchers do, and the HOF old voters certainly do... but the game no longer really is set up the same. Pitchers wins have become even more irrelevant than batting average. It may be the most irrelevant stat in the game, honestly. Yes, back when it was more 'expected' that elite pitchers were going to go the distance till they couldn't, they were certainly "winning" those games. Now, not so much. Somebody else could probably look this up... who was the last pitcher with the most complete games/year that really stood out compared to today's normal seasons? I would say that was probably the last time pitchers wins really seemed to matter.
Geez, I just looked, and 200 might become as rare as 300 was. 2 time defending Cy Young, Tarik Skubal only has one more career win than Craig Kimbrel. Which I realize he's played a lot more years, but Skubal has been around 7 years and is 29, but only has 59 wins. There are hardly any guys under 30 in the Top 100 in active wins. A list that starts with only 38 wins. Roy Oswalt got to 38 in his 3rd season and he missed a 3rd of that season.
More recently than you would guess. Alcantara had 6 in 2022, James Shields had 11 in 2011. Each generation has seen a decline in complete games. Double digits quit being the norm for the MLB leaders when we turned to the year 2000. Shields & Sabathia in 2008 are the only 2 since, but prior to 2000, every single season featured at least 1 pitcher reaching double digit complete games.
Hmm. But even those seem like anomalies if you compare to the surrounding years. looks like 1999 was around the last season where double digit complete games were the standard…. And it does seem like wins still mattered in the steroid era with several pitchers from that era reaching 300 (some of them on steroids). it’s a dying stat that has almost zero relevance now other than “longevity” (with innings pitched obviously being a better marker, unless there’s some random shitty pitcher that somehow got more innings in his career than he should have)
JV was and is one of my all-time favorite Astros, he was "must see" even if it was a Tuesday night, reminded me of when Clemens pitched, there was electricity in the air and it felt like a playoff game, you knew he would grind. Dam, those were the good ole days...........Tip of the hat JV, and to think he has this to look forward to is the cherry on top
