I’m not surprised. I’m trying not to be disappointed. But I can’t help but be disgusted. He’s not being kept out because of his numbers, or his play. He was a genuine 5 tool player until his shoulder finally disintegrated.
No
It’s that some writers have decided that anyone who lifted weights or worked out during the steroid era could only have done so by using anabolic steroids. And we all know that males can’t put on muscle mass by lifting weights unless they also shoot steroids.
sigh
Remember a few days ago, I posted that Biz of Baseball writer Maury Brown posted on facebook that he felt sorry for Astros fans and Astros employees, and refused to elaborate?
Well, today, it was announced that Keith Law, who used to do stat work for the Blue Jays before he converted to scoutism and went to work for ESPN, turned down a job in the Astros Organization. Maury says – Keith is a smart man. And once more, he said he wasn’t gonna say any more about it.
I’ve tried to find out more about what is going on, but I can’t. Jim Crane has sealed up leaks and Luhnow’s conferences sound like Tim Purpura’s old ones. I have heard from pals who are involved with other teams that Wandy is very much for sale. I have absolutely NO idea how Crane could possibly improve this team without spending money, seeing as how it can’t be done by spending in the draft any more.
I also haven’t been able to get any info about the new Astros/Rockets RSN which is supposed to start next year, whether or not it will be carried on all cable channels, let alone DISH or Direct TV. I can’t see how on earth they are gonna make more money per year from this than they would from FOX, and Crane is so overloaded with debt, I can’t see how he’s going to spend any of that money on good players.
sigh
Trouble is that we Houstonians and Astros fans were plain unlucky. Bud is focused on getting the Dodgers sold, then, obviously, the Mets, and the fact that the Astros have been shoved to the bottom of a cesspool is no concern of his.
Oh yeah – he’s NOT retiring at the end of his term, he’s going to stay on for 2 more years, no surprise.
I know how they felt in Montreal. You know they were pulling in 3 million people a year the year of the strike and 7 years later they were dead. 6 years ago, the Astros were pulling in 3 mill fans a year, won the pennant, and are now Terry Schiavo on life support, and the plug ain’t getting pulled for at least 18 years.
It’s going to be weird going to Opening Day without Mama. Yes, I’m going – it’s my last one. She’s returned to the team of her childhood, St. Louis. She told me – child, when your face gets punched in and urinated on, it’s time to leave the abuser and get a divorce, you don’t wait around to see if he will change because he loves you, because he doesn’t.
Maybe it’s for the best that I wasn’t able to, in spite of my best efforts, to get my kids interested in baseball. They like playing it (or I should say, a baseball-like game played with ball, bat, fake bases, fake runners and fake fielders) in the yard with me and Dog Pappas, who is a good fielder, but has Mackey Sasser Syndrome in which he has a tough time returning the ball to the pitcher once he catches it.
Ah well, you always hear it is a kids’ game – maybe I should remember that…
Tags: Houston Astros
I’m done also. After 25 years of following the Astros I am bailing and heading to Atlanta. Found a Braves website “Talking Chop” that seems to have promise. I would stick through the upcoming beatdowns and hope for the best but the move to the AL sealed the deal for me. Trying to decide if I send my Astros gear to Selig or Crane or just put it in the attic.
LOVED YOUR BLOG
talking chop is a great site – or at least it used to be. it’s run, or WAS run, by a guy i know.
braves WERE my second favorite team when i was a kid thank you WTBS and david justice teh HOTTTTTT
sigh
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2011/05/14/sports/mets.html
The Oilers got me prepped for my departure from Enron Field, i was an Doug Radar astro buddy and enjoyed many a game thoroghout my life in the Dome and at Enron. I jsut can not stomach Crane and the lack of character he has displayed and MLB turns a deaf eye… no one is thinking of the fans,, discount tickets?? to what??,, the mindless will go to the games i guess… i look forward to my fantasy league and by the way if anyone sould want to grab a team i am buiding it on yahoo and its a no money or fees league, should be fun..I am going to follow the game as I always have and look forward to spring training as i always have, no one can take that away from me…Go Skeeters, see ya a t Reckling..
I’d send the Astros gear to Selig COD.
I’m gonna root for Philadelphia in 2013. St. Louis is a second possibility as they’re in the NL Central now that Dark Glasses is gone.
Eric
As a dyed-in-the-wool Colts/Astros fan from the beginning, it’s been tough going lately. I had been tolerating the mediocre to less-than-mediocre teams of the last few seasons, fully confident that there would eventually be light at the end of the tunnel. And now in this Tunnel of Love, I’ve been kicked overboard.
I tell myself I’m willing to give them a chance, look in on them now and again, but the mojo has been extinguished. That the Astros’ greatest player of its 50-year history must live under the cloud of the steroid era, that the team is bullied by the MLB mafia to go live in the slums, and that no one had the cojones to say Stop This Crap when it would have meant something, all of this contributes to my rapidly waning interest.
When I was a little boy, the advent of major league baseball in Houston drove my imagination. I played ball with my friends on the street, and we took the names of the pro players for ourselves. The Colts were a lousy team that first year, but at least they were better than the Mets. And the CUBS fer Pete’s sake!
I hope no one destroys the love of baseball for today’s little kids. Shhh, don’t tell them AL ball is inferior because of the extra half-player. Let them enjoy the game at their own level, think of the steroid era as the modern Black Sox scandal, and go out into the street and play baseball with their friends.
Heck, I was prepared to be a Cards fan, and Uncle Albert chose to follow his favorite whipping boys to the AL West. Lawzy, lawzy, lawzy…
Glad to hear that Momma and I agree. I too am going back to the team of my pre-teen years. St. Louis. It isn’t easy losing ones team to A’ Hole like Crane and Selig though. I will check in on the highlights on MLB channel and follow them this year as they spiral downwards. Wait. They are already on the bottom somewhere near the whale poop. I’ll bet Millsy wishes he was somewhere else. I will watch the Hooks home games so I can watch the other clubs farm boys with talent. I can follow the Redbirds AA team from Springfield at least. Rooting for the opposing team won’t win me any friends, but so what huh? I will continue to follow your blog Lisa, because I really enjoy your candor. The other blogs pander to management too much. It is a lousy organization and that is all there is to it. Keep up the good work girl!
steve
nobody pays me a dime so i don’t have to say something i don’t want to say. and they really can’t get much worse – and they are going to be BAD for a very long time.
interestingly enough, i just found out from the new CBA that because houston is in the top 15 of the markets, they can’t get revenue sharing money like philly did back when they used to lose for a living. they’ll just have to keep an extremely low payroll and live off MLBAM/TV money.