From 1994 to 1999 the Astros were a superb baseball team, finishing second three straight years then winning a trio of division titles. Their 507-400 record over that span trailed only the Braves, Yankees and Indians. In 2000 the wheels came off, as they finished fourth and lost 90 games for the first time since 1991. Yet the Astros can salvage some good news from their otherwise depressing season.
By Ed Cullen
Editor’s note – This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com on September 28, 2000.
In the long ago, when a child talked about summer games he wasn’t talking about the Olympics.
In the days before organized youth sports ran the lives of families, you saw boys, and the occasional girl, facing the front porch steps, shoulders squared, head down, one hand gripping a fuzzless tennis ball. And, if you happened to be passing on the sidewalk and listened closely you might hear “THE VOICE.” Read More
By ToddtheBod
Editor’s note – This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com on September 21, 2000.
It is a strange thing being a “fanatical” Astros fan living far away from Houston. I have all of the trappings of a Astros’ fan. My house is filled with Astros’ crap. My 16 month-old son’s room is covered with old Astros’ pennants and autographed pictures of current and former Astros greats (and he won’t even watch baseball with me. Let’s face it, if there isn’t a purple dinosaur on the TV screen, he aint interested). Even my car hasn’t escaped being hit with Astros paraphanalia. (Yes, I spent $5 and bought the Astros license plate frame.)Read More
Editor’s note – This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com on September 11, 2000.
The most important numbers for Astros fans this winter won’t be wins and losses or home runs and RBIs, but how many dollars Drayton McLane agrees to spend to improve the team. Fans cried foul last offseason when the payroll dropped from $56.3 million to $52.4 million despite the opening of publicly subsidized Enron Field. Fortunately, there’s reason to believe McLane will dig significantly deeper into his pockets to help the Astros return to contention in 2001.Read More
The most important numbers for Astros fans this winter won’t be wins and losses or home runs and RBIs, but how many dollars Drayton McLane agrees to spend to improve the team. Fans cried foul last offseason when the payroll dropped from $56.3 million to $52.4 million despite the opening of publicly subsidized Enron Field. Fortunately, there’s reason to believe McLane will dig significantly deeper into his pockets to help the Astros return to contention in 2001.
Editor’s note – This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com on August 25, 2000.
Perhaps the best predictor of a pitcher’s longevity and future success is his strikeout rate. From that perspective, although he hasn’t filled Mike Hampton’s shoes, Octavio Dotel hasn’t been such a disappointment this season.Read More
