Nobody... (and I mean NOBODY)... anticipated a Beltran-like acquisition last year... so you can't really say die on this. I'm not saying they will... and I'm not saying they won't... you just have to always keep that open as a possibility. (and the fact is that its still easier to improve your offense and defense via trades and minor league callups.... rather than pitching).
Uhh no. I don't think anything I said in my post would indicate I'm a fair-weathered baseball fan. What I said shows that I don't like the Astros that much. I don't think they're that good, and I'm being realistic about their chances. I'll agree with you that pitching is the most important aspect, so they're not as bad off if it was batting they had instead of pitching. A lot of things are gonna have to go right, however, for them to make it back to the postseason. The Rockets are just the best in the world. They can be infuriating at times (i.e. the Francis years), but least they accomplished something (like you said in '95). I just love them regardless because they were at their best when I was little and that has always stayed with me. Contrarily, the Astros have not. The Rockets went to the playoffs last year, too. The Texans have done great in their short existence. They haven't given their fans reasons to hate them and be totally dissapointed and heartbroken. I know my arguement will seem flawed, and I see where y'all are coming from. The thing is I just don't like the Astros that much - not at the level I like the Rockets and Texans. So, I'm not fair-weathered as accused.
That is the beauty of baseball. If basketball ran their playoffs like baseball, the Rockets would never had qualified for the playoffs the year they won their 2nd championship. Conversely, the Astros would have made the playoffs every year (save 2000) since 1994 if baseball had basketball's lax requirements for qualifying. I assume that the Astros would have enjoyed greater playoff success if they had been there 10 out of 11 years.
So, you're just not an Astros fan... that's fine... but I said what I said because you seemed like you would be happy if the team did well, but you're understandably not too enthusiastic when things don't look good. That's the definition of "fair-weathered" (which is not as bad and isolated as some-people think... EVERYBODY jumped on the bandwagon last year... and everybdoy summmarily has jumped off when things have gone bad... that's to be expected). If you're not that big a fan... then it shouldn't really matter to you if they do well or not... so it kinda makes all this effort of my post wasted, I guess. (the following is just meaningless diatribe.. I don't really know why I'm typing it... but I always start to feel this way when people "choose" what teams to follow in their respective cities, and what teams to not follow) A lot of us are diehards here... no matter what the sport... as long as its in Houston. Why? Because we're lucky enough to live/grown up/used to live in a big city that actually has all 3 major professional sports. If you were in St. Louis, you wouldn't really follow the NBA... or if you were in Utah, the NFL and MLB would be afterthoughts... that's just where we're coming from. We all have followed the three teams at their peaks (Oilers included), and their valleys. Some of us started to love them at different times (for me, it was Football, then basketball, and then baseball)... but eventually, we embraced all three... and didn't really play favorites. Sure, I love the NFL a lot... but would I trade that for a championship in basketball? hell yeah. At the same time, when the Rockets lost in the playoffs last year, baseball carried the sports mantle throughout the summer, and into October... and now that the Astros might not have that great of a season, perhaps the Rockets can hopefully do the same (I like this team more than any other since 97). I guess I'm just trying to garner some support for all our local teams... I understand that some people just don't like baseball, whether it be because its too slow, the season is too long, or that the players are juiced.. whatever. But, I just feel we're lucky to get the chance to root them on... no matter what. (ok... meaningless drivel done... damn, I shouldn't have had that 4th drink).
I will always be aboard the wagon. I never got off last year, even when we did suck. You go back to the summer threads, and I was in them. It was only me and like 5 other guys or something. I remember MadMax, Nick, and a few others.
I still remember saying the season would turn-around when Ensberg hit his 1st homerun. It didn't happen right away... but I still stand by the fact that maybe that one event sparked the team (and it only kicked in about a month later )
NO kidding! I remember screaming at the tv! I was so happy when that thing left the park! Man, last season was a fun one. If I didn't post for a while last summer it was either because I was in Saudi and didn't have a connection to the internet at the time, or I was at a relatives house on in Houston (and I watched it on tv or listened to it on the radio)
Don't say things like that. If you're going to say this is the "same team" and then subtract players...you can't forget to add them. Add Pettite. Add Lidge's improvement to his current status. Add Burke and Lane playing regularly. Add Backe's improvement. (Don't subtract Wade cause he didn't play during the "good" part of the season) You're just painting the picture to be worse than it is when you make a statement like that. Their pitching has to be better--not necessarily absolutely outstanding--than it was last year (which it should be...with Pettite and a season of Backe vs. very little after the top 2 the last 2 motnhs of last year). And the young guys need to do well. A huge splash? I think with improved pitching, the team can take a dip. If you factor in decent production from the kids in comparison to what Beltran/Kent gave us, it's a drop...but handleable. I just don't think what's required is as enormous as you make it seem
Obviously we have the starting pitching. However, most our starters will only go 6 innings. Lidge is a sure thing, but that's still 2 innings a game for the oppenents to take back the lead. It's not like we will have huge leads with our offense. I don't think we addresed our bullpen problems at all since last year.
It's not a sure thing, but I'm looking forward to full seasons from Qualls and Wheeler--especially Qualls.
