Wow...
by Stros Bro
on Apr 15, 2008 10:20 PM CDT
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Wow....It's like Yogi says... It's like deja-vu, all over again. Maybe I'm just a ignorant, but I don't see why managers(specifically Garner over the last few seasons and now Cooper), pull a starting pitcher out of game when they have yet to give up a run and have a pitch count under 10,000... Especially when you have a struggling closer? WHY! It seems the only thing that ever comes out of this is that the starting pitchers brilliant outing goes completely to waste.
Chacon was brilliant tonight, going 8 strong innings and allowing only 4 hits. Valverde allowed 3 hits, 2 home runs and 4 runs in ONE THIRD OF AN INNING!!!!!!! AHHH!!! Fire him now.. trade him now.. whatever... I don't care... but he better get his crap together fast. We only have him for 1 season(guaranteed), and if it's going to be a losing season because he can't keep runs off the board, then what's the point of even putting him out there. The only thing Valverde's done successfully this year is managed to get his ERA higher than Roy-O's... Wow, he has 2 saves... Yea, well he's blown 2 as well. I could close 50% of games for the Astros and I'd take a hell of a lot less money than Valverde is getting paid... and I haven't pitched in 10+ years!!
I don't think there is one thing in baseball that pisses me off more than a manager pulling a starting pitcher that hasn't given up a run only to watch his outing be completely wasted by a closer who couldn't close the fridge door. (sorry that was lame) What happened tonight bothers me to no end. There is no way I could be a major league owner... the 1st time my manager did this, I'd be in his office after the game... he'd walk into his office and I'd be there sitting in his chair with my back turned towards the door. As he walks in I'd turn around slowly in the chair with a straight look on my face, not blinking and just stare at him. Then I'd calmly tell him without any emotion that he screwed up tonight and that he better never do it again. The next time it happens... there would be a help wanted sign on the door before he even made it into the locker room.
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Stros Bro...
you sound like you would be another Steinbrenner if you were the owner. :)
by clack on
Apr 15, 2008 10:25 PM CDT
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He's won a bunch of World Series Rings...
Go 'Stros!
by Stros Bro on
Apr 15, 2008 10:32 PM CDT
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3 run lead... no?
Phear T.S.'s Crawdaddies...
by TexSkins on
Apr 15, 2008 10:51 PM CDT
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I blame Cooper
Leave Chacon in until he gets into trouble. WWalverde gunning for another W.. overdid it a bit. :p
by entropic soul on
Apr 16, 2008 2:16 AM CDT
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blame the pansy catcher!
As subtle as awesome Ausmus is with his “ole” tags at home plate, you would think that his catching gear is soft, perhaps. BLOCK THE PLATE! I really can’t think of another catcher ever who takes less hits that surfer Brad. Maybe he’s saving his pretty smile for the booth after he retires this year. Well, don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Towles can’t get back any sooner! Hell, Quintero would have stopped Jenkins in his tracks before he got a chance to slide. That was a pathetic play and it makes me furious as an ex-catcher. And let’s not forget Jenkins made it to first because surfer boy missed the ball on a strikeout. Ausmus is to blame for the loss.
Pence is the right-handed Ted Williams.
by backstop8 on
Apr 16, 2008 8:19 AM CDT
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Ausmus is great at calling games...
and framing pitches. That is why all the pitchers want him as their catcher. I thought Ausmus and Chacon had a great rhythm going, in terms of working the ball around the strike zone and changing speeds Since it was Chacon’s first time working with him, and based on what I saw, I would give Ausmus at least some credit for the the great game that Chacon pitched. So, if you want to blame Ausmus on the passed ball (which was a difficult pitch to block), you also have to remember that he had something to do with the previous 8 innings.
by clack on
Apr 16, 2008 12:13 PM CDT
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lmao
you can’t blame Ausmus for the loss, thats retarded! How many catchers in baseball block balls as good or better than Ausmus? And last time I checked, ever hit that Valverde gave up came before Ausmus got a chance to touch the ball. I somewhat agree with you at home plate though, but thats about it.
If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base. ~Dave Barry
by TimStros on
Apr 16, 2008 12:49 PM CDT
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surf-city here he comes...
