I’m still seething over the the Astros bullpen collapsing under the weight of errors and walks yesterday.
So to avoid hearing me grouse, why not head over to Mark Schreunder’s blog http://fantasybaseballhotstove.com and check out his questions to NL Central bloggers (and not the usual suspects at the Popular Blogs)
Tomorrow night, Astros are on the road again – going back to NYC and Citi Field and the other 5-11 team whose ownership doesn’t want to spend money. Already, People Who Know are recommending that this early in the season, the Mets trade off Mike Pelfrey, one of their starters, and Jose Reyes, their star SS who is in the last year of his contract. As well as Carlos The Jackal, whose contract expires at the end of the year. Of course, the Jackal is no longer the player he used to be and is no longer worth his salary (sound familiar?) and unlike Drayton, the debt-ridden Wilpons can’t afford to eat any of his contract to help the next owner.
Yeah, I know that the club isn’t officially for sale and the Wilpons still think that some idiot billionaire/corporation is going to give them $$$ to be a “minority” partner with no say in running the club.
Uh hunh
Anyway, Wandy has pitched only once at Citi Field and gave up 8 H, 2 BB and 3 K over 6 IP with 3 ER. Beltran, by the way, is 6 fer 16 with 2 doubles and 2 homers vs Wandy.
We’ll be facing lefty Jonathan Niese, who has been having a lousy year so far, like Wandy – except Wandy has had one good game and Niese hasn’t – but I’m sure Niese is looking forward to pitching against the Astros, as he’s thrown 14 innings over 2 games, giving up 11 H, 2 BB, 8 K and 2 ER.
I’ve been reading fan comments on other sites – especially after Angel Sanchez’ 8th inning error which opened the door to the 8th inning loss – and, mind, Melancon not getting the requisite outs PLUS Jeff Fulchino walking in another run didn’t help much: anyway, fans are starting to get down on Sanchez for his not Everett-like defense.
It is to laugh that they are thinking that things will be SOOO much better when Barmes returns from the DL – amazing how team propaganda propagates.
Tags: Houston Astros, MLB, New York Mets
Lisa – Did you see Maury Brown’s weekend article about Jim Crane and the sale of the Astros? If not, here’s the link:
http://www.bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5172
This might at least partly explain why there’s been less news than expected lately regarding the sale. If any or all of those allegations are true, it’s hard to see Crane being approved by Bud Selig and/or the MLB owners.
hi ann,
VERY interesting – here and i thought the problem with crane’s bid for the rangers was that he wasn’t nolan and no one else would do
i haven’t been able to find out ONE thing about what is going on with the astros sale. VERY tightly shut mouths – which is unusual…
Lisa – Interesting, indeed. Also interesting (and kind of sad) that the story was brought up by Maury Brown (who’s in Oregon) rather than from any of the local Houston media. I guess the locals are either being deferential to local-guy Crane or they’re very lazy. I’ve never seen such a lack of media interest in a $600 or $700 million transaction, especially a sports transaction.
As for your inability to get any info. re: the sale, I’ve thought the recent rumors over the past few weeks of an impending sale were more smoke than fire and Maury Brown’s article only augmented my belief. But between Steve Greenberg’s infamous CIA-type secrecy and the on-again, off-again nature of Drayton McLane’s desire to sell, it’s hard to tell. Maybe we’ll wake up tomorrow and someone totally different will be introduced as the person/group to whom McLane has decided to sell. (I still can’t believe McLane wants to go out on the bottom like this, or that he’s going to sell before the Mets and/or Dodgers are sold.)
ann,
don’t know what to say about the apparent lack of media interest. and i’ve listened to sportstalk – when it’s on the astros – radio and nothing with them neither. nothing with the foxsports guys, nothing with the papers, nothing with the bloggers.
either nobody cares or there really IS maximum secrecy, don’t ask me how.
if mclane doesn’t want to see BEFORE the dodgers and mets go down in flames, then he is a fool. as for out on the bottom, well, it’s gonna be many years before this Organization is NOT on the bottom
Lisa – Did I read that right — You believe McLane is being smart by trying to sell ASAP rather than after the Mets and/or Dodgers?
I think it’s just the opposite — McLane is losing out on potential bidders right now because the big money is mostly waiting for the Mets and/or Dodgers.
