Root, Root, Root for the home team, if they don’t win, um, uh,
it’s kinda a boring offseason.
Let’s see – during my life, we’ve been to the playoffs in 86, 97, 98, 99, 01, 02, 04 and 05. Kinda been spoilt lately. Now it is true that except for the last 2 years, we’ve been beaten in the first round and so I had to think of who to root for in the rest of the playoffs.
So here I go again.
First, I always root for the NL team – now if the Cubs ever make the WS, ESPECIALLY if they face the Yankees, it will sure be like the devil and the deep blue sea.
So which NL team? The “experts” say the Mets are the best team. Fine on paper. But there’s been a WHOLE lot of times that the best team on paper lost because its baseball and youneverknow.
Now, Carlos the Jackal is on the Mets and there is NO way I could root for him. But on the other hand, Billy Wags is on that team too and he’s one of my favorite ballplayers. But on the other hand, this is a team that is hazing and humiliating one of its rookies, Lastings Milledge. Not sure what he’s done to deserve this or even IF he’s done something to deserve this, but I don’t like the whole idea of picking on the new kid and trying to get the media to hate him. (My Gawd I sound like the father in Fiddler On The Roof…)
The Padres? The team that shut down the great Astros team of 1998 – and remember, this was the team that had the invincible Randy Johnson on it back when he was THE Randy Johnson. On one hand, they have Houston homie Woody Williams pitching. Woody, in case yall forgot, is the very good pitcher who has been trying to hook up with the Astros for YEARS, has said on the record more than once that what he wants most is to pitch for his hometown Astros, and the boy can’t get his phone calls returned. (Maybe this year, with a pitching staff of Roy plus a bunch of rooks, they just might could pick up the freaking phone and give him an offer…) And Scott Linebrink, the former Astro they stupidly put on waivers for no reason at all and who got grabbed by the Pads and who has been one of the 20 top relievers in the NL for the past 3 years – yeah, he’s on the team too. There’s no Jackal-like creature on the team, neither. So this just might could be a go.
The Cards? Who we’ve been in closest contest with for most of the past 5 years for the top spot in the division? Who have Uncle, a hurting Pest, a slumping Rolen, a cast of suckables and a AAA bullpen without a closer? And a starter who has, um, not been good down the stretch, to put it nicely?? Who plan on succeeding with Jeff Suppan and Chris Carpenter and, um, and, um, and um, and… Reminds me of 2004 when we tried to win with Roger, Roy and his bad rib, Brandon Backe and, um, and – oh yeah – Pete Munro. Of course we did have Brad Lidge back when even Uncle didn’t want to see him, but we also had Dan F. Miceli who lost three games for us in the playoffs and didn’t save one. The Cards are also burdened with Preston Wilson and his air conditioner bat. How could they POSSIBLY win anything???
So yall know me and the underdog. Any girl who her favorite Astro is Wandy, you KNOW she LUUUUUVVVV the underdog. The one who everybody say shouldn’t be there. The one who everybody say can’t succeed.
So me, I’m rooting for the Cards and I’m hoping all the pitchers try to show how, um, manly they are and they pitch to Uncle with the game on the line. (Brad Lidge would like this too, OK??? You best believe he had, um, sympathy for Cla Meredith the other day, yes he surely did…)
If the Cards don’t make it, then the Pads. And if it’s the Mets, well, I WILL root for them. Except I hope the Jackal goes ofer the series, GIDP a lot, makes all KINDS of errors, gets CS every time, but the Mets win anyway in spite of him.
Now in the AL?
I just don’t really care as long as it is not the Yankees and their band of mercenaries. I can say that if I grew up in NY and was a AL fan I’d root for em no matter WHO played for them. But I can’t bring myself to root for anyone on that team except for Bernie Williams (and he is just about fully cooked) and Wang because he’s homegrown and he wins without striking out hardly anyone on a team that has absolute butchers for defenders. And I don’t guess I mind Damon that much – his team didn’t WANT him back.
Tigers/Twins/A’s – any one of em fine with me. I just want the NL to beat them. Especially with all the media going ona nd on and on bout how the stupid DH league is so “superior” and all that crap.
In case any of yall looking for me to predict anything – no freaking way. Absolutely ANYTHING can happen in a short series and shocking things do. I’ve seen the Cubs lose when they were up by 3 and 5 outs from the pennant. I remember Dusty Baker taking the game ball from Russ Ortiz. I remember ALL those bad calls by the umps that went in the White Sox favor last year – ESPECIALLY the Doug Eddings stupidity. I remember the 116 win Mariners losing in the first round in 3 games.
So like I said, its baseball and youneverknow so I have NO idea who is gonna win anything. All I can say is I hope it ain’t the Yankees. Break ol Tim McCarver’s heart St. Jeter and his gang get knocked out in the first round again. And I will go for THAT.
Tags: 2006 Postseason
People are whining that Hickey shouldn’t be fired because it is the fault of the hitters we lost. Well, let’s see — I’d say there’s plenty of blame for everyone. But before you let Hickey off the hook, let’s look at the numbers (data from ESPN and Astros Daily):
The offense scored 40 MORE runs than 2005, but
The pitching surrendered 110 MORE runs in 2006 than 2005
13 less starts by the Rocket and the loss of Backe hurt (along with the pod person who pretended to be Pettitte for the first three months) really hurt us worse than our hitting struggles.
Lidge, Qualls and Wheeler gave up 35 MORE runs this year in 11 FEWER innings.
So, while a good hitter is always useful, it’s pitching that makes the difference.
If you think that more hitters is what we need, consider the Rangers.
They get more and more hitters, and yet they never win. Why? Pitching.
I’m not saying it’s Hickey’s fault — just that pitching shares more blame than you might think.
Guess, Jeff Weaver is a great pitcher after all….NOT. Only against the Padres in the playoff.
Well, that’s just swell. Lisa, it started to look like you are getting your wish for the Cards moving on.
Of course, pitching to Albert Pujols everytime he came to bat was a seriously stupid move. Get a clue, Bochy! Oh, and hitters, get a clue. If the breaking balls outside had been called for strikes all day, why wait for fastballs to come down the pipe. Adjust, people. URGH!
You’ll see, the Cardinals are going to lose the next two games at home, and this series is going to Game 5.
Let’s hope you get your second wish, instead of the first one.
well steve,
i would guess that the yankees will have the sense to go after some pitchers and maybe a few DR guys for the late innings since they got all stick and no pitch and it killed them off right quick.
pitching and defense is what got us to the dance 2 years in a row and we got killt by pitching more than not hitting…
and didi,
gf
iffn yall don’t hit with RISP, yall goin surfing USA.
trust me i understand ths cuz my astros only did that maybe a good 14 of 162 games
lisa
I heard from a really reliable source that after the Atlanta
series that all the coaches were called into a room to talk
about what went wrong . Garner talked a little. Hickey out of aggrivation as to where the season has gone from
all parts of the team voiced his opion to Tim Papura. Tim not liking what Hickey had to say decided that after 14 years with the organization to fire Jim. Garner was not in agreement with this move. Jim Hickey has done alot for this team and the organization and deserves to be able to voice his opion for the greater good of the team. Papura seems to be a thorn in the side of progress with the Astors if you cant voice your opoinon without consequence.
Not a far weather fan,
Shane