Remember when we used to go at each other all the time? I was certainly at fault for my portion of that. It's commendable how much better you are at listening than you used to be because you've always been an intelligent guy (and I mean that as a compliment). I have to say that Houstonians, because of the diverse people and points of view, are better at having difficult discussions than any group of people I've ever been around. There's a level of respect for other people and what they bring to the table that I haven't seen anywhere else (ATX, Shanghai, NYC, LA so far). That's also why this site works so well. I think it also helps a lot that the CF staff generally lets conversations ride.
Hearing tha Hinch called Roberts to apologize is a giant step in the right direction. The fact he stated he was sorry and embarrassed to Roberts personally because his wife was Asian was classy. That's how you fix a mistake. With sincerity.
Appreciate it, but don't worry, I'm fine. I'm just not going to have the Astros playing in the World Series for only the second time in my life marred by not being able to follow my TL due to Shaun King's army of SJWs.
Momentum shifter for sure. Just play the game bro. Let's hope we can close this out in 7 and forget about this ever happened. DAMN YOU YULI!!!
I disagree completely. Before the game started you heard several of his teammates trying to console him to not think about what happened. That means everyone on the team was thinking about the incident and couldn't focus "100%" on the game.
I was thinking the same thing. Game 3, they were loose and having fun. Maybe a little too fun for Yuli, LOLOLOL.
Yeah Altuve couldn’t focus at the plate because he was wondering if Gurriel was sad in the dugout. Seriously man? Gurriel isn’t the only player that has to mentally block out an event unrelated to the game he’s playing. Baseball players all have lives outside the game. This is a complete non issue.
It's Houston sports, of course it's an issue. I'm also concerned about the Texans today for the same exact thing
Baseball is a weird game and one where mental and emotional focus plays an outsized role. The very slow pace of baseball in regards to other sports and also that many players spend a lot of time not being directly involved in a play does mean that there is a greater danger of losing focus. I wouldn't say that this situation directly affected the game but I wouldn't rule out that as a distraction at a time when the team needs to be maximally focused and small mistakes get magnified it didn't have some affect.
Yuli, as the only player on the team involved, may have been distracted. It wasn’t evident during any of his bats or on the field. But he certainly may have been. None of the other players operated in a manner that could make someone think there is something over their heads. Dancing before the game, normal celebratory behavior when Springer hit the homerun, etc. But we know this happened and we want to project it onto them. There are countless things related to everyday life where a player’s head can roam during a baseball game, this isn’t extraordinarily more perile of an event. In fact for everyone not named Yuli, it doesn’t mean much at all. Point being, to use this as an excuse or a focal point for what did or didn’t happen and what may eventually happen is extremely silly. These are guys playing at the best of the best level in the most important games of their life. Altuve does not give 2 ***** about this “controversy” when the game is happening.
As I said baseball is a weird game. The thought that they dodged a potential suspension of a key player during the WS would certainly be a big deal to the team. This wouldn't be a matter of that it dominates their thoughts just a little bit of distraction can have repercussions where very small things can lead to big changes. Swinging a fraction of a second late or making contact a fraction of an inch different can change whether a swing is a home run or an out. A difference of a fraction of an inch in arm rotation or a fraction of a second in release can be the difference between a strike or a wild pitch leading to a run. I doubt any player will admit to it or that we will never know what if any this situation affected the team. Given how well the Astros have played at home this post season I wouldn't rule anything out though.
The dodgers didn't need any extra motivation to win but they sure have it now thanks to Gurriel. If Darvish gets another start in this series he will likely pitch a jem with Gurriel going 0-4
