Do you guys think if the Astros would have kept Luis Gonzales, Steve Finely, & Cami instead of trading them away they would have made to World Series? Most of those guys came up together via triple A or trade and seemed to all get along. Those guys would have peek together and can you imagine the amount runs they would score in games. I will alway see those guys as 'Stros.
There is no way to tell. You'd have to think that they would have been pretty successful if the 3 of them were around this whole time. Would that have been at the expense of Oswalt, Miller, Lidge, Everett, Berkman, etc? In other words, would we have had to trade away our future at the expense of keeping these guys around? Like I said, there is no way to tell. That said, yes, I do think a World Series would have been a greater possibility with them and a couple more pieces.
I'm pretty sure most teams could come up with some sort of list like that... its very rare that a team entirely consists of nothing but home-grown talent for a period of time. The fact that the 'Stros had all these guys up in the majors together, however, is kind of special... but there was no way to anticipate Steve Finely or Luis Gonzales' development. Hell... Gonzo played for us on TWO SEPARATE occasions, and still never sniffed the years he had in Arizona. Sometimes, players have to go elsewhere to ultimately succeed...
I remember the ASTROS draft PHIL NEVIN ... I still wish we never traded him he would have been a LOCK for us at 3rd base. I think we traded him away to get Cam back rite? or am i wrong?
How about if Andy Pettitte was healthy...you could throw him on the mound yesterday and put it in cruise control.
I've always thought the team we had during the strike year was our best team ever. Bidge, Bags, Cami, Finley, Gonzo. Bagwell won the MVP that year and Cami won it the next year. Weren't we tied with Cinci for first when the strike happened? I really think that team could have gone all the way although I don't remember much about our piching staff.
We were pretty much tied with Cincy, but remember that Bagwell broke his hand right before the strike. Not sure if we would've been able to make the playoffs without him. As for the pitching, Drabek and Shane were having good years, but I'm not sure how the rest of the rotation shook out. I think the 1998 team, on paper, had the most talent, and I was absolutely positive we were going to win it all. the 1986 team, I thought, had the intangibles and grit -- I felt like they were the team of destiny with all those come-from-behind wins. Those were the two teams that I always thought had the best shot at it.
That was the Astros future at the time the started rebuilding at at that time that is who the brought up or traded for. The chemistry was great between those guys. Obviously, b/c they still keep in touch. All three of those made it to the World Series except the guys we kept. You are right you never know but that line up would have given pitchers fits.
Nevin sucked for the Astros. He showed no signs of potential to any team in the league to become what he did. He's just one of those guys that blossomed out of nowhere.
and the Astros top scout said we should draft a SS from Michigan with the first pick...he was the best he'd ever seen. We took Nevin, the Yankees took that SS, and that scout quit baseball after 50 years because he was so disgusted. Saw that on Sportscentury.
you mean we could have had a WINNER? man that guy they picked up is a WINNER....what a WINNER. sorry, heheh. just poking fun at the commentators and not Jeter (whom I like as a ballplayer)
