I was that guy more than a few times
1 Like
Speaking of not being good enough — the ChiSox have tied the record with six games to spare. Anyone think they will win the last six?
Anyone upset with the Astros should try backing the southsiders for about 30 seconds.
1 Like
It’s easy to be the typical spoiled fan at this point in Astros history. Remember, we HATE that shit from other franchises.
It’s also easy to expect better play from this team after being accustomed to that for almost a decade (I’m exaggerating a wee bit).
I’m glad we get to have this discussion. Before Correa entered the league and the Astro “plan” started, we were all adrift. Remember that, because it’ll happen again.
This rag-tag group of fucknuts somehow inserted themselves into a playoff position as long as they win one fucking game against the M’s.
I’m proud of these slapdicks. They have no business being here. We, as fans, might get extra baseball in a season they shouldn’t have had it. Enjoy.
9 Likes
5 game winning streak then lose the finale
1 Like
This is well said. I do understand being upset and frustrated after games like yesterday’s disaster. What I cannot understand is railing about “despising” Abreu and Hader because they failed to close out a win. Good grief, lots of the folks here have played competitive baseball at some level, and all of us know, in our saner moments, baseball is a game of failures. There is no disgrace in failure if one is trying his best to succeed. Surely even the most rabid haters do not think Abreu and Hader are trying to lose. They are the best this team has.
4 Likes
Neither has had their best season, but name me the Astro that has? The hate for Hader and Abreu has really annoyed me this season. They haven’t been at their best but shit happens and the other guys are pros too.
From 4/17 to 9/20 Hader had a 2.37 ERA, a bad start and horrible game last night makes his ERA explode but for the bulk of the season he’s been really good.
Abreu leads the league in games pitched at 76, he has pitched in almost half the games the team has played. Of course he isn’t going to be perfect every time. We got spoiled because he was basically perfect in 22 and 23. But get this, 11 of his 27 runs allowed came in 3 games, March 30, April 11, and August 23, those 3 games raise his ERA from 1.94 all the way up to 3.18.
I still have faith in both to get the job done
1 Like
I’ll roll the dice with Hader any day.
4 Likes
I agree there is no reason to hate anyone. But that doesn’t mean we can’t call out those who step on their pee pees. It’s what separates those who do from those of us who can only complain about those who do.
That said, I don’t really agree that this is a team of plucky upstarts, a la 2015. This is a team that was one dickstomp from another World Series last year, loaded with veteran talent, who added more. Yes, the injuries to the starting pitching were crushing, but it’s not like expectations from Bregman, Pena, Altuve, Alvarez, Tucker, Montero, Pressly, B. Abreu and yes, even J. Abreu and Hader, were unrealistic. This was a team fully assembled and expected to compete for a World Series this year. If they don’t, it’s perfectly within reason to be disappointed by that.
Since May 7th they have played at a 96 win pace and have the best record in baseball. If it wasn’t for the horrible start they would be competing for the 1 seed. They aren’t plucky upstarts but they are also better than their overall record.
They are the old bull in the buffalo herd.
1 Like
Exactly. Which is why I don’t buy into the “have no business being here”. They have a lot of business being here. That was the expectation.
1 Like
One thing I learned from following Belisle’s career closely is relievers who only pitch one inning cannot afford to have a bad one. The ERA skyrockets and says nothing about how good the reliever has been the rest of the time. Haider’s current ERA demonstrates the point to me.
The danger in following a team day by day as the board does is focusing too much on one game, good or bad. Forget yesterday, and win today. The division is there to be won in this miraculous season, which I wrote off as a lost cause months ago.
3 Likes
I’ve tempered my expectations a lot due to this team’s inability to sustain any kind of consistency. But, while my expectations have diminished, my desire for seeing the team winning it all never wanes. I find it impossible for me to be critical of a good team for not being a better team. I remember the lean years too well.
100% agree. The turnaround was incredible but that has nothing to do with today. Today, they are almost where they, and we, expected them to be. Nothing has changed for me expectations wise, the goal is to win the World Series, and I’m confident that everyone in that clubhouse would agree. Get the job done tonight and you’re one step closer to the goal.
I had expectations that they could get a first round bye (despite all the wailing a gnashing of teeth about the off days, I’d prefer them), maybe home field advantage, but other than that, winning the division was an expectation, and they’re on the doorstep. So in that sense, they’re right where they should be.
1 Like
They have been quite consistent. They have been the best team in all of baseball for the last month, two months, three months and four months. Sure, there is a daily and weekly ebb and flow but that is the case for all teams, good and bad, even the '27 Yankees and '24 White Sox. The most inconsistent thing about this team was the first month of the season as injuries decimated the team. But, even there, they were consistent. This team, year over year, has shown the ability to be highly agile and react well to unexpected inputs. This year is no different. They encountered a (massive) injury problem and, demonstrating lightening-fast agility, iterated right back to being the best team in baseball. Their consistent norm for the last 9 years.
I’ll take winning 3 of 4 from here on out.
Just this month they got swept by the REDS! Lost 2 of 3 to the A’s. They are 11 and 9 so far in September. I understand the injury issue and I seem to be somewhat aware of their history, but they have been hot and cold for a while now. Since they swept the Rays they were 9-7 for the rest of August. 20 -16 since mid August. That’s a winning record so if you want to call that being consistent, fine. Not to blow smoke, but I consider calling that kind recent record of consistency, damning with faint praise. But, as I said, I had high expectations coming into the season and have quelled those as the season has progressed. And, I was the guy in May who was still seeing them win the division.
9-7 is .563 … good for 90 wins in a season.
20-16 is …556 … good for 90 wins in a season
I rest my case.