1
Talk Zone / Re: We're launching a new forum
« on: December 05, 2019, 11:43:36 am »
Weird, IE works for me on my home computer but not my work computer.
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2
Talk Zone / Re: We're launching a new forum
« on: December 04, 2019, 11:51:07 am »
Ah. Apparently there's a bug with IE compatibility that should be fixed in the next forum update whenever it gets released (should be reasonably soon).
That said, you should know that Internet Explorer is an old, insecure, dying web browser and you should really start using something different (e.g. Chrome or Firefox) if you have any say in the matter.
That said, you should know that Internet Explorer is an old, insecure, dying web browser and you should really start using something different (e.g. Chrome or Firefox) if you have any say in the matter.
3
Talk Zone / Re: We're launching a new forum
« on: December 04, 2019, 09:39:08 am »
Haven't seen that, either on desktop or mobile. What browser are y'all using?
4
Beer and Queso / Re: Texans 2019
« on: December 02, 2019, 06:49:40 am »That was unexpected.
Makes a big difference in this division.
Limey, maybe you missed the announcement in the TZ, but we launched a new forum a few days ago and it looks like most have started posting over there already. https://forums.orangewhoopass.com
5
Talk Zone / Re: We're launching a new forum
« on: November 27, 2019, 10:42:37 pm »So you're saying you can't keep Mike Fiers from posting here?
Fiers, Jason Hirsh's mom, etc.
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Talk Zone / Re: We're launching a new forum
« on: November 27, 2019, 07:33:08 pm »Unfortunately, this is not a matter of wanting to try something new, or even a choice of keep this format or move to a new one. It's move to a new format or the forum dies. The current software is simply outdated and is no longer supported. Waldo has held this one together with pine tar and bat tape until we could get something new set up, but it's simply not sustainable. We'll have to get used to something else. I'm certain we will.
The current software also poses a greater security risk the longer we use it.
9
Talk Zone / We're launching a new forum
« on: November 27, 2019, 12:00:42 pm »
We've been on our current forum for something like 11-12 years by my best guess, but we've hit a dead end in terms of what the software can do. Couple that with some technical issues we've come across in the last little that don't have an easy resolution and it's finally time to move on.
Beginning today, I'd encourage everyone to go to the new forum and register for an account:
https://forums.orangewhoopass.com
Just FYI, user accounts over there work kind of like Twitter: you have a username that always stays the same (e.g. @YourUsername), but you also have a display name that can be entirely different (e.g. "Jomboy <<< Zapruder") and changed whenever you want.
Once you get registered over there, you'll find in the new TZ a post that outlines how the new forum works and what it can do. Both forums will run in parallel for a couple of weeks, then we'll disable posting on this forum. It wouldn't hurt to start updating your bookmarks now, though.
Unfortunately, we're unable to take our full backlog of forum content with us; for the first time since 2004 we're starting with a clean slate. I hope you'll think it's worth the tradeoff, though. This forum is not going away - it'll stay up like this for a while, then probably live on in some other form or fashion that can be browsed but not logged into.
Beginning today, I'd encourage everyone to go to the new forum and register for an account:
https://forums.orangewhoopass.com
Just FYI, user accounts over there work kind of like Twitter: you have a username that always stays the same (e.g. @YourUsername), but you also have a display name that can be entirely different (e.g. "Jomboy <<< Zapruder") and changed whenever you want.
Once you get registered over there, you'll find in the new TZ a post that outlines how the new forum works and what it can do. Both forums will run in parallel for a couple of weeks, then we'll disable posting on this forum. It wouldn't hurt to start updating your bookmarks now, though.
Unfortunately, we're unable to take our full backlog of forum content with us; for the first time since 2004 we're starting with a clean slate. I hope you'll think it's worth the tradeoff, though. This forum is not going away - it'll stay up like this for a while, then probably live on in some other form or fashion that can be browsed but not logged into.
10
Talk Zone / Re: More controversy
« on: November 27, 2019, 09:52:38 am »I think this is what he's referring to:
https://twitter.com/aubrey_huff/status/1199200986658553857
It's not just the political stuff. https://twitter.com/aubrey_huff/status/1198660556653154304?s=20
11
Beer and Queso / Re: College Football 2019
« on: November 25, 2019, 12:23:44 pm »This drives me crazy because the NCAA will burn a program to the ground if a kid takes a loan, but coaches covering up rapes doesn’t even hit on their radar.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I mean, this sort of thing is not unique to the college game. In the NFL:
Assault a woman: suspended a few games
Smoke weed: suspended up to a full season
Kneel for the anthem: lifetime shadowban
12
Beer and Queso / Re: College Football 2019
« on: November 25, 2019, 11:29:33 am »Compare Tom Herman's three year progression with Matt Ruhle's progression at Baylor. Also consider that Ruhle had to recruit with the label of Rape U hung on the school and also that he went 1-11 his first year.
Coaching matters.
13
Beer and Queso / Re: College Football 2019
« on: November 25, 2019, 10:36:04 am »
It's hard for me to know how much of Texas' 6-5 record to attribute to injuries, which have been a big problem this year. But I do know that the coaching has been poor. It hasn't sunk to Charlie Strong levels yet, but even Mack Brown's teams were usually better coached.
14
Beer and Queso / Re: big promotion at the mall W K R P
« on: November 24, 2019, 05:26:15 pm »
As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly...
15
Talk Zone / Re: More controversy
« on: November 24, 2019, 03:29:29 pm »There is a large group from MLB (estimated 20+) of MLB folks including Manfred currently in town conducting the investigation. They are interviewing current and former players, coaches, and staff including Brandon Backe. Some players have refused to cooperate.
What the fuck would Brandon Backe know?
16
Talk Zone / Re: More controversy
« on: November 23, 2019, 01:01:33 pm »
Apropos of nothing, I was wearing my Astros polo last week and another guy struck up a conversation with me. He said he was a huge Astros fan, bitched a little bit about Hinch in the WS, and then asked me what I thought of the scandal. I said there was so much conflicting info out there, hard to believe what is true, waiting for the full report, etc. Dude launches into a tirade about the people running the team, Hinch and Luhnow should be permabanned from baseball, and that Mike Fiers is a hero for speaking out about it.
Except that when he mentioned Fiers he said, "Who's that guy---Mike 'Fears'?"
Yeah, you know how I know you're not as big a fan of the team?
Except that when he mentioned Fiers he said, "Who's that guy---Mike 'Fears'?"
Yeah, you know how I know you're not as big a fan of the team?
17
Talk Zone / Re: 2020 Hall of Fame
« on: November 22, 2019, 01:27:29 pm »I predict Jeter gets in with 110% of the vote. He will also be the only one elected because he s in a class by himself.
Two of the five public HOF ballots so far have dropped everyone but Jeter. The full retard is still strong with HOF voters.
18
Talk Zone / Re: More controversy
« on: November 22, 2019, 01:22:17 pm »And the silence from Houston is deafening. I imagine they’re under gag orders but Jesus Christ.
I read on Twitter that all 30 owners are under a gag order about it at the owner's meetings, so it's reasonable to assume the Astros front office is as well.
19
Beer and Queso / Re: Texans 2019
« on: November 22, 2019, 01:18:49 pm »Not really. I doubt they make any more money.
I'm sure the league is.
20
Talk Zone / Re: More controversy
« on: November 20, 2019, 08:56:18 pm »He had the chance to be a pitching ninja type account
I dunno about that. His breakdowns have never really had any hard-hitting analysis and were always more about pointing out things in funny ways while never taking anything or anyone too seriously.
21
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: November 20, 2019, 12:00:47 pm »I keep waiting for one with the curb your enthusiasm theme.
In the same thread: https://twitter.com/ellievhall/status/1197195784422338561
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Talk Zone / Re: More controversy
« on: November 18, 2019, 12:30:51 pm »Just watched someone named Chris Russo
Thoughts and prayers.
23
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: November 18, 2019, 11:29:42 am »What’s the medical news?
He made an unscheduled trip (not on public or White House internal itineraries) to Walter Reed on Saturday for some sort of medical procedure. They're saying that he's "starting his annual physical" or some shit. So without further details, and given previous credibility issues, we're left to wonder if they're covering up something.
24
Talk Zone / Re: More controversy
« on: November 17, 2019, 09:46:53 pm »There's someone on Twitter arguing vociferously that the person in question or at least the station in question pertains to the MLB replay system.
That is plenty plausible.
25
Beer and Queso / Re: For All Mankind
« on: November 17, 2019, 05:24:25 pm »I started watching The Expanse but never got into it. This is likely entirely down to my mood at that moment as there are multiple examples of me going back to stuff and thoroughly enjoying it. I'll give it a whirl.Maybe it’s harder to get hooked if you haven’t read the books first, but it’s really worth a watch. It doesn’t have the same social messaging that BSG had, but it’s currently my favorite sci-fi show.
26
Beer and Queso / Re: For All Mankind
« on: November 17, 2019, 05:21:56 pm »I'm enjoying the books (currently reading the fifth one Nemesis Games). But I haven't watched the show. Is it a good companion or should I pick it up once I'm done with the novels?If you’re on book 5 then you can start watching the show now. Seasons 1-3 cover books 1-3. Upcoming season 4 corresponds to book 4.
The show is an excellent companion to the books, and generally very faithful to them, although they have changed a plot element here or there. So the writing has all of the charm of the books, plus fantastic acting and special effects, and they do all of the little things right. (For instance, when they’re on the ship and not burning the engine, you can hear their mag boots when they walk. Every time.)
27
Beer and Queso / Re: For All Mankind
« on: November 16, 2019, 12:55:29 pm »I will say that the production values on both shows is top notch. The effects in FAM are perhaps the best I've ever seen on TV, and they even give you a wobbly zoom in every once in a while to remind you that Ron Moore is the producer. Clearly, they didn't scrimp on either show.
Even better than The Expanse?
Tell me you've watched The Expanse.
28
Talk Zone / Re: More controversy
« on: November 16, 2019, 12:54:15 pm »Worse: Crane will be forced to sell to Loria
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Rumors are swirling that Drayton McLane wants to get back into baseball...
29
Talk Zone / Re: More controversy
« on: November 16, 2019, 12:31:18 pm »This is what I mean by martyr complex. Literally none of what is being described is actually happening, despite many of you really, really wishing it would.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mlb-commissioner-on-astros-scandal-we-will-find-out-how-far-up-in-the-organization-it-went-131204081.html
"Some fans have wondered" is quite some distance from "Commissioner Manfred said."
That's the closest I've found too. Manfred in the same article:
Quote
Obviously, following the rules is crucial to the competition on the field; any time there’s this sort of allegation, we take it very seriously,” Manfred told Yahoo Finance in an exclusive interview at the Paley International Council Summit in New York on Thursday. “We’re in the midst of gathering the facts. We want to make sure we understand everything that went on, who was involved, how far up in the organization it went. And at that point in time, we’ll make a decision as to what, if any, discipline is appropriate.
I think Hudson is having a hard time distinguishing his hyperbole from what's actually been reported.
30
Talk Zone / Re: More controversy
« on: November 16, 2019, 12:21:22 pm »The Athletic article has a picture of the tunnel behind the dugout. There is a disconnected data cable haphazardly strung along the wall, with a coiled end dangling directly above a big trashcan. The side of the trashcan has a big wear spot that looks like it's been beaten to shit. Again, not conclusive, but it sure looks like it's what they say it is.
I don't think that photo is intended to show incriminating evidence, just the alleged location of the monitor.
The presence of that cable is meaningless. There are probably at least 100 unused loops of cable like that throughout the stadium, and it's impossible to know what it was used for.
Re: the trash can: large trash cans like that get beaten to shit in any commercial setting every day.
31
Beer and Queso / Re: For All Mankind
« on: November 15, 2019, 11:31:32 am »This is the only AppleTV+ show that moved the needle for me, so I was excited to learn that I got a free subscription with my new iPhone 11. I haven't watched the show yet, though, because apparently I can only watch it ON my iPhone, and while the screen is larger than on my older phone, I'm not sure I want to invest 10 hours staring at my phone.
I have an older (Gen1?) AppleTV device but when I try to stream through it I get an error., so I assume it's not compatible. Same with my older Fire stick. And of course our relatively new Samsung smart TVs don't have the app - it's only available on certain Sony TVs.
There is an Apple TV+ app for Roku, and you can also stream on the web.
I'm probably buying a new iPad later this month so I've been holding out on signing up.
32
Talk Zone / Re: More controversy
« on: November 14, 2019, 02:19:28 pm »Stephen A. Smith now says Altuve’s walkoff against Chapman was 2019 sign stealing. Make it stop.
The next time SAS says something relevant will be the first.
33
Talk Zone / Re: More controversy
« on: November 13, 2019, 11:50:02 am »I agree wholeheartedly.
But lying to the media is commonplace, especially when folks are protecting their self interests.
Yep. I don't know if Beltran is lying or not, but I can see why he would.
34
Talk Zone / Re: More controversy
« on: November 13, 2019, 10:41:32 am »I thought using technology to steal signs was always against the rules, and the new rules regarding camera placement and usage this year were just put in place to shore up prevention.
Yeah, the Red Sox got fined in the same season for using Apple Watches.
35
Talk Zone / Re: More controversy
« on: November 13, 2019, 10:10:48 am »Of course, it was. The ex-Astro accusing the team of electronically stealing signs wasn’t on the Astros’ playoff roster at any point during the 2017 postseason, so how would he know what was going on?
You know Fiers was in the dugout for every postseason game, right? It may not have a bearing in this story, but he wasn't one of the players they sent home.
36
Talk Zone / Re: More controversy
« on: November 13, 2019, 10:09:00 am »Then Beltran lied? This allegedly went on in the dugout and in the tunnel immediately adjacent.
I wouldn't expect him to be forthright about it, just like I wouldn't expect anyone with any team to be forthright about it. Of course, he's one week into his first managerial gig so it's also not in his best interest to lie.
I think the whole thing is plausible, but I question the feasibility of doing it on any sort of large scale.
37
Talk Zone / Re: More controversy
« on: November 12, 2019, 03:51:31 pm »Not very subtle.
That's the weird thing - it's so obvious that surely they couldn't get away with it very often. I didn't hear it again in the 8th after Gattis's AB. Spot checked a few other points in the game and didn't hear it.
38
Talk Zone / Re: More controversy
« on: November 12, 2019, 03:17:55 pm »
Jomboy found video of the September 2017 game Farquhar mentioned and made a breakdown.
The White Sox broadcast of the game picks up the banging too.
The White Sox broadcast of the game picks up the banging too.
39
Talk Zone / Re: Where the fuck is Toro?
« on: November 11, 2019, 10:48:23 am »I was keeping it to regular season.
The ALCS walkoff is the uber highlight.
Ah, cool.
We were in the stands for Gurriel's 10th inning walkoff HR in June. First time to see a walkoff in person, so that was a highlight for me.
Also, I'll add Yordan's blast 3-4 rows deep in the restaurant seats next to the batter's eye. Yet another entry in the "never seen a homer hit there" database.
40
Talk Zone / Re: Awards
« on: November 10, 2019, 08:26:06 am »41
Talk Zone / Re: Where the fuck is Toro?
« on: November 10, 2019, 08:24:56 am »
Altuve walking off the ALCS?
42
Talk Zone / Re: Reid Ryan phasing out
« on: November 10, 2019, 08:22:30 am »The groveling of Ryan's schlong knows no bounds in DFW. This idiot bastard is just making up his own version of alternate facts. Not ot be outdone, this dumb-as-a-turd dipshit is just as ill-informed. WTF is wrong with so many of those people up there?
Can't read because paywall, but I fully expect Nolan to go back to the Rangers in some capacity, because that would be completely on brand for him.
43
Talk Zone / Re: Reid Ryan phasing out
« on: November 09, 2019, 10:27:42 am »Nolan Ryan is a Ranger. He will always be a Ranger. He sold his Astros...ness...years ago. Fuck him.
He switches allegiances when it suits him.
44
Talk Zone / Re: Reid Ryan phasing out
« on: November 08, 2019, 12:54:04 pm »What did not happen was an executive search that yielded Jared Crane as the best candidate by pure coincidence.
We don't really know if a search happened or not.
45
Talk Zone / Re: Reid Ryan phasing out
« on: November 08, 2019, 09:32:59 am »I see no baseball background at all.
