Astros Slip and Slide to Another Lose
by Timothy De Block on Jul 25, 2011 11:12 PM CDT
in Houston Astros News
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Those pesky Red Birds tagged the Astros for 10 runs without the help of the resurgent Lance Berkman.
Hunter Pence had another bad day in the field as he slipped in the bottom of the 2nd inning which allowed another fly ball to fall in and roll towards the wall scoring Yadier Molina and giving Nick Punto a triple. The slip can be explained by a U2 concert that took over Busch Stadium recently and meant the grounds crew had to place new grass on the field for the game.
Then in the bottom of the 8th after Carlos Lee had gotten the Astros back in the game via grand slam Pence lost count of how many outs there were in the inning and allowed Punto to move up to third base thinking there were three outs. Punto would then score on an infield single to Angel Sanchez by John Jay. I don't bring this up to highlight Pence's candidacy for goat of the game (the pitching staff has that on lock) but more so to highlight his mentality.
This season has been tough, toughest for me as an Astro fan and probably toughest for most of the players on the team and with the trade deadline looming you can't fault these guys for having their minds wander. It's been tough and I've begun to wonder why I'm still watching this team.
Jose Altuve had a couple of first this game, first run scored and first multi-hit game. He's now batting .412 but more impressive was how far the ball traveled when he made contact. He's certainly worthy of watching but he's not the reason why I continue watching.
As mentioned above Lee hit a grand slam and as surprisingly good that felt it's not the reason I'm still watching baseball.
There's a lot of turmoil for an Astros fan not only is the team bad, but there's uncertainty every where the front office, the trade deadline, the approval process, the product on the field, even uncertainty around George Springer has begun. It's not a fun time to be an Astros fan but we still watch. Maybe it's the late hour or the fact that I just spent 5 hours working on a blog for the worst team in the league what ever it is I can't pinpoint why I'm still watching. Why I'm sacrificing sleep to discuss the Astros. Why I put so much effort into this team.
Maybe I'll figure it out in the next few days but I'd like to hear why you're still watching.
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Because tomorrow is another day
Because In November you’ll realize that watching a bad team is better than no baseball at all
Because even in a bad loss there are some highlights worth seeing
Because it amazes you how things can actually get worse each day.
Because what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger
Astros fan for life
by Joe in Birmingham on Jul 25, 2011 11:27 PM CDT reply actions
and his second
Astros fan for life
by Joe in Birmingham on Jul 26, 2011 12:13 AM CDT up reply actions
Because we have seen this coming for four seasons or more so there is no reason to act surprised now
Because there is no where to go but up
Because we are getting a new owner and even if I do not know his philosophy on running a team I can at least hope it involves more scientific methods of handling team direction and personnel decisions than Uncle D(IE names sell tickets so big names are good for the team).
Because as a Saints fan let me just tell you that our day will come and sticking with your team through the hard times makes victory all the sweeter
Because NO ONE can ever question your fandom and dedication after sitting through a season like this.
I got 2 huge fears at this point...
1. With Pence being pulled off the market Wandy/Bourn need to be dealt to reach the 60M floor. Word id starting to leak out from various teams that they think Wandy’s overpaid for what he is. Scared that the Astros will end up having to eat $$ and still not get a decent package..
2. I pray that Springers camp is just very good at gamesmanship and this is just a ploy for $$. This would be a titanic disaster if he does not sign…
Truthfully concern #1 is much much greater than concern #2. I have hope that all the draft picks will be signed. I am terrified that the need to dump payroll is going to hamstring the prospect return and that Wade will find him a new reliever prospect to fall in love with.
JD’s like, "you want some f*&#ing pitching? Here’s all the pitching you can stand. Now choke on it, b*#&hes!"- RCCook
LSB: "Oh s#*t, JD. You crazy!"
