How un-excited are you about the Astros this season??

I'm confused. I agree with your expectations. Oswalt has another Cy-caliber year, Clemens regresses but is still above average, Pettite has an up and down season, Backe is ok. That may translate into a good pitching staff, but it doesn't come anywhere close to your GREAT pitching designation. Basically, your "wide-based" assumptions are based on a hypothetical that you don't see as being probable for the Astros, but a possibility.

So you think (Astros glasses off) that the pitching will be good, that it would be a stretch for it to be GREAT, and a good pitching staff doesn't carry a team. But, if it becomes GREAT it could carry us? When you put it that way, I don't see where we're in disagreement.

 

Yea, I guess it seems like I'm sort of flip-flopping.

But, I'm just re-defining my original sentiments... I do believe the Astros have a good chance to have a GREAT pitching staff. For that to happen, Roy and Roger have to be cy-young type pitchers (which is totally possible... when I expect Roy to be as good as Roger was last year, and Roger to be as good as Roy was last year), and either Pettite or Backe have to be as good as they can be.

If Pettite regains his form (which is not out of the realm) then this pitching staff can carry this team.

Keep in mind that I was catering these thoughts to people who "found absolutely nothing interesting" about this team (ie, spoiled by last year's playoff run)... not the ones who want playoffs and world series guaranteed.

I think this team is light-years ahead of the 2001-2003 squads, and we all expected each of those teams to do very well.

 

My concern is this is not a 'fun' roster. No speed, too little power, too pourous D. In other words, the pitching might carry this team far but the only 'fun ' would be winnin g.

What's wrong with that? Roger is ancient, and at last year's best, was stgill pretty much a 6-inning hurler. Roy O is great, but gets dinged up every year. Pettitte has to prove his arm's health and durability. Where is the 5th starter, and how safe is the get-to-Lidge pen?

I don't see a half full glass, but -- but I will be there and hope all the pieces come together and play deep into October.

 

not sure why you feel this way. aren't you in the least bit curious to see how burke and tavarez will pan out. both guys are speedsters and could really add a spark to the lineup. but thats just me...

 

i wholeheartedlly agree! no one should be down on their teams at the start of baseball season. bring on the season and i hope the stros prove everyone wrong.

 

Last year the excitement was overwhelming with Andy & Roger being signed to go with the club. This year for some reason is doom & glum. I don't understand, because with the exception of Kent, this is the same club that started last year. Now granted Berkman won't make the starting bell, but he'll only be a couple of weeks behind.

I think that the Stros will win the division because the Cards aren't the team they were last year & the Cubs have disintegrated. I think we have to worry more about the Reds than the Cubs.

 

I've heard this thought a couple times on this board and i just want to point out that it's not close to the same ballclub that opened last season. As you've said Kent is gone. In addition, we may have forgot, but going in 2004 hidalgo was coming off a very good 2003 season in which he had a 900 + ops, 25 + hr, 500+ slp, etc. Replacing them it looks like we'll have 2 rookies, who even if they exceed expectations, won't equal the production, esp. the power production, we expected out of kent and hidalgo going in last year. Also, while ensberg is still with the team, he experienced significant dropoffs in every offensive statistical catagory in his 2nd full season. Reasonably everyone has much lower expectations for him this year that they had going in last year.

Due to an increased age and what now is an apparently steady decline in offensive production, Bagwell also comes in this season with lower offensive expectations. In fact, in addition to all these losses/reasonable lower expectations, i cant think of one offensive position (exception maybe biggio's production) in which expectation are higher than they were going into last year.

while the pitching will still be good, it too suffers from decreased expectation. A main part of the excitement going into last year was the depth and the quality of the starting five. Redding was coming off a good 2003 and probably as much was expected of him last year as is of backe this year. Miller was like having a number 2 guy in the number 4 spot and Pettite wasn't coming off major elbow surgery. In the bullpen, we knew we had two quality guys back there.

So as you can see , despite surface appearances, it's not close to the same club that entered last season. I think that's a huge part of the lower expectations this spring.

that said, "hope springs eternal" yada yada, it will be great to have baseball back. I just remember that some of my fondest baseball memories are all the astros teams of the early 90's when they weren't in contention. hopefully the stros will do well, but even if they don't it's okay. there are still great reason to watch this year. i'm interested in seeing burke, taverez play (may astacio last in the season). I want to watch and appreciate oswalt, lidge, and berkman as they play thru there prime years, and i'll get another chance to see my boyhood heros and future astros hall of famers, biggio and bagwell play another season together (who knows how many they have last).

 

Sure. And I want to see Bags' 'new' swing, and Bigg go out on top. I want to see Berkman have the kind of year which makes DMc cry on his way to the bank, broken by LB. I want to see Morgan succeeding and AE playing top notch D with ok O.

But, it's Spring. I love the renewal of a baseball season. I just don't see an exciting team, nor a team, in place right now, which is either a legit post-season contender or one built to be entertaining unto itself.

 

there's a shocker!!! you never do!!!

 

Not much "new" to it, according to the guys on the radio (though I haven't seen it myself). Still in a very deep crouch, and only trying not to drop his hands as much. He had a great swing yesterday, and Ashby pointed out that he just got comfortable, dropped his hands, and swung like he's been doing for the better part of two decades.

I want to see Biggio go out on top, too. I hope he's got 2800 hits (at least) when he does.