He's president of business operations. He (presumably/hopefully) won't have much to do with the baseball side of things.
I see a member of the lucky sperm club. He would not be considered for this job by any other team. That doesn't mean he won't be good at it, it just means he didn't get the job on merit.
Also probably all true.
46
Talk Zone / Re: Reid Ryan phasing out
« on: November 07, 2019, 03:06:53 pm »Does Nolan have an official position with the club? Will be interesting to see who is providing the wienies next season.Special assistant or some such.
47
Talk Zone / Re: Ex-Astros News 2019
« on: November 07, 2019, 07:58:24 am »Bahahahaha! The Dodgers wont care for long if he can't hit above the Mendoza line.
And it makes no sense that the Astros would know about a thyroid issue and choose not to treat it, thereby depressing White's value both to the Astros and to any potential trade partners. If getting him to slim down was as easy as giving him some pills, they would've done it a long time ago.
48
Talk Zone / Re: An Astro meets a President
« on: November 07, 2019, 07:53:30 am »Did he get his breasts caressed like Suzuki did?
Don was right: "If you're famous they'll let you do anything."
49
Talk Zone / Re: Hinch’s decisions and thinking/G7
« on: November 05, 2019, 07:46:38 pm »Too be fair he didn't say the Astros didn't want it he just said the Nats wanted it more. The Nats maybe wanted it 110% and the Astros only wanted it 109.99%...
To be fair, it's still a really meaningless cliche.
50
Talk Zone / Re: Hinch’s decisions and thinking/G7
« on: November 04, 2019, 04:00:39 pm »I'm pretty sure none of the previous five teams with three straight 100-win seasons went on to make it four.
Correct. The 1906-1910 FTC almost made it five in a row; won 100+ every season except 1908, when they won 99.
51
Talk Zone / Re: Hinch’s decisions and thinking/G7
« on: November 04, 2019, 03:55:14 pm »Just a quick back of the envelope almanac survey; the only superteams (105+ wins) who’ve played in the ws against 90-96 or so win teams and won have been the NYY, and the BoSox last year. Many have lost outside of that restriction. Winning the WS is a formidable task in any event
I also found it an interesting exercise to look into the history of 100-win teams in the World Series era:
37 won the World Series
30 lost the World Series
36 didn't make it to the World Series
- 7 lost in the LCS round in the wild card era
- 7 lost in the LCS round pre-wild card
- 14 (over 10% of all 100-win teams!) lost in the LDS round
- 2 missed the postseason in the division era (both pre-wild card)
- 6 missed the postseason pre-division era
52
Talk Zone / Re: Hinch’s decisions and thinking/G7
« on: November 04, 2019, 11:14:57 am »Do I wish Hinch had left Greinke in? Yes. Did I think putting in Harris was a misteak? No. I'm so used to my Houston teams getting beat in extraordinary and disappointing fashions, that this loss wasn't that bad for me.
The late 90s/2001 postseason losses and OU's domination of Texas from 2000-2004 (especially being in the stands for 65-13) helped me learn to not get too down about sports disappointment. An old thread from Hornfans after 65-13 - "How many remote controls have you broken watching Texas football?" - put it in perspective for me.
Since then I've been able to enjoy the highs (2006 Rose Bowl, 2017 WS) without getting ruined by the lows (2005 WS, 2010 Rose Bowl, etc.).
53
Talk Zone / Re: McCullers' Tweet (non-baseball)
« on: November 04, 2019, 10:10:35 am »
Lance's Twitter game has been on point the last month. He tracked down the guy who celebrated Pressly's check-swing K with the bases loaded in game 4 and the guy who got heckled by Yankee fans during game 5 and gave them both World Series tickets.
54
Beer and Queso / Re: For All Mankind
« on: November 04, 2019, 08:28:35 am »I (finally) upgraded my iPhone 6S last month. That must be it.
I know a guy who bought a new iPhone a few months ago and still got the free year of TV+.
55
Talk Zone / Re: Hinch’s decisions and thinking/G7
« on: November 04, 2019, 08:26:02 am »This season the main thing I worried about, besides injuries, happened: the Astros didn't play their best in the postseason.
That's what gnaws at me right now.
There are worse fates than not being able to beat Scherzer and Strasburg.
At least, that's what's helping me right now.
56
Talk Zone / Re: Cole and Game 5
« on: November 01, 2019, 11:05:47 am »I do not know how that is possible. Pulling him too soon is not the answer, and the man thinks 200 innings is important. Foul balls, walks, and Ks run the pitch count up. He would have to be a willing participant in any arbitrary limit.
As an aside.my scout friend told me after Game 2 he was concerned about JV because “his arm speed is down.”He blamed the innings pitched, which I think reached 258. I do not know about that technical point, but I do know he was not throwing 96-97 in Game 6.
I was wondering the same thing. 257.1 IP is more than he's thrown since 2012, so it's feasible that his longevity within the season as he gets older isn't what it once was. If that is indeed the issue, it may well become that he can't both be a 200IP guy and also pitch effectively deep into the postseason without changing his repertoire.
It's too early to sound the alarm, but it's definitely something that he and the Astros (or whoever else he plays for) should keep in the back of their minds as he approaches and passes 40.
58
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 31, 2019, 06:03:29 pm »I would have bet my last dollar you got that from some radio pundit. Come on, man. You know folks on the GZ/TZ will check this stuff out.My favorite bogus take so far was some idiot on Twitter who said they should have opened the roof because the Astros have a better postseason record with the MMP roof open.
59
Talk Zone / Re: Cole and Game 5
« on: October 31, 2019, 09:00:16 am »Hinch turned into Dave Roberts this week.
I don't think that's true at all, and I also don't envy the position that the hitters put Hinch in. If Greinke still has a 2-3 run lead after Soto's walk then Hinch lets him stay out there. I wish he'd stayed in anyway because he'd been so good up to that point, but there's no guarantee that it would've turned out any better. Hinch had gotten burned by leaving his starters in in similar situations where there were momentum swings. Now he got burned by taking Greinke out, on a decent pitch by Harris that Kendrick hammered the other way.
Also, I don't think there was a slam-dunk situation for using or not using Cole, other than not bringing him in with runners on. Any bad outcome in any situation would've been ripe for second guessing.
60
Talk Zone / Re: Cole and Game 5
« on: October 31, 2019, 08:42:05 am »I don't think Waldo really cares about my point.
I think we are in agreement re: Cole.
61
Talk Zone / Re: Cole and Game 5
« on: October 31, 2019, 08:21:38 am »There is no fucking way he's going to re-sign with the Astros.
Right. He arrived at the ballpark with his mind already made up.
62
Talk Zone / Cole and Game 5
« on: October 31, 2019, 07:59:30 am »
He still showed up to the stadium with that hat and presumably planned on wearing it. Maybe his comments would’ve been different had they won, but it’s still not a good look to anyone holding out hope that he comes back.
63
Talk Zone / Re: Cole and Game 5
« on: October 31, 2019, 06:36:17 am »
If you didn’t see Cole’s postgame interview, it’s hard to come away from it with any positivity whatsoever that he’s going to stay in Houston. Wearing a Boras cap, asking if he had to do interviews because he’s no longer a team employee, etc. He’s gone.
64
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 10:51:49 pm »
And there it is.
Nats deserved it, Astros didn’t.
Nats deserved it, Astros didn’t.
65
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 10:50:50 pm »
At least Brantley doesn’t want to go home yet.
66
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 10:47:55 pm »
Pitch selection has taken a noticeable downturn.
67
Game Zone 2019 / 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 10:43:49 pm »I think the key takeaway here is that slumping in October is bad.And slumping in October against elite starting pitchers is especially bad.
68
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 10:41:00 pm »So what does that say about the Astros’ analytical model? Should other teams follow it? Some are in hopes of repeating a winning windowLet’s not treat this like some existential crisis. The Astros’ model provably works.
69
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 10:38:53 pm »Everyone that said the Astros were done after Altuve failed to capitalize yesterday was right.I still think that’s a horseshit take.
70
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 10:37:38 pm »
Well, that’s probably ball game.
71
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 10:33:40 pm »
Mother fucker.
72
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 10:32:48 pm »Home games 4, 3, 2, 2.Scherzer, Strasburg, Strasburg, Scherzer
73
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 10:18:59 pm »
That pitch was almost in the batter’s box.
74
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 10:18:35 pm »
Such bullshit.
75
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 10:10:40 pm »
Why has every game in Houston gone like this?
76
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 10:05:31 pm »I don’t care what Kendrick did, I walk Soto.Didn’t work in game 2.
77
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 10:00:13 pm »I've seen enough of Yordan Alvarez to last a lifetime.Seriously?
78
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 09:53:01 pm »
An 83mph hanger taken for strike two. My God.
79
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 09:51:34 pm »
Please, Alvarez.
80
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 09:37:49 pm »
Here comes that vomit taste.
81
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 09:35:52 pm »This Astros offense does not have the 2 runs in them needed to win this game.This opinion is bad and you should feel bad.
82
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 09:31:09 pm »
Un fucking believable.
83
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 09:29:13 pm »Right. This isn't about Greinke, this is all about the limp-dick offense.Game ain’t over yet.
84
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 09:27:56 pm »
Greinke was fucking nails for 6-1/3. Huge effort.
85
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 09:24:11 pm »
Man. One mistake.
86
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 09:20:49 pm »Time to start pacing.I ate too much for dinner. I’m on the verge over here.
87
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 09:18:26 pm »
Greinke is about to face the meat of the order for the third time.
88
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 09:17:16 pm »
Crap.
89
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 09:13:56 pm »Surprised as this move, but AJ is a master.I like it, and this time Jake isn’t in the middle of the order.
And he just got a hit!
90
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 09:09:17 pm »
HYPE.
91
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 09:02:40 pm »
Oh well. They got a run.
92
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 09:01:49 pm »Fat one taken by Robbie.He looked completely fooled.
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93
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 08:58:47 pm »I'll admit it, I was not expecting that.I’m just glad that Rendon finally didn’t make a spectacular play for once.
94
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 08:57:03 pm »
Yes! Finally!
95
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 08:54:17 pm »
Correa with another chance.
96
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 08:46:51 pm »Cole warming, I'd stay with Greinke for one moreAbsolutely.
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
97
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 08:45:15 pm »
Lead off runner on.
98
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 08:41:54 pm »
Get some runs! My constitution can’t take this.
99
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 08:34:54 pm »Soto may have gotten jobbed there.Zero fucks given
100
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 08:29:27 pm »
Dammit!
101
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 08:27:19 pm »
Two on for Altuve.
102
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 08:20:01 pm »I'm sure the Nationals version of MRaup was swearing up a storm.Hell, Mark probably was too.
103
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 08:15:33 pm »
Hype.
104
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 08:12:39 pm »
No way!
105
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 7, October 30, 2019
« on: October 30, 2019, 07:35:58 pm »
Keep. It. Up.
107
Talk Zone / Re: Game 7
« on: October 30, 2019, 01:03:58 pm »If he’s needed, the car is in the ditch. If you can’t get 8 out of Greinke and Cole, then whoever comes in next is probably moot.
I figure if Greinke and Cole combine for that many innings then either Greinke is cruising with a comfortable lead or Cole had to come in very early and they're already in deep shit.
There's too many ways this could go. For one, this isn't 2017 where you necessarily have to duct tape some relief work together to get to a Charlie Morton. For another thing, Cole has never pitched 1) in relief OR 2) on short rest, so that's a pretty big unknown quantity.
So if Greinke hands you a lead or a tie after five innings then I'd maybe look for 1-2 innings max out of Cole just to bridge the gap to Smith/Harris/Pressly/Osuna for the final 6-9 outs.
108
Talk Zone / Re: Game 7
« on: October 30, 2019, 11:23:29 am »Well, it comes down to one game. If the players need any additional motivation, other than it's Game FUCKING Seven of the World Series, they need to re-evaluate their career choice.
Of all the things I'm concerned about for tonight, the players' motivation doesn't even make the list.
109
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 6, October 29, 2019
« on: October 29, 2019, 10:46:51 pm »
Oh well.
110
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 6, October 29, 2019
« on: October 29, 2019, 10:36:39 pm »I'm glad someone has faith the offense will show up for at least one home game.If the pitching gives up 5, 12, or 7 runs then the offense probably won’t matter.
I certainly don't.
111
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 6, October 29, 2019
« on: October 29, 2019, 10:31:38 pm »I think we need to prepare ourselves for the possibility that won't happen.I’m prepared. But fuck everyone who started saying the game or the series was over three innings ago.
112
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 6, October 29, 2019
« on: October 29, 2019, 10:29:17 pm »Greinke 3-6, 4.33 era in career postseason. Won’t matter without runsWon’t matter if they win tonight
113
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 6, October 29, 2019
« on: October 29, 2019, 10:20:34 pm »
Like 4-5 pitches that inning?
114
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 6, October 29, 2019
« on: October 29, 2019, 10:15:12 pm »Or extra inningsCan I subscribe to your newsletter?
Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk
115
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 6, October 29, 2019
« on: October 29, 2019, 10:01:57 pm »
Reddick has knees on his shins apparently.
116
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 6, October 29, 2019
« on: October 29, 2019, 10:00:23 pm »
Damn. Why blow up like that after your team hits a homer anyway?
And 10 minutes of headsets for a fucking unreviewable play.
And 10 minutes of headsets for a fucking unreviewable play.
117
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 6, October 29, 2019
« on: October 29, 2019, 09:53:54 pm »
God damnit.
118
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 6, October 29, 2019
« on: October 29, 2019, 09:50:35 pm »
I fully expect this to hose the Astros.
119
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 6, October 29, 2019
« on: October 29, 2019, 09:46:59 pm »Exactly. I think it helped that Yuli's glove got knocked off.I think that’s the key.
120
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 6, October 29, 2019
« on: October 29, 2019, 09:44:06 pm »
Huh.
121
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 6, October 29, 2019
« on: October 29, 2019, 09:34:49 pm »
Swinging at junk two ABs in a row. Pathetic.
122
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 6, October 29, 2019
« on: October 29, 2019, 09:30:14 pm »
Lead off runner on. Let’s fucking go
123
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 6, October 29, 2019
« on: October 29, 2019, 09:22:24 pm »Everyone saying the Astros are doomed for the rest of the series because they failed to score in this inning needs to shut up. There are four more innings tonight, and, this team is good enough to beat Max Scherzer in a game 7 with Zack Greinke on the mound if it comes to that. Act like you have some damn faith in the team Lunhow built.
Yeah, the "Astros are done" mindset is very 2005. These guys have gotten off the deck before.
124
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 6, October 29, 2019
« on: October 29, 2019, 09:15:43 pm »
Dammit.
At least they made Strasburg work.
At least they made Strasburg work.
125
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 6, October 29, 2019
« on: October 29, 2019, 09:13:28 pm »
Awful.
126
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 6, October 29, 2019
« on: October 29, 2019, 09:11:21 pm »
Cmon Jose...
127
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 6, October 29, 2019
« on: October 29, 2019, 08:45:59 pm »
I told myself I wouldn’t get nervous.
This game is going to kill me.
This game is going to kill me.
128
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 6, October 29, 2019
« on: October 29, 2019, 08:43:02 pm »
Gotta get at least one here.
129
Talk Zone / Re: WS 2019
« on: October 29, 2019, 09:09:52 am »The biggest problem concerning the next game is that I can't watch it. Not sure if I should grab scores when I can or try to avoid the scores and watch the game when I get home... so anyway, enjoy the game you lucky bastards.
If I recall, you weren't able to watch game 7 in 2017.
Consequently, just like game 7 in 2017, I will miss the first hour or so.
I consider these good omens.
130
Talk Zone / Re: WS 2019
« on: October 28, 2019, 10:21:03 am »
Guessing the MMP roof will be closed again. High near 80 tomorrow, and if they play Wednesday night there's a pretty good chance of thunderstorms.
131
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 5, October 27, 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 10:30:26 pm »
Ballgame!
132
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 5, October 27, 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 10:20:51 pm »
Pressly is getting the 9th.
133
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 5, October 27, 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 10:19:27 pm »
Humblistic?
134
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 5, October 27, 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 10:03:06 pm »
Smith has been fucking solid.
