Every team is baseball passed on him. Best he could do was Detroit taking a minor league flier on him. I'm glad he's doing well, but it's revisionist history to suggest he was a saught after diamond in the rough.
Bringing stuff up like this is the weirdest, most confusing form of masochism I see in sports fans. I just don't understand why people wallow in it.
Hi, Raven Lunatic, you must be new here. I'd like to introduce you to the majority of Astros fans who post here.
There are also quite a few in the Texans forum. Apparently, Houston franchises are the only ones that give up on marginal talent that briefly flourishes elsewhere. It's uncanny how no other franchise - ever -has it happen to them. I wonder what teh secret is...
Yup - they were talking him about it on ESPN or maybe during the broadcast year. He said he probably wouldn't have been willing to change his swing as long as he was employed and stayed as a fringe player. It was hitting rock-bottom that forced him to re-evaluate and try new things and it worked out. But the idea that he would have fixed it here if we just gave him more time doesn't seem to fit reality.
Should the Cubs be criticized for dealing Josh Donaldson? Should the Mets and Rockies clean house for dealing Collin McHugh? What about Pittsburgh and Minnesota for letting Justin Morneau go? What about Baltimore, KC, TB and Pittsburgh for letting Jose Bautista go? Should the Mets and Twins be labeled as grossly negligent for letting Carlos Gomez go? Should Seattle and Detroit be accused of gross negligence for losing Doug Fister? Baltimore for giving up Jake Arrieta? The truth is, there are literally 1,500 players on the "radar" and baseball is a game where players can improve, can make real changes and EVERY team lets productive players slip through their fingers.
Look away. Spoiler <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>J.D. Martinez. Esteemed former Houston Astro. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/greatpickup?src=hash">#greatpickup</a></p>— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) <a href="https://twitter.com/jcrasnick/status/518087852308328448">October 3, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>j.d. martinez, most valuable released player, hits 3-run hr, then castellanos follows with a hr. 5-2 tigers.</p>— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS/status/518088168177147905">October 3, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Teams trade multiple top prospects for one or two years of a slugger. The Tigers got J.D. Martinez for free and have three years of control.</p>— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/518088448872579072">October 3, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>.<a href="https://twitter.com/JDMartinez14">@JDMartinez14</a> is the 1st player in franchise history to hit a home run in each of his first two career postseason games. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShowYourStripes?src=hash">#ShowYourStripes</a></p>— #ShowYourStripes (@tigers) <a href="https://twitter.com/tigers/status/518089256368340992">October 3, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tigers?src=hash">#Tigers</a> can't thank the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Astros?src=hash">#Astros</a> enough for JD Martinez; 5-2 Tigers over <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Orioles?src=hash">#Orioles</a></p>— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) <a href="https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/518089338991542273">October 3, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Houston Director of Decision Sciences looking for that J.D. Martinez file.</p>— Gerry Fraley (@gfraley) <a href="https://twitter.com/gfraley/status/518089727350960128">October 3, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Every organization has their "missed connections" but for me it's how people just assume that a relatively young player, who has shown flashes, cannot improve whatsoever because they said so. Just look at the altuve threads from last season. Some players need the right environment, a manager to believe in him, a minor adjustment or health but noooo send him to the minors forever. =/ The only players I ever had knee jerk reactions for was Rafer. but he was already 30 and that tear drop made every fan cry except utah fans. I know it's not just a houston fans thing as it happens everywhere. Robert griffin jr jr is experiencing this by redskins fans and I would love for B.O.B and the godfather to get their hands on him.
The thing with JD is that he never showed much in 3 seasons. There was the swing change, but we had just watched the same thing unfold with Brett Wallace. At what point do you say we need to go in a different direction? Of course, the only logical explanation for why we gave JD his unconditional release is to allow him to seek opportunities elsewhere. He had already cleared waivers and was off the 40-man roster. But the Chronicle tells me the front office doesn't care about players.
How long do you propose a team should wait? If they gave every prospect 5 years, then you'd have a glut of prospects that never even get a shot. You have to look at what you see and decide if they are likely to make progress or not - everything in baseball is simply about probabilities. The Astros - and all 29 others teams that passed on him on waivers - decided he was unlikely to do much in the majors. There are always exceptions, and this is an example of that. The Tigers got lucky to be the team that benefited, but they passed on him too, so let's not act like they saw something no one else did.
Where are all the people on the Grossman as starting LF bandwagon? He's been better than JD was here.
i think you'remisquoting the wrong person as I never said that. My first statement was it's not an issue with the organization but the fans. we're quick to throw them under the bus and get defensive when our predictions of their suckage get overturned. but i tell you who did see j.d'sgreatness, airlanghi.:grin:
