How about likely. Good article I just read from ESPN: Where do you get <I>likely</I> out of the fact that we're running out of time <I>and money</I>? If Drayton is committed to holding payroll constant, where do you propose we get the extra $20 million a year from for Hampton?
I remember hearing him say in spring training that it would be a problem all year; I could be wrong, though. There's a possibility he could have it scoped during the offseason, but from what I've heard/read they'll opt for the rehab/therapy route.
Sorry, I didn't explain this very well. I meant likely that Hampton would be able to turn it around and become a good pitcher again. Here is how we will get money for Hampton. We are getting some 14 million by getting rid of Reynolds and Miliki's contracts next year. Then if we throw Hidalgo's 6 mill per year into the trade with Hampton then thats 20 million off the payrole right there.
I remember hearing him say in spring training that it would be a problem all year; I could be wrong, though. I may be wrong too. I thought I had heard that he was very frustrated with the way it was healing. Maybe he thought there'd be pain but he'd still be able to throw, or something like that. I dunno. There's a possibility he could have it scoped during the offseason, but from what I've heard/read they'll opt for the rehab/therapy route. Yeah, I really hope he doesn't have more surgery and several months off can rehab it.
The numbers work, but I think we could do more to improve the team with that $14M than adding Hampton/Pierre.
Astros 79-68 5.5 behind in NL Central. 5 behind in the wild card. 6 - St. Louis Houston is 4-9 versus St. Louis this year (including tonight's win). 6 - Milwaukee 3 - San Fran St. Louis 84-62 Last 10 @ home. 6 - Houston 3 - Colorado 3 - Arizona 3 - Milwaukee San Fran 83-62 6 - San Diego 4 - Los Angeles 3 - Milwaukee 3 - Houston *For some reason San Fran only has 16 scheduled games remaining, although they should have 17, must have a makeup game? Los Angeles 83-62 6 - Colorado 4 - San Fran 7 - San Diego As far as the wild card goes, I think LA has the better chance. They have 13/17 games versus sub .500 teams remaining. LA could easily go 11-6 and finish 94-68, well ahead of the Astros. San Fran has 9/16 versus sub .500 teams. Houston and St. Louis have 6/15 versus sub .500 teams. So I think the Astros don't have any shot at the wild card barring a collapse by LA/San Fran. If it comes down to the last 3 games of the year, St. Louis plays Milwaukee and we play San Fran, not promising. If Houston goes 6-1 (4-0 home, 2-1 road)versus St. Louis, 5-1 against Milwaukee (3-0 home, 2-1 road) and goes 2-1 versus San Fran then they finish 92-70. St. Louis goes 1-6 versus Houston, 2-1 @ Colorado, 1-2 versus Arizona, and 3-1 versus Milwaukee then they finish 92-70. Houston wins the division. It will be very tough, but I still believe!
man i hope the cardinals face both of arizona's big guns. of course it won't matter unless we take care of business, good start tonight.
SF and Atlanta have a rainout makeup. It is scheduled for the Monday after the season ends if needed. You know that Atlanta won't do anything to mess up their playoff pitching rotation in that one.
I'm not all that sad about the Astros not making the playoffs. The reason is what happened with hiring Williams. Everyone was saying that he was a real coach, and not someone who just got the job out of team loyalty etc. But prior to this year we won the division time and time again. I know we didn't win in the playoffs, and that sucked, but I do think one thing is true. Just because Dierker had the job didn't mean that team loyalty was the only reason. I think hiring Williams was a case of the grass is always greener. While we didnt' make it out of round one of the playoffs, at least we made it there to give ourselves the chance. This year we aren't even there. I wish Dierker was still our manager. I also hope the Rockets don't take the job Rudy T. has done for granted either.
I don't think Hidalgo or Ward would have performed any better under Dierker than they did this year under Williams... I don't think they would have discovered a real leadoff hitter on this time if Dierker were still manager... I don't think the change in managers had anything at all to do with the Astros not making the playoffs...
I agree with a good deal of what your saying, just not that the team wouldn't have performed better under Dierker. But even our guys that were normally solid had off years this season. People weren't hitting as well they did under Dierker. I'm also not trying to blame all the problems on the team on Williams, but I don't think they problem the team had to begin with was Dierker. I think the team might have done better under Dierker, because he knew the team better. He had experience working with these guys. Someone who wins the division time and time again, is doing something right. If it's a case of two equals I say stick with loyalty. I know that hindsight is 20/20 and all that. So I don't want to sound like it's a big blame game. But
It is often that a team will not do well the year after a new coach/manager is hired. Sometimes you take a step back to later take 3 steps forward.