135
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 5, October 27, 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 09:48:31 pm »
Nice, Yuli
136
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 5, October 27, 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 09:43:30 pm »Has he been this bad for the entire game? I only picked up the game from Zimmerman's AB.He has gotten progressively worse.
137
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 5, October 27, 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 09:41:34 pm »
Plus I think Cole was emptying the tank that inning, hitting 100 a couple times for the first time in the game.
138
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 5, October 27, 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 09:37:42 pm »
Pressly getting loose
139
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 5, October 27, 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 09:35:40 pm »
Well this inning has probably cost Cole the 8th.
140
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 5, October 27, 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 09:31:03 pm »Jake gave it a shotAbout as close as Springer came against LeMaiheu.
141
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 5, October 27, 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 09:15:42 pm »
Alvarez leaves the game 3x3.
142
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 5, October 27, 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 09:11:28 pm »
Nice pitch
143
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 5, October 27, 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 08:59:49 pm »
Thought Bregman took that out.
144
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 5, October 27, 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 08:58:39 pm »
The home plate umpiring has not been... how do you say... “consistent” this series.
145
Game Zone 2019 / 2019 World Series, Game 5, October 27, 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 08:56:19 pm »
Ross out, Rainey in
146
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 5, October 27, 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 08:45:35 pm »
Wow that was a late time call.
147
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 5, October 27, 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 08:22:58 pm »
CORREA!!!!!
148
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 5, October 27, 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 08:08:01 pm »Baseball savantDaren Willman is a must-follow on Twitter.
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
149
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 5, October 27, 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 07:49:16 pm »
Dig it
150
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 5, October 27, 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 07:47:24 pm »Ugly swings by Zimmerman.I think they both only count as one total swing.
Sent from my GM1915 using Tapatalk
151
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 5, October 27, 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 07:37:56 pm »
Welcome back Yordan.
152
Talk Zone / Re: WS 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 06:13:02 pm »
What is the weather situation, did the rain arrive?
Came and went more or less as expected.
153
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 03:29:07 pm »With all the shit rightly thrown at Joe Buck for being crap at his job, the thing at which he is empirically bad is describing the set up. In an era when teams shift on a regular basis, we - the tv viewer - never know because the directors are obsessed with close-ups and reaction shots while Buck is just smug as a bug in a rug in the booth reading stats passed to him by a producer.
Then there's a ground ball that should go through a hole in the infield. "Ground ball" Buck will helpfully note. And then it's straight to an infielder you had no idea was fucking there and Buck describes it as a routine out.
Just completely fucking useless.
TBS's broadcasts showed "DEFENSIVE SHIFT IS ON" right underneath the score bug, so that the viewer knows even when looking at home plate. I thought that was useful without being too intrusive.
Of course, I'd love a live Statcast plot of the fielders, but we're probably a ways away from that.
154
Talk Zone / Re: WS 2019
« on: October 27, 2019, 03:24:44 pm »And Alvarez is the solution to that?
Alvarez was 3x8 in games 1-2.
155
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 10:58:51 pm »
We’ve got ourselves a series.
156
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 10:52:36 pm »You forgot “catcher running”.Maybe they were trying to give Chirinos a breather?
157
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 10:49:40 pm »
It was a good send. Took a perfect throw and tag and they got one.
158
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 10:47:05 pm »I’m starting to figure that Soto doesn’t have an accurate arm.This take didn’t age well.
159
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 10:39:01 pm »Devo in the 9th with a 7 run lead?I would.
160
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 10:29:51 pm »Did Rendin hit the bag?Yes
161
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 10:12:23 pm »
Ridiculous
162
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 10:01:26 pm »
Three hard hit balls, two outs.
163
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 09:57:57 pm »I remember that game but I don't remember who was pitching.Wagner, right? Wasn’t that the first game of a doubleheader?
164
Game Zone 2019 / 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 09:55:45 pm »You know that Google thing that you can pause with your hand will be the most annoying thing in the world as it will pause at the slightest movement and/or any passing pet.Plus you get the extra feature of Google spying on you while you’re nekkid.
I have an easy fix though; you use you hand still, but you move it an extra 3” and touch the pause button.
165
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 09:51:28 pm »I wonder if Brownie would call him K-Tuck?Better than Milo calling him Tucksy, probably.
166
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 09:45:32 pm »
Would it be greedy to ask for another slam?
167
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 09:36:23 pm »
SALAMI!!!!!!!!!!
168
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 09:35:04 pm »
Juiced for Bregman
169
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 09:21:08 pm »Now what? Who sees nine outs in the bullpen?Pressly - Smith - Osuna?
170
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 09:18:17 pm »I love Will Harris.Literally?
171
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 09:16:03 pm »They said earlier Harris would only be used tonight to get out of a jam. Not for any lengthRight, because he faced five batters last night.
172
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 09:13:47 pm »
Rotten luck.
173
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 09:01:32 pm »I haven't spoken to my contempt for DC area sports fans, they are in sort of an unassuming manner some of the worst fans in the country. But I have enormous respect for the Nationals because they for some reason have managed to put together a team that plays really good defense. I commend Suzuki especially, but there are plenty of other guys that I'm getting tired of.Also, the Nationals have banned The Wave.
174
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 08:59:16 pm »That is beating the odds. She is blessed.One of the very rare cases where they found it in stage 1A, almost by accident. Treatment has been hell on earth, and there is a higher risk of relapse, but it’s a miracle she’s made it this far.
175
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 08:52:37 pm »SU2C: Ian and Ann WardMy aunt just received her last chemo treatment and is going to beat the odds against pancreatic cancer.
176
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 08:48:42 pm »
Couldn’t have asked for more from Urquidy. He was nails.
177
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 08:46:27 pm »
Where was that 1-0 pitch, blue?
178
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 08:14:30 pm »
Chirinos!
179
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 08:07:47 pm »
Wow, Correa
180
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 4, October 26, 2019
« on: October 26, 2019, 07:46:30 pm »
Urquidy is dealing.
181
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 11:17:26 pm »
Urquidy will pitch in the game of his life tomorrow.
182
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 11:14:38 pm »
Cole will pitch again.
183
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 11:10:36 pm »Hadn't heard.
Did you hear that in a year he'll be 22?
184
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 11:08:49 pm »
These guys are pissants.
185
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 11:06:50 pm »
Whew
186
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 11:04:11 pm »
If they retire the first three batters they don't have to face Soto.
187
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 10:47:36 pm »
They've mostly used Pressly as the get-out-of-jams guy.
188
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 10:43:38 pm »The top of the eighth was underwhelming.
Singed Ross's uniform, at least?
189
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 10:35:34 pm »
Harris has been fucking nails.
190
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 10:13:37 pm »
Harris is banging the banger tonight.
191
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 10:05:32 pm »
Here comes that vomit taste again.
192
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 09:47:03 pm »
Should be bases loaded.
193
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 09:44:12 pm »
"Jose" chant in DC. Niiiice.
194
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 09:39:50 pm »
Defensive miscues are nice when it's the other team doing it.
195
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 09:37:54 pm »
I want a Springer dinger. I need a Springer dinger.
196
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 08:49:10 pm »
A triple? Really?
197
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 08:24:24 pm »198
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 08:09:31 pm »Damn Correa..what the fuck are you waiting for?
On 3-1 no less.
199
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 08:02:01 pm »
Did someone eat a spider?
200
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 07:55:09 pm »They are just sitting on Greinke's curve ball knowing he can't throw a fastball by them.
Well, if they can just keep taking the fastball for strike three every time...
201
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 07:41:18 pm »Low in the strike zone not being called.
Sent from my GM1915 using Tapatalk
That was the highest one I've seen yet.
202
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 07:35:32 pm »
Nice, Reddick comes through.
203
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 07:29:18 pm »
Hey, we're tied in RISP LOB!
204
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 07:23:49 pm »
Well, that would've been really bad.
205
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 07:15:07 pm »Well, Springer's was a lucky break
Sure, but it feels like every last hard hit ball in this series has been within the range of a defender.
206
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 3, October 25, 2019
« on: October 25, 2019, 07:12:57 pm »
You've gotta be fucking kidding me. What do we have to do for those to start falling in?
207
Talk Zone / Re: Latest Controversy
« on: October 25, 2019, 05:06:21 pm »I have no doubt there are parts of the article that are factually accurate. It was also written by Evan Drellich.Passan’s latest column strikes a lot of the same chords. Or do we hate him now too?
208
Talk Zone / Re: Latest Controversy
« on: October 25, 2019, 02:07:12 pm »
More from the Athletic, with quotes from current and former (anonymous) Astros employees.
Taubman saga exposes longstanding questions about the Astros’ culture under Jim Crane and Jeff Luhnow
Makes you wonder if people like Sig Mejdal left for Baltimore for this reason.
Taubman saga exposes longstanding questions about the Astros’ culture under Jim Crane and Jeff Luhnow
Quote
One ex-Astros baseball operations employee said this week that when they left for another team, they did so specifically because of the culture of the front office. They’re not alone, though an exact number is unclear. The Osuna acquisition was eye-opening for many.
Makes you wonder if people like Sig Mejdal left for Baltimore for this reason.
209
Talk Zone / Re: Latest Controversy
« on: October 24, 2019, 08:21:12 pm »
Luhnow didn’t look so good at his PC.
https://twitter.com/thehazelmae/status/1187505844591697920?s=21
And: https://twitter.com/chandler_rome/status/1187510010328293377?s=21
Quote
Astros GM Jeff Luhnow was asked whether he had personally reached out to @stephapstein to apologize.
Luhnow said he’s been busy and hasn’t had the time.
Stephanie was sitting in the room.
https://twitter.com/thehazelmae/status/1187505844591697920?s=21
And: https://twitter.com/chandler_rome/status/1187510010328293377?s=21
210
Talk Zone / Re: WS 2019
« on: October 24, 2019, 09:30:00 am »Ok, so Soto has some irritating gloss to his game, but is that any different to Bregman’s posing and staring?
It's not. Guys like Bregman and Soto are good for the game IMO.
Truthfully, I'm more annoyed that the Astros have started doing that light show for home runs that the Rangers and Yankees do. Cool when your team has/gets the lead, I guess, but fucking ridiculous when you're down by 10 in the 9th.
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Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: October 24, 2019, 08:30:40 am »Getting arrested to own the libs!
And all that just one day after Trump called these sad sacks to the WH and told them to get tougher.
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Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: October 24, 2019, 07:33:30 am »(3) order pizza. I’m not kidding.So, about that... a Fox News reporter is saying on Twitter that some of the Republicans were hoping to - even ASKING to - get arrested so that they could use it for propaganda.
I’ve seen reports on Twitter that the Sergeant at Arms has been called. We’ve all seen protestors - even handicapped ones - being dragged from hearings. How the fuck that hasn’t happened here is a travesty. It’s a felony to use a cell phone in a SCIF and these dumb fucks are tweeting and ordering pizza.
https://twitter.com/chadpergram/status/1187173332682182656?s=21
Better move to wait them out.
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Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 2, October 23, 2019
« on: October 23, 2019, 10:29:38 pm »
Aight, I’m out.
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Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 2, October 23, 2019
« on: October 23, 2019, 10:27:51 pm »
Sigh.
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Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 2, October 23, 2019
« on: October 23, 2019, 10:20:11 pm »They are not hitting with RISP.Yeah, we’ve seen this coming since the trip to Tampa.
They haven't done it all postseason.
They're just playing tnr best team they've faced. It ain't the stage.
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Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 2, October 23, 2019
« on: October 23, 2019, 10:14:09 pm »It bounced away because Pressly fucking threw it in the dirt in front of the plate. How is that Maldonado's fault?Just watched again and you’re right. Looked worse for Maldonado when I saw it live.
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Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 2, October 23, 2019
« on: October 23, 2019, 10:08:57 pm »How so?Ball bounced away, runners moved up, both scored on Bregman’s throw to first.
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Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 2, October 23, 2019
« on: October 23, 2019, 10:06:14 pm »
Bregman...................
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Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 2, October 23, 2019
« on: October 23, 2019, 10:04:28 pm »the only thing missing from this inning is a HR, right?This inning has been so long you forgot that it started with a HR.
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Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 2, October 23, 2019
« on: October 23, 2019, 10:03:55 pm »
Now Machete is losing it behind the plate again.
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Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 2, October 23, 2019
« on: October 23, 2019, 10:01:49 pm »That's no fucking hit.Scorer being awfully charitable to Bregman.
222
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 2, October 23, 2019
« on: October 23, 2019, 09:59:46 pm »
Dammit Bregman
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Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series, Game 2, October 23, 2019
« on: October 23, 2019, 09:51:50 pm »JV struck out Robles on the 2-2 pitch, but the umpire didn’t notice.That pitch hasn’t been called much all night.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Talk Zone / Re: WS 2019
« on: October 23, 2019, 06:10:37 pm »That was a foregone conclusion, no?
Maybe after last night, but I had seen a lot of prior discussion that it would be Corbin in G3, Sanchez in G4.
225
Talk Zone / Re: WS 2019
« on: October 23, 2019, 05:27:59 pm »
Sanchez has been named the Game 3 starter opposite Greinke.
226
Talk Zone / Re: Latest Controversy
« on: October 23, 2019, 05:27:07 pm »Assuming Taubman was targeting Footer -- which certainly appears to be the case -- and given that she works for MLB.com / MLB Advanced Media, L.P. (a partnership of the team owners), I wonder if that dynamic is affecting the front office's public statements. MLB says they are launching an internal investigation, but the articles I've seen suggest that inquiry will focus on potential violations of the team/media relations provisions in the CBA. But Footer is something other than a "media member". She's an MLB employee. So, this "internal investigation" may actually be a MLB human resources investigation.Good points.
So, Taubman's little stunt, on top of being disgraceful, also puts MLB in the cross-hairs of a potential workplace harassment suit. I suspect that both MLB and team lawyers have told the FO to stop short of any statement that might constitute an admission of liability.
(this, of course, would have little to do with that initial abomination of a press release that attacked the SI article)
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Talk Zone / Re: Latest Controversy
« on: October 23, 2019, 03:41:37 pm »Indeed, going into an interview not being better prepared for entirely expected questions suggests a lack of understanding of the gravity of the situation.
Or it suggests that he (Luhnow) and/or Crane simply don't care. I'm unfortunately beginning to think that, given that they are still pretending that their bullshit statement about SI never happened.
228
Talk Zone / Re: Latest Controversy
« on: October 23, 2019, 12:00:48 pm »Seems quite clear he has a serious hard-on for Taubman.
I guess it's time to face the fact that Taubman and the PR folks will keep their jobs.
229
Talk Zone / Re: WS 2019
« on: October 23, 2019, 08:21:53 am »Bregman was a total mess too. He acknowledged as much postgame. He's gotta fix it. And yes, I know it's just that easy.
The 2-1 take on a pitch postmarked for the Crawford Boxes was inexcusable.
230
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series Game 1; October 22, 2019
« on: October 22, 2019, 10:52:19 pm »
That 2-1 take is unbelievable.
231
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series Game 1; October 22, 2019
« on: October 22, 2019, 10:47:39 pm »
Let’s go bats
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Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series Game 1; October 22, 2019
« on: October 22, 2019, 10:11:40 pm »
God dammit.
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Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series Game 1; October 22, 2019
« on: October 22, 2019, 09:59:39 pm »Did they really do those stupid sparkle Vegas lights on the HR by Springer? Goodness.Yep.
Hope we see a lot of ‘em.
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Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series Game 1; October 22, 2019
« on: October 22, 2019, 09:57:12 pm »
Springier broke the MMP lights.
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Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series Game 1; October 22, 2019
« on: October 22, 2019, 09:42:53 pm »Huh? Diaz was used because Corbin is tough on lefties.Why not both?
236
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series Game 1; October 22, 2019
« on: October 22, 2019, 09:25:13 pm »
Also, that missed catcher’s interference cost at least a run. Springer would’ve walked to load the bases, Altuve’s groundout would have scored a run, and it’d be 2nd and 3rd 2 outs for Brantley.
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Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series Game 1; October 22, 2019
« on: October 22, 2019, 09:14:21 pm »Not even close. They're facing one of the top 5 pitchers in baseball. He's controlled his damage. Cole has not.And Cole is facing a top 6 run scoring offense. It goes both ways.
238
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series Game 1; October 22, 2019
« on: October 22, 2019, 09:11:15 pm »And Cole shits the bed.Not as much as the lineup has so far.
