1998 was the year...they could beat you in so many ways that season...speed in the lineup...good average hitters...power. and a pitching rotation that featured freaking Randy Johnson. now THAT team underachieved.
I've found some flaws to the argument this is the "team that always chokes in the playoffs," primarily because this is no longer the same team that made it to the playoffs all those years. Take a look... The only Astros with real playoff experience (as an Astro) are: Ausmus Biggio Bagwell Wagner We all know that the Killer B's have been the Killer Fleas in their limited playoff experience, but Ausmus is one of the guys who always seems to do well against the tougher pitching. And, he did hit the would-be game winning HR in 2001 in game 1 against the Braves (if it wasn't for dumb dumb Lugo...). Wagner has had a dissapointing post-season run, as it started with giving up that game-tying HR to Jim Leyritz of the Padres (they still won the game, however), and ended with giving up the BOMB to Chipper in the affore mentioned 2001 game (the game was tied at the time... not a blown save). Astros with some playoff experience (as an Astro), but not enough to be claimed chokers: Berkman Hidalgo Wade Miller Wade should have won his only playoff game, and Hidalgo and Berkman really havent seen enough AB's in the playoffs to be considered bad or good in the post-season. Berkman could be a late-game liablity as managers try to turn him around, but with the way he's been swinging the bat lately from the right side (avg. is up to .250, wheras it was around .190 much of the season), he could be a much bigger asset than we think. The Wild-cards: players with clutch playoff experience from elsewhere, or those who've never played in a post-season game: Jeff Kent Jose Vizcaino Roy Oswalt Octavio Dotel Brad Lidge Morgan Ensberg Dan Micelli This may very well be the most compelling argument for why you can't classify this Astros team as chokers. All these guys together make up much more of a part of this team than simply Biggio and Bagwell... in fact, their performance will be what determines the Astros' playoff success, not the killer B's. Final thoughts: What we're forgetting is that this is no longer the same Astros team as the ones who choked... new manager, new role players, new star players. If they choke, then there must me some mystical thing with putting on an Astros uniform, right? ...I highly doubt it.
It depends on what they will choke at. Will they choke away the division? Or choke when the playoffs come around and the Astros make it in. I don't think the Astros will choke away the division, even if they don't win the Central, they didn't choke because the division has been a horserace the whole second half. In 2001 the Astros nearly choked away the division because they had a huge lead and then they suddenly started losing every series to let the Cards back in it. As for the Astros choking in the playoffs? Of course they will. That's a given if Biggio is going to play in the playoffs. He'll go like 1-13 with 3 strikeouts, 5 grounders to second and a couple of fly-outs. If the Astros make the playoffs, their bats will go silent like they always do.
great post Nick. Gives us a reason to be optimistic. Of, course, IMO, Biggio will slowly kill this optimism.
the difference with the 03 astros is we have more than Biggio and Bagwell You've got the other power guys Ensberg Berkman Kent Hidalgo i think we should worry about making the playoffs first though, let's just get in first
I love the "Astros choke in the playoffs argument." They've only had 1 series in recent history that they really should have won. In that series, they were unfortunate enough to encounter Kevin Brown in the best form of his life. Tough luck. Besides the fact that hitting always goes down in the playoffs... the relatively few at-bats our players have had tells us nothing. So, if they make the playoffs... there's no real reason to think they're more likely to choke rather than anybody else.
Well, they did have home-field against the Braves in 2001, a team that had a down year. So basically, that is 2 series the Astros should have won. I am pretty sure the Astros were favored to win this series. And the Astros did win Game 1 vs the Braves in 1999,,,and had the bases loaded in the bottom of the tenth with no one out in Game 3 at the Dome, only not to score at all. So the Astros should've won that series also. That's 3 series now.
Well, my prediction came true... Couldn't handle it against the Brewers. Kudos to the Cubs after 14 FREAKING YEARS!
We might lose the best reliever in Astros history along w/ other top players w/ the choke on Saturday: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/NASAp...nt_id=550148&vkey=news_hou&fext=.jsp&c_id=hou HOUSTON -- Billy Wagner cannot predict what club owner Drayton McLane and general manager Gerry Hunsicker are planning for the future, but if the lefty closer had to guess, he would say he's probably not going to be back with the Houston Astros next year. Wagner will be paid $9 million next season, the final year of a three-year contract that he signed prior to the 2002 campaign. Keenly aware of the Astros' budget concerns, Wagner doubts he'll be in the mix next year, despite putting up the best numbers of his career. "I don't know, I could be gone," Wagner said. "If I am, it's been great, but I'm a little disappointed in knowing that usually if you put the numbers up to be able to stay, they somehow find a way to keep you. "Knowing how Drayton is and his budget, he's got to do what's best for him and best for his team." McLane said he was "surprised" at Wagner's comments, considering discussions about next year's payroll have not yet begun. "I'm surprised that Billy would say that, but Billy is certainly free to comment in any way he chooses," McLane said. "Billy came up through the Astros organization and we're extremely proud of him. This is probably the best season he's had and I'd hate to think of the Houston Astros without Billy. We have not even begun to discuss the issue internally and it's way premature to make any kind of statement." Hunsicker declined to comment. Wagner, an eight-year veteran who was the Astros' No. 1 draft pick in 1993, extended his own club record this year with 44 saves while posting a 1.78 ERA. He holds the club record for career saves with 225 and ranks 26th on the MLB career saves list. Wagner has been suspicious about his future with the Astros for most of the season, fueled by what he said were "subtleties" and offhand comments from the front office. He said he half-expected to be traded to Boston after the All-Star break, but believes that subsided when the Astros played well enough to remain in contention for the NL Central title. Six players -- Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Lance Berkman, Jeff Kent, Richard Hidalgo and Wagner -- will take up $51.5 million of the Astros' payroll next year. If the Astros have to move a contract, Wagner and Hidalgo are the most expendable. "It's all of a sudden my fault that Drayton pays me eight million dollars," Wagner said. "I didn't hold a gun to his head. That's the way it is, and maybe next I'll have to contend against (the Astros). That's going to (stink). I don't want to pitch against these guys. "But what are you going to do? I have no leverage. That's just the way it goes." Wagner also challenged McLane's well-known catchphrase of being a "champion." "His goal is money," Wagner said. "You can't be a champion when everything that's done is based around money. If it is, you're a one-hit wonder. "After you see them get rid of (Mike) Hampton and Shane (Reynolds) and some of the guys that were here for a long time, I'm nobody compared to those guys. If they can get rid of them, they can get rid of me." Answered McLane: "We have not even begun the process of evaluating the team and what we need to do to make the team better. Particularly with the labor agreement we have today, you have to consider the financial part of it. That will all be taken into consideration and that will be reviewed and studied the next several weeks. "You have to evaluate every part of the team and the financial side of it is the most important, also. But it's way too premature to make any kind of statement or even consider anything like that. We would like very much for Billy to be part of the Houston Astros next year."
