of course, clemens didn't play an entire season with anyone...and gave us no reason to believe he'd accept arbitration...but, yeah.
Everybody saying that we should have signed somebody in the offseason doesn't seem to realize that there wasn't many quality players available. So they signed Wilson, who if had been producing at his average would have offered help. It's very relevant. We have relatively the same cast as last year, so we know they're capable of winning. We also know they're capable of showing spells of terrible hitting. So it shouldnt be suprising to anyone that they've hit a slump. Plus, while it's a brand new season, history can tell us that the Astros are a better second half team. And drawing on the fact that we're still above .500 while at the same point last season we were 15 under, it clearly can be seen that the Astros are in a better position (only 6 back of the Cards and 1 or 2 from the WC) than last year with less ground to make up and more room for error. Now yes, other factors specifically related to this season have to be considered. But last season still is relevant when discussing the present. How can you say one school of thought is just an aberration while the other isn't. In all honesty, they probably both are, because no one can tell how this season will end. We could stand pat and win the WS or not even sniff the playoffs. Likewise, we can makes moves (Big Unit, Beltran ,etc) that still won't get us anywhere. Who the hell knows, so let's just enjoy the damn ride already. And look...a day when our offense shows up our starting pitching doesn't. Likewise, in the last 2 games our starting pitching was effective but our bats didn't come alive. Pretty hard to win when everything seems to be going wrong.
Umm, if the Astros were willing to pay market price for Clemens, why not offer him arbitration then? It would do nothing but keep our options open. Oh yea, maybe because the Astros didn't want to risk paying 22 million for a full season of Clemens. They would rather gamble and hope he comes back mid season and then they can get by on the cheap. You do realize that if they pro-rate his salary and he starts on July 1st, they save 8 million.
Tired arguments and rumblings: 6)The Astros should have pulled the trigger on the Lidge for Tejada deal. 5)We should have picked up some FA's in the offseason and Wilson doesn't count. 4)Lidge sucks. Get rid of him. The Pujols blast forever ruined him. 3)This offense sucks 2)It's the organization's own damn fault because they didn't sign Clemens in the offseason. 1) This team has a mid-market payroll and a cheap owner which is why we suck so bad right now.
I don't believe you. Let's work this out. Here's the 2006 Astros taken from Espn.com. The top 2 salaries will be gone by next season. IMO Pettitte will either sign with NY or retire. This is based on his comments that he has had a rough time pitching here. Bagwell is due a 7 mil buyout. Combined that is a significant amount and should leave plenty of room even after some the raises coming for Oswalt/Ensberg/Lidge etc. PLAYER SALARY (US$) 1. Jeff Bagwell 19,369,019 2. Andy Pettitte 16,428,416 3. Lance Berkman 14,500,000 4. Roy Oswalt 11,000,000 5. Craig Biggio 4,000,000 6. Preston Wilson 4,000,000 7. Brad Lidge 3,975,000 8. Brad Ausmus 3,857,068 9. Morgan Ensberg 3,800,000 10. Adam Everett 1,900,000 11. Mike Lamb 1,700,000 12. Trever Miller 1,300,000 13. Orlando Palmeiro 950,000 14. Dan Wheeler 930,000 15. Russ Springer 750,000 16. Brandon Backe 442,500 17. Willy Taveras 400,000 18. Chad Qualls 376,000 19. Eric Bruntlett 365,000 20. Mike Gallo 365,000 21. Chris Burke 362,500 22. Eric Munson 350,000 23. Taylor Buchholz 327,000 24. Wandy Rodriguez 327,000 25. Fernando Nieve 327,000 Total Team Salary: 92,101,503
And so will every other team that is courting him. Newsflash: If Celmens wanted to play the whole season he would already be playing.
Preston Wilson had a hell of a game. He was swinging the bat real well and moving well. Hopefully he continues to swing it like this. I like Bruntlett at center over Taveras. Bruntlett looks fluid out there and Willy never does.
Aceshigh & Rocketfat...you are dumbasses (sorry DD), plain & simple. What you guys just posted are some of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever read. At no point in your rambling, incoherent responses were you even close to anything that could be considered rational thoughts. Everyone in this thread is now dumber for having read it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul. And DD, I love how you complain to Major about using small sample sizes and then trot out a couple of batting averages based on about 100 AB's between them.
Typical results-oriented thinking. Had the Astros offered arbitration, Clemens could have come to the decision he wanted to play in January or February. That was the time he was giving for a decision at the time the arbitration deadline passed. The Astros management botched the handling of this badly and yet they have their fans defending them for it. Nice situation if you can get it.
You know what? The fact that you called me a dumbass says alot more about you than it does about myself. I'm used to having people disagree with me and when they do, it's usually a sign that they have no clue what they are talking about.
You either must be Clemens or have some magic, crystal ball that can get inside people's heads. Because otherwise, you're logic is severly distorted. Clemens said the EARLIEST a decision would be made was January or February. It's pretty obvious now that he wasn't gonna make one then. Seriously, this is getting really old, ESPECIALLY WHEN CLEMENS HIMSELF TOLD THE ORGANIZATION TO NOT WAIT ON HIM.
They left 12 runners on base for the entire game. You don't add up the LOB numbers for individual players...the runner only counts once. Dumbass. (sorry DD)
Buck, if you want to show your ignorance and continue to cuss, please leave my beautiful signature off of your rant. Or, you could expand your vocabulary, and learn some words that make you seem intelligent rather than juvenile. DD
It's beyond old. btw...the Astros expect Clemens to sign w/in a couple of weeks, and the Astros players, who just maybe have had a little more contact with Clemens than Aceshigh, are unanimous in their belief that he's coming back, if radio reports are to be believed.
You know what, all this b****ing and the fact is that the team is now more than 6 games out and only 2 games above .500, while playing only .333 ball on the road. Sure it is a long season but right now, it is looking A LOT LONGER !! DD
