4/5/10: Gigantes at Astros

[94CougarGrad]

Can't stay, but I wanted to at least start the thread.

Unfortunately, the Good Guys are down 3-0 after the 2nd.

[Alkie]

Jesus Fucking Christ, I take off 6 months and 40 minutes, finally sit down to care about the Astros for the first time since the middle of last season, and we're already down 3?   What the fuck happened?   Does Roy still look hurt?

I'd appreciate it if someone could recap the entire offseason for me, preferably in a post or two.   Thanks.

[94CougarGrad]

Top 3: Huff hits into a DP, Renteria over to 3B. 2 outs.

DeRosa singles back to Roy O, out at 1st. Bottom 3 coming up.

GIANTS 3, ASTROS 0

[Rebel Jew]

Jesus Fucking Christ, I take off 6 months and 40 minutes, finally sit down to care about the Astros for the first time since the middle of last season, and we're already down 3?   What the fuck happened?   Does Roy still look hurt?

I'd appreciate it if someone could recap the entire offseason for me, preferably in a post or two.   Thanks.

i just had the same experience/reaction.  fuck this long season to be

[94CougarGrad]

Note to Lincecum:

I ain't old enough to be your momma yet, and I'm still somewhat hip to what the kids like, but get a fuckin' haircut, jocko.

Note finished.

[94CougarGrad]

BTW, to end 3, Bourn was called on strikes.

[moriartp]

Note to Lincecum:

I ain't old enough to be your momma yet, and I'm still somewhat hip to what the kids like, but get a fuckin' haircut, jocko.

I'm 5 years younger than Lincecum, and I couldn't agree more.

[Ron Brand]

Lincecum's stuff looks absolutely filthy. Roy doesn't appear to be able to locate at all. Is that what it looks like on tv?

Other than a bus station crapper, I mean?

[94CougarGrad]

Roy's stretch looks labored, I think. Like he's not spreading himself out as much as he did last season. If that makes sense.

[rifraft]

Lincecum's stuff looks absolutely filthy. Roy doesn't appear to be able to locate at all. Is that what it looks like on tv?

Other than a bus station crapper, I mean?

Sounds about right.  Roy isn't getting any swings and misses either, his stuff is no where near where it was 4 years ago.  The 2 seem fastball that used to get pounded into the ground and allowed Roy to get through innings quickly hasn't made an appearance either.

ESPN has finally turned their radar guns down.  Lincecum last year was getting 94-96 mph on the ESPN gun, now its pretty much 93-94 mph.  I'm inclined to believe the radar gun readings now vs previous years.  Oh, and Roy is 92-94 mph.  

[94CougarGrad]

Juuuust shy of that homer, Kabong.

[94CougarGrad]

Y'all see that one guy in the stands? Santa is an Astros fan!!

[MRaup]

This just in, the Astros fans sitting field box level are the shittiest baseball fans I've ever seen. I've missed at least half the game because nobody can stay in their seats for more than 2 fucking outs at a time. Jesus fucking christ, sit down and watch the fucking ballgame.

[moriartp]

This just in, the Astros fans sitting field box level are the shittiest baseball fans I've ever seen. I've missed at least half the game because nobody can stay in their seats for more than 2 fucking outs at a time. Jesus fucking christ, sit down and watch the fucking ballgame.

Can't live without their Sheriff Blaylock's Nachos™.

[austro]

This just in, the Astros fans sitting field box level are the shittiest baseball fans I've ever seen. I've missed at least half the game because nobody can stay in their seats for more than 2 fucking outs at a time. Jesus fucking christ, sit down and watch the fucking ballgame.

What section are you guys in? How far up?

[94CougarGrad]

Can't live without their Sheriff Blaylock's Nachos™.

Or refills of same, apparently.

[austro]

Can't live without their Sheriff Blaylock's Nachos™.

I'll bet that they've already had their Sheriff Blaylock's Nachos, and now they're paying the price.

[Sheriff Blaylock]

I'll bet that they've already had their Sheriff Blaylock's Nachos, and now they're paying the price.

You galldarned rootytooty right they are!  Yeemotherfuckinghaw!!!!

[Ron Brand]

BIIIIG tip of the cap to Pam or whomever came up with that Taco Bell Hot Sauce Packet race. Fucking Promotions department.

[OregonStrosFan]

Anyone watching on MLBTV?  Friggin' thing not working for me ('an error occrred') and am stuck listening to DoRay.

[Rebel Jew]

Anyone watching on MLBTV?  Friggin' thing not working for me ('an error occrred') and am stuck listening to DoRay.

i've been getting the error message all day too.  i just ignore it, close the error window, and the thing works fine

[drew corleone]

I don't think Roy's looked too bad... he just had a Roy O inning earlier than normal. I would have loved one of the double play balls in the second against Molina.

