The Wizard Update

did i miss the memo where you were named a moderator?

 

Our season is essentially over. We have just over a week left now. Oswalt is still playing for something. Since Oswalt would get more attention here than he would in the Hangout, why not talk about him here? The vast majority of us are really rooting for him to win.

 

For anyone whose solution is the all-too-common "Well just don't click on the thread, then"- I clicked on the thread to see what it was about.

At first, I thought it would be updates on Roy's most recent starts. Then I noticed people not posting updates, but just talking about how very happy they were for Roy and wishing him all the best.

Sensing a Roy-O slurpfest, I was about to leave forever and never return, until I noticed some dissension.

Since this is a discussion board (for discussion), I decided that if everyone got to voice their opinions on Roy, I'd voice mine.

I don't think it's the wrong forum. Two or three seasons from now, it might be. Right now it's an in-season trade of a fan favorite.

I also don't think you're not allowed to follow Roy because we're "looking to the future."

I just don't like that after the chances at success we gave him, he decided this team wouldn't be worth a damn again and wanted to leave. The way that Roy left is what soured me to him.

Maybe he's not a quitter. But he did bail on us. If you really think that Roy would have stayed if it was best for the team, maybe you should go back and look at the part where he demanded a trade.

He wanted what was best for Roy. He didn't say "I'll only waive my no-trade clause if the resulting trade will be beneficial to the Astros as well as the Phillies." He just wanted a chance to win. That's not necessarily wrong. Every athlete wants to win.

But he demanded a trade away from the organization that drafted him and went with him to the NLCS and the WS. He's had chances to win. And he had great teammates to do it with.

I have no problem with the Phils, and actually always liked playing them. But I don't want Roy to get the ring he didn't get us.

Yes I realize Roy pitched his ass off here. I just don't understand bailing on the team. I also think it's funny that he was eager to be reunited with the closer that cost him his trip to the WS and potentially a ring back in '04.

I've got my fingers crossed for another Brad Lidge meltdown. Karma sucks Roy. The Astros are ready to face and beat you next postseason.

 

So you're saying that had he kept his mouth shut and we still traded him, only then you would root for him? We've been stuck in the mud for two years with no hope for another two years of contending in any capacity (at least up until Roy was traded). There was absolutely no benefit to either side for him to stay here at the salary he was making.

And as far as trade demands go, his was a pretty calm one. It was more of a request than a demand- he didn't threaten to stop showing up if we held onto him.

 

Yeah, that's basically how I feel.

I understand that trading him has allowed us to be competitive, and I really enjoy watching the team now that we have traded him. I just miss watching him play in our uniform and I wish we could have won it all while he was still here.

You're right though, he didn't pull a diva act or anything. He kept his head down and pitched until he felt like we weren't going anywhere. In all fairness, he's said time and time again that he doesn't want to pitch forever. I understand wanting another shot before he retires.

I just hope the Astros win the Series before the Phillies do. Even if we're not in the playoffs this year and the Phils are.

That may be selfish, but it's how I feel.

 

I've got no issue with most of this post. I don't feel the same way about "bailing on the team," since he pitched his tail off every fifth day, kept in shape, and generally didn't play diva with the media. But I've got no beef with your opinion or the way you state it.

 

That would be a filthy lineup of starting pitching, and with roy or roy going in a game 7, they'd be in great shape.

 

I don't think that right. Right now Oswalt is pitching his last scheduled start. I don't see them giving 10 days of rest. Halladay is currently slated to pitch Oct. 3. Of course they may tweak the rotation for this final week. Was hoping to catch Roy in ATL next week.

Edit: Who knows, maybe I'll get a chance to catch him in the postseason.

 

I actually think that is how it will play out, JD and Brownie on the telecast tonight mentioned how the Phillies had chosen the long 1st rd series. Halladay is the obvious game#1 starter and then its a toss up for game 2 but most clubs like the split up the righties with a lefty, so Hamels in game 2 makes sense.

 

Does the Phils still have the option year on Roy? If not he's gonna make alot of dough this off season.

 

His contract is guaranteed for next year, which the Astros will be paying a portion of it. 2012 is a team option.

 

Is Roy Oswalt a Hall of Famer? He's currently 4th in active career ERA. The only currently active starting pitcher that qualifies with a better ERA than Oswalt is Johan Santana. Roy hasn't picked up the CY's that Johan has but that's pretty damn impressive. He only has 150 wins right now but if he wins a ring with the Phillies and has a strong three or four more seasons he'd be scraping close to 200. I think he'd have a shot to get in at that point. He's the best National League starter of his generation.

 

That has World Series written all over it.

It's baseball..so anything can happen...but it's hard to argue against the Phils.

 

I'm a huge RoyO fan, but I simply don't see a HoF-meriting career just yet. And if he retires after 10 years as he's intimated he may, he certainly won't get in.

 

This was his 10th season...

And he won't get in. He probably needs to win another 100 games, and I don't see that happening. The lack of run support and blown saves last year and this year really hurt his slim chances. Cost him at least 10 wins at least. This however has been the best season of career, so maybe he has enough left in the tank to play another 5-6 years. I wouldn't bet on it though.

Edit: He could dominate in the next couple of post-seasons and have a similar case to Curt Schilling.

 

Wait - with the Phillies, he's having a Randy Johnson-like 1998 performance with the Astros, and he's their <B>#3</b> pitcher? Holy crap, that's some ridiculous pitching. If they face the Giants, the team that wins that series could score 2 runs a game.