I mean cmon people.....especially the optimists that were screaming at me and others since December....are you honestly surprised by the way this team is performing? We are getting good starting pitching for the most part - no surprise. We couldn't hit water if we fell out of a boat - no surprise Our bullpen is spotty - no surprise It will take a small miracle for us to be in serious playoff contention - no surprise. What needs to be done is what I am hoping Drayton is asking himself. First off, regardless of whether or not Bags retires, Mclane needs to go get a replacement....even if it means he is paying Bags for nothing next yr (assuming he doesnt flat out retire). He is a sure fire HOFer in my book but its time for us (and him) to move on. Thanks for the memories. In addition to replacing Bags, go out and replace the damn offense we lost last year too. If it means Ensbergs time is up here and we can add a solid 3B, so be it. If it means we send Ausmus out to pasture, so be it. If it means Berkman plays 1B because the only real good players we can get are OF's, so be it. If it means that we get a lesser fielder at SS and Everett goes into Bruntlett's role, so be it. We are obviously losing Clemens this year too. Take that 18 million and USE IT. Take Bags' 18 million and USE IT. We know you have money....because you have spent it in the past....so please get us back to where we have been. Don't tell us that you lost money this year because of poor attendance because guess what? The poor attendance is partially managements fault...and I think management would agree. Maybe we start the process by making some trades this year. I for one, sure wish we could have dealt Backe and Burke for Soriano now....hell, they would have probably taken Zeke and Burke. I just want to get back to being in a playoff race....this sucks.....this isnt Kansas City, Pittsburgh or Montreal.....we havea fan friendly ballpark that will be empty by June 15...except for me of course...I'll be there because I have Tavares, Ensberg and Backe on my fantasy team...and because I am saddled with season tickets I had to renew to guarantee my same seats before I knew what Plan B was. Just do it!
I'm surprised at how bad it's been. I wasn't sure how this team would play. I thought a playoff run wasn't out of the realm of possibility nor did I think a repeat of 2000 would be much of a shock. All we optimists were saying is give it a chance. That and we were getting annoyed with the constant whining. I hate that in anything sports related, even if I've done it many times myself. It got very old hearing how horrible this team and how there was no future every other post in there. For one thing, I think there is a future even if we're having to suffer through a year like this. We've got a stud pitcher, a stud slugger, and a stud closer to build upon. Guys like Ensberg, Taveras, and Lane can be good contributing players on the right team. I believe that McLane will take the money this offseason and make some key signings. Keep in mind that it's not only the Clemens and Bagwell money, it's the money we didn't spend on Beltran as well. As far as the Soriano trade, I don't know. We'd be in the same position as we were last offseason and I'm not sure any of us want to be in that position again. I know I wouldn't be looking forward to the inevitable contant whining about how we haven't signed Soriano, blah blah blah. The jury's still out on Burke, IMO. Backe can still be a decent #3 guy. I'll also be the first to say that I think there's a chance Clemens comes back next year. I think, if he continues to pitch this way, he'll wait and see what kind of changes are made in the offseason. If we add a couple of bats and a middle rotation starter, I could see him coming back and for less than the $18 million this year. I think he'd have come back for far less had we signed Beltran as well. But, if it makes you feel any better...yeah, you were right. Good for you. BTW, refresh my memory on the guys we could've gone after had we decided not to go after Beltran besides keeping Jeff Kent. Nevermind the whining by the same people (not necessarily you NJRocket). Keep it to players we would've seriously made a run at, not just a list of free agents last offseason.
I'm not surprised that you're whining. Again. Bagwell--surprise. Wheeler and Qualls--surprise (thought based on last year they'd be a little more consistent). Ensberg--surprise - even *less* than I expected. Team hitting -- surprise - the *huge* slumps, the going days without scoring, all unexpected. Astros fans whining, blaming Bagwell, and calling for Garner's head--no surprise.
Good Lord. To hell with the Astros, let's root for our fantacrap teams now. You poor unfortunate soul. Who twisted your arm and gouged you for that money? Is this actionable? You took the risk. You whined the entire time, and you're whining now. At least you can *afford* to go to a game. Whiner.
I usually try my best to stay away from the name calling and other stuff like that....but you are truly pathetic. But I will give you credit on one account....this is the first time you actually had one of your own thoughts.
Bagwell's demise has been coming, its just been a matter of when. Still please with Biggio's production. Burke, Lane and Taveras should be playing everyday. I am ready to give up on Ensberg, this season is his last chance. Berkman should start being our 1B of the future, unless they really want Lamb in the lineup. Ausmus should go. I can live with Everrett if they find seven other guys that can hit. Starting pitching has been good, our closer is good and our bullpen is normal. I expect the bullpen to be spotty. If they were any good they would be starters or the closer. I honestly expected about a .500 year out of the Astros. Anything better would have been a welcomed surprise.