[Rebel Jew]

sullivan ph'ing for roy.  come on you assholes!  let's get some runs!!!  45th anniversary pride is on your shoulders!!!

[moriartp]

BIIIIG tip of the cap to Pam or whomever came up with that Taco Bell Hot Sauce Packet race. Fucking Promotions department.

McTaggart seems to agree: There are packets of taco sauce running around the field #tryingtoohard

[Rebel Jew]

fuck yeah!  bourn!  alright coop, now have matsui bunt him over.

[Alkie]

fuck yeah!  bourn!  alright coop, now have matsui bunt him over.

I thought Jimy?

[Alkie]

Attaboy.

[MRaup]

We're in section 128 rows 28, 29, 30.

[Rebel Jew]

pence up.  can we just skip his ass?

[Rebel Jew]

pence up.  can we just skip his ass?

great.  same difference.  let's go lee!

[Alkie]

godfuckingdammit.

[Rebel Jew]

great.  same difference.  let's go lee!

fuck

[Alkie]

Who is this new pitcher?  I like the cut of his jib.

[OregonStrosFan]

i've been getting the error message all day too.  i just ignore it, close the error window, and the thing works fine

No joy here STILL.  Can't even get the MLBTV support forum to logon to the various pissed off threads - keeps timing out.  Screw you Bud Selig!

[Alkie]

Whose grand idea was it to start the fucking Butler game at 9:21p eastern?

I take it back, this pitcher only looked familiar on paper.

[BUWebguy]

Looks like it's not just MLB.TV -- I've been having trouble with MLB.com too (team sites and the league site).

[Rebel Jew]

wait, so why is towles the OD catcher?

[Alkie]

wait, so why is towles the OD catcher?

Bench retired.

[Rebel Jew]

fuck fuck fuck this season season season

[rifraft]

fuck fuck fuck this season season season

A bit early for that, right?

[Alkie]

A bit early for that, right?

You've seen the rest of our rotation, yes?

[Ty in Tampa]

This just in, the Astros fans sitting field box level are the shittiest baseball fans I've ever seen. I've missed at least half the game because nobody can stay in their seats for more than 2 fucking outs at a time. Jesus fucking christ, sit down and watch the fucking ballgame.

Tell George and Barbara to stay in their fucking seats!

[austro]

Well, the good news is that we'll probably only go up against Lincecum at most one more time this season.

[rifraft]

You've seen the rest of our rotation, yes?

Thanks, asshole, now I feel like shit. 

[austro]

Thanks, asshole, now I feel like shit. 

Hey, look at it this way: somebody else's opening day starter has an ERA of 54.00, and their staff gave up a 16-spot.

[Rebel Jew]

hey so i haven't been paying too much attention.  what happened to wesley wright?

[OregonStrosFan]

hey so i haven't been paying too much attention.  what happened to wesley wright?

Joining the rotation in Round Rock.

[austro]

hey so i haven't been paying too much attention.  what happened to wesley wright?

He's down in Round Rock stretching out as a starter, I think.

[hostros7]

Thanks, asshole, now I feel like shit. 

I hate to say it, but the gap between the rest of the astros rotation and oswalt narrows every year.  I wouldn't foresake all hope just yet.  Oswalt did look pretty good tonight though.  The team got beat by the best pitcher in baseball.  Let's hit the shit out of Zito tomorrow.  Oh, and for those who had an inkling Pence should hit third, did you reconsider?  He just doesn't have the approach to hit above 5th in any lineup, ever.

[juliogotay]

I hate to say it, but the gap between the rest of the astros rotation and oswalt narrows every year.  I wouldn't foresake all hope just yet.  Oswalt did look pretty good tonight though.  The team got beat by the best pitcher in baseball.  Let's hit the shit out of Zito tomorrow.  Oh, and for those who had an inkling Pence should hit third, did you reconsider?  He just doesn't have the approach to hit above 5th in any lineup, ever.

You are right about Pence but there is no one healthy on this roster, other than Lee, who is cut out for it either. The manager is making the best of a bad situation.

[Matt]

Okay what the fuck was Gervacio doing?

[MusicMan]

Okay what the fuck was Gervacio doing?

A better job of pitching than his teammates?

[Matt]

A better job of pitching than his teammates?

Granted I'm not arguing the results but that was a bizarre ritual. I don't remember him doing that last year.

[chuck]

Okay what the fuck was Gervacio doing?

Getting motherfuckers out, just like he did all spring.