239
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 World Series Game 1; October 22, 2019
« on: October 22, 2019, 08:32:52 pm »
That’s one of the longest train track homers I’ve seen, and it was oppo taco. Wow.
240
Talk Zone / Re: Latest Controversy
« on: October 22, 2019, 06:38:11 pm »now finally I guess they have also kinda sorta "apologized"
The Astros haven't apologized in any sort of official capacity. Not to (apparently) Footer, not to SI, not to anyone. So we are left to wonder which is true: either they truly think they don't have anything to apologize for, or they don't know how to apologize. We are also left to wonder which is worse.
241
Talk Zone / Re: Latest Controversy
« on: October 22, 2019, 05:19:00 pm »
It doesn’t matter who is on the other side. I’m going to pick Fuckhouse’s side any day of the week.
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Talk Zone / Re: Latest Controversy
« on: October 22, 2019, 03:51:43 pm »It is truly amazing that people so smart can be so stupid.
Between coworkers and friends, I personally know probably 40-50 people that have PhDs. Roughly 80% of them are intelligent, thoughtful, enlightened people. The remaining 20% are among the dumbest motherfuckers I've ever met. I'm not talking about generally smart people who, for example, just lack social skills, or lack knowledge in certain subject areas fairly important to modern society (e.g. technology), or view the world in a fundamentally different (and perhaps flawed) way than I do. I'm talking about Upper-Class Twit of the Year contenders for whom it's a miracle to get dressed every morning without injuring themselves.
243
Talk Zone / Re: Latest Controversy
« on: October 22, 2019, 02:18:56 pm »
Also, "those that know me know I am a progressive" sure sounds a lot like "I'm not racist, I have black friends".
Doubt there will be any more statements though.
Doubt there will be any more statements though.
244
Talk Zone / Re: Latest Controversy
« on: October 22, 2019, 01:57:24 pm »
Doesn't address the shitburger of a statement last night, but it's probably enough to put the issue to bed.
Let's play some fucking baseball.
Let's play some fucking baseball.
245
Talk Zone / Re: Latest Controversy
« on: October 22, 2019, 10:55:46 am »What the fucking fuck, Waldo. Reading comprehension much? I said Reid Ryan ALSO, not instead. The press release is in Ryan’s umbrella, and he needs to be involved ALSO. along with Luhnow and Crane. Having Ryan involved is hardly “walking it back.”
Relax, Jim, I wasn't trying to correct or challenge what you said. I know you said "also". I was just trying to reinforce the point that anything the org does from here on out must involve all three of Crane, Luhnow, and Ryan.
246
Talk Zone / Re: Latest Controversy
« on: October 22, 2019, 10:48:10 am »Reid Ryan is President of the Astros on the operations side including PR and media. He must be involved also.
I think he's just saying that Crane and Luhnow are more recognizable faces of the organization. Also, Taubman reports to Luhnow and everyone reports to Crane. Reid Ryan should absolutely be involved from here on out, but any attempts to walk this back will ring a bit hollow without Crane and Luhnow out there also.
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Talk Zone / Re: Latest Controversy
« on: October 22, 2019, 09:10:07 am »Not saying the reporter is NY, but much of the media was very pro-NYY. That was discussed here loudly and often.
Reporters from the Chron have corroborated the story.
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Talk Zone / Re: Latest Controversy
« on: October 22, 2019, 09:08:01 am »Massive difference. Do not let a perpetrator have any more head start on abusing the next person than you possibly can. We teach immediate reporting for that very real issue.
Fair enough, but that does nothing to hurt her credibility, nor does it validate the Astros' statement.
249
Talk Zone / Re: Latest Controversy
« on: October 22, 2019, 08:57:59 am »That's not the same as going straight to Luhnow or Crane that night and reporting the event. Then writing the story. If she wrote first then asked for comment that's not the same.
A distinction without a difference, IMO. And even if it did matter, that in no way excuses the Astros' statement.
250
Talk Zone / Re: Latest Controversy
« on: October 22, 2019, 08:51:09 am »It looks like (1) the Astros got the facts wrong in the press release; (2) Traubman was being an ass at work and embarrassed the organization; and (3) the Stros could have diffused the situation with a simple you-misunderstood-the-motives-but-we-are-so-sorry-our-behavior-was-inexcusable, which was really the only thing appropriate. If Traubman and the Astros intended to defend Osuna they've accomplished exactly the opposite. Osuna and the Astros will never be able to walk away from the domestic violence storyline now.
The part I can't get over is that Stephanie Apstein approached the Astros for comment before posting the article and they declined comment. Not "We'll look into it", not "We're already looking into it", not your completely palatable #3 comment, not even some meaningless PR bullshit that wouldn't have stirred the pot - just a straight up "No comment". And then they release that statement after the article goes live? What the fuck are they thinking?
251
Talk Zone / Re: Latest Controversy
« on: October 22, 2019, 08:20:28 am »It could be mentioned that at least 3 of the reporters involved are from New York, including Hunter Atkins of the chronicle.The NY angle is a nothing burger. None of the reporters who have corroborated the story were on the Yankees beat, and many national writers are based in NY. Looking too hard for an anti-Astros bias.
252
Talk Zone / Re: Latest Controversy
« on: October 22, 2019, 08:10:35 am »If I were Crane or Ryan I would fire Taubman this morning for not being able to control himself and creating an unneeded distraction.
I have prepared myself for the possibility that Ryan, and possibly even Crane, signed off on the Astros’ statement. I hope that’s not the case though.
253
Talk Zone / Re: Rotation Games 4.5.6.7
« on: October 20, 2019, 06:47:53 pm »Peacock really stepped up.
He didn't go home after getting back from NY. Slept in the nap room in the stadium.
First pitcher in something like 100 years to end one postseason game and start the next.
Yes it would have been great to get 2 IP/0 R, but no complaints on his performance.
(also had his father on his mind: dsd had bypsss surgery earlier in the week)
It may have already been mentioned here, but last night's game was started (Peacock) and ended (Altuve) by the only two players left from the 111-loss 2013 team.
254
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: October 18, 2019, 08:44:36 am »Today started with news that Turkey didn’t even bother pretending to adhere to the bullshit moratorium, and has been shelling the Kurds.
Including, reportedly, with napalm and white phosphorus.
255
Talk Zone / Re: Weather report for Game 4
« on: October 16, 2019, 02:41:32 pm »Please, MLB, for fuck's sake, sell rights to broadcast your playoff games to a network that isn't run by 3 gibbons in a trenchcoat.
Not until 2029, they won't. The article also mentions Fox is getting more postseason games starting in 2022, presumably replacing, in part or whole, TBS and ESPN whose current contracts expire in 2021.
256
Talk Zone / Re: Rotation Games 4.5.6.7
« on: October 16, 2019, 02:26:21 pm »The difference being the length of the series. In the LDS, you pitch Verlander in game 4 because there are only 2 games left and Cole has game 5. Here, if you are not facing elimination in game 6 then you aren't risking going down without getting 2 games from your top 2. The fact that Verlander struggled with command on short rest only furthers the argument against it.
I don't even know that throwing Cole on short rest is an automatic decision even if the Astros leave NY down 3-2. Best I can tell, Cole has never pitched on short rest so you have no real expectation of what he's going to give you. And today's rainout will put a lot of stress on the Yankees bullpen if Tanaka and Paxton don't go deep into their games. Depending on the finer details of games 4-5 I might be content letting game 6 be bullpen vs. bullpen anyway.
Of course, we all hope there is no game 6.
257
Talk Zone / Re: Skaggs autopsy
« on: October 12, 2019, 05:11:01 pm »
https://www.espn.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/27828247/los-angeles-angels-employee-details-team-knowledge-tyler-skaggs-drug-use-federal-dea-investigators-espn
This may be becoming a big deal. The Angels’ director of communications supplied Skaggs with the drugs and told the DEA that five other Angels players use. Also said that the team’s former VP - who is now the president of the HOF - knew about Skaggs’s drug use.
This may be becoming a big deal. The Angels’ director of communications supplied Skaggs with the drugs and told the DEA that five other Angels players use. Also said that the team’s former VP - who is now the president of the HOF - knew about Skaggs’s drug use.
258
Talk Zone / Re: Postseason schedule / info compilation
« on: October 11, 2019, 08:53:00 pm »
Umpires, games 1-3 starters, and games 1-7 start times have been updated.
259
Talk Zone / Re: Tipping pitches
« on: October 11, 2019, 07:41:51 am »
Didn't Tommy Boggs used to run some sort of baseball training facility in Austin? As a kid I always used to wonder if he was related to Wade Boggs.
Looks like he's coaching at Concordia now.
Looks like he's coaching at Concordia now.
260
Yeah, I feel like the IBB to Soto to load the bases with no outs in a tie game was a worse call than throwing Kershaw. Yeah, it's Soto, and yeah, it makes a force play possible anywhere. But it also puts all of the runners - notably, the runner on third - in motion on any ground ball, and that run likely scores on a grounder of any reasonable depth. I would have preferred to take my chances with first base open, make the runner have to think about whether he'll break for home or not, and either hold him or cut him down at the plate.
With one out, or with a different score, the IBB would make a lot more sense to me.
With one out, or with a different score, the IBB would make a lot more sense to me.
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Indeed.
Worth watching to the end of the game.....
(Added later) Prime example for not using IBB, esp to load the bases.....
Definitely a riskier move with no outs vs. 1 out.
267
Talk Zone / Re: JV on short rest
« on: October 08, 2019, 11:24:35 am »What bothers me more than JV going today is the talk about the rotation for the ALCS. Win today.
I get it. My only point is that the JV move gives the Astros the luxury of satisfying the immediate need - "win today" - with no strings attached, e.g. the Nationals only getting to start Scherzer once in the NLDS.
268
Talk Zone / Re: JV on short rest
« on: October 08, 2019, 10:42:01 am »
There really is no downside to the move. Verlander would still be available for either game 1 (on short rest) or game 2 (on normal rest) of a potential ALCS, and it gives you the best chance to avoid an ALDS game 5 that would cause you to lose Cole for ALCS games 1-2 anyway.
269
Talk Zone / Re: Postseason schedule / info compilation
« on: October 07, 2019, 04:12:48 pm »
Game 4 starters updated: Verlander vs. Diego Castillo and all his bullpen friends
270
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 3...Octobrr 7, 2019
« on: October 07, 2019, 02:30:56 pm »
Here we go. 8-3
271
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 3...Octobrr 7, 2019
« on: October 07, 2019, 02:28:16 pm »
2nd and 3rd, no outs. Let's start chipping away at this shit.
272
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 3...Octobrr 7, 2019
« on: October 07, 2019, 02:17:39 pm »Carlos! He's not giving up!
Sent from my GM1915 using Tapatalk
He's flashed some serious leather this series.
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Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 3...Octobrr 7, 2019
« on: October 07, 2019, 02:08:09 pm »I know splits and all that, but why not let Rondon face more than one batter? His velocity after 3.2 innings of Grienke has got to look like a missile.
Leaving something in the tank for game 4?
274
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 3...Octobrr 7, 2019
« on: October 07, 2019, 01:58:27 pm »
I mean, it's only the 4th inning, the game's not over yet, but.......
275
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 3...Octobrr 7, 2019
« on: October 07, 2019, 01:38:27 pm »
And now my notifications are ahead again. Shit.
276
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 3...Octobrr 7, 2019
« on: October 07, 2019, 01:31:39 pm »
Correa hits a 400ft foul ball, then strikes out.
277
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 3...Octobrr 7, 2019
« on: October 07, 2019, 01:29:47 pm »
Well, just like the first two games, our guys haven't had any trouble getting on base. Just need to do a better job breaking through.
278
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 3...Octobrr 7, 2019
« on: October 07, 2019, 01:24:48 pm »
Gonna need some better offense today. From the Astros, that is.
279
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 3...Octobrr 7, 2019
« on: October 07, 2019, 01:14:57 pm »
Don't like that strike three call, but Alvarez has to protect the zone better.
280
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 3...Octobrr 7, 2019
« on: October 07, 2019, 01:09:42 pm »
My MLB app scoring notifications were ahead of Altuve's HR, so as Kiermaier's ball sailed to right center I sat back smugly. Then it cleared the fence. Then the notification came in. Assholes.
281
Talk Zone / Re: The bullpen
« on: October 07, 2019, 01:00:37 pm »
Well, I got on a call at 11am that lasted until 10 minutes ago and I didn't even properly give myself time to get nervous.
282
Talk Zone / Re: The bullpen
« on: October 07, 2019, 09:57:05 am »FUCK! where are my heart pills?
I just got an Apple Watch about a week ago, so now I have empirical data on just how much postseason baseball stresses me out. Some heart rate measurements from Saturday night:
8-9pm: 96-112bpm
9-10pm: 108-118bpm
10-11pm: 112-130bpm
11pm-12am: 115-151bpm
When they won the World Series in 2017 I decided that I wouldn't let myself get so nervous during October games anymore. I think I've failed.
283
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: October 07, 2019, 09:11:23 am »
Couple of quick hits this morning:
- Trump has ordered the withdraw of US forces from Syria because hey, mission accomplished against ISIS, apparently. Brett McGurk, Trump's former special envoy for defeating ISIS, is pissed. Nikki Haley, Trump's former UN ambassador, is pissed. Even Lindsey Graham sounds pissed, although he throws in enough qualifiers to leave open the option to walk it back later.
- Federal judge orders Trump to turn over eight years of tax returns.
Trump's Twitter account should be popcorn material today.
- Trump has ordered the withdraw of US forces from Syria because hey, mission accomplished against ISIS, apparently. Brett McGurk, Trump's former special envoy for defeating ISIS, is pissed. Nikki Haley, Trump's former UN ambassador, is pissed. Even Lindsey Graham sounds pissed, although he throws in enough qualifiers to leave open the option to walk it back later.
- Federal judge orders Trump to turn over eight years of tax returns.
Trump's Twitter account should be popcorn material today.
284
Talk Zone / Re: Postseason schedule / info compilation
« on: October 07, 2019, 08:29:20 am »and that 's where it gets me.
Your best bet is to use Comcast's/Xfinity's own streaming app and hope it streams MLB Network.
Failing that, you could try https://www.reddit.com/r/MLBStreams/ for a bootleg stream.
285
Talk Zone / Re: Postseason schedule / info compilation
« on: October 07, 2019, 08:25:36 am »Game 4* is at 3:15 on a Tuesday and game 5* is WHADDAYA KNOW?! 7:40 on a Thursday.
Those start times are still up in the air. Depends on how long the Twins-Yankees series goes.
*Game 4 on Tuesday 10/8: 3:15pm CDT if MIN wins today; 7:07pm CDT if NYY wins today
*Game 5 on Thursday 10/10: 7:37pm CDT if MIN wins today and tomorrow; 6:07pm CDT if NYY wins today or tomorrow
286
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 1...Octobrr 4, 2019
« on: October 04, 2019, 04:03:13 pm »People that are not watching and just getting pbp here, please note that Hudson is not exaggerating on the 'takes meatball down the middle for strikes one two and three' business. It is truly as bad as you're imagining it might be.
They weren't all belt-high or anything, but they were still fat.
287
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 1...Octobrr 4, 2019
« on: October 04, 2019, 03:55:33 pm »
Correa is completely lost.
288
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 1...Octobrr 4, 2019
« on: October 04, 2019, 03:20:50 pm »Amen.
2 big dp's turned by the good guys today.
Plus the dig on Bregman's spin move.
289
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 1...Octobrr 4, 2019
« on: October 04, 2019, 03:18:35 pm »
Gurriel has made some great picks at 1B today.
290
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 1...Octobrr 4, 2019
« on: October 04, 2019, 03:09:06 pm »
Up 4-0 after some of the worst ABs of the season. Hard to complain.
291
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 1...Octobrr 4, 2019
« on: October 04, 2019, 03:05:58 pm »So is Dr Evil, they will let just about anyone be a scientist.
Hey, Dr. Evil would have you know that he went to four years of evil medical school.
292
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 1...Octobrr 4, 2019
« on: October 04, 2019, 03:04:39 pm »
Wow.
293
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 1...Octobrr 4, 2019
« on: October 04, 2019, 03:02:34 pm »Maybe. He had to be sweating pretty good too. Could have just been that.
True. But he wiped at one eye, then his nose, then both eyes - not any other part of his face.
