Raven Lunatic Why should Drayton have to wait for the Texans to come to reality and Yao Ming to arrive to H-Town before he realizes he needs to do something? It is not a secret he promised to deliever a competetitive team if we built him a new ball park and we kept our own end of the bargain - it is only fair he keeps his promise or sell the team to a "Les Alexander" or a "Bob McNair".
Are you seriously contending that Drayton has fielded a competitive team? We have won the division 4 of the last 6 years. There aren't a whole lot of teams in the league that can boast that. Just because he has done so without signing big name free agents doesn't mean he hasn't made strides to improve the team. Remember the Randy Johnson trade? I swear you bashers will never be satisfied. The team has been good for a long time now. For most people, that would be good enough. But you all say we suck because we never make any serious pitches to big name free agents. Now I throw out the hypothetical that we get Kent, and you come back with "He should have been doing this all along." You can't be sated. Perhaps you should just go cheer for the Yankees or hop aboard someone else's bandwagon.
You mean the Randy Johnson rental? You Drayton apologists never cease to amaze me, he can never do any wrong in your eyes. He can tell a bold-face lie and its all sweet nothings to you. Why should I go and root for another team? Why can I not expect more out of my hometown team?
Because expecting more would mean a championship. Only the Yankees and a couple other teams win it all. My point to all the Drayton lovers is this: Stop saying that he has fielded a good team. Thats BS. He is lucky that Bagwell and Biggio were already on the team when he took over. Besides, all the credit should go to Hunsicker. He is the reason we have been competitive, not Drayton.
I didn't say you can't, but if you want to see a team spend more money than the Astros, then you should go elsewhere. Drayton has made it very clear he is not going to start losing serious money on the Astros. This is not going to change, so stop complaining. I don't like it either (how about that, I admited I didn't like something Drayton does! Wow, I guess you were wrong), but it causes me nothing but grief to complain about it. I, instead, choose to sit back and appreciate the fact that Drayton has paid to put a team out on the field every season that is capable of winning the division...and has done so 4 of the last 6 years. How many owners in the MLB do you think would be willing to spend more than Drayton, assuming the same revenue streams? Out of curiosity. Sometimes I think the people that don't like Drayton just assume that anyone would be better, when the truth is that there are probably as many owners out there that would be WORSE as there is that would be better.
Weak points all around. Drayton HAS fielded a good team. Just because we haven't done anything in the post season doesn't mean we were incapable. Most people would have told you before last season that the Angels were incapable. Also, the point about Hun doing all the work versus Drayton is irrevelant. We are discussing owners here. All teams have GMs, and most are not the owner. If you want to discuss the merits of our GM compared to other teams, fine, but that's another thread. I think you will find I agree that Hunsicker is damn good at his job. We were discussing what Drayton does. Bagwell and Biggio were indeed on the team when he got here, but you are fooling yourself if you think they are the only reason we have won. Besides, he held on to Bagwell, didn't he? He actually ponied up the big bucks when Bagwell's contract came up. *Shock* Drayton hired Hunsicker to do the job. Let's give Drayton credit for getting the right man. Drayton has put the money up to field a team that is competitive every season. If you really don't believe that we have been competitive, then I have no reason to discuss this with you, because you apparently expect way too much from your baseball team.
Uh.....When did I say we havent been competitive?? Wow, so he held on to Bagwell? I would hope so. That would be like the Rockets not resigning Francis. Way to go Drayton.
Who the hell are you to tell me to go somewhere else? I love my team, and because I want to see them holding the World Series trophy, not just being consistent during the season and rolling over in the playoffs. You may be complacent with the state of the club, but I'm not. As long as I hear the same BS coming from Drayton's mouth I'll bash him all I want, if you don't like it, don't respond, just sit back.
With the exception of about 4 or 5 teams that are active in free agency every year, you could say that about every other owner in baseball.
We've won 1 of the last 3 and if we don't sign a major player or pull of a pretty sweet trade it's going to be 1 of the last 4.
The last team to overspend to bring in a bunch of free agents so they could win it all was the Florida Marlins...we all know how that ended. On another note...the Angels didn't overspend...they didn't bring in a bunch of free agents...they built largely from within.
I hope you're right, Refman. The Astros are on their way to being to be team #3 in Houston. I think a lot of fans are dissapointed in the gap between the inflated rhetoric of "doing whatever it takes to become a champion" and the reality. I think in many respects that the Astros are a great organization, but Drayton betrays his grocer's roots at every turn. He likes to go for the big and flashy display (Swindell, Drabeck, Randy Johnson, the re-signing of Ken Caminitti, the need for Enron Field) while cutting expenses (Carl Everrett, Mike Hampton, the first trade of Brad Ausmus, no free agents of consequence for years at a time) and raising prices in other areas (Enron Field concesion and ticket prices). Strained metaphor, I realize, but apt.
Okay, what are you trying to say? My whole point is that too much credit is given to Drayton for the success we have had over the last 6 years.
I never stated the Astros couldnt win. All I said was the Yankees and a few other teams, Angels included.
You seem to have a literacy problem, Jared. You have confused me with someone who gives a damn which team you root for. I never told you to go anywhere else. I suggested it. There's a world of difference. I, honestly, don't care what you do. You apparently are expecting more than most of the teams in the league can deliver. To get all worked up over the fact that your team's owner is not one of the top 10 or so in the league seems a tad reactionary, but suit yourself. You still have not answered my question of which owners in the league you think would do a better job than Drayton.
Just about every owner other than the Reds, KC, TB, Florida, and the Expos (who really don't count because MLB owns them). Satisfied with the answer. You seem to share my same problem considering you have taken everything I've said out of context. I think its funny, we all want the Astros to succeed, and yet we bicker about the problems. You yourself have said that Drayton will not spend serious money. Problem number one. We agree on that. The rest is futile to discuss, becasue the rest of the problems stem from that one.
