WTF is it with some of you and this "we" are spending/losing money? "We" are not doing jack ****. It's Drayton's business, it's our team. If he loses money who cares? Don't quit rooting for who we have b/c our GM doesn't always make the best decisions. Also, Max, like you I went to Baylor - so I admire Drayton as an alumni. That said, I have no loyalty to him as per the Astros. He's been a good owner so far, though. He won't stand pat after the season if the product is crap.
I remember two years ago going to a game in late May (I think it was memorial day), with Clemens on the mound, and after he pitched six or seven solid innings the bullpen came in and blew the game. That was right around the time we were 15-30 and everyone was bracing for a terrible season. I think that's the same way everyone feels right now. The difference between that team and this team I think is that this one is going to need some kind of shakeup to turn things around. Personally, I think it should probably start with Garner being let go. He did a nice job managing the vets we had for a couple of years, but he's obviously not getting the best out of this team. If you look at it, we really haven't had any young guys develop under him (you could argue Luke Scott, but that's about it). In fact, one of our more highly touted young guys in Burke has seemingly regressed, and a couple of guys who looked fairly promising in the middle of their careers have too (Ensberg, Lane). Not that that is all his fault, but that's the way it goes. Hopefully we can get a manager who can develop some young guys while keeping the team competitive, and maybe Purpura can swing a trade or two to shake up the clubhouse a little bit. There is definitely hope, especially in this weak division, but somethings got to change.
The risk with the Lee contract is the length of it. It's a great deal for this year and the next few. But there's a risk with his weight issues that he'll end up a DH or a bad 1B down the line and we may be stuck with his contract. We'll see, though. The other issue is that he's a very good but not great hitter - not in the top 20 or so hitters in baseball but his contract is a top-5 player type contract. Again, that's OK for now because we have payroll flexibility, but we'll see how it affects the team a few years down the road.
i don't have a whole lot of baylor rah rah in me. i don't admire him as alumni. there are lots of alumni from baylor. but i do appreciate the fact that this franchise, which was an absolute joke before he bought the team, has become a perennial contender. that they've gotten further than they ever have under his watch...and that they've been much more consistently competitive than at any other period of the franchise's history, by a long shot. i was a big 'stros fan before drayton...i'll be a big 'stros fan after drayton.
Its just a slump, which again, we're only 7.5 games out...DO I wish we were at least .500, of course, but there is still hope...
During this 10 game losing streak, in which the Astros have scored a grand total of 21 runs, Adam Everett is 9-27. If only they had a SS that could hit, then things would be ok.
Awesome. I haven't posted this all year, but here goes. Tonight, it all gets turned around. Salvage one game from the Reds, sweep the Redbirds. It all starts tonight. I'm calling Big Puma 4-5 with 3 RBI.
Mo's swing, and he's been swinging, has looked much, much better the past week or so. Would be nice if he'd stick with this stance for awhile & see what happens.
Does this team have any leadership on the field? Do they have any nasty guys? I see Roy O as the only guy that seems to really want to crush the opponent. They really need a spark somewhere.... DD
They might as well get the record, they are SOOOO close, so just 2 more losses then they can go on and break the record for wins in a row. Dow Jones team, so far this year....down....up.....down....up.....down..... DD
what nasty guys did they have in 2005, da da?? what nasty guys did the cards have last season??? when did nasty guys become a prerequisite to winning? this isn't football or even basketball.
i'm going to, in my head, make a list of this team's most pressing priorities... (thinking....) (still thinking....) (......) ok... done! "meaningless richard justice-type fodder like 'leadership' and 'nastiness'" came in at 1,279; right behind "new uniforms that are more clutch."
To DaDa's defense, I think he's leaning more towards the argument that this team has no sense of urgency... there's no "win now at all costs" approach... there's no pressure. Past Astros teams had that built in, whether it be because its Bagwell/Biggio's last real shot to win, or the championship aspirations that Pettite and Clemens brought. I know last year was pretty frustrating to Pettite/Clemens that they weren't in the post-season... but I don't really know if it was that disheartening to anybody else on the team (maybe Roy). Now, that they're both in NY (where its World Series win or die), this team is definitely missing a lot of that. Biggio clearly cares a lot about 3000... that's what this year is about for him. Carlos Lee is happy regardless over the next 6 years. Lance Berkman is too laid-back to really instill that sort of mindset (although he does get riled up when his "boys" get sent to AAA). Roy Oswalt has the killer instinct, but he's always had it... since he put on the uniform in 2001. He also doesn't seem like the type that will try to motivate anybody else (nor should he have to).
Roger Clemens, Andy Petitte to name two.... Maybe I am not being clear.....nasty as in fiery competitive players who hate to lose. Not thugs. And Ric....we know you don't believe in leadership......you are still wrong...signed Vince Young....... DD
This sounds like a whole bunch of mumbojumbo to me. You don't think the players put pressure on themselves? Really? And no, there is not, never is, was, or will be, a "win now at all costs approach" (whatever that means) in the first few months of the regular season. On any team. Regular season baseball is not a game of emotional highs & lows. It's a grind; the players know it, the coaches know it. Rah-rah stuff doesn't go far in a big league clubhouse.