Ron Brand, Mark, how the hell were you able to post in there? Limey and I were signal-free. 

[Ron Brand]

It was slow, but we were also in the 'Spill Zone' just past the overhang so I got coverage all game long.

[MRaup]

I have Sprint, so I could occasionally escape the ATT vacuum that seems to cloud any large social event occasionally.

[MusicMan]

I have Sprint, so I could occasionally escape the ATT vacuum that seems to cloud any large social event occasionally.

That's just a mean thing to say about Limey.

[Limey]

Okay what the fuck was Gervacio doing?

I believe it's called the "Hustlebuck".

[Limey]

That's just a mean thing to say about Limey.

I've heard worse.

[sporadic]

He just doesn't have the approach to hit above 5th in any lineup, ever.

Oh yeah?  Well, he hustles.  There was a really smart guy that called in to the post game show last night that said if the whole team played "old school baseball and hustled, just like Hunter Pence, the Astros will win a lot if games". 

[MikeyBoy]

This just in, the Astros fans sitting field box level are the shittiest baseball fans I've ever seen. I've missed at least half the game because nobody can stay in their seats for more than 2 fucking outs at a time. Jesus fucking christ, sit down and watch the fucking ballgame.

Honestly, this is why I stopped sitting in the field box seats, well and my free tickets are usually elsewhere.

[EasTexAstro]

Honestly, this is why I stopped sitting in the field box seats, well and my free tickets are usually elsewhere.

At first, it was just a constant stream of people moving throughout the game. In the last few innings, it seemed like they would at least sit down long enough to watch the entertainment between innings. As soon as the game started back up, the races began again.

I'm pretty sure the people towards the front of the section had a timer. They could only sit for 2 minutes, then the walked to the back, gave their ticket to the next person in line who walked back to the front seats, sat for 2 minutes, and started all over again.

[Noe]

I was convinced that this was some magical portal located only in this particular section for those wanting to time travel to another dimension because that could be the only possible explanation as to why I kept seeing people going up and down the aisles all night long and only a portion of the game.  We were in the magic portal of the MMPUS and were not aware of it.

So when I went to go stretch the legs after the 7th inning and catch some of the game from the concourse, lo and behold I observed an usher for our section with a sign that read "WAIT, do not walk up and down the aisle until the inning is ove!".  It was at his side as the inning was progressing.  He was a gentle looking chap with a nice smile, a clean look to him and a welcoming, warm glow about him as he smiled at all fans who were near and about him.

I wanted to punch him.

[Ron Brand]

I went to Yankee Stadium during its last year and we got seats that were similar, in front of a walkway. They were marked as 'Obstructed' for that reason - they didn't cost less, but at least I was informed before I made my purchase. As it turned out, there was far less distraction and blocking at the Yankee game than there was last night. I wish that usher had been doing his job.

I could see the game ok after the tool in front of me stopped shading his eyes with his entire arm, plopping his fist perfectly in front of where home plate would have been in my field of vision.

[Noe]

I wish that usher had been doing his job.

He had a "Mr. Rogers" look to him with his tidy vest and winning smile.  He just looked like the type that wouldn't hurt a fly... so even little old grandmas and pigtailed 6 year old girls were walking right pass him with a "Stop me if you can Usher-boy" 'tude.

He just smiled and wished them a happy day!  I'm not saying the Astros should hire the Hells Angels to do crowd control, we all learned from Altamont that doesn't work... but still.

[Limey]

So when I went to go stretch the legs after the 7th inning and catch some of the game from the concourse, lo and behold I observed an usher for our section with a sign that read "WAIT, do not walk up and down the aisle until the inning is ove!".  It was at his side as the inning was progressing.  He was a gentle looking chap with a nice smile, a clean look to him and a welcoming, warm glow about him as he smiled at all fans who were near and about him.

I wanted to punch him.

Correction:  His "stop" sign read: "Please do not walk up and down the aisle until this at-bat is over".  He would let people through between at-bats, which meant that they would be wandering the aisles while the next at-bat was in progress.  He also didn't actually stop anyone who just walked right by him at any time, so it was basically a farce.  The only thing I can think of is that his is an Obama stimulus make-work faux job.  Or, that the Astros care more about the folks paying 12-pack prices for beer, than those of us who came actually to watch the game.  A bowl of Sheriff Blaylock-covered nachos is like a secret handshake to the ushers.

[94CougarGrad]

The only thing I can think of is that his is an Obama stimulus make-work faux job. 

Those guys have been there since well before the last Prez election. I always thought they got seasonal Astros' usher jobs because Walmart greeter positions were already filled.

[Noe]

They should hire retired school crossing guards... at least they know enough to hold up the freakin' sign!