Ultimately I think Springer signs
Armstrong is the one that scares me, he was our best draftee and if we do not sign him I have to consider this a bad draft for now.
by Crzycjunx76 on Jul 26, 2011 12:03 AM CDT up reply actions
I seriously doubt that Pence hasbeen pulled off the market. At this point of season all kinds of bogus
rumors are “leaked” by those who have no clue what the hell is going on. Some these rumors are smoke screens by GMs to keep opposing teams guessing. It’s similar to the NFL draft when a GM/Owner says they are going after a certain player/postion and go and draft someone else or a completely different position all together. We wont know for sure until 1 minute after the deadline.
Springer is doing his due diligence by looking at his options while also using it as bargaining tactic. It’s a smart move on his part on both parts. Im sure he’ll sign close to Aug.15th deadline so no need to worry about it right now.
I am a bit concerned that Pence has looked terrible in these recent games when all of the scouts are watching. I am starting to think that the trading season and related rumors have gotten into his head.
by clack on Jul 26, 2011 7:38 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I just think hes pressing a bit and had some bad luck all though last night i wont blame on him
but instead the Cards and their craptastic field
Why do I watch?
Because the Astros are truly my team; I don’t flip back-and-forth between them and some other team. I don’t know how those people can call themselves fans.
E-5-1-50
Astros are My #1
But Im also a huge Red Sox fan. I have been a fan of thiers since the pre Pedro Days with Mo Vaughn. Astros are my top team but I do also root for the Red Sox.
for better or worse there still my astros
by charliea on Jul 26, 2011 12:14 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Ya, I have only been a fan for about 8 years, but I can't stop watching
When you ask Carlos Lee what his favorite place to play is, and he anwsers with the words, anywhere with a Buffet. You know theirs a real problem.
by orangeblood kid on Jul 26, 2011 1:09 AM CDT up reply actions
astros
It’s like I’m an addict however bad they make me feel I still have to have it
by wdh001 on Jul 26, 2011 12:46 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
quick question and ill ask tomorrow too
Considering how there are rumors we will move divisions to either one of the west divisions.Does that thought maybe make it easier for the reds and Pirates to pursue some of our trade chips. Makes it a lil less bad if you ask me
Firesale! Everyone must go!
Under normal circumstances trading within the division is something that alot of teams don’t do, but I doubt it means anything to the Astros this year even if they were to remain in the nl central. If it does it shouldn’t, because the Astros will take a little time before there competitive again and they should be more concerned with the best package of players available instead of how many extra losses their ex guys give them.
by conroestro on Jul 26, 2011 1:07 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Exactly
We are not contending any times soon, by the time we are contending the players we are looking to trade will be beyond their primes, and we would be weakening the future talent pool of our rivals.
I really really hope we do not move West.
I remember reading an article some time ago that attempted to isolate the effect of games outside of the visiting teams timezone and I remember their being a distinctly negative split for evening games in the WC timezone where the visiting team was not from the WC. The effect was only for the first 3 days of a road trip and I am not certain how well they isolated that particular variable but still jet-lag is hell. Besides imagine the hours most away games would be scheduled for, I dont mind because I moved to Seattle 9 months ago, but away games for three out of the four other teams in the division would start two hours later than you guys are accustomed to.
I wouldnt be opposed to moving to the NL West as were once in that division for
many many years. so the rivalry with SF,LAD, and SD is there already. I grew up HATING the Dodgers and Giants.
by StrosSouth on Jul 26, 2011 1:50 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Well in any sort of realignment Arizona has already been told that
they will not be asked to move to the AL and someone is going to have to switch to the AL West… but being in a division with SD, LAD, and SF would be interesting since they are all very very pitcher friendly parks… our park is basically offensively neutral, and if Colorado or Arizona were in the division they would easily be the most hitter friendly park.
Now if we could make the division LAA, LAD, SD, SF, and HOU, with the Astros moving back into the dome then we would have a complete pitchers division.
