Sorry about no posts for so long – family illness got in between me and my baseball games.
I see that Lance Berkman, naturally, managed to make sure that Wandy did not end the year with a winning record so that the 2011 Astros could boast that no starting pitcher ended the year with a winning record.
And tonight, Astros had the chance to knock the Cards out of the playoffs – at the very least, force a playoff with Atlanta. So naturally, Mr Starting Pitcher gives up 5 runs in the first inning. Naturally, Uncle drives in the first run. Chris Carpenter, who ain’t what he used to be, but still pitched very well this year, jumped all OVAH that lead like a starving Dog on a pile of burgers.
He had the Astros swinging and missing at pitches waaaay outside the zone, pitches at their necks, pitches in the dirt. Felt like Old Times. I thought we were gonna get no hit fer SHER, but Jose Altuve broke it up with a clean single in the 4th. And in the 6th, with 2 out, Shuck singled, Altuve walked, JD let it die.
2 hours, 2o minutes, 2 hits, 1 shutout. Oh yeah, and 1 RBI after an IBB. Kind of summarizes the Astros season.
Thank you McLane family my rear end – no kidding, there was a “ceremony” in the second inning and a big thingy on the scoreboard at the end of the game – like barrrrrrrf. Thank you for what? Refusing to do anything to make this team better since 2008? Refusing to pay for GOOD prospects, a GOOD GM, a GOOD farm system, a GOOD manager? Selling out to Jim Crane and his imaginary money?
BAH
So, Cards are ahead of Not-so-hotLanta by 1/2 game. Should we root for Lance or Bourn? Tough call. Neither the Cards nor the Braves are a very good team, but when it comes to the playoffs, well, there sure nuff have been a lot of surprises since the Wild Card Era began.
I’m trying to not be so negative about the future, but honestly, it’s tough. We’re building around, uh, like who? I see no Franchise Player – I don’t even see an upper level player like Pence. I don’t see a good young core like the 91 team. Our young players are Bogusevic, Shuck, Paredes, JD Martinez, Altuve, Schafer, Lyles, Melancon and Norris – oh yeah, and prodigal son Jason Castro. Let’s face it – it’s true that Ed Wade always manages to pick fungible middle relievers off the scrap heap, but Fernando Rodriguez, Henry Sosa, Aneury Rodriguez are NOT The Future any more than the other guys.
I’m not holding my breath for Springer or Singleton any more than I do/did for Jiovanni Mier or Junior DeShields, let alone the AA pitchers who were obtained for Bourn. I see no Evan Longoria, no David Price, no Ryan Braun. Every minor league team of the Astros had a losing record. The AAA MVP was 35 year old Anderson Hernandez and his 20+ errors at second base.
I haven’t heard one thing about the Sale, neither. I would guess that nothing will be said until after the end of the World Series – hopefully the Tigers (if the Rays lose tonight) vs Berkman or Bourn or Pence/Lidge/Oswalt – although I wouldn’t mind seeing the Dbax win again, just because nobody thought anything of that team at the beginning of the year, and you KNOW how ah LUUUUUVVVV an underdawg…
Besides, Ryan Roberts is teh HOTTTTTTT
Lisa: Thanks for coming back tonight. Reading your post made me feel downright cheerful.
I was so blue about our season being over that I just couldn’t watch the Astros and their very dismal last game. So I watched a bit of Atlanta. Our Michael is doing great over there. Hope he gets the chance to go on.
The prospects don’t look very bright for the Astros, I know, but I will be cheering for my NL team next year.
Meanwhile Lisa, I want you to know you have made this season bearable with your entertaining wit and right-on indignation. No one calls a spade like you do. I am so grateful I found your blog two seasons ago. A touchpoint of sanity in an otherwise bull sh*t-ie world.
The Astros should create a Lisa bobble-head. I know at least a dozen people who would love to have one.
Looking forward to your blog in ’12.
With many thanks and all good wishes to you.
zagger
PS. Hope the family illness is done and gone.
Welcome back, Lisa. Hope the family situation is better.
Richard Justice just posted another one of his “at least the Astros are rebuilding” articles, but this team needs a serious infusion of talent. Martinez, Altuve, and those guys are decent complementary players, but I don’t see any stars.
I thought the sale to Jim Crane was a foregone conclusion, but maybe all of the noise made by Lisa and Maury Brown and others made it to the right eyes and ears within MLB. McLane obviously doesn’t want to own the Astros anymore, but I’d rather have McLane for another 3 to 6 months, while he finds a new buyer, than have the new owners come in and get crushed by debt.