294
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 1...Octobrr 4, 2019
« on: October 04, 2019, 02:59:42 pm »Yordan is a black hole right now.
That's racist
295
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 1...Octobrr 4, 2019
« on: October 04, 2019, 02:57:35 pm »Is Glasnow crying?
Sure looked like it.
296
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 1...Octobrr 4, 2019
« on: October 04, 2019, 02:49:13 pm »
ALTUVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
297
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 1...Octobrr 4, 2019
« on: October 04, 2019, 02:47:14 pm »
What the fuck, George?
298
Game Zone 2019 / Re: 2019 American League Division Series, Game 1...Octobrr 4, 2019
« on: October 04, 2019, 02:44:52 pm »
The leadoff hitter is on!
299
The fucker who is not to be named is the bench coach for the Braves?? Go Shitbirds!!
Man, when I heard his name on the TV I started grumbling incoherently. When my family showed some concern I had to verbally relive the 1999 NLDS to explain my hatred for a man I've never met.
300
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: October 03, 2019, 09:46:13 am »
On the WH lawn this morning, Trump invited China to investigate the Bidens.
He's trying to normalize it.
He's trying to normalize it.
301
Talk Zone / Re: Postseason schedule / info compilation
« on: October 03, 2019, 08:30:11 am »
Updated with ALDS games 1-3 pitching matchups.
302
Talk Zone / Re: Greinke
« on: October 02, 2019, 10:25:15 am »Crane is apparently a bottom line guy,
Big fan of Crane's approach there. Offer perspective by boiling the situation down to its essence, but don't editorialize and leave the decision to the baseball people. Drayton no doubt would have tried to influence the decision.
Also love that Crane worked out the financial aspect with AZ's owner before the deal was done to save time later. Not sure if that's a common practice or not.
303
Talk Zone / Re: Postseason schedule / info compilation
« on: October 01, 2019, 01:30:17 pm »
Discerning viewers will notice that everything past ALDS game 3 is marked "if necessary".
304
Talk Zone / Postseason schedule / info compilation
« on: October 01, 2019, 09:57:19 am »
World Series - Astros vs. Nationals
TV: FOX
Umpires: Gary Cederstrom (chief), Sam Holbrook, Lance Barksdale, Doug Eddings, James Hoye, Alan Porter, Jim Wolf
Game 1: Tuesday, October 22, 7:08pm CDT @ HOU
Starters: Gerrit Cole vs. Max Scherzer
Game 2: Wednesday, October 23, 7:07pm CDT @ HOU
Starters: Justin Verlander vs. Stephen Strasburg
Game 3: Friday, October 25, 7:07pm CDT @ WAS
Starters: Zack Greinke vs. Anibal Sanchez
Game 4: Saturday, October 26, 7:07pm CDT @ WAS
Starters: Jose Urquidy vs. Patrick Corbin
Game 5: Sunday, October 27, 7:07pm CDT @ WAS
Starters: Gerrit Cole vs.Max Scherzer Joe Ross
Game 6: Tuesday, October 29, 7:07pm CDT @ HOU
Starters: Justin Verlander vs. Stephen Strasburg
Game 7: Wednesday, October 30, 7:08pm CDT @ HOU
Starters: Zack Greinke vs. Max Scherzer
ALCS - Astros vs. Yankees
TV: FOX or FS1 (Joe Buck, John Smoltz, Ken Rosenthal, Tom Verducci)
Umpires: Jeff Nelson (chief), Bill Welke, Cory Blaser, Dan Bellino, Kerwin Danley, Mark Carlson, Marvin Hudson
Game 1: Saturday, October 12, 7:07pm CDT @ HOU
Starters: Zack Greinke vs. Masahiro Tanaka
TV: FOX
Game 2: Sunday, October 13, 7:07pm CDT @ HOU
Starters: Justin Verlander vs. James Paxton
TV: FS1
Game 3: Tuesday, October 15, 3:08pm CDT @ NYY
Starters: Gerrit Cole vs. Luis Severino
TV: FS1
Game 4: Thursday, October 17, 7:08pm CDT @ NYY
Starters: Zack Greinke vs. Masahiro Tanaka
TV: FS1
Game 5: Friday, October 18, 6:08pm CDT @ NYY
Starters: Justin Verlander vs. James Paxton
TV: FS1
Game 6: Saturday, October 19, 7:08pm CDT @ HOU
Starters: Brad Peacock vs. Chad Green
TV: FS1
*Game 7: Sunday, October 20, 6:38pm CDT @ HOU
TV: FS1
ALDS - Astros vs. Rays
Game 1: Friday, October 4, 1:05pm CDT @ HOU
Starters: Justin Verlander (21-6, 2.58) vs. Tyler Glasnow (6-1, 1.78)
TV: FS1 (Kenny Albert, Joe Girardi, AJ Pierzynski, Jon Paul Morosi)
Game 2: Saturday, October 5, 8:07pm CDT @ HOU
Starters: Gerrit Cole (20-5, 2.50) vs. Blake Snell (6-8, 4.29)
TV: FS1 (Kenny Albert, Joe Girardi, AJ Pierzynski, Jon Paul Morosi)
Game 3: Monday, October 7, 12:05pm CDT @ TB
Starters: Zack Greinke (18-5, 2.93) vs. Charlie Morton (16-6, 3.05)
TV: MLB Network (Bob Costas, Joe Girardi, Jim Kaat, Jon Paul Morosi)
Game 4: Tuesday, October 8, 6:07pm CDT @ TB
Starters: Justin Verlander vs. Diego Castillo
TV: FS1 (Kenny Albert, Joe Girardi, AJ Pierzynski, Jon Paul Morosi)
Game 5: Thursday, October 10, 6:07pm CDT @ HOU
Starters: Gerrit Cole vs. Tyler Glasnow
TV: FS1 (Kenny Albert, Joe Girardi, AJ Pierzynski, Jon Paul Morosi)
Umpires: Mark Wegner (chief), Bruce Dreckman, James Hoye, Jerry Meals, D.J. Reyburn, John Tumpane
* - if necessary
TV: FOX
Umpires: Gary Cederstrom (chief), Sam Holbrook, Lance Barksdale, Doug Eddings, James Hoye, Alan Porter, Jim Wolf
Game 1: Tuesday, October 22, 7:08pm CDT @ HOU
Starters: Gerrit Cole vs. Max Scherzer
Game 2: Wednesday, October 23, 7:07pm CDT @ HOU
Starters: Justin Verlander vs. Stephen Strasburg
Game 3: Friday, October 25, 7:07pm CDT @ WAS
Starters: Zack Greinke vs. Anibal Sanchez
Game 4: Saturday, October 26, 7:07pm CDT @ WAS
Starters: Jose Urquidy vs. Patrick Corbin
Game 5: Sunday, October 27, 7:07pm CDT @ WAS
Starters: Gerrit Cole vs.
Game 6: Tuesday, October 29, 7:07pm CDT @ HOU
Starters: Justin Verlander vs. Stephen Strasburg
Game 7: Wednesday, October 30, 7:08pm CDT @ HOU
Starters: Zack Greinke vs. Max Scherzer
ALCS - Astros vs. Yankees
TV: FOX or FS1 (Joe Buck, John Smoltz, Ken Rosenthal, Tom Verducci)
Umpires: Jeff Nelson (chief), Bill Welke, Cory Blaser, Dan Bellino, Kerwin Danley, Mark Carlson, Marvin Hudson
Game 1: Saturday, October 12, 7:07pm CDT @ HOU
Starters: Zack Greinke vs. Masahiro Tanaka
TV: FOX
Game 2: Sunday, October 13, 7:07pm CDT @ HOU
Starters: Justin Verlander vs. James Paxton
TV: FS1
Game 3: Tuesday, October 15, 3:08pm CDT @ NYY
Starters: Gerrit Cole vs. Luis Severino
TV: FS1
Game 4: Thursday, October 17, 7:08pm CDT @ NYY
Starters: Zack Greinke vs. Masahiro Tanaka
TV: FS1
Game 5: Friday, October 18, 6:08pm CDT @ NYY
Starters: Justin Verlander vs. James Paxton
TV: FS1
Game 6: Saturday, October 19, 7:08pm CDT @ HOU
Starters: Brad Peacock vs. Chad Green
TV: FS1
*Game 7: Sunday, October 20, 6:38pm CDT @ HOU
TV: FS1
ALDS - Astros vs. Rays
Game 1: Friday, October 4, 1:05pm CDT @ HOU
Starters: Justin Verlander (21-6, 2.58) vs. Tyler Glasnow (6-1, 1.78)
TV: FS1 (Kenny Albert, Joe Girardi, AJ Pierzynski, Jon Paul Morosi)
Game 2: Saturday, October 5, 8:07pm CDT @ HOU
Starters: Gerrit Cole (20-5, 2.50) vs. Blake Snell (6-8, 4.29)
TV: FS1 (Kenny Albert, Joe Girardi, AJ Pierzynski, Jon Paul Morosi)
Game 3: Monday, October 7, 12:05pm CDT @ TB
Starters: Zack Greinke (18-5, 2.93) vs. Charlie Morton (16-6, 3.05)
TV: MLB Network (Bob Costas, Joe Girardi, Jim Kaat, Jon Paul Morosi)
Game 4: Tuesday, October 8, 6:07pm CDT @ TB
Starters: Justin Verlander vs. Diego Castillo
TV: FS1 (Kenny Albert, Joe Girardi, AJ Pierzynski, Jon Paul Morosi)
Game 5: Thursday, October 10, 6:07pm CDT @ HOU
Starters: Gerrit Cole vs. Tyler Glasnow
TV: FS1 (Kenny Albert, Joe Girardi, AJ Pierzynski, Jon Paul Morosi)
Umpires: Mark Wegner (chief), Bruce Dreckman, James Hoye, Jerry Meals, D.J. Reyburn, John Tumpane
* - if necessary
305
I know it is an annual tradition to bitch about the start times of games, but this is fucking ridiculous. There are only two games on Saturday, there's no need to have one starting after 8:00. Most elementary school age kids will only be able to watch just a few innings of the first two games of the series at most.
They manufactured their own problem by putting both Saturday games back-to-back on FS1. And when Yankees/Twins inevitably runs long, I'm sure they'll delay switching over to our game.
307
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: September 30, 2019, 05:18:14 pm »It's amazing to me that now--months after the Mueller report was released and (right or wrongly) met with a collective shrug despite detailing multiple crimes--Trump and his folks are still working to undermine both the report and the underlying foundation for the investigation that Russia launched a cyber campaign to help Trump's campaign.
Are you kidding? We’re about due for yet another statement from yet another NOAA lackey that Alabama was absolutely at high risk of tropical storm damage.
308
Talk Zone / Re: Miley's Last Chance
« on: September 27, 2019, 11:54:13 pm »
Urquidy’s excellent start tonight certainly doesn’t make Hinch’s choice any easier. Or maybe it does.
309
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: September 26, 2019, 10:25:17 pm »Medicare runs at about a 3% overhead. Show me a for-profit insurance company that comes within 15 points of that!That is shockingly efficient for the gubmint. If I correctly interpreted the numbers I just looked up, the UK’s NHS is about 2.5%.
310
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: September 26, 2019, 10:19:32 pm »
One last thought on student loans...
I’m hoping that there starts to be less of a stigma associated with not going to a four-year university. People go even if they can’t afford it because they feel like they have to, so they go get a degree just to get a degree, can’t find a job with it, and have trouble paying their loans off. Or worse, they don’t finish their degree for whatever reason and are saddled with debt and nothing to show for it.
My son will be starting the college decision process in about six years, my daughter another three years after that. Who knows what tuition rates will be by then. I don’t want college to be the automatic choice for them if it’s not right (or not necessary) for the careers they want.
I’m hoping that there starts to be less of a stigma associated with not going to a four-year university. People go even if they can’t afford it because they feel like they have to, so they go get a degree just to get a degree, can’t find a job with it, and have trouble paying their loans off. Or worse, they don’t finish their degree for whatever reason and are saddled with debt and nothing to show for it.
My son will be starting the college decision process in about six years, my daughter another three years after that. Who knows what tuition rates will be by then. I don’t want college to be the automatic choice for them if it’s not right (or not necessary) for the careers they want.
311
Talk Zone / Re: Miley's Last Chance
« on: September 26, 2019, 01:46:48 pm »
Personally, I'm betting Miley makes the ALDS roster regardless of what happens tonight. You have to figure that even with his recent struggles his upside is much better than Urquidy's, and both of their downsides are probably roughly equivalent.
312
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: September 26, 2019, 01:42:19 pm »I have no idea, but found this as showing a great deal of the money is being used frivolously.
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1140908.pdf
To be fair, that study finds that only 23% of students surveyed used any student loan money for any non-educational stuff. It doesn't attempt to itemize which categories students spent their loan money on (about 1/3 of those categories are perfectly defensible), nor does it attempt to ascertain how much money students spent in each of those categories, from their loans or otherwise.
Besides, this doesn't have to be binary. It can be possible that 1) some students use loan money frivolously, and 2) tuition is too expensive.
313
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: September 26, 2019, 12:06:21 pm »I haven't been told any of that. Maybe I don't know any real Republicans if that's how real Republicans think.
You don't remember any of the "death panels" horseshit Republicans peddled during the 2008 campaign and Obama's first term?
314
Talk Zone / Re: Stretch run
« on: September 26, 2019, 12:36:32 am »Rays won, so the MN to have home field over the Yankers is 2. Over the Dojers, currently beating the Pads narrowly, it’s 3.
Astros win
Dodgers win (magic number 2)
Yankees lose (magic number 1)
Hinch is sitting a lot of guys tomorrow so we'll see what happens.
315
Game Zone 2019 / Re: Astros @ Mariners, September 25, 2019
« on: September 25, 2019, 11:44:06 pm »
104 wins!
316
Game Zone 2019 / Re: Astros @ Mariners, September 25, 2019
« on: September 25, 2019, 11:42:52 pm »
Harris gets Long. 2 outs.
317
Game Zone 2019 / Re: Astros @ Mariners, September 25, 2019
« on: September 25, 2019, 11:37:22 pm »
And just like that, the tying run is coming to the plate.
318
Game Zone 2019 / Re: Astros @ Mariners, September 25, 2019
« on: September 25, 2019, 11:35:54 pm »Gave it all he had. Just wasn’t hit very hard.
I'd like to see the Statcast report on how much ground he covered. That ball looked like it wouldn't land within 10 feet of anyone.
319
Game Zone 2019 / Re: Astros @ Mariners, September 25, 2019
« on: September 25, 2019, 11:32:49 pm »
Damnit.
Hard to believe Jake made it that close.
Hard to believe Jake made it that close.
320
Game Zone 2019 / Re: Astros @ Mariners, September 25, 2019
« on: September 25, 2019, 11:21:46 pm »
Tucker bomb!
321
Game Zone 2019 / Re: Astros @ Mariners, September 25, 2019
« on: September 25, 2019, 11:15:53 pm »
Greinke flashing some leather these last coupla innings.
322
Game Zone 2019 / Re: Astros @ Mariners, September 25, 2019
« on: September 25, 2019, 11:04:35 pm »
64mph swinging K's are a thing of beauty.
323
Talk Zone / Re: Postseason tickets
« on: September 25, 2019, 07:45:38 am »Was that the Glavine start? *shuddering*
Yep. And who can forget the Astros' game 2 starter, the one, the only... Dave Mlicki.
How far we've come.
324
Talk Zone / Re: Stretch run
« on: September 25, 2019, 06:37:44 am »Magic number for best record is 4.
4 for sole best record, 3 for home field advantage, against both the Yankees and Dodgers. The Astros’ win last night clinched them a better intradivision record than the Dodgers, so the Astros own the tiebreakers over both teams.
325
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: September 24, 2019, 04:25:33 pm »
The Senate apparently unanimously passed a resolution demanding that they see the whistleblower complaint. McConnell mentioned the need for "bipartisan oversight of intelligence matters". Is he finally seeing which way the wind is blowing?
326
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: September 24, 2019, 04:02:23 pm »
I should add the caveat that the Bolton speculation I saw was only on Twitter (so far), but some journalists there found it plausible.
327
Talk Zone / Re: Postseason tickets
« on: September 24, 2019, 08:51:14 am »Our seats were behind the plate (one row from the top),
We were up there on the top row for game 2 of the 2001 NLDS. Every fly ball felt like a homer or a pop up. In that game they were all pop ups.