Presonally I say move either Colorado,AZ, or Florida to the AL. This franchise close
to 50 years of playing in the NL and to make the Astros move is asinine imo. The teams I listed have very little tradition and history to their franchises and it wouldnt disrupt their fan bases nearly as much as ours.
by StrosSouth on Jul 26, 2011 2:54 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Also, about Hunter Pence
The last two games have been very uncharacteristic of Hunter Pence defensively. I wonder if all of the anxiety and uncertainty of the trade deadline and rumors are distracting him a little. I’m not saying this is what is happening, but if I could definitely see where that could be the case. I’m just a fan and am ready for it to be Aug. 1st as well. I can’t imagine being Hunter Pence out there right now, and to a lesser extent Michael Bourn, Wandy Rodriguez, and Brett Myers.
by conroestro on Jul 26, 2011 1:12 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
It might be a case of the nerves but it could also just be some bad luck. Shit happens. He
didnt see the ball yesterday and tonight he slipped on new that the Cards’ ground crew had put out to replace the damaged areas from an earlier U2 concert. So it seems like some bad luck in my opinion.
He looks really bad lately it shouldn’t hurt his trade value but I wonder if being under pressure is something other gms will bring up in negotiations. But I can’t wait until this deadline is over so I can finally look forward to our new prospects
by wdh001 on Jul 26, 2011 1:22 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Well he is not a good defender in RF
but yes he has seemed distracted and somewhat detached from the action, which is totally not him at all. Even when he is off he normally seems intensely focused.
UZR says he’s been worth 24.9 runs above average in RF over the course of his career. The Fielding Bible’s DRS says he’s been worth 42 runs above average.
I feel like he’s lost half a step in the last couple years due to bulking up so much, so he might be only a tick above average now, but in past years he was a plus defender in right field.
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
His URZ/150 this season is -.2 and last season it was 1.3
Versus replacement he was worth 1.4 runs last season and .3 thus far this season… he has certainly lost a step.
To compare (apples and oranges) Carlos Lee has been worth
5.6 vs replacement in the field this season and Bourn has been worth -1.8 which is somewhat baffling.
Perhaps everyone has shifted over and Lee is only handling half of LF?
I dont think that works in URZ though... since it takes range into effect
Perhaps LF is just awful across the league.
You guys put way too much emphasis on the sabre stats. Pence is still a better
player/defender than a lot of other players in MLB and is entering his prime offensive years right now.
by StrosSouth on Jul 26, 2011 2:56 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
You have to be very careful using 1 year of UZR data, and less than 1 year of UZR data is even less meaningful. Some people say that you should average 3 years of UZR data to get a good sample.
Also, Pence is one of those players who gets different results, depending on whether UZR or DRS is used. My personal bias is to prefer DRS, but I usually suggest taking both advanced metrics into account. Pence is currently +3 on DRS and he was +9 last year, and he is +45 over his career.
by clack on Jul 26, 2011 7:51 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
It’s also worth noting that Michael Bourn is a plus on UZR and a negative on UZR this year. One of the things that bothers me about UZR is that they make some funky “park adjustments” which didn’t make sense to me when they are applied to MMP.
by clack on Jul 26, 2011 7:59 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
What I've learned in life...
The good times wouldn’t seem so good without the bad times to compare them to.
What’s more emotionally gratifying: a World Series ring for the fourth year in a row, or a World Series ring after years of scraping the bottom and being emotionally drained? Its just more meaningful to win it when you’ve come so far to do it. These times will make our rise to the top so much more special.
by Its Gonna Happen on Jul 26, 2011 2:44 AM CDT via mobile reply actions 2 recs
same reason I watch the Texans.
Despite them constantly showing us heartbreak. Or the rockets or even UT football despite them.being atrocious and showing zero heart the entire season… I love my teams even if I can barely watch them
by Rocket94 on Jul 26, 2011 2:58 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
A U2 concert in the middle of the season
doesn’t seem like a good idea, certainly not fitting the city with the best fans in baseball.