Look, before you guys get all upset at my criticism of Ausmus, he does call a great game and he does have chemistry with the pitchers. With that being said, one of his “career-prolonging” behaviors is and has been avoiding collisions at ALL COSTS. Can you think of an instance when Brad got his back dirty? Okay he’s getting old, but it infuriates me to see a catcher GIVE the runner the plate especially WHEN IT IS THE WINNING RUN!!! Now, that is retarded, dude. And Valverde’s strike three pitch was not in the dirt so he didn’t have to block it, only catch it like a catcher should. And, for those reasons I’ll be glad when he’s in the Pacific Ocean hangin’ ten with the other pretty boys next year after he retires.
Pence is the right-handed Ted Williams.
by backstop8 on
Apr 16, 2008 5:02 PM CDT
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or maybe...
next year when he’s coaching the ‘Stros? :)
Go 'Stros!
by Stros Bro on
Apr 16, 2008 5:19 PM CDT
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...eesh
Hopefully the kids he coaches will already know how to block the plate correctly. Oh yeah, and know how to swing a bat using the sweet spot instead of Brad’s patented “wet rolled-up newspaper stroke.”
Pence is the right-handed Ted Williams.
by backstop8 on
Apr 16, 2008 5:34 PM CDT
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for what it's worth
I’ve seen Brad block the plate many times in the past… so it’s not like he’s notorious for this… And he’s a catcher.. few catchers are very good with the stick; why do you think most bat in the 7 or 8 holes. Very few catchers are Pudge Rodriguez
Go 'Stros!
by Stros Bro on
Apr 16, 2008 6:01 PM CDT
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block the plate? really? Get run over? No way! I need a reference, please.
It’s not like he’s that great of a blocker either. The majority of the pro catchers know how to block, since it is a teachable skill. And he’s the worst hitting catcher in the pros. It’s time for him to move on. Please come back J.R.
Pence is the right-handed Ted Williams.
by backstop8 on
Apr 16, 2008 6:12 PM CDT
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I've always considered him...
one of the best I’ve ever seen at taking the throw and making the play the plate. He almost never drops the ball when he is hit on a play at the plate. He was out last year for awhile with a concussion after he blocked the plate. I don’t think that is a pansy. I can recall that wasn’t the first concussion he got from blocking the plate. I felt that the Astros might have won one of those games in the Cardinals series when Towles dropped the ball on a scoring play in the 9th if Ausmus had been brought in for the late innings.
by clack on
Apr 16, 2008 8:07 PM CDT
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??? C'mon dudes...
Where are these games you guys are talking about? I’ve seen most ‘stros games over the last 5 years and i don’t recall Ausmus ever missing extended time from a collision, much less multiple collisions. The reason he doesn’t drop the ball is because he does a what is called a “swipe tag.” And yes, he performs that very well on occasion, but if you are worried about getting hurt with headgear on, get the F out of game! Bradley called a good game tonight, but that wet newspaper is getting soggier.
Pence is the right-handed Ted Williams.
by backstop8 on
Apr 16, 2008 8:39 PM CDT
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Ausmus hater?
Now you provide me with proof that Ausmus has a history of not blocking the plate.
Ausmus has been one of the best defensive catchers in the game for many years… in 2006, he allowed 1 passed ball all year and won his 3rd gold glove.
If you’re going to talk shit about Ausmus… talk about his offense.. Talking about his defense just makes you sound asinine
Go 'Stros!
by Stros Bro on
Apr 16, 2008 10:00 PM CDT
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dead link
Anyway, I’m not an Ausmus hater first of all. Don’t misinterpret my problem with his play to END THE GAME last night. That effort for a pro catcher to swipe at the winning run sucks hose. And he has costed us several games over the years with it. He does many things well, and i agree with his pitch-calling for the most part . The swipe tag has to go though. Although accurate, his arm is average at best but declining rapidly, so he’s really not that great defensively anymore. Remember, he’s a back-up.
Pence is the right-handed Ted Williams.
by backstop8 on
Apr 16, 2008 11:55 PM CDT
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Be careful what you wish for
Valverde has looked woefully inadequate thus far…a complete and utter trainwreck. Everyone who wanted Lidge run out of town (and there were many): having second thoughts?
by BillyD on
Apr 16, 2008 8:24 AM CDT
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absolutely.
i had a love/hate thing with lidge (BABY GIRAFFE!)
but i never expected for us to get rid of him….
BRING BACK BILLY WAGNER!
:(
el caballo for el presidente
by tideturns on
Apr 16, 2008 8:40 AM CDT
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I wanted Lidge gone as well
And even if he ends up being a HOF… I think I’ll be okay with him not being here after all we’ve been through…so no 2nd thoughts here..
I do wish we still had Wags though.