329
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: September 24, 2019, 08:37:31 am »It’s now being reported that Trump ordered Acting Chief of Everything Mulvaney, days before calling Zelensky, to put the military aid to Ukraine on hold. The guns in this circular firing squad are all smoking.
There's also speculation that John Bolton is the whistleblower. Strange bedfellows, etc.
330
Talk Zone / Re: Stretch run
« on: September 23, 2019, 11:29:44 am »Is that the tiebreaker when there's no head to head?
Yes.
331
Talk Zone / Re: Stretch run
« on: September 23, 2019, 10:58:30 am »
The Astros now have a magic number of 1 to clinch a better intradivision record than the Dodgers: six game lead with six to play for both teams. Astros hold a 2-game lead over the Dodgers overall.
332
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: September 20, 2019, 09:45:49 am »Why not just call out all lunacy for what it is? No matter if it's your party of choice or in an upcoming election your candidate of choice. What she said was stupidly impossible. I'm not going to waste my time defending someone with the dumb.
The point is, we live in an age when every candidate - R or D, good or bad, smart or stupid - promises dumb shit. You have to run all of the dumb shit through a filter. (Unless you're Trump and you actually start doing all the dumb shit you said you would do.)
Limey's point about false equivalence is a good one.
333
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: September 19, 2019, 01:12:12 pm »Compared to saying you are just going to shut down one of the biggest growth industries in the U.S., drawing on a map with a sharpie is just "eccentric".
NEWS FLASH: POLITICAL CANDIDATE MAKES IMPOSSIBLE CAMPAIGN PROMISE
334
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: September 19, 2019, 01:11:07 pm »
I'm hoping Warren starts gaining ground. I hate picking a favorite candidate this far out from an election, but I'm finding myself rooting for Warren against Bernie and Biden.
335
Talk Zone / Re: Stretch run
« on: September 19, 2019, 10:59:20 am »The number for the Yankees is 8 assuming the tie breaker. 6 for the Dojers.
https://www.playoffmagic.com/mlb/
Whoops. Corrected.
336
Talk Zone / Re: Imelda
« on: September 19, 2019, 10:56:53 am »
Heard from my cousin in Beaumont (not sure which part) this morning. Their house is flooded, worse than they got with Harvey.
337
Talk Zone / Re: Stretch run
« on: September 19, 2019, 10:34:30 am »
Some magic number updates...
To clinch wild card game berth: clinched
To clinch AL West / no worse than AL #3 seed: 2 vs. Athletics
- Astros own head-to-head advantage, 11-8
To clinch no worse than AL #2 seed: 4 vs. Twins
- Twins own head-to-head advantage, 4-3
To clinch AL #1 seed: 8 vs. Yankees
- Astros only need to tie the Yankees to clinch due to head-to-head advantage, 4-3
To clinch MLB #1 seed: 8 vs. Yankees, 6 vs. Dodgers
- Astros only need to tie the Yankees to clinch due to head-to-head advantage, 4-3
- Astros only need to tie the Dodgers to clinch due to better intradivision record (currently), 49-18 vs. 43-24; both teams have 9 division games remaining
To clinch wild card game berth: clinched
To clinch AL West / no worse than AL #3 seed: 2 vs. Athletics
- Astros own head-to-head advantage, 11-8
To clinch no worse than AL #2 seed: 4 vs. Twins
- Twins own head-to-head advantage, 4-3
To clinch AL #1 seed: 8 vs. Yankees
- Astros only need to tie the Yankees to clinch due to head-to-head advantage, 4-3
To clinch MLB #1 seed: 8 vs. Yankees, 6 vs. Dodgers
- Astros only need to tie the Yankees to clinch due to head-to-head advantage, 4-3
- Astros only need to tie the Dodgers to clinch due to better intradivision record (currently), 49-18 vs. 43-24; both teams have 9 division games remaining
338
Game Zone 2019 / Re: stRangers at Astros 9/17/2019
« on: September 17, 2019, 09:46:53 pm »
At 454 feet, Alvarez’s homer would have cleared Tal’s Hill by 18 feet.
339
Beer and Queso / Re: DIRECTV streaming 2018
« on: September 14, 2019, 04:53:29 pm »Lastly, if you're cutting the cord, I recommend you buy your own modem. Just make sure to get one that's compatible with your internet provider of choice. You will save instantly by avoiding an installation charge, and every month thereafter by not paying to rent their modem. I got mine for $80, and it saved me the $100 installation fee* and $10/month thereafter.
Just some food for thought... owning your own modem gives your cable company an excuse to blame issues on it and absolve themselves of any responsibility.
340
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: September 13, 2019, 12:10:07 pm »Trump wants to lend Iran $15billion
Curious to see how Republicans are tying themselves in knots to defend this.
The Federal deficit just topped $1 trillion (per year) for the first time in 7 years
And this. Fiscal conservatism is long dead, but they sure do preach it.
341
Talk Zone / Re: MMP offseason renovations?
« on: September 11, 2019, 09:08:32 pm »As a proud owner of a pair of Dome seats, I’m often reminded at just how large and comfortable those seats were.
I use mine as guest chairs in my office. People sit in them all the time and comment on how comfortable they are.
342
Talk Zone / Re: Shocker: RS @ 76-67 after loss to Yanks, Dombrowski is gone!
« on: September 11, 2019, 10:47:30 am »I'm pretty sure I've heard Crane say the Luxury Tax thing is a priority. Staying under it, of course.
Right, but as Jim said, circumstances can indeed change. We also know this front office rarely tips their hand.
343
Talk Zone / Re: Shocker: RS @ 76-67 after loss to Yanks, Dombrowski is gone!
« on: September 11, 2019, 09:49:15 am »I'd venture to say being subject to the luxury tax is a requirement, because the other teams are doing it.
Also this. Red Sox, Cubs, and Yankees are well over the threshold, Dodgers are just under it. Even if you spend money wisely it will be hard to keep pace without going into the luxury tax.
344
Talk Zone / Re: Shocker: RS @ 76-67 after loss to Yanks, Dombrowski is gone!
« on: September 11, 2019, 08:36:28 am »I could see the Astros doing 4 years guaranteed with 3 years of options... but I would still question how they are going to fit another $30MM+ into the payroll and not pay luxury tax.
Maybe the luxury tax is unavoidable if they want to keep enough guys around while this window is open. Remember that their 2020 payroll is already halfway there with only four players (Verlander, Greinke, Altuve, Bregman).
345
Talk Zone / Re: MMP offseason renovations?
« on: September 11, 2019, 08:16:30 am »Eric Anthony's seat is there too.
Notice how much wider the old seat backs were.
People got fatter, seats got smaller.
346
Talk Zone / Re: Lunch today
« on: September 10, 2019, 12:09:03 pm »Austin currently has a food truck and a brick and mortar of a Nashville Hot Chicken restaurant called Tumble22. I've eaten there probably 6 times in the last year, and it is absolutely amazing. If not the best fried chicken I've ever had, it's pretty damn close.
Finally checked this place out Sunday before last. Liked the tenders but will definitely be going back for one of those obscenely huge sandwiches.
347
Talk Zone / Re: Shocker: RS @ 76-67 after loss to Yanks, Dombrowski is gone!
« on: September 10, 2019, 11:34:39 am »“Read more, post less” is excellent advice for everyone new, not only you.
Hell, it's good advice for long-timers too.
348
Talk Zone / Re: Aches and Pains (2019)
« on: September 10, 2019, 11:00:35 am »But...if I'm being overly optimistic, let's say he's in week 24 of that plan right now. 6 weeks from now, if the team is still playing, would he not be able to pitch at a game level?
The weeks you're referring to are in "Phase I" of the throwing program. He just started Phase II (last page of the PDF). Even if you assume that he progresses through each step every other day without any setbacks, he still won't be ready to throw simulated games until October. And then if he's seeing game action then it'll be in the major league postseason.
He won't pitch in 2019.
349
Talk Zone / Re: Aches and Pains (2019)
« on: September 10, 2019, 09:35:13 am »I'm starting to get cautiously optimistic about seeing LMJ pitch this year.
They haven't publicly entertained that notion, have they? Based on this rehab protocol from Dr. James Andrews (last page) he's on step 0 or 1 (depending on how you count it being halfway up the mound) of a minimum 12 steps before he even starts throwing breaking balls, and another minimum three steps beyond that before starting 15-pitch simulated games. And this probably represents the best case scenario.
350
Talk Zone / Re: Shocker: RS @ 76-67 after loss to Yanks, Dombrowski is gone!
« on: September 09, 2019, 10:29:54 am »Until Spackstruck him downate his fucking spleen.
FIFY
351
Talk Zone / Re: MMP offseason renovations?
« on: September 09, 2019, 10:28:50 am »Here's the Chronicle's story from early August:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/astros/article/Astros-plan-changes-at-Minute-Maid-on-suite-14274302.php
Rub it in, why don'tcha.
352
Talk Zone / Re: MMP offseason renovations?
« on: September 09, 2019, 08:39:28 am »
Astros Twitter was hoping they were taking out all the seats and replacing them with rainbow colors.
353
Talk Zone / Re: MMP offseason renovations?
« on: September 08, 2019, 09:44:44 pm »
Huh. Never saw anything about that.
Move along.
Move along.
354
Talk Zone / MMP offseason renovations?
« on: September 08, 2019, 09:23:39 pm »
Anyone have some insider scoop on this?
https://twitter.com/astrostalk/status/1170793848185864192?s=21
https://twitter.com/astrostalk/status/1170793848185864192?s=21
355
Beer and Queso / Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: September 06, 2019, 10:09:14 pm »
Because the stupid wasn’t already stupid enough, now NOAA has released a statement defending Trump and calling out NWS Birmingham.
Trump’s erosion of respected institutions continues.
Trump’s erosion of respected institutions continues.
356
Talk Zone / Re: Tucker In August
« on: September 06, 2019, 08:47:10 am »Sir, a fax has come in from Mr. Tucker... It appears to be a drawing a big middle finger, with your name written under it.
Brantley's walkoff will probably get more attention, but the Astros lose in 9 innings or 12 innings without Tucker. Nice night for him.
357
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: September 06, 2019, 08:32:10 am »He is mentally unfit to be President. He has absolutely lost his mind. Amazing that there are people so blinded, they can't recognize how batshit crazy this shitbag is.
And now he's trotting out the Assistant Undersecretary of Whatever-the-fuck to keep digging the hole. Amazing.
358
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: September 03, 2019, 06:07:58 pm »
Limey, can you decode all of the latest Brexit developments from today?
359
Talk Zone / Re: Skaggs autopsy
« on: September 03, 2019, 12:22:32 pm »And I do wonder if using your daughter's name is respectful of her privacy. Not something I think a Dad should do, We can respectfully disagree on this one too.
You don't know whether he got her permission or not.
360
Talk Zone / Re: Skaggs autopsy
« on: September 03, 2019, 10:25:16 am »I did not mean anyone was judging Elizabeth, Waldo. I know her situation and what caused her to wake up. The court in her case mandated treatment/rehab. She would not have gone to in-patient without it. Lots you do not know, but your advice is plentiful. Lots of luck to your cousin, but controlled addiction is not a solution.
Fuck, Jim, I'm not trying to give you advice about your daughter. All I'm trying to say is that her experience is not one-size-fits-all and has done fuck-all for my cousin, and has maybe even been worse for her. If controlled addiction can help smokers (nicotine patches/gum), maybe it can help people addicted to harder drugs. The question is worth asking. But by all means please continue to categorically dismiss any mention of it. Plentiful advice, indeed.
361
Talk Zone / Re: Skaggs autopsy
« on: September 03, 2019, 09:54:58 am »TY for sharing, Coach. Thankful the consequences helped her hit the wall and seek changes.
Pls provide a link for "Redemption".
Here you go.
362
Talk Zone / Re: Skaggs autopsy
« on: September 03, 2019, 09:49:36 am »Lots of judgmental advice on here from folks who do not appear to have lived with/through it. Speaking for only me, law enforcement turned my daughter’s like around. Her arrest and pending trial, along with a hard shove from her lawyer (a friend of mine since JHS), were the combined impetus to get her to rehab. From there, she made the decision to get clean and to change, as all addicts must. Twelve Steps and a year-long incarceration (halfway house the last six months)together with her personal commitment to change were her salvation. She had lived a life largely without consequences to that point (for which I deserve blame), and she needed consequences for her behavior. I am happy law enforcement intervened, and if I could have stopped the court proceedings, I would not have done it.
I have written about her if you are interested enough to read. See “Redemption” on the front page.
I don't think anyone is judging or otherwise belittling your/your daughter's experience. I have read your post about your daughter, and in fact have re-read it multiple times because it gives me the slightest glimmer of hope for my cousin in an otherwise completely hopeless situation. I think we are all glad that your daughter got the wake-up call she needed to get her life right and that she is now thriving.
But I also think that your daughter is pretty close to a best-case scenario in the current US legal/drug policy landscape; there are a lot of people for whom incarceration doesn't work, and they either wind up going in and out of jail and/or they end up dead. My cousin, who has battled addiction for over two decades, is one of them. She went to jail, got clean for a while, then got addicted again, lost custody of her kids, got clean again, then relapsed, etc. For her, jail time and the threat of losing her kids, and then even actually losing her kids, wasn't enough to break her cycle of addiction. She wanted to get clean but couldn't, and still can't. I think many in my extended family think it's only a matter of time before we hear that she has died of an overdose.
Mental illness seems to be the cause of everything from mass shooting to heroin addiction. No.
Man, I could not disagree more. If we're going to treat alcoholism as an illness worthy of various kinds of treatment (not the least of which is mental health services like counseling and support groups), let's treat drug addiction the same way. (I could also say the same for obesity, but that's another topic for another day.) My cousin lives in a state that's not going to go out of its way to really help her. If you are a junkie then you're getting punished every time because surely the next punishment will set you straight, and if it doesn't then you must just want to remain a junkie. If she ODs then the state won't give a shit.
There's a lot more to her situation that's so fucked up (through no direct fault of her own) I want to punch a hole in my computer screen, but I won't go into that here. Suffice it to say she has never gotten treatment for her addictive behavior, which to me is ground zero for treating her addiction. I can't help but wonder if things would have, and maybe still could, turn out differently for her if there were a better system in place besides arrest-incarcerate-release-repeat. That's why I asked if your daughter would have reacted positively to something other than just being put in jail.
If you still haven't read Sphinx's article about the Netherlands, I'd really encourage you to do so. I don't know that I agree with their policy 100% either, but the statistics speak for themselves. Even if my cousin remains addicted I'd much rather she be that way in a relatively more controlled, safer manner, with the possibility that she can recover somewhere down the road, as has happened in the Netherlands. As things stand now I can't hold out much hope for her.
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Talk Zone / Re: Skaggs autopsy
« on: September 02, 2019, 08:43:06 pm »Not mine. In patient rehab started her recovery, and incarceration turned her around. I am thankful law enforcement intervened and glad she had serious consequences for her behavior.
Is it possible that she could have recovered without incarceration if drug legalities were different?
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Talk Zone / Re: Skaggs autopsy
« on: August 31, 2019, 12:13:03 pm »
So I know next to nothing about fentanyl or the drug culture in general. Why is it found in these pills in the first place? Do bad actors put it in the pills specifically for the reason of harming/killing people, or it is because the drug can have other desirable effects when combined with oxy?
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Talk Zone / Re: RR v. SA game 4
« on: August 30, 2019, 08:50:43 am »This makes me wonder -- what keeps long-lasting rivalries going in the minors? It seems with players, coaches, even affiliations changing so frequently, that there might not be enough continuity over the course of years to keep a rivalry stoked.
Other than proximity, I guess one big constant is the front offices and the PR/marketing departments that drum up the rivalry.
366
Talk Zone / Re: JV ejection break down
« on: August 29, 2019, 12:23:14 am »
If you like Jomboy's baseball breakdowns, check out his breakdowns on the shin-kicking and ear-pulling championships. I watched those today and my boss came over to my office to make sure I was okay.
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Talk Zone / Re: Alvarez
« on: August 27, 2019, 06:55:56 am »When I saw McGwire’s BP, he did not hit rockets. He hit long lazy flies which landed it the upper deck!