Lisa — Moments after submitting my last comment, I read that MLB is taking over day-to-day control of the Dodgers. Unless McCourt wins PowerBall or something, I can’t see how he retains ownership of the Dodgers for much longer. If I was Drayton McLane, I’d hold onto the Astros until the big money comes off the sidelines.
ann,
WHY??? the big money is gonna go straight for the glamour franchise, not some flyover team, which is why i thought drayton should try to get one of em to try for the astros BEFORE the dodgers/mets come on the open market.
so now what is gonna be left to get the astros is the jim cranes.
and i would be very surprised if drayton would spend another penny – i was surprised that he even agreed to pay for hall/barmes – even if fast eddie did assure him that keppinger could be dumped.
the astros used to practically sell out every game – now, well, starting to look more and more like the marlins. it’s gonna take a lot of time to build the fan base back up and i don’t see drayton caring. ESPECIALLY if fans have to pay extra to subscribe to the new houston sports network thingy
Lisa — My logic is this: Right now, there are a dozen or more deep-pocketed people waiting for their chance to buy the Mets or Dodgers. None of them are apparently willing to “settle” for the Astros right now, but six months or a year from now, after the Mets and Dodgers are sold, the Astros might start looking very good to one of the runners-up from the Mets and Dodgers sales, many or most of whom presumably will still want to join the MLB club.
To be slightly crass, the Astros sale right now is like walking into a bar and seeing Miss Universe there, along with a few 7′s. The 7′s won’t get much attention while Miss Universe is still there, but they’ll start looking a lot better after Miss Universe has made her choice and left the building. This is the same situation apparently facing Drayton McLane and the Astros at the moment, with only local-guy Jim Crane (and his truckloads of baggage) known to be interested in buying the team.
ann,
NOW you are right about the really rich gonna pounce on dodgers/mets. dodgers almost fer sher gonna officially go up for sale very soon as frankie poo is completely out of $$$ and has pissed off every single other owner by being so stupid as to get a divorce and letting all the financial papers get spread out over media – even john moores didn’t do that. of course, but was stupid to pick out an owner who had zero $$$ except for what he could borrow against the team.
drayton should have sold BEFORE – like AFTER the jim crane debacle – BEFORE all the shtt came out in the dodger divorce – but noooooo, he was holding out for a LOT more than this franchise is worth.
and you are dead right about the bar and the 10/7/7/7/7/7/7/7/7/7 thingy – very few hot men are NOT gonna try for the hottest chick. unless they have been turned off, there are 3 other groups besides crane that were interested in the astros – NO idea if any of them are left now that something MUCH better has come along
Lisa – That’s right. Unless litigation drags things out, the Dodgers should be for sale very soon (yesterday might as well been a “for sale” announcement), MUCH sooner than most people had probably expected. That would possibly/likely leave all sorts of deep-pocketed people left to bid on the “consolation prize” Astros, perhaps even before the Dodgers sale is completed (e.g., if the initial bidding goes way past some buyers’ or groups’ financial wherewithal). (BTW, make no mistake, I don’t see the Astros as a consolation prize, but a lot of the big-money East and West Coast types probably do.)
Interestingly, one of the people rumored to be in the running to be the commissioner’s representative in L.A. to oversee the Dodgers is none other than Stan Kasten, the former Braves and Nationals exec (and current part-owner of the Nats). This is the same Stan Kasten who has been rumored to be interested in putting together a group to buy the Astros. Depending on what happens, this could either take Kasten out of the running for Houston (and possibly make him a leader for buying the Dodgers) or it could strengthen his chances for the Astros by getting him further into Selig’s good graces.
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Lisa said: “unless they have been turned off, there are 3 other groups besides crane that were interested in the astros – NO idea if any of them are left now that something MUCH better has come along”
- I thought it was three total buyers/groups, whom I always assumed to be Crane and Stan Kasten and then a wildcard buyer/group such as John Moores (close McLane friend) or Miles Prentice. Have you been able to nail down any info. re: the identities of any of the other groups (or leaders of groups)?
Back in late March, Drayton McLane told Stephen Goff of the Houston Examiner that the two or three leading bidders/groups would be making presentations to him to “make their case for buying the Astros” in “two or three weeks,” but we’re now at the four-week mark without any new rumors or news (aside from the devastating Jim Crane/EEOC article by Maury Brown). It’s hard to believe this sale could be proceeding this quietly, especially if there are groups rather than individuals involved.