Hunter Pence, In my opinion he has definitely reached star status, not super star yet, but maybe someday. Austin Swafford will dissagree has he said with a good team he would only be a no. 6 or 7th best position player and would never inprove. Well pence proved that wrong, as since he joined the phillies in 53 starts 1/3 of a season he was their best overall hitter. He lead them in 9 offensive catagories was second in 3 others, Rbis which he finished 2 behind Howard and Hrs which he finished 2 behind Howard and he finished 2nd in triples 3 behind Victorino. The Phils were 36 and 17 in games hunter started. He had the key hit or hits in at least 13 of those victories and contributed in many more.
Pence also finished 7th or better in offensive catagories in the NL. and 9th or better in 9 catagories. He was 4th in BA with a .314 and 9th in RBIs with 97. He was 4th in total hits with 190 , 4th in doubles with 38 and 7th inTBs.
Thats not too bad for aq guy you all said would never get better.
They love this guy in Philly.
zagger,
thank you gf!!! i hope the family illness is all over soon, too, trust me on this.
as for the Lisa bobblehead, well, they don’t make em shakin their head nononononNOOOOOOOOOOO. or they would have to make the arms moveable so that after one positive shake, the hands would come up and cover the face…
ann,
richard has to post SOMEthing. no matter WHAT he posts, half the readers grouse and point out what an idiot he is. he could say, thank GOD for the few drops of rain we got and you’d see all these posts – oh richard you IGGGGNERint buffoon – it wasn’t but enough to wet the ground, we need MORE rain.
anyhow, i am glad he FINALLY removed blinders from eyes and plugs from ears and checked out the sale. with all the shtt goin down with the excision of frank mccourt from the owners group, i have this feeling that crane and his lack of $$$/tact (ahem) is not going to get in. thing is, as i keep saying – it can always be worse. we COULD get jeffrey loria, version 2, who HAS kabillions to spend, but just refuses to. it really amazes me that with all thoswe leaked documents, showing how he keeps almost all the revenue sharing moneys for himself, that there has been so little outcry from either the other owners OR the media.
and people “wonder” why the steroid “scandal” story got like almost ZERO pub until Mr. EVULLLLL Himself got involved…
the CBA, maury brown tells us (and he’s got a pretty good handle on that stuff) is pretty close to being complete, so I disbelieve that the Astros or anyone else will be FORCED to move to the AL this year – i mean, in this 4 year CBA, so hopefully, we’re safe for the time being. unless buddy boy already has another ownership group in mind and he KNOWS they won’t give him one second trouble about moving the team.
sceptor,
agree that pence, who was a GOOD, solid major league right fielder – and you can’t deny i said THAT – stepped it up this year. unlike most major leaguers, he DID improve every part of his game every year – improved the hitting, the baserunning, the swinging at the low/away stuff. very few guys actually DO do that.
philly SHOULD be glad to have him – yet another total robbery of ed wade/astros. their other guys are getting old, FAST.
i’ve heard that roy-o may not even pitch in the playoffs – and lidge is now in middle relief…
Lisa True story and i agree that you did say what you said, and i think because Pence has such a passion for the game and that he has this sincere dedication to get better and better and such a very strong work ethic that he will get better. To say a player can get much better after 28 is completely false.
Just look at 15 year veteran Raul Ibanez who will will be 40 soon as had his very best years from ages 34 to 39, and there are a number of ball players who have done the same. I think it all depends on the good Lord giving them good health, there desire and passion for the game and a very strong work ethic. Pence posseses all these qualities and a stong desire to win.
That should read can’t get better after 28 is completely false.
If you’re a baseball fan and were paying attention last night, those were two incredible finishes for the wild cards. Just pure fun. Go Rays and Cards.
Go! Phillies and Rangers!
sceptor,
trouble is that people prefer to strictly stereotype if at all possible and it is almost always possible. MOST ballplayers don’t improve after age 27. The fact that SOME do is very upsetting to people who don’t like exceptions to the rules. Or they NOW insist that it can only be done with drugs or steroids.
but the fact is that many guys simply CAN’T do better no matter how much they try and many guys DON’T try. or they just can NOT adjust once they get here. some guys never get a chance in the first place because the Organization or the manager doesn’t WANT them to succeed because they said in the first place that the guy wasn’t gonna.
but what you said about work ethic is the absolute truth.