I am. I still belive you have to let this slump work itself out and get the young guys some experience. The run production will come in time and I think we are in a good position to pick up a few FA`s this winter to compliment the young players. There is no question that we had a few holes to fill starting the season and the slump has magnified the needs which we lack. I`m not ready to write this season off just yet, if we get to the All-Star break and are still in the cellar then it will time to make a few drastic changes, but you have to give the team sometime to gel together. As a season ticket holder I still enjoy watching them although I have been known to say a few choice words under my breath
There have been some realizations: Burke = Bruntlett, except Burke can't play SS; Lane streakyness may leave him best suited to the 4th of, rph role; Willy has to be a better contact hitter & judge of the strike zone; Willy is having problems reading the ball off the bat; Ensberg is a head case; Ensberg should not hit anywhere above 6th in the order; Ideally, Lamb & Ensberg would make a very good platoon at 3rd, if they can eventually acquire a middle of the order bat to play LF/RF/1B; Everett hasn't been able to stay healthy since last Aug; Roy challenges too many hitters, or his control isn't what it used to be; Astacio pitches like Roy, needs to learn to waste pitches; Astacio needs to be in the pen, used like Qualls & Wheeler; Chavez is a ****ty, ****ty, ****ty catcher, hopefully Quintero will do better next year; The flu/pneumonia thing that went around the clubhouse recently made things worse, really ****ed with Backe, Everett, Qualls & Lidge, among others. Many other things are still up in the air.
Nice to know you can "realize" that a top prospect is worthless after only 45 at bats. He might pan out, might not, but you can't tell a thing after him starting 10 games.
Every thought of mine is original. When others say similar things, it may be because they all had the same observation: you whine. A lot. While it's never good to resort to name-calling, it's an easy mistake for an eduated person to make in this instance. The -er suffix is affixed to a verb to indicate "one who...". And, you are certainly one who whines. I cannot believe, for instance, that are complaining about being "saddled" with the opportunity to go to Astros baseball games--especially when you had the *choice* not to spend your money. That is "truly pathetic", as you put it. Tell you what--why don't you put all your tickets out on E-bay, complete with an invitation to all the poor saps who get "saddled" with them (by their own choice) to come here and b**** and moan about the money they spent on baseball games to watch the Beltran-less Astros flounder in offensive mediocrity. Share the misery!
While not everyone can afford season tickets, I think just about anyone who wants to can afford the cheap seat tickets to go to an Astros game. It's alot more affordable than most sporting events. And seriously, you might not like NJRocket's posts, but he spends his hard-earned money for tickets, he roots for the team, and he's got the right to b**** about their subpar performance if he chooses to do so. The fact is, he's not the only fan that is dissatisfied with the results so far. He's in the vast majority.
Sam, his hitting, not the results but the type of hitter he is, leaves a lot to be desired. It's pretty apparent that the 'Stros don't think he's a big part of their future, with the emphasis on learning the OF and his mention in just about every reported trade possibility.
Could anyone possibly be pleased with the results so far? Other then Clemens, Pettite, Biggio and Lidge; everything has been pretty bad. Oh wait, Palmeiro the new Astros RBI man.
No surprise. Horrible offseason on all fronts. Each offseason is critical to a team's success. We were what, 5 outs from the World Series last season? One bad offseason and we are among the league's worst.
And I've got a right to call it what it is. Whining. And, by his own admission, he is now only attending to root for has fantacrap team.
Man, this is no surprise at all. Just think about it: Let's say that willing to spend $90 million dollars this year to compete. You're not the Yankees, but you can contend at that price. Now, one player you had penciled in for $14 million decides he can get more cash in NYC, and there's no one left on the market that you should invest that money in at this point. So, you'll go into the season with a $76 million payroll. Next, a guy you're paying $10 million to blows out his knee playing flag football. So, you've got a team worth $66 million to start the season. Then, a guy who is making $18 million has his shoulder fall off. As a result, you're left with $48 million worth of ballplayers. Suddenly, even though you were willing to spend $90 million to compete with big boys, you only have $48 million in healthy players. This puts you in the same league with such great teams as the Washington Nationals and the Colorado Rockies. In fact, you're even worse than those teams because the three guys you've lost are the heart of your batting lineup. Surprised yet? So what have we learned, boys and girls? Don't put so many eggs is so few baskets.
It's no surprise to the media The Astros offense Last year: Fifth in NL in runs (803) This year: Last in runs (610 pace) This is another big-time plummet that everyone saw coming. Last season, 57 percent of the Astros' homers and 47 percent of their RBI came from Jeff Kent, Carlos Beltran, Lance Berkman and Jeff Bagwell. But this year... Kent and Beltran are gone. Berkman just got back from knee surgery a week ago. And Bagwell's shoulder has turned into fettuccine . Add it all up, and what do you get? A team that scored three runs or fewer 17 times in its first 34 games – and got shut out more times in April (five) than it did all last season (three). The Astros have been trying to trade for a bat since spring training. But at this point, they're now more likely to start thinking about a total reconstruction effort. "That's sad, what's happened to that team," one AL executive said. "And it all started with their strategy on Beltran last winter. They let Scott Boras control their whole winter, and they missed out on a lot of other opportunities (to sign other outfielders)."
The 'Stros had their chances in the late 90's. Last year was a blast because Beltran was phenominal on the field and in the box, and we had the biggest turnaround in club history. Chance, after chance, after chace, it just wasnt meant to be. I guess Im most disappointed that we didnt land Beltran. There was never a plan B, and so now we are stuck playing unproven players, who although look to be like mainstays in the future (Taveras, Burke, Lane), just dont have that much experience that equals regular season or playoff success. Try and look at the positives and building blocks for the future: Berkman, Taveras, and Lane make a solid outfield. Ensberg, Everett, Burke looks like a solid combo around the horn. We have some pitching, we have a closer. We just need to let the team mature.
