This is why they were a better road team than home team in '17. It is also why they ultimately abandoned the scheme.
It should be pointed out that since the original story broke the most enlightening information came by way of an Astros fan.
Not a journalist.
A fan.
The professionals were too busy tweeting their outrage to do anything else.
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One could make a credible argument that they won in spite of the scheme, but I doubt we’ll hear that from the talking heads this year.
It allows the “good guys” in MLB and their media advocates to virtue signal in support of their postseason failures. We’re not part of the hallowed nexus, so the trophies are tainted and undeserved. The Sunday NYT article said Manfred wanted penalties imposed on Beltran, but he’s protected as a player that season. It ends with boos and hbps.
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One weird thing is that Marwin, who used the trash can knocks the most, had his best year that year so you would think that was really solid evidence of it working. However, if you look at his stats, he did much better in the beginning of the year (when they just started the trash can technique) and at away games, where they weren’t using it. This is true for Springer to a lesser extent, too.
Indeed!
Appreciate this site, this thread especially, as well as the links, posts, and emotions here. A search did not locate a discussion about WHY anyone thot it was a good idea, much less necessary, for a team of this quality to forfeit the “Good Guys” reputation while trying to get an additional possible edge by cheating.
Surely, they did not need to cheat to win.
Here’s hoping they are able to prove that this year, as they - and fellow Astros fans in those cities - plow through 81 games of retribution.
It has been a joy to see a growing, vocal presence of cheering fans enjoying the Astros winning road games. But they will have to be invisible for a while, as the only safe place to root for the Astros will likely be in Minute Maid.
That is a shame.
Fucking Cardinals announcers talking about how our cheating last year contributed to our offense at home… last year.
Why did Lance only go 2/3s of an inning?
He was on a 15-20 pitch limit.
Understand. But what do “facts” matter right now? It’s open season and the ammunition has been given to them. Won’t it be a while for trust to be restored, b/f anyone believes any achievement, much less any words coming from the Astros.
It will be huge for the team to excel thru this needless, self-induced adversity. In the meantime, won’t achievements of exceptional athletes be clouded by this scandal.
But, just as the players will have to dust themselves off & keep going after another HBP, the challenge for us fans is to dust off media bullets aimed at our team and stay with them.
I know OWA-ers know this. And like you, I have been an Astros fan too long to quit, especially now.
You would think that when a discussion about cheating gets going, the fucking cardinals would just sort of look up and around at the sky, perhaps whistle a little tune as they casually walk away.
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We have a winner.
all this talk makes me want to wear astros gear. my two hats I won in race for the lid are displayed as the trophies they deserve to be. That said I do absolutely adore the spring training hats and plan to purchase and wear it daily.
Ken Giles wants to return his ws ring if it will help. I’ll suggest he mail it to me. If anyone knows him, pm him and I’ll make him an offer or take it off his hands for the cost of postage and handling
You’ll probably get some sweet face skin chunks included!
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Yup. A lot of “Duh”, mixed with self-contradictions “they might want to do x, but then again they might want to do y.”
Rational look back from ESPN
In comparing the two games, one thing stands out: No matter what the Astros knew or didn’t know, Kershaw did not pitch a good game. His slider was inconsistent all game long, often flattening out over the middle of the plate instead of diving in and below the knees to right-handed batters. Yuli Gurriel hit a big three-run homer off a slider that tied the game 4-4 in the fourth inning and it was an absolute cookie.
None of this will change anyone’s opinion on anything and there is no smoking gun, but here are my notes from re-watching the two games.
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Excellent article! Loved seeing some of the key hits again.
Thanks!
Has any Astro besides Correa addressed Game 5?