Geez....how many balls has Doggy fumbled this year that gave the team an extra base??? EDIT: Figures....that would have been a double play ball. Now there is a runner at 3rd with 2 out.
Ausmus argued balls and strikes with the ump and they were going at it for a while, then Jimy came out and took Ausmus away from the ump and yelled at the ump...so then it seemed like everything settled down and Jimy went out to have a chat with Pettitte. When Jimy walked back to the dugout the umpire stood right in his way on the third base line and yelled at him before he even said a word.
Really???? Umps might have been out of line. Check out this from today's Chronicle: Press box view If baseball disciplinarian Bob Watson and the folks in the commissioner's office have any self-respect, they will punish the men who umpired Saturday night's game at Turner Field. Plate umpire Gary Darling was calling a decent game until he changed the strike zone in the eighth inning after he didn't appreciate the Astros' choice words. It was nice to see Roy Oswalt genuinely embarrassed for his out-of-character decision to toss a gum container onto the field. Jimy Williams deserves kudos for standing up for his players, who better start pitching in to pay for the fines that will be levied against Williams, Oswalt and bench coach John Tamargo.
If the umpire was standing halfway up the 3rd baseline just to provoke Jimi, then the umpire should be fined. Darling was out of line yesterday also. Instead of walking away, he just kept bumping Jimi and then got into it with Roy.
Yawn... another boring, "uneventful", save for Octavio Dotel... in what was a tense one-run game, and an overall great series. Great job guys... enjoy the off day (I know I will), rest up, and get ready to pound the World Champion Marlins at home. Did you know... the Astros won 5 out of 6 from Florida last year?
Stros win. Somewhat of a bittersweet victory. Should have been a sweep. Props to Miceli and Ducky for nailing it down for Handy Andy.
Check this out. Pettite and Clemens are 9-1 so far this year, with a 2.51 ERA. Id say it was worth the Wagner trade.
Keeping an eyes on the SF/Cin and Col/Chi games. Cincy just intentionally walked Bonds with no one on and no one out to start the 10th. Boooo!!!
I'm glad we got the series in the bag, and even better about getting outta Dodge...I didn't see today's game, but these umps need diciplinary action...
The best umpire in the game is Tim McClellan.... but even he wasn't immune to controversy (he was the one you see in the infamous George Brett pine-tar incident... he called him out for having too much on the bat after he had just hit a HR) Sometimes, when you have a team that's strugglin with the umps, like the Astros have since Friday, every incident gets magnified a little more. Plus, its the same exact crew all three games, so its not like they magically forget the "choice" words that were said just one night before. Regardless... we came away with a series win... and we didn't lose any ground in the standings. Also, its painfully obvious that this team feeds off of Jimy's intensity... something that was lacking during the Dierker years. Dierker, until this year, always had more talent in his lineup and pitchers than Jimy has had... its more fun watching what a manager can do when he doesn't have to trot out Jeriome Robertson and Brian Moehller every fifth day.
Good series for the Astros. Saturday was tough, but I'll gladly settle for 2 out of 3. The homeplate umpire today was complete garbage! Pettite was painting that corner like crazy and he never got the call. This is a much needed and deserved off day. The Bullpen can rest, The team goes back home, and we might even be able to skip Redding in the rotation v. Florida. I'd much rather see Clemens, Miller, and Oswalt against the champs. Hidalgo needs this day off too. He needs to get his head together. He's striking out alot recently. he'll be fine though. GO Stros!
This team is giving me a feeling I have never had with the Stros before. I think they are the best team in the national league......our starting pitching is incredible. DD
Exactly!, I don't know if it's the addition of Clemens or what, but they seem to be a team with more character and competitive fire than I've seen in a loooong time!
Right now the Astros are the best team in baseball. Clutch hitting and great starting pitching can do wonders in October and I have a feeling the Stros will walk through the N.L.
Agreed. There is just something about them. I mean, everytime I watch them play I feel confident that we will win. It's like everyone is inspired now that we have the Rocket and pettite. The hitting is sensational, we are so clutch right now.
Im afraid the cubs have great pitching, and they are doing this without prior, im afraid to see him come back.
Here's some more detail from the Chronicle on what happened in the Saturday game. Who bumped whom? Jimy Williams adamantly denied bumping plate umpire Gary Darling on Saturday night while trying to get to second-base umpire Rob Drake, who is not even a regular umpire. Drake, a minor-league umpire, serves as a replacement for vacationing umpires. Drake was at the center of the controversy in the eighth inning Saturday night after claiming he heard Roy Oswalt's fastball nick the Braves' Jesse Garcia in the head. Darling didn't hear the ball hit Garcia, so he let Drake overrule his call. That's when the Astros lost their cool. Williams, Oswalt and bench coach John Tamargo were ejected in that inning. "The umpire three feet away can't see or hear that situation, but he's going to ask somebody (Drake) 110 feet away?" Williams said. "The crew chief is going to ask a vacation umpire on a call three feet away? (Drake) told me he heard it." According to security guards outside their locker room, the umpires refused to comment on the controversy again Sunday. According to second baseman Jeff Kent, Drake first said he saw the ball hit Garcia before changing his story and claiming he heard it. Williams also had argued in the third inning with third-base umpire Mark Carlson when he ruled that Horacio Ramirez had not touched Jeff Bagwell's chopper toward third. Whatever the case, Williams followed up his argument in the eighth inning with Darling by ripping into Drake, who tossed him. According to Williams, as he was walking away, Drake told him: "We got the other one right, too." The final comment drove Williams back toward Drake. With Darling standing in the way of Williams and Drake, Williams spun around Darling to get to Drake. In that process, contact was made. "He bumped me," Williams said. "I didn't bump him."