McGwire's home runs always had a majestic quality to them.
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Talk Zone / Re: Ex-Astros News 2019
« on: August 23, 2019, 09:43:17 am »I do not care one bit about how they do, and you will not find me being sentimental or effusive about their current accomplishments.
Why shit on others that want to do that?
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Talk Zone / Re: Ex-Astros News 2019
« on: August 23, 2019, 08:33:58 am »You want advice from me, Waldo?
I just find it bizarre that someone who does not care "one bit" about former Astros players jumps into a thread whose entire purpose is discussing former Astros players and shits on someone in it for caring about former Astros players.
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Talk Zone / Re: Ex-Astros News 2019
« on: August 22, 2019, 08:55:02 pm »Seriously, dude. Who cares.
Jim, I really think that you ought to not click on this thread anymore.
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Talk Zone / Re: Aches and Pains (2019)
« on: August 21, 2019, 12:43:30 pm »Injuries are disappointing, for sure, but I would not try to trade him, especially not now. He is ARod talent when healthy. I’d be patient with him.
Furthermore, the Astros don't need Correa to be an A-Rod unless they pay him that way.
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Talk Zone / Re: Lunch today
« on: August 19, 2019, 10:59:50 am »
CFA wins on customer service and overall presentation, no doubt. An acquaintance of my wife's was trying to start a CFA franchise and corporate has some really strict requirements for would-be franchisees. They won't let just anyone start one up because they want the experience to be consistent. That's why every CFA you walk into is well kept.
But they've become victims of their own success. They reacted with some streamlining to their drive-thru operation, and at first you'd get through in 5-10 minutes even if the lines were long. But based on my last few experiences I think they've reached the limit on how effective it is without a larger kitchen and more real estate. I had to drive down MLK during the lunch hour a few months ago and the lines of cars waiting to turn into the CFA between Guadalupe and Lamar were fucking up traffic for everyone. No fast food is worth that.
Plus, the people at CFA are too nice and perky. I'd rather go to Wendy's or Popeye's and get a better chicken sandwich, a shorter wait, and interact with someone whose pleasure it most certainly is not.
But they've become victims of their own success. They reacted with some streamlining to their drive-thru operation, and at first you'd get through in 5-10 minutes even if the lines were long. But based on my last few experiences I think they've reached the limit on how effective it is without a larger kitchen and more real estate. I had to drive down MLK during the lunch hour a few months ago and the lines of cars waiting to turn into the CFA between Guadalupe and Lamar were fucking up traffic for everyone. No fast food is worth that.
Plus, the people at CFA are too nice and perky. I'd rather go to Wendy's or Popeye's and get a better chicken sandwich, a shorter wait, and interact with someone whose pleasure it most certainly is not.
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Talk Zone / Re: Lunch today
« on: August 18, 2019, 08:39:57 pm »I just tried one for lunch and I’m considering another for dinner. Popeyes is going to take over the world with that sandwich.
And yet, Chick-fil-A drive-thru lines extend out onto highway access roads.
There is something wrong with this country.
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Talk Zone / Re: 2020 schedle out
« on: August 14, 2019, 08:21:53 am »DC was my first choice, I’m worried it will be a zoo in DC then though.
I've been to DC for July 4. Zoo-like is a good way to describe it.
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Talk Zone / Re: 2020 schedle out
« on: August 12, 2019, 04:47:40 pm »
Was really hoping they'd be in Seattle when I'd be there in mid-July, but I may just be able to see them in Oakland around the same time.
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Talk Zone / Re: Off day question
« on: August 09, 2019, 09:59:58 am »Whatever all of that means. I did not bring my slide rule.
R/G = runs per game
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Talk Zone / Expanded netting for next homestand
« on: August 08, 2019, 11:11:28 am »
Won't go all the way to the foul poles, just the front corner of the stands before they go straight back to the pole. They are also replacing all existing netting with knotless netting to improve visibility.
Might still get the occasional hooking/slicing line drive into the stands past the nets, but overall this is a very good move.
Might still get the occasional hooking/slicing line drive into the stands past the nets, but overall this is a very good move.
378
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: August 06, 2019, 12:21:27 pm »
In the hours after the El Paso shooting, Mitch McConnell's campaign posted a photo of gravestones at a rally, one of which is for Amy McGrath, his current campaign opponent. You've gotta be fucking kidding me.
But hey, it's the liberals and their violent rhetoric.
But hey, it's the liberals and their violent rhetoric.
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Talk Zone / Re: Ex-Astros News 2019
« on: August 03, 2019, 12:25:41 pm »
The diving catch was one thing, but I'm not sure why everyone is surprised that a pitcher with a mid-90s fastball could make an on-target throw from left field and nail someone at the plate. Unusual circumstances for sure, but hardly far fetched.
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Talk Zone / Re: Ex-Astros News 2019
« on: August 02, 2019, 10:03:50 pm »Not after the deadline. No player who was on a major league roster at July 31 can be dealt.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Not just on a MLB roster on 7/31 - anyone who had been on a MLB roster at any point this season can't be traded after July 31. Players on minor league contracts who had no MLB service time this season can still be traded.
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Talk Zone / Re: 2019 Trade Deadline Talk
« on: August 02, 2019, 09:29:03 pm »Apparently when he met Jim Crane, Crane asked him where he's from and he said Africa
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Will someone get the man some therapy puppies already??
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Talk Zone / Re: 2005 big 3 vs 2019 big 3
« on: August 02, 2019, 09:22:02 pm »
The Astros' 2005 World Series roster is littered with players that did little/nothing afterward. Classic example of a window slamming shut.
Hitters:
- Bagwell retired
- Vizcaino retired after 2006
- Biggio continued his decline and retired in 2007
- Ausmus only had two more full seasons, then played 57 games in 2009-2010
- Burke peaked in 2006, then his production fell off a cliff before retiring in 2009
- Everett never played a full season after 2006, averaging only 59 games/season the last five seasons of his career
- Lane's 2006 was disastrous, career effectively done after 2007
- Palmeiro only made 250 PA in 2006-2007
- Bruntlett was decent in 2006-2007 but never had more than about 200 PA in a season
Pitchers:
- Clemens went DQ, retired in 2007
- Pettitte never came close to his 2005 success
- Backe got the injury bug, then got the shit beat out of him by crooked cops
- Gallo and Astacio never pitched after 2006
Hitters:
- Bagwell retired
- Vizcaino retired after 2006
- Biggio continued his decline and retired in 2007
- Ausmus only had two more full seasons, then played 57 games in 2009-2010
- Burke peaked in 2006, then his production fell off a cliff before retiring in 2009
- Everett never played a full season after 2006, averaging only 59 games/season the last five seasons of his career
- Lane's 2006 was disastrous, career effectively done after 2007
- Palmeiro only made 250 PA in 2006-2007
- Bruntlett was decent in 2006-2007 but never had more than about 200 PA in a season
Pitchers:
- Clemens went DQ, retired in 2007
- Pettitte never came close to his 2005 success
- Backe got the injury bug, then got the shit beat out of him by crooked cops
- Gallo and Astacio never pitched after 2006
383
Talk Zone / Re: 2019 Trade Deadline Talk
« on: August 01, 2019, 09:17:57 am »Sounds like Bibb Falk
Also reminds me of a story from 1999 that Berkman told about Bagwell when Bagwell made the HOF.
Quote
When Lance Berkman was hitting .095 during his first month in the Major Leagues, he had the usual questions young players have about whether they're good enough to play at this level.
That's when Jeff Bagwell pulled him aside.
"I think he's going to give me a great piece of advice," Berkman said. "Here's a veteran player that really wants to see me do well."
OK, here goes.
"He puts his arm around me and says, 'You know, Lance, you might want to think about hitting a few more balls on the barrel,'" Berkman remembered. And? "And that was it." Berkman smiled at the thought. "Well, I wish someone had told me that beforehand," he said. "That was great advice."
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Talk Zone / Re: 2019 Trade Deadline Talk
« on: July 31, 2019, 11:11:37 pm »
This Twitter thread full of Greinke stories is well worth the read:
https://twitter.com/pigeonize/status/1156725659919691777?s=21
https://twitter.com/pigeonize/status/1156725659919691777?s=21
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Talk Zone / Re: 2019 Trade Deadline Talk
« on: July 31, 2019, 05:07:58 pm »
A couple days ago on Twitter, I saw someone retweeting their tweet from 2011 when Hunter Pence was traded to the Phillies.
Feels good to not be sellers.
Feels good to not be sellers.
386
Talk Zone / Re: 2019 Trade Deadline Talk
« on: July 31, 2019, 04:02:03 pm »
Where have we heard this before?
Quote
Jayson Stark @jaysonst
Asked a baseball official how close to 4 pm the Greinke deal went down. His reply:
A "couple of seconds!"
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Talk Zone / Re: 2019 Trade Deadline Talk
« on: July 31, 2019, 03:37:06 pm »This seems like a great trade, IMO as Beer and Bukauskas seem marginal to me, Martin is hurt and Rojas might be good, but not a great need for us at the moment.
Great deal for both teams. Astros get one of the top pitchers in the game. DBacks unload Grienke's salary and get some promising prospects.
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Talk Zone / Re: 2019 Trade Deadline Talk
« on: July 31, 2019, 03:21:14 pm »Well, there were no huge trades today, but I did learn that our server was no match for the One True Trade Deadline. Rebooted it with more memory a few minutes ago, things should smooth out soon.
Ha, never mind on that. The Grienke trade broke the whole damn site.
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Talk Zone / Re: 2019 Trade Deadline Talk
« on: July 31, 2019, 03:12:14 pm »
Well, there were no huge trades today, but I did learn that our server was no match for the One True Trade Deadline. Rebooted it with more memory a few minutes ago, things should smooth out soon.
390
Talk Zone / Re: 2019 Trade Deadline Talk
« on: July 30, 2019, 01:00:27 pm »That would make the runs unearned. Makes no sense to bring in a rental not named Beltran or Johnson if there are alternatives.
Craig Biggio committed just one error in 216 CF starts in 2003-2004.
391
Talk Zone / Re: Jake Marisnick - a good villain, a bad guy, or neither?
« on: July 22, 2019, 08:29:16 am »
Let's also not forget this.
392
Talk Zone / Re: Does census trend = RIP OWA?
« on: July 16, 2019, 11:50:21 am »Helpful. Thanks.
Curious about zero new registrations since 2017.
So this caught my attention and motivated me to try registering a dummy account myself. Results in a database error. Well, fuck.
393
Beer and Queso / Re: Apollo 11
« on: July 16, 2019, 11:44:49 am »Somewhat related... HBO's amazing From the Earth to the Moon miniseries is finally once again available, at least on their streaming platforms (guessing On Demand as well). I've watched every episode a half-dozen times, at least, but not in many years.
Haven't seen this yet. RIP work day.
394
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: July 15, 2019, 01:10:13 pm »Possibly, although Trump seemingly is doing everything in his power to unite everyone except his base against him.
Prepare to be underwhelmed. In the eyes of many people I know who hate him but voted for him, he still hasn't done enough to cause them to vote D next year. And the D candidates have plenty of time left to make the slightest of missteps and render themselves unelectable by R voters.
395
Talk Zone / Re: It Makes A Fellow Proud To Be An Astro
« on: July 15, 2019, 11:53:27 am »For many years, reading Ball Four was an annual part of my preseason prep. My favorite blurb among many in the book was when a teammate of Bouton's was in the bullpen flirting with a fan. The girl cocks her head and suspiciously asks "Are you married?". The guy replies "Yeah, but I'm not a fanatic".
My favorite anecdote from the book is when one player asks another player how his arm is feeling, and the player says he's not sure but whenever he looks up he sees buzzards circling overhead.
396
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: July 15, 2019, 08:17:40 am »This is only going to get worse. The 2020 strategy is going to be the 2016 strategy if the 2016 strategy snorted Adderall on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, I think this is going to be true of both parties, which means four more years.
397
Talk Zone / Re: Update on kid hit in stands 5/29 vs Cubs
« on: June 26, 2019, 02:22:21 pm »Quote
According to a summary of the hospital records provided by Mithoff, the child sustained a skull fracture with associated subdural bleeding, brain contusions, and brain edema.
...
The child continues to undergo treatment at Baylor College of Medicine's Blue Bird Circle Clinic for Pediatric Neurology and continues to suffer seizures and has an abnormal electroencephalogram reading, Mithoff said.
Fuck. Hope she recovers.
Netting from foul pole to foul pole. Do it.
398
Game Zone 2019 / Re: Brewers @ Astros, June 11, 2019
« on: June 11, 2019, 09:20:23 pm »
Alvarez’s second homer was more impressive than his first. Outer half three inches below the zone and he *pulled* it for a tater. Crazy.
399
Talk Zone / Re: Alvarez
« on: June 10, 2019, 08:33:59 am »Just head the interview, Hinch said, Charlie Gonzalez advocated for him. No idea who that is or if he is still with the org.
The front office page lists him as Senior Scouting Advisor.
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Talk Zone / Re: Alvarez
« on: June 09, 2019, 08:51:30 pm »https://twitter.com/darenw/status/1137719666351267840?s=19
I thought it was ri-goddamn-diculous before I remembered that he's a lefty. Looks like he actually has more HRs to LF than RF.
I rewatched his HR from today. Bottom of the zone, outer half of the plate - not a bad pitch by any means. He smacked the shit out of it.
401
Nervous as hell no doubt.
One of the beat reporters tweeted yesterday that Hinch thought Straw was more nervous yesterday than he was for his MLB debut.
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Talk Zone / Re: Aches and Pains (2019)
« on: June 04, 2019, 04:23:04 pm »Nothing about Correa either. I have no inside info, but I can make an informed inference: the .org is very pissed.
Maybe, with Correa's injury being the most recent, they have nothing new to report?
403
We have, believe me, the best hyperbole you’ve ever seen. Lots of people are saying nobody knows as much about hyperbole as we do.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
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Talk Zone / Re: Aches and Pains (2019)
« on: June 03, 2019, 01:34:01 pm »The NBA Finals and baseball in May/June are not the same thing. If it was October then a hammy might not keep you out but during the season there isn't much reason to rush back
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Lest we not forget that a busted knee - so busted, in fact, that it underwent surgery the very day after the Astros' postseason elimination - kept Altuve out for a portion of the regular season but not the ALDS/ALCS.
405
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: June 02, 2019, 08:38:50 am »I mean, if you have ever even thumbed through a history book. And read about dipshits, and thought.....I can’t believe people were so fucking stupid to fall for that dudes BS. That is how history will remember trumpers. Sad!
This assumes that red states will allow history books without glowing recollections of the Trump administration to ever make it to classrooms. Republicans don't have a great track record with textbooks.
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Talk Zone / Re: Maddon Conspiracy Theorist??
« on: May 29, 2019, 10:28:22 am »The ball is definitely more lively. Homers are being hit at an all time rate
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
His comments seem to be referring specifically to the balls used at MMP.
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Talk Zone / Re: RIP Bill Buckner
« on: May 27, 2019, 09:39:06 pm »Sad.
Condolences to his family. Dementia at advanced age is heartbreaking. Dementia at earlier ages all the more so.
A friend of a friend's husband was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's in his mid 30s. Was devastating for his wife and small kids.
408
Talk Zone / Re: Morning Lineup MLB Podcast
« on: May 22, 2019, 05:41:33 pm »
For the record, who was on which side of the manager argument?
409
Beer and Queso / Re: Apollo 11
« on: May 20, 2019, 02:38:59 pm »So, what are the options to watch? Just theaters and blue-ray disk?
I bought it on iTunes, but you can also buy it on Amazon, Google Play, etc. To my knowledge it's not free to stream anywhere.
410
Beer and Queso / Re: Apollo 11
« on: May 20, 2019, 10:22:51 am »
Watched this last night and it kicked ass. May have been the first time I've seen ground footage of the Saturn V dropping its first stage. Also, the way they tied in the ground loop, air-to-ground comms, and the Apollo Control public affairs feed really drove home how much chatter was happening during events like the launch, engine burns, and the landing.
411
Beer and Queso / Re: Apollo 11
« on: May 18, 2019, 01:48:11 pm »
A friend of mine worked on IBM's Saturn V instrument unit team. IIRC, he said that at least one (maybe the first?) IU was to be shipped to the Cape from Huntsville, AL by barge, but the IU wasn't complete. In order to not let deadlines slip, IBM put a bunch of engineers on the boat with the IU so they could finish building and testing it before it arrived at the Cape. My friend, who was one of the pocket protectors on the boat, said it was the most stressful week and a half of his life. Eventually they started transporting the IU by plane.
