The opening day start is simply a symbolic gesture and doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things.
You start Paulino against Lincecum and take your L, and throw your two guns in there against Cain and Zito.
honestly, I get what you and bobrek are saying about this... but can you see all the "Mills is an IDIOT!!!!11 " posts that would happen? Personally, I'm slightly amazed and greatly pleased that we've made it through an entire spring an even one entire regular season game without Mills being called an idiot or moron, and without calls for his head. Quite the remarkably long "honeymoon" for Houston baseball fans, indeed.
Mills hasn't done anything stupid... yet. It would be interesting to see a team design a rotation focused on pitting their best starters against the other team's 4/5 guys, and putting the worst starters against the 1/2 guys. Given Paulino's nature to be dominating then get shelled, I would love to see it for a whole season just for fun.
meh. it all gets thrown off after just a couple weeks anyway with off days and injuries. I would actually hate it -- I don't want to see my team "throw in the towel" against aces like that (even if my team can't hit the side of a barn from 1" away). Plus, watching two heavyweights like that square off is just fun. Remember Cardinals/Astros battles in the 80s? Great pitching, situational hitting, hit-and-run, base stealing? 2-1 and 1-0 games? Those were gems, man.
I'm not nearly old enough to remember the 80's. No Mike Scott and no Nolan Ryan memories, just video, books, and stories from my Dad.
This. Imagine it, a new manager, what a way to send a message to your team like starting your 5 to face their ace, saying we don't think you guys are good enough to hit him, so were just going to give this one up.
Nope. It started on page 3... at 6:31 pm...probably in the 2nd inning http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showpost.php?p=5227759&postcount=43 at 6:33 http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showpost.php?p=5227763&postcount=45 6:41 http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showpost.php?p=5227777&postcount=48 8:45...just after the game ended and we lost to probably the best pitcher in the game... http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showpost.php?p=5227962&postcount=67 If you can't just enjoy Opening Day for the pure wonderment that it is, then you have no soul and should stop watching baseball at any moment. It's going to be a long enough season. Do you guys really all have to be so b****y and whiny after a whopping .006% of the games are played?
I was so pissed off at last nights game, I somewhat regret the attitude I had at the game. It was just annoying seeing our team get flat out dominated like that, even if it was Tim Lincecum and knowing this team has royally screwed themselves from knuckleheads in the front office. I often compare the Atlanta Braves to the Houston Astros. Both teams were obviously on the way down after 2005, aging rosters former stars etc.... But the Braves now have some of the best young talent in the game. They are an example of what you are supposed to do when you know it's time to rebuild. They traded Teixera/Francour and a few others and obviously had some great drafts. Where as the Astros have done hardly anything since the 2005 season except sign aging players and have some terrible picks in the draft. If Ed Wade and Mclane had any knowledge what so ever they should of traded Oswalt/Berkman a long time ago. Now there value is probably not even enough for top prospects. Now I have to sit and watch Oswalt get no run support and career wash away Roy is a great guy and deserves to be on a contender, and the same with Berkman. Hopefully Wade doesn't blow this draft or else it's probably bye bye.
This game is more important to me psychologically than the opener. I figured Cy Linecum would hand it to us. Wandy 09' would be able to handle a lineup like the Giants...I am hoping to see that and not the ersatz spring training version.
I've always wondered about this for a playoff series. For example, when we were facing the Braves, why put our best against their best (when their best was simply better than ours)? I'd rather hope for a fluke win in game #1 and then have the advantage in the other games: Game 1: Our #4 vs their #1 Game 2: Our #1 vs their #2 Game 3: Our #2 vs their #3 Game 4: Our #3 vs their #4 Game 5 is the big problem, but you worry about that if you get that far. It would give us an advantage in 3 of the first 4 games.
