Absolutely, but I'm saying he's not making any decisions based on three games. If it continues, obviously he won't come to a sub-.500 team, but I don't think he's crossing the Astros off now... he knows it'll turn around.
The same Willy who's already splitting time with a 42-year old Steve Finley, coming off his worst season 17 years? That Willy Taveras?
The baseball world doesn't revolve around Roger Clemens. I know He likes to think it does. I don't know, as an Astro fan, the whole idea of everyone on the team "auditioning" for Roger to see if He will grace us all with His presence sometime this season is a little offensive. I'd rather the team want to win for themselves, not just to please Roger Clemens.
Word. Also, a decent baseline answer to the thread starter's question is "when The Cat becomes concerned." That's because he is not exactly a sunshine-and-roses type of fan, and even he hasn't said "season over" yet. Not even in jest. For real, though. Coming into the season, a lot of people thought the offense would be better, the bullpen was good, and the rotation was a question mark. The rotation performed quite well, the offense and much of the bullpen did not; and I think it's more likely for the rotation to keep "overachieving" than the offense and bullpen continuing to blow. Or, more precisely, the adjustment to expectations will have, team-wide, a greater positive effect from the offense and bullpen than negative effect from the starters. Chin up.
I'm pretty sure they'll salvage the season soon enough... a 3 game sweep by the Pirates is definitely something I'd rather see happening now than later. BUT... one thing that may concern me is this: The sense of urgency. The last three years, I felt that there was only one goal... and if they didn't reach it, the season was going to be considered close to a failure by all involved. This year, I don't really think the team has that mindset. Hell, I don't have that mindset. I think everybody is acknowledging that its wide open, and any team can take this... but if it happens, it happens... if it doesn't, oh well. Maybe its simply because the only two guys with rings are either no longer here (Pettite), or are nowhere near the team (Clemens). I can't say that the aura of those two didn't have an effect of bringing this team's status up a couple of notches. But, I was an Astro fan long before those two came, and will continue to be... its just that I hope they find a spark from somebody not Biggio or Roy, both too soft-spoken in the public (and its not going to be Berkman or Lee... their two best players). In many ways, Baggy was the guy I felt who was always the one who would never be satisfied out of the two (the team misses that)... Biggio's quest for 3,000 has me both happy for him, but concerned at the same time that his overall focus may be too driven on that.
Be that as it may.....he still makes us better. Granted....Johan Santana, Mariano Rivera and a few others would make us better too.....but Roger is there for the taking and he makes us better. Aside from being a top 5 starter if he were active...he is a very welcome addition to the Astros clubhouse and has the ability to lead this team.
Its the same issue every season. Its getting old. We cant just turn it up when we have to. It just seems like the same old team plus Carlos Lee. We need Scott playing well (against lefties too) and can Pence play center-field?
Ask this question in another month or so. It's still very very early in the season... they'll be alright. The beginning of the season is always the toughest. But I have faith in our guys. Don't anyone jump off the bandwagon yet!!
I don't think we need to spend time convincing people about this again and again. If they haven't figured it out by now, they'll just jump off the bandwagon and jump back on when things get better again.
Too bad Richard Justice keeps telling us this Astros team is a good team this year. You know how he was wrong that year and is probably wrong again. Purpura mastered the strategy of Buy High this year when he overpaid for Lee and Jennings, in my opinion.
If the Astros continue to struggle this year, I can't wait to read Justice's article about how bad the offseason moves were, and how Astros management did an injustice to our fans by doing a poor job in putting a competitive team together.
Yeah, I can't believe he gave up an offensive black hole hitting .111 this year with 6 Ks in 9 at-bats along with two unproven pitching prospects with mediocre stuff for Jason Jennings, a starter who had a better ERA last season than Andy Pettitte. What a horrible, awful trade... the Rockies are so giddy about it that Buchholz is getting shelled out of the bullpen and Willy Taveras is "splitting time" with 74-year-old Steve Finley. With Lee, free agency is what it is. There's nothing "free" about it. To acquire legit talent, you either have to pay extra in terms of young talent (the Jennings trade) or you have to pay a premium in free agency (Lee). Are there bargain basement deals where you can buy low? Sure - and they're huge risks. If you want sure things (Lee), and you need guys like that to compete, you have to pay the price. No way around it.
Totally agree with that; The team had such a "championship" mentality the past few years in large part due to Pettite and Clemens. They're presence infected the clubhouse and the city into truly believing this team could win it all. I kind of had this feeling after the first game that if they were to lose the second game they could be in serious jeopardy of a bad slide to begin the season. It's not quite time to seriously think that...this team is good and it only seems inevitable that the players who have struggled thus far will turn it around..but it's just that feeling I get. Where's the intensity? The team is now a full season removed from the WS and Pettite and (possibly) Clemens are long gone from the clubhouse; you got to find a spark somewhere.