"Prince Fielder is too fat even for the Oakland A’s" - Billy Beane
Sir Paul McCartney takes over Wrigley this week or next I believe
(and they have sausage races m Milwaukee)
Astros fan for life
by Joe in Birmingham on Jul 26, 2011 9:56 AM CDT up reply actions
My cable and internet went out at the same time, and the length of the outage corresponded with the period when the Cards scored all those runs. Maybe that is one outage which saved me from more frustration.
by clack on Jul 26, 2011 8:01 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Mariners have lost 16 in a row,
Yet they’re still ahead of us by 10 games. Uh, what the Phuck?
Self-acclaimed José Altuve s̶t̶a̶l̶k̶e̶r̶ fan.
I read some Seattle newspaper columns which say that the losing string is the most embarrassing time in the franchise’s history—worse than any of the 100 loss seasons. One writer called the losing string the “nadir of the franchise’s existence.” So, if misery loves company, we have it.
by clack on Jul 26, 2011 8:33 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I also noticed that Carlos Lee shaved before yesterday's game
And then he hit a grand slam. Yes please!
Self-acclaimed José Altuve s̶t̶a̶l̶k̶e̶r̶ fan.
OT
Melvin has “kicked the tires” on Barmes.
He’s not sure how much that would upgrade the team or something like that. Yuni hasn’t been anywhere near as bad as he’s made out to be but COMMON. What isn’t said is that it would probably mean cutting Counsell. He was a topic on the radio the other day and I didn’t realize he hasn’t had a hit in a month – only the Brewers.
"Prince Fielder is too fat even for the Oakland A’s" - Billy Beane
prospects nomnomnom
Follow my ramblings on Twitter .
by Timothy De Block on Jul 26, 2011 10:22 AM CDT up reply actions
…unfortunately, that’s not a very inspiring quote by Melvin in that article.
by clack on Jul 26, 2011 10:38 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
And equating Barmes and Jamey Carroll, as implied by Melvin, is just wrong. Carroll was never as good a player as Barmes, and certainly not at age 37.
by clack on Jul 26, 2011 10:40 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I always liked Counsell, but I didn’t realize what kind of cliff he has fallen off of this year. His offensive slash line is ugly. He is 41 years old, so it had to happen sometime.
by clack on Jul 26, 2011 9:49 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
They picked up Josh Wilson, who is a decent bench guy who can fill in at 3B, 2B and SS while CC’s range is shrinking. He was better when he got regular at bats, but now, believe it or not, he’s being kept for big at bats where he can work the count. Melvin LOOOVES old players. I’m waiting for valentines for Kotsay night at the ballpark. The minors is where you keep trade chips and emergency backups.
Wouldn’t it be crazy to give Taylor Green and his LH bat a chance to fill in on the bench and, gasp, get a few starts at 3rd? McGehee’s slash line is pretty foul smelling too.
"Prince Fielder is too fat even for the Oakland A’s" - Billy Beane
My reasons for still following the Astros:
1. As many others here have said, when we finally do improve, winning will feel really, really good.
2. Why give up on them now, when they have been bad since 2006? Might as well wait it out.
3. Astros games are a comfort to me. I can’t really explain it. Sure I’ll get angry, sad, and/or depressed, but I keep coming back for more.
4. The excitement of new ownership coming in.
5. The thought of one day seeing Hunter Pence holding the World Series trophy (In an Astros uniform).
"In the biographies of men and nations, success often arrives in a mask of failure"
by hunterpencefan on Jul 26, 2011 11:52 AM CDT reply actions
Pence might not have enough strength to lift the WS trophy if stays with this because this franchise
isnt even gonna be competing for a playoff spot for possibly 4-5 years.
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| Fri 05/25 |
WP: Lucas Harrell (4 - 3)
SV: Brett Myers LP: Clayton Kershaw (4 - 2) |
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| Sat 05/26 |
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Sunday, May 27, 2012, 3:10 PM CDT Partly cloudy. Winds blowing out to right field at 10-15 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 75. |
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Cincinnati
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St. Louis
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Houston
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(updated 5.27.2012 at 1:03 AM CDT)
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