Go 'Stros!
by Stros Bro on
Apr 16, 2008 4:55 PM CDT
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i blame BOTH
coop shouldve left chacon in- he had 108 pitches going into the 9th…..
and valverde’s EPIC CHOKE is his own doing- i have not seen much from him this season that had me confident in him in the first place.
i am mad at both of them.
coop has been making some strange bullpen choices this season- as well as lineup weirdness
el caballo for el presidente
by tideturns on
Apr 16, 2008 8:33 AM CDT
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after that performance
i feel like Chris Parnell’s character from Anchorman…
[slightly modified quote] “why did you do that? why? why Papa Grande? you’re my hero Papa! come out and stink like that? poop… Poopy Grande! I hate you Valverde! I hate you!” ...er, something like that
yeah, it totally sucks. yeah, i’m pissed as hell at Valverde, but it’s like with Lidge last year. our success will be predicated on him (as well as everybody else on the team) doing his job. we can’t expect pitchers to pitch 9 innings every time out (i’ll yield that maybe this was an exception… i confess that i came in and out of watching the game, so i only saw Chacon’s results and was shocked enough that he finished the eigth, that i didn’t think twice about him coming out).
he certainly seems to be in a funk, but i don’t think (at this point) he’s washed up or anything. Pence is in a funk. Should we send him back to AAA? Trade him? let’s get all this venting out and hope that Papa can come back and get people out next time. we need him to. unless somebody wants to step up and start the Brocail for closer movement. anybody?
by littlevisigoth on
Apr 16, 2008 10:03 AM CDT
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Yeah, it was painful.
But I agree, in light of a “morning after” when the emotion has subsided a bit, that there isn’t much else to do but hope that Valverde returns to his form sooner rather than later. Despite what he has done, I don’t think Valverde is this bad a pitcher. He, in fact, he is a very talented pitcher. And at some point he probably will become the pitcher we expected.
by clack on
Apr 16, 2008 12:20 PM CDT
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he's talented
every other year..
Go 'Stros!
by Stros Bro on
Apr 16, 2008 4:55 PM CDT
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The Wrong Direction
This guys breaks down the decline of Roy-O very well:
http://mvn.com/mlb-transactions/2008/04/15/roy-oswalts-shrinking-fastball/
Sounds like the goods are still there for a good season, but the best of Roy may be behind us. That doesn’t bode well for our future.
by raiderdav on
Apr 16, 2008 10:14 AM CDT
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Good article.
The F/X data is probably the best way to evaluate/diagnose Roy O’s situation, though as the article notes, the sample size is smaller since enhanced gameday isn’t available at all ballparks. The F/X data confirms loss of velocity and a curveball which isn’t bending like Roy’s normal one. The F/X data suggests that Roy O’s slider is hanging too much, which probably had a disproportionate effect because the Fangraphs’ data shows that he is throwing the slider a lot more this year than in the past (probably because he felt like the curve and FB weren’t doing what they are supposed to do). Hopefully, this more of a mechanical problem and not an injury causing his bad games so far.
by clack on
Apr 16, 2008 12:06 PM CDT
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StrosBro is famous...
or is it infamous?
Phear T.S.'s Crawdaddies...
by TexSkins on
Apr 16, 2008 12:09 PM CDT
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I think there's good and bad news here...
First, I believe that Valverde will get straightened out and have a decent year. I also believe Roy O will rebound IF he can get his mechanical problems solved. Lance will have a great year, Tejada will be entertaining, Lee will be OK, Pence will be decent. That’s the good news.
The bad news is that the Astros are destined for a 78 win season, best case. This is overwhelmingly a mediocre team, poorly managed. I don’t mean Cooper – I’ll give him mediocre – I mean Drayton, Smith, and Wade.
Drayton’s stubborn insistence that the “future is now” is producing a “future” that isn’t worth experiencing, and the fans are already voting with their pocketbooks. The “live” attendance is already less than 2/3 of the announced paid attendance and it’s going to get much worse.
It takes more than pitching to win a pennant, but not much!
by bwhite2323 on
Apr 16, 2008 4:45 PM CDT
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Who will win more games this season?
The Rockets or the Astros….
Go 'Stros!
by Stros Bro on
Apr 16, 2008 4:58 PM CDT
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Great question!
I don’t know, but I’ll give a slight edge to the Astros!
It takes more than pitching to win a pennant, but not much!
by bwhite2323 on
Apr 16, 2008 9:56 PM CDT
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