bobrek, I know you're the eternal optimist, and that's probably a good thing given how much cynicism there is around here (starting with myself), but you can't blame some people for not having a positive outlook on the Astros' situation. They have massive question marks in terms of offense at three positions: 3B, C and CF. We have an ace and then 4 question marks in the starting rotation with 30-year-old Wandy Rodriquez being our 2nd best pitcher. We have 60% of our payroll tied into 4 players preventing us from filling even one of those several holes through the FA market. We are a relatively old team with few young talents producing at the ML level. To top that off, we have the worst ranked farm system in all of baseball. Being cynical doesn't equate with not being a fan or even necessarily being a bad fan. Not everybody is able to be a cheerleader through thick and thin.
Looking at that site, the Phillies top prospect is a "B" as well. The top prospect for a majority of the teams is rated a "B+".
Several days ago, I posted the following comment under an article about Chris Sampson cooking a turkey for the holidays: "Make sure to put some McLane sauce on it. That way, even if it sucks, you can tell people it's great." The comment was posted and I saw it still there a few days later. No foul language and I've seen several much more negative posts in other articles on the same site. Now, the post is gone: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/...t=.jsp&c_id=hou&affiliateId=comments_pagelink You may think I'm an a-hole for what I said, but do you think it was appropriate for them to remove it?
source [rquoter] Astros’ Sapp Hospitalized With Meningitis Posted Dec. 31, 2008 11:29 am by Nathan Rode Filed under: Training Room Catcher Max Sapp, the Astros’ 2006 first-round pick, has been in the hospital for more than two weeks with a case of meningitis, according to a report in the Houston Chronicle. Sapp, 20, underwent surgery for a severe sinus infection and contracted the illness. His breathing has been assisted by a respirator. Sapp hit .200/.282/.294 with four home runs and 29 RBIs in 74 games with low Class A Lexington in 2008. He signed for $1.4 million out of Bishop Moore High in Orlando, Fla., but has struggled at the plate in three years as a pro. He’s battled hip and back injuries during his career and has yet to hit better than .241 in any of his three seasons. [/rquoter] He hasn't been very good, but he was a very high draft pick and this sounds pretty serious.
I don't have a positive outlook for the immediate future. But there's a difference between a realistic assessment of their current situation and sepulchral, disconsolate hand-wringing. You're throwing out "cheerleader" because you don't like being called out for your incessant whining. Swoly acts like a cheerleader. Bobrek is pretty down to earth.
uh...yeah. miss sarcasm much? when all else failed, the little winky face at the end didn't tip you off?
I am not the eternal optimist. I just don't let these types of things affect my life. No one has been a fan longer than me, since I was attending games in 1962. I have seen a lot of failure. To me, being in contention in September makes the season worthwhile. It is enjoyable to me to watch meaningful games at the end of the year and since 1995, not many teams have been in that position more than the Astros. I also tend to not make judgements on any of the teams I root for, based on what happens or doesn't happen 4 months before the season starts. Why waste energy complaining that all they did was sign Aaron Boone (or whatever) when we have no idea what will happen during the course of the season. Incidentally, my post you responded to was in response to the poster who said they missed the days of exciting off seasons. Don't you agree that last offseason was exciting (which my post was pointing out)?
Yes, last season was very exciting and yes, the Astros have been relatively successful for quite a while now.
Relatively? Name me one team not called Yankees or Red Sox that has been in playoff contention as consistently as the Astros since 1997?
To be fair, I think the Braves and maybe the Cardinals could probably be in that mix. Braves made it every year from 1997-2006; Cards made it several years, though I'm not sure how competitive they were in the other years.
Relatively successful is an accurate description. Very successful is more appropriate. I sincerely apologize for the understatement. Thanks for correcting me.
I realize that I am being nitpicky and probably a little b****y. I just think that the team deserves some credit for being one of the more exciting teams in baseball for a decade or so.
I realize that I am being nitpicky and probably a little b****y...because I suspect we are in for an unexciting decayed of baseball. My hopes are for bargain buying and some light'ning.
