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Luhnow's letter to fans

Discussion in 'Houston Astros' started by Castor27, Aug 14, 2012.

  1. Castor27

    Castor27 Moderator
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    http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/..._id=hou&partnerId=aw-5675630136177752085-1060

     
  2. tellitlikeitis

    tellitlikeitis Canceled
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    I put this in the series thread, but this might be a more appropriate place.

    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Jeff Luhnow's day sure improved... 9 a.m.: Write apology letter to fans. 9 p.m.: Turn off game, crip walk down Texas Ave.</p>&mdash; Zachary Levine (@zacharylevine) <a href="https://twitter.com/zacharylevine/status/235553888000937985" data-datetime="2012-08-15T01:49:57+00:00">August 15, 2012</a></blockquote>
    <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
     
  3. J.R.

    J.R. Member

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    In <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Morey</span> Luhnow I trust.
     
  4. edwardc

    edwardc Member

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    This young team will be a force in a couple of years.
     
  5. Rodman23

    Rodman23 .GIF

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    I know huh, at least he didn't use twitter. Morey should just rip his own face off and let Lunhow wear it like in this photoshop. The NBA would probably sue the MLB for copyright infringement though....

    [​IMG]
     
    1 person likes this.
  6. jim1961

    jim1961 Member

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    I suppose that letter had to be written, but surely the braintrust knew we would no longer be competitive or anywhere near .500 once we got rid of our remaining vets. The letter makes you want to think the poor play after that 22-23 record (whatever it was) was unforeseen. Surely it had to be.

    So, is this a case where the GM says what ticketholders want to hear knowing quite well that the rest of this year and probably all of next will be the same. Or, does anyone honestly think Luhnow and Co. thought this team would actually play in the upper .400's ?
     
  7. juicystream

    juicystream Contributing Member

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    Both. They could forsee the sucking, but probably did not forsee the downward spriral that came. We've been historically bad, and I think they were hoping to win at least 60 games and maybe even 70. I don't think the expected us to win 80 by any means.
     
  8. jim1961

    jim1961 Member

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    Lets hope Luhnow's talent for evaluation and prediction is not indicative by this.

    It seems either the talent that left gave us more than he thought, or the talent remaining is giving less. While id like to think the former is more true, it may well be the later.

    If for no other reason (and I have many), id like see see Mills gone pronto to see if a new manager can revitalize things a bit. While I get on Mills case quite a bit, I am uncertain to what effect he is having, or how much of the problem is him. Its easy to say that no manager could win with these guys. While that holds a certain truth, there is a difference between a team that is losing that has hope and optimism and a losing team that doesnt. A manager and his coaches surely have an effect on this.
     
  9. bobrek

    bobrek Politics belong in the D & D

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    Their bullpen has been bad most of the year. Two of the better performers have been Lyon and Myers and they were traded with no real replacements available. In addition Lopez was hurt when the trades were done, so it was inevitable that they would have trouble closing/winning games.

    Mills just needs to play guys like Wallace and quit worrying about percentages. For example, the other day when he sat Wallace against a righthander it was due to the statistics that right handers had a better OBP than lefthanded hitters against that pitcher. Really? You sit a guy who has been hitting as well as almost anyone on the team because of that? Especially a guy that needs evaluation in all situations?

    Those are the kind of decisions that bother me.
     
  10. BrooksBall

    BrooksBall Contributing Member

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    [​IMG]

    ^^^
    This is the guy who should be writing an apology letter... scratch that... an apology book, with all proceeds and more going to the fans who have suffered, and will suffer for the next several years, due to his historically shortsighted ownership philosophy, compounded by his "I'm gettin' outta here before the ***** really hits the fan" exit strategy.

    The historically bad team we are witnessing (and will be witnessing) is a direct result of his historically bad decision-making.

    Our impending move to "the Land of the DH" where the dollar is even mightier (how much so is a separate discussion for another time) is directly related to his selfish and spineless departure.

    Sadly, years from now, he'll be remembered by all too many as a great owner who led us to a World Series, while too few will recall (or even be aware of the fact) that his failures ran so deep for so long that he drove the organization to a state that may very well be unparalleled in modern baseball history. He completely neglected and destroyed the farm system for years on end, and in multiple ways - not just with the poor drafts.

    Some will say he had good motives. Maybe, but you better believe he was advised many a time behind the scenes by knowledgeable baseball people that his neglect would eventually lead to a crash and that the longer he carried on with that neglect, the longer it would take to fix the damage.

    Ultimately, in my partially-educated opinion, Drayton McLane was a selfish and ignorant owner who didn't understand the long-term challenges of successfully running an MLB franchise. Despite that, he very clearly and stubbornly did what he wanted when he wanted for years on end, against the advice of those who knew better. That should be his legacy as much as the early success fueled by inheriting Biggio and Bagwell entering their primes; the touted overall winning percentage, contributed to early on by the inherited talent then sustained at the end by skimping on the farm in order to field slightly better but still non-contending teams; and the hometown-discount-driven WS appearance, where only a slightly less awful offense might have earned us a win or two, possibly more. Shoot, he could've just cut loose a few more scouts, or cut back even more than he already planned to on a few upcoming drafts, or even closed an entire pipeline of talent to pay for the extra bat or two. It's almost fitting that he didn't to be honest. I'd laugh about it if it didn't hurt.
     
  11. msn

    msn Member

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    What's really sad, Brooksy, is that guy you hate so much was the best owner we'd had until his time. By far.
     
  12. Refman

    Refman Contributing Member

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    I could not disagree more.

    Our offense was so bad in the playoffs all those years, and nobody predicted the disappearing act Bags and Bidge would pull in October. You would not have gotten there without them, but they could do nothing to help once we got there.

    As for Drayton's exit, come on. The guy is in his 80s, and his kids have made it clear that they do not want to run a baseball team. They would rather have the money from selling it. As hard as it was to get MLB approval for the sale, it would have been much harder to sell it out of an estate once Drayton's dies. That's what we want...ownership of the club held up for years while an executor or an ad litem tries to sell the team.

    Make no mistake, Selig was going to require this team to move to the AL upon sale whether now or later. The move to the AL is all on Selig.

    Drayton left us with a nice ballpark and a new TV network with its hefty new revenues. He also left us with several layoff appearances...after decades of futility.
     
  13. msn

    msn Member

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    not sure if accidental... :grin:
     
  14. msn

    msn Member

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    Refman, as for Drayton's legacy, I'm with you on all your points. But it's a mixed bag. It's not as hard core evil as Brooksy paints, at least to me, but there are some elements of it. He royally mismanaged the baseball side of things the last 6-8 years.

    As for the "unfortunately he will be remembered as the owner who took us to the Series" comment, I would actually rather Drayton be remembered for the 10-12 years of success over the miserable way he finished. Tragic that he finished poorly, especially with such epic failure, but for me it doesn't erase the late 90s and early 00's. That was fun, fun, fun for a Astros lifer whose favorite teams' only taste of "success" previously was being losers of two of the best NLCS of all time.
     
  15. Buck Turgidson

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    Are you seriously trying to defend the total ****ing disaster that Drayton left behind?
     

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