there are more than a few guys who were really great in their 20s and fell off a cliff because they didn’t/wouldn’t do anything to deal with their aging bodies or even the changing environment (see Junior Griffey…)
steve,
extra innings – BOTH games!!! and figures that papelbon AND kimmel are BOTH the guys who blew it. i wasn’t real too sure about the braves/cards, but the red sox were clearly charging down the path of self-destruction….
actually, i would LUUUVVVV to see lance get that Ring he should have won in 05 – along with the NLCS MVP that lidge/pujols cheated him out of
can’t root for the rangers – no ex-stros, but not rooting for the phils is tough – ah luuuvs all the exes – would LUUUVVVV to see Roy-o and pence get that Ring.
can’t see how the cards can win with no matt holliday and only 2 decent starting pitchers, but youneverknow… then again, i wouldn’t have thought the phils would end the season losing like 15 of 20 – but i remember the yechhhies did that in 2000 and Went All The Way!!!
Lisa you may be right, but i think Pence will be that exception.
I would not root for the Cards, if someone held a *GUN* to my head. The ONLY reason to root for the Phillies, is for Hunter Pence. Other than Pence, not too much to root for. Roy Oswalt has said such hurtful things about the Houston fans…….he can jump off that high bridge for all I care. There is no hope for this team to be any better next year, and when and J.D. Martinez gets REALLY good,
Ed Wade will deal him to the Phillies for ANOTHER bottom dweller prospect.
Can you tell how P*SSED off I am?????? I hope Drayton McLane goes straight to h*ll for what he’s done to this organization, AND he can take Bud (kiss my a$$
Selig) WITH HIM. I’m not having a PMS day, I’m having a P*SSED OFF day.
I really appreciate your blog, thank you. Hope things are going well with your family now.
sceptor,
i would absolutely LUUUUVVVV it if pence DOES become the STAR!! you always thought he would be. i am always impressed by guys who do what it takes to become better – IF they can
becky,
well, i have a REAL hard time rooting for the cards – but a real easy time rooting for lance. i detest TLR – well, you know that. if i had to pick a TEAM, i’d pick the brewers even though they don’t have any ex-stros and if not them the dbax – and the only ex-stro left is juan gutierrez.
i guess i root for the ex-stros guys. but heck will freeze solid before i would root for yankees/redsox
drayton screwed himself AND us astros fans when he decided to be his own GM and fired gerry. and he’s a person who can’t never admit he made a mistake, apologise, and make it right. and now he just wants out because “we” let him down. yeah, right. hopefully, he’ll get a taste of his own crap when buddy boy refuses to approve the guy who “bought” the club with non-existant money – after all these years of slurping bud ass…
eva,
appreciate that. and thank you
Just wanted to say I enjoyed your posts this year, even though it was a wasted year and there is absolutely no future hope whatsoever for this talentless crew of bums. I was actually excited with the Paredes-Martinez-Altuve-Shuck-Downs crew but, truth is, they’re probably all destined to be career .268 hitters who’ll leave little mark. Whatever…still better than Wallace and Johnson. I was sick to have to see them again after September call-ups. They should be forever banished to the depths of AA.
I absolutely cannot root for the phillies. I detest Roy O. He’s an arrogant … Was tickled when the Giants beat him last year. Pence seems like he’s on some sort of weird stimulant drug or huffing paint. His eyes dart around like some sort of crazed lunatic.
I guess I’m rooting for the Tigers. Or Rays. Or Rangers. Or DBax. Or Lance. Still love the Puma.
Just…please…not the phillies.
harry,
thank you!!!!!
well, there are plenty of exstros to root for – as much as i detest TLR, ah LUUUUUUVVVS lance. and pence. and roy-o (sorry) but he was teh awesomeness for years – as well as a guy who was just supposed to be minor league filler, like JD martinez
i like pence – he’s not like a druggie at ALL, he’s just hyper, like brandon backe. and lidge. but rooting for the phils and any BIG money team is not real too much below rooting for yankees/redsox
so even though they don’t have any ex-stros, i’m going for a brewers pennant. and a rays pennant, IF i cared about AL ball which i don’t
and wallace and johnson are at least AAA guys – they are better than AA
I don’t mean to say I think Pence is a druggie…that’s just the impression he makes. He scares me a little. But it’s the same crazy intensity he brings to the game.
Was pleased that Roy-O got beat today and that Lance had a big part in it.
Your comment about wallace and johnson being at lest AAA has me roflmfao!
Saw something on bleacherreport about Joe Morgan being most hated Astro. Have people really forgotten Drabek and Swindell? (Personally I’d vote for David Weathers.)