Why does there need to be a balance. The old way without Bagwell/Jackson/Biggio etc... is how Luhnow built a dynasty. You dont like winning/building a dynasty?
And ostracized the entire baseball world. And were so hyper focused on winning a way nobody else ever thought of, and at any cost that the Astros are villains in every media member and fans (of other teams) minds even now almost 7 years after the scandal and 5 years after it came out. I am still attacked on various fan sites and social media simply for bring a fan. Luhnow did some great things, buy his way was not without down side.
Ostrasized because we were way ahead of everyone else and we were scapegoated for a league wide problem.
How is it Bagwell is somehow the villain? Crane is the guy making and/or approving every move. If you don't think so, you are delusional. If you think Bagwell gives bad advice, then yet again, who is listening to him? Who made him an adviser? Maybe Crane has lost his way a bit. I actually agree with this. But its not because of Bagwell. Just stop it!
See, I'm not the kind of guy that cares what others think. I'm a results oriented person. Winning is all that matters or they wouldn't keep score. BTW, your ire should be directed at Hinch/Cora/Beltran as much as it is Luhnow.
I should have included the "without" when I quoted you, my bad. If you think Luhnow and crew didn't utilize traditional methods along with cutting edge analytics you're just wrong.
They did use some traditional methods. But had less on the road scouting and more scouting by film. They also had the BEST island scout in the business in OZ. Why they let him leave is beyond me.
Letting a bunch of people who worked under Luhnow leave is much more impactful than letting Luhnow leave. I wonder if the scout who begged Luhnow to sign Yordan is still around (eta: Charlie Gonzalez)...it didn't take long, but eventually somebody got into Luhnow's ear and the rest is history. I guarantee you there was no video or space radar data involved in that.
And Yordan before he was signed by LA (eta: he was never in any stateside training camp for the Dodgers, he did get a visa and did some workouts over here before he was signed)...there weren't any fancy video setups, there was no swingtrac data, it was eyeballs, that's what in-person scouting is, and dismissing it is ridiculous. Yordan was just an example.
But I'm not angry at any of them. I'm simply pointing out what the cost of his ( their) ways and actions are And I am thankful to them for the team I love and success I have enjoyed. But no way do I think it was perfect, or want that back.
Why do you care what the NY and LA journalist think other than delaying our players from the HOF by a year or two? New Yorkers/Los Angeles hate Boston for their banners in whatever sport.... but their fan bases couldn't care less. If we want to be liked... we would send Tucker to the Yankees for cash considerations.
And it is well documented that Sig injected the human element that made it all work... and the human element of willingness to commit to continuous improvement can be quantified.
No hate for Alex Cintron? https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4938373/2023/10/07/jose-abreu-playoff-clean-slate-astros/ At one point this season, Abreu confided in catcher Martín Maldonado. The message he shared surprised Houston’s starting catcher, a man who has experienced or seen most of what the sport has to offer. “I know the season is not going the way I want it to go, but the only thing we can control is the work we put in,’” Maldonado recalled him saying. Few everyday players took more early batting practice than Abreu, most of the time with Cintrón standing nearby. After too many games to count — win or lose and whether Abreu finished 0-for-4 or 4-for-4 — the 36-year-old first baseman summoned Cintrón into the batting cages for extra swings. “This is a guy that has $50 million, $60 million in the bank and comes here and shows up like he’s a rookie,” Dubón said. “This is a guy who has an MVP. As a guy coming up and trying to build a career, it’s pretty admirable watching him. He works. He has an MVP, has all the money. Why would I not work when he does that every day?” Abreu’s work ethic is almost mythical inside the Astros’ clubhouse. “I know it sounds cliche and you could probably say this about a lot of people, but I’ve told multiple people even when he signed over here that he is, personally, the hardest-working teammate I’ve ever played with,” Graveman said.
