Some of you are just plain ol ignorant.....Screaming for years to wait for chemistry to happen with the rox, pointing out all the trades, new faces, and injuries...but ignoring the importance of it for the Stro's. I count 3 major positions that remain constant from the Astro's first crown.
Some of you are just plain ol ignorant.....Screaming for years to wait for chemistry to happen with the rox, pointing out all the trades, new faces, and injuries...but ignoring the importance of it for the Stro's. I count 3 major positions that remain constant from the Astro's first crown. First off, the Astros' first crown team sucked and won the division by default. I would hope you didn't want us to keep that team together. You also do realize the difference between chemistry in a sport where the 5 players are on the court working together vs. a sport where each player basically plays separately, right? I'm also curious how these "chemistryless" teams win so consistently in the regular season. Is chemistry only necessary in the postseason? Why don't other teams require it to do well? Why did the Marlins win when they were just put together in one season? How many players are still on the Yankees or Braves from their 1997 teams? Again, what would YOU have done as the owner?
Dreamshake You claim some folks are 'ignorant' because they want chemistry on the Rockets but not on the Astros. Are folks "ignorant" because they complain about a team and owner that not only gets to the playoffs but has WON their division 4 of the past 5 years? This isn't basketball, football or hockey where a number of teams make the playoffs. In the NL only 4 of 16 teams make it. Are folks "ignorant" if they write that Gutierrez is an all-star? Do you realize that Ricky hit .261, .261 and .261 in his last 3 years with the Astros? Do you realize his playoff average in those 3 years for Houston was a whopping .143 with NO double, NO triples and NO RBI? (obviously, he wasn't the only one, but he was the one that you wrote was an all-star and the Astros should have kept him). Did it ever occur to you that while the Astros are changing their team, they are mostly doing it from within which leads to chemistry? I assume you want chemistry. Gee, Johnson and Astacio (who you mention) sure established that chemistry in the short time they were around. I have yet to see a counter from you that the Astros have the best organizaion (top to bottom) in baseball as well as the finest operation in Venezuela which takes money. You are tired of McLane apologists, well a number of us are tired of people who don't realize that money isn't well spent on a 37 year old outfielder who is injury prone, when that money can better be spent scouting and grooming players such as Oswalt, Miller, Hernandez, Hidalgo, etc. I guess it's useless to point out facts to someone who complains about a team that wins their division year in and year out, especially a team that has been winning while, unfortunately, the Rockets have been losing. It's nice to have been able to have one team to share some success with.
When I used the term All star I was refering to the gist of the list. Obvioulsly, I was not including Guitty. Chemistry on the field may not be as important than in basketball, but in baseball clubhouses it certainly is. Again, only 2 position players remain from the Astro's initial division crown. And what was wrong with that team? Ausmus, Kile, Hampton, Biggio, Bagwell, Guitty (I guess some of you just loved how Russ Johnson and his below mendoza line performance stacked up to Guitty), Reynolds. Change of teams is change of teams. Chemistry isnt of anymore value when a new person on the roster comes from within the Orginization or without. How you consider this to be is beyond me. Again, who cares if the Stro's make the playoffs in 4 of 5 years, when they have a what combined 2 or 3 wins in all those series. Thats not winning. At least not to me. Thats leading the 100 meters for the first 90 meters and losing every time by 5 seconds down the stretch run. We may be grooming such young players as Oswalt, but as Im trying to point out is that McLane will always cap the team. So we'll always deal with losing players. In 3 years assuming all goes well, is McLane going to pony up for Ward, Berkman, Oswalt, Miller, Hernandez, and Hidalgo again? NOPE. So "grooming from within" is pointless to groom for someone else once they are productive. Once again, my point is that McLane promised to spend the money if he got his new stadium. Then immediately capped the team with his own cap of X dollars, once the stadium was built. Best orginization in Baseball??? Hmmm. Ill give the Org. its place in baseball, but top orginization. Guess thats a kicker to any team thats won a World Series in the last 5 years, or heck a pennant, or better yet a series, how about at least more than 3 wins in 4 playoff appearacnes? Its not like A's havent put out three great young pitchers from within. 3 that are better than the young 3 of the Astro's. Its not like the Yankees, havent put up superstar players from within. Looking for reasons why the Astros have had two successive lowest attendance outings the last two games? Maybe its because the Orginization is charging 80.00 for sweatshirts, and almost 4 dollars a bottle of water.
Chemistry on the field may not be as important than in basketball, but in baseball clubhouses it certainly is. And the clubhouse is perfectly happy. Where's the problem there? In fact, we got RID of the clubhouse problems, Everett and Meluskey. Yet, you're unhappy about this too. Again, only 2 position players remain from the Astro's initial division crown. And what was wrong with that team? Ausmus, Kile, Hampton, Biggio, Bagwell, Guitty (I guess some of you just loved how Russ Johnson and his below mendoza line performance stacked up to Guitty), Reynolds. First off, that's 3 out of 8 (Ausmus, Biggio, Bagwell). Second, do you actually think we should have kept people like Derek Bell and Sean Berry? Do you think that would have helped us win playoff games (assuming we even made the playoffs)? If not, why do you blame the organization for going out and getting BETTER players? You also do realize that Russ Johnson didn't ever replace Guti, right? Again, who cares if the Stro's make the playoffs in 4 of 5 years, when they have a what combined 2 or 3 wins in all those series. Thats not winning. At least not to me. Again, explain how the ORGANIZATION, or McLane specifically, didn't perform? Was he the one that just stopped hitting during the playoffs? We may be grooming such young players as Oswalt, but as Im trying to point out is that McLane will always cap the team. So we'll always deal with losing players. In 3 years assuming all goes well, is McLane going to pony up for Ward, Berkman, Oswalt, Miller, Hernandez, and Hidalgo again? NOPE. We've resigned every single homegrown player who's really wanted to stay -- Biggio, Bagwell, Reynolds, Wagner, and even Lima who just flourished here. The only players we've let go were "rentals" -- Alou, Castilla, Randy Johnson, etc. Hampton, of course, didn't want to be here and was also traded, but I'd rather have a $500k Dotel than a $15M Hampton who sucks. Again, outside of signing bad/mediocre players to expensive contracts, what do you suggest McLane do? Why can't you answer this question?
Dreamshake FYI, the Astros were voted the top organization in baseball last year by 4 separate (and highly respected) organizations: Topps, Baseball Weekly, Baseball America and SportsTicker Major We ought to quit wasting our time. It's hard to use logic and facts to argue with someone who obivously has a personal agenda.