412
Talk Zone / Re: Express 5/14
« on: May 15, 2019, 12:28:06 pm »Along with Jim's views of the game, here's a link to a synopsis of who Luhnow was at the game to see. I don't think there is much to debate about Luhnow's attendance.
https://therunnersports.com/houston-astros-gm-jeff-luhnow-showed-up-at-aaa-round-rock-express-game/
Hey, there's even a Waldo reference...not that Waldo though.
"Houston Astros fans couldn’t care less where Waldo is."
Story of my life.
413
Talk Zone / Re: Brady Aiken update
« on: May 15, 2019, 11:08:32 am »...and got absolutely massacred in the media for it. And was proven right. And got us Bregman.
This Luhnow guy is pretty good.
Funny, I don't recall the haters ever walking back their criticism of Crane/Luhnow & Co.
414
Talk Zone / Re: Ex-Astros News 2019
« on: May 14, 2019, 08:30:55 am »Ask me if I care. He plays for the Twins. I loved him in Houston and am grateful for all he accomplishments, but he chased money, turned us down, and did not stay. In 2019 he is a JAG on another team.
This thread may not be up your alley.
415
Beer and Queso / Re: Game of Thrones Season 8
« on: May 13, 2019, 08:31:24 am »
So last week, Daenerys's fleet can't see the Iron Fleet right on their flank and the scorpion crossbows take down a dragon from long range. This week, the entire King's Landing forces never, I dunno, turned around? and not one of about 40+ scorpions can't land a single hit in CQB.
The sheer amount of deus ex machina being employed in wrapping up this series is maddening.
Like the Battle of Winterfell, another technical masterpiece depicting shitty storytelling.
The sheer amount of deus ex machina being employed in wrapping up this series is maddening.
Like the Battle of Winterfell, another technical masterpiece depicting shitty storytelling.
416
Talk Zone / Re: Ex-Astros News 2019
« on: May 09, 2019, 09:24:48 am »
It's not hard to understand both thought processes.
- In trading Laureano, the Astros knew that he had little chance of playing everyday until at least 2019 (and, as it turned out, the Brantley signing pushed that back to at least 2021), Marisnick was a known quantity with several years' worth of experience, and they were betting that Marisnick as the 4th OF and Kemp/Tucker/Fisher/Straw/Alvarez as the 5th OF were, at worst, good enough defensively (if not equivalent in most cases) with more offensive upside than Laureano.
- If they had kept Laureano, it would have been because they'd be ready to move on from Marisnick (who, as the oldest of all the players in this post, would indeed probably be the one to get voted off the island), they'd get roughly equivalent offensive production and defense from the others while saving money, and fix something in Laureano's hitting.
We also can't dodge the fact that Marisnick and Laureano are remarkably similar players. In the minors:
Marisnick: .280/.347/.450, 2.84 K:BB, 1 SB every 3.9 games
Laureano: .271/.350/..445, 2.36 K:BB, 1 SB every 3.9 games
In the majors, Laureano's sample size is smaller so direct comparisons are hard, but we do know that both strike out way too much (especially Marisnick).
You can defend keeping Marisnick, and I'm glad we have him. But it would not have been hard to defend keeping Laureano, even if it were at Marisnick's expense.
- In trading Laureano, the Astros knew that he had little chance of playing everyday until at least 2019 (and, as it turned out, the Brantley signing pushed that back to at least 2021), Marisnick was a known quantity with several years' worth of experience, and they were betting that Marisnick as the 4th OF and Kemp/Tucker/Fisher/Straw/Alvarez as the 5th OF were, at worst, good enough defensively (if not equivalent in most cases) with more offensive upside than Laureano.
- If they had kept Laureano, it would have been because they'd be ready to move on from Marisnick (who, as the oldest of all the players in this post, would indeed probably be the one to get voted off the island), they'd get roughly equivalent offensive production and defense from the others while saving money, and fix something in Laureano's hitting.
We also can't dodge the fact that Marisnick and Laureano are remarkably similar players. In the minors:
Marisnick: .280/.347/.450, 2.84 K:BB, 1 SB every 3.9 games
Laureano: .271/.350/..445, 2.36 K:BB, 1 SB every 3.9 games
In the majors, Laureano's sample size is smaller so direct comparisons are hard, but we do know that both strike out way too much (especially Marisnick).
You can defend keeping Marisnick, and I'm glad we have him. But it would not have been hard to defend keeping Laureano, even if it were at Marisnick's expense.
417
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: May 08, 2019, 11:27:12 am »I just don't understand why they won't release it. No collusion. Why not share it??
Because they are the football player who spikes the ball in the end zone when there were flags thrown 50 yards upfield.
418
Beer and Queso / Re: Wifi extender, boosters, etc, etc, etc...
« on: May 08, 2019, 11:19:58 am »So I live in a dumb house, built decades before LANs, the internet, and Wifi. Last year I got fiber optic internet, with the megaspeed, 1,000 Mbps, blah, blah, blah. It works great (though nowhere near 1,000 Mbps...but I'm told that's mostly device limited),
Any wired Ethernet device should get within about 10% of gigabit speed on the Internet, give or take the bandwidth you share with other people on your ISP's node (this is why they advertise speeds "up to" gigabit). However, there isn't a wifi device on this planet (yet) that can pull anywhere close to that - 400Mbps under the very best circumstances, usually 100-200Mbps.
Quote
but because of the router placement, it doesn't reach very well across the entire house...upstairs, downstairs, outside on the patio, etc. I have tried a mesh network, which works great when connected, but it will not stay connected. It drops the connection after about 30 minutes. Every time. I've spent hours on the phone with Linksys, and they've been very patient and tried to be helpful, but it just doesn't work. I'm considering an "old fashioned" wifi extender, or installing LAN ports in various places. I don't really want to do the latter, though powerline adapters may skin that cat. Do range extenders or boosters or whatever do the job? Are they reliable? I realize you can get anyone's opinion on anything from Yahoo, but for some odd reason, I trust you yahoos' judgement more.
Thoughts? Complaints?
Do the remote stations have low signal strength, or do they show good signal and simply stop working? Do you know if they're running at 2.4GHz or 5GHz? 2.4GHz is the more crowded spectrum and so is more prone to interference, but 5GHz has shorter range, so either one of those could be giving you fits. Or it's just shitty consumer wifi products, which is rampant in the market.
If you have attic access at all, or if you don't mind running cables on the outside of your house, then running at least one Cat5e/Cat6 from your router to another point in your house and putting in an access point is really the best way to go. The cable/jacks/plates are cheap, the connections are easy to terminate (you'll need a 110 punchdown tool for keystone jacks, and/or an RJ-45 crimper if you're just putting connectors on the ends), and it'll be much more reliable. You shouldn't ever have to mess with the cabling again unless something burns or chews through it. FYI, wifi naturally broadcasts downward and outward, so the higher and more centrally located you can get your broadcasting device(s), the better.
You may or may not have success with a product like Sphinx posted. I don't like repeaters because consumer wifi can already be too fussy and there are too many factors (distance, obstructions, interference) that can interrupt the signal. However, if you're going down that route or the mesh route, I'd recommend Ubiquiti for features and reliability. I only have personal experience with their enterprise access points, and they're probably too complicated for the non-IT user to set up, but their AmpliFi mesh system is consumer-oriented and has very good reviews. Google's has good reviews too, but I don't have any personal experience with that either, and Google is a bit too flaky with their hardware products for my taste.
I personally would only go powerline Ethernet as a last resort.
419
Talk Zone / Re: Keuchel - The Principled Social Warrior Of Fairness
« on: May 07, 2019, 10:54:53 am »But his pride is costing him tens of millions of dollars, so I have no sympathy for his situation.
I think the only people truly sympathizing with players not getting paid like they once were are other players and a handful of sportswriters.
420
Talk Zone / Re: Red Ass
« on: May 07, 2019, 08:29:19 am »Front page? Is there one?
If no one thinks about the front page, is it really a front page?
421
Talk Zone / Re: Keuchel - The Principled Social Warrior Of Fairness
« on: May 07, 2019, 08:27:46 am »Didn't the Astros offer 2 years at 18MM? I'm having a really hard time being sympathetic to 9MM a year not being enough fair pay to play baseball.
Maybe I missed something, but I think the only Astros offers I've read about were in the $18mm AAV range, like the 2016 offer, a similar standing offer prior to this past offseason, and then the $17.9mm QO.
422
Talk Zone / Re: Aches and Pains (2019)
« on: May 02, 2019, 09:51:42 am »Stroganoff
Not sure if autocorrect or on purpose, but I'm a fan.
423
Talk Zone / Re: Aches and Pains (2019)
« on: May 02, 2019, 08:29:56 am »Kluber took a 102 mph liner to the forearm; fractured ulna.
Google tells me that he'll be in a cast for a month minimum.
424
Beer and Queso / Re: Game of Thrones Season 8
« on: May 01, 2019, 10:25:44 am »Finally got the see the episode... honestly I was laughing the absurdity of what happens. All over the place, just awful. I tried to like this episode, I wanted to like this episode.
Was Jorah outside the walls the whole time just waiting for Dany? It appears that every extra is dead, but about 2 or 3 named characters died? Arya gets past thousands of undead and about 15 Whites with none of them seeing her? Where did all the undead that surrounded Dany go when she fell off Drogon? What about all the undead who were literally less than 2 fucking feet from Jon on all sides, next time we see him they are all in front of him. I plan on watching it again and taking notes, I bet I'll have 20+ "that makes no fucking sense" moments. God I use to love this show but that may be my least favorite episode outside of the shitiness that was season 5
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Glad I'm not the only one. The depiction of the battle is a technical masterpiece, but story-wise it was barely plausible.
425
Game Zone 2019 / Indians @ Astros - April 28, 2019
« on: April 28, 2019, 05:58:14 pm »
Indians:
Lindor SS
Martin CF
Ramirez 3B
Santana 1B
Luplow RF
Gonzalez DH
Kipnis 2B
Perez C
Bauers LF
Carrasco SP
Astros:
Springer CF
Altuve 2B
Bregman 3B
Brantley DH
Correa SS
Gurriel 1B
Reddick RF
Chirinos C
Kemp LF
Miley SP
Lindor SS
Martin CF
Ramirez 3B
Santana 1B
Luplow RF
Gonzalez DH
Kipnis 2B
Perez C
Bauers LF
Carrasco SP
Astros:
Springer CF
Altuve 2B
Bregman 3B
Brantley DH
Correa SS
Gurriel 1B
Reddick RF
Chirinos C
Kemp LF
Miley SP
426
Game Zone 2019 / MOVED: Bauer Trolling Bregman
« on: April 28, 2019, 05:55:25 pm »
This topic has been moved to Talk Zone.
http://www.orangewhoopass.com/forums/index.php?topic=120780.0
http://www.orangewhoopass.com/forums/index.php?topic=120780.0
427
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: April 26, 2019, 06:10:24 pm »My biggest gripe with the ACA was not addressing the out of control spending.
It never had the teeth to do that, and I don't think anyone - from either party - has both the guts to try to champion another law that can do it and the political capital to make it happen.
Quote
Has it slowed the rise of expenses? I haven't seen that personally.
I've seen studies showing that expenses for hospital services are 60% higher in the US. Other areas are more expensive than other countries also, but 60% more for hospital services is obscene!
The rise of health care expenses has slowed since 2010, and in 2016 we were about $300 billion (about 8%) under the 2010-baseline projections for 2016. Obviously not due solely to ACA, but at least in part.
428
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: April 26, 2019, 08:43:34 am »My sister and bro n law are both self employed. They had expensive crap coverage before and expensive crap coverage now. Only positive I see coming out of the ACA is preexisting illness coverage.
But people's crap coverage had already been getting more expensive since the 70s and especially the late 90s. See third graph at https://www.kff.org/health-costs/issue-brief/snapshots-health-care-spending-in-the-united-states-selected-oecd-countries/
So costs were already spiraling out of control (especially relative to other countries), under administrations and Congresses from both parties. I know that the ACA itself has problems (I think it was myopic in a lot of ways, and didn't adequately plan for things like providers leaving certain markets entirely and dropping their insured) and doesn't have the teeth to directly address many of the biggest problems in the health care and health insurance industries. And I was personally negatively affected by the ACA, when my wife's private PPO plan first got downgraded to an HMO and then canceled entirely when United left Texas, and then paying the penalty at tax time when we didn't carry insurance on her for a while afterward. But I can respect that it's done some good, including slowing the rise of health care expenses since it's been enacted.
429
Talk Zone / Re: Alvarez
« on: April 25, 2019, 04:15:25 pm »Meanwhile Tucker sinks slowly out of sight.
Thru today: 18 games, 71 plate appearances, .152/.211/.348, 5 BB, 17 K
430
Beer and Queso / Re: Star Trek: Discovery (Spoilers)
« on: April 24, 2019, 11:14:53 am »2) Why, after Control was dispatched, did they still go through with the plan to jump to the future? Taking what's left of Control with them! Surely the entire point of the final plan was to separate Control from the Sphere data by time. Well now they have both leapt forward 950 years together, albeit with Control being declared neutralized.
Because just defeating Control wasn't enough. If they defeated Control, they were worried that its remnants - or a potential successor AI - would make another play for the Sphere data. Since the Sphere data had more or less permanently ingrained itself into the Discovery's computer and took steps to protect itself, the only solution was to jump Discovery into the future. With the Discovery punted out of the timeline, Starfleet then had to classify the Discovery out of existence so that whatever AI came after Control would never know about the Discovery or the Sphere data. A bit implausible, admittedly, but there you have it.
Of course, it also raises the question of what other dangers Discovery faces from (presumably) more evolved AIs in the future, but whatever.
Quote
With that out of the way, I think someone re-watched the BSG reboot, and decided to take it to 11. Each episode was a balance between spiritual and emotional exploration, and amazing battles. The production values were truly cinematic. And then, in the finale - they put on screen perhaps the largest, longest, most complex and meaningful space battle ever seen on the small screen. It made sense too: no single shot that takes out an entire array of weapons, or knocks out life support, or takes down the shields around some crucial part of the ship. Both Discovery and Enterprise take - and give - an absolute pounding a la Galactica and Pegasus in the rescue from New Caprica, with their shields counting down at a consistent rate during the near-episode long battle. Burnham flying in her Red Angel suit across the saucer of Enterprise at the peak of the battle was gorgeous!
I did really like the fact that it took 700+ episodes but they finally depicted a quasi-realistic space battle. Trek far too often suffers from stuff like:
Captain: "Shields up."
*photon torpedo hits*
Tactical officer: "Shields down to 47 percent!"
What, like one torpedo could really do that much damage? The Dominion War battles from DS9 come close, but even they showed motherfucking Galaxy class ships taking critical damage from a single phaser hit. The Dominion/Breen/Cardassians had powerful weapons, sure, but even the Borg were never depicted to have had that kind of firepower. Of course, the explanation for this is that they only had so much time in a 44-minute episode so they compressed the drama of battles by making the shields fail quickly, but it's always resulted in Starfleet ships looking very fragile in canon.
My only complaint about the battle is that the Discovery looked pristine as it entered the temporal distortion. Given the fact that stuff was exploding on the bridge and elsewhere, it should've showed at least some battle damage. Even when the Enterprise-D went up against the Borg cube in The Best of Both Worlds, they had hull breaches and lost crewmen and intentionally fried their main deflector but the ship looked totally fine on the outside. Again, there's a valid explanation for this (budgetary limitations on CGI) but it's always been lacking.
The torpedo taking out the Enterprise's forward saucer section was pretty badass, though.
Quote
There is supposed to be a Section 31 spin-off in the works already, but that was supposed to include Georgiou, who wormholed off to the 24th century with the rest of the Discovery's occupants.
I'm kind of wondering about that myself. Maybe Georgiou got off the Discovery after all?
Quote
Control was meant to be Thanos-squared, but was totally lacking in true menace or charisma, perhaps because he was a fledgling AI or perhaps because there were just too many great characters on the other side of the equation. He was powerful and relentless, and it was a bit weird that - in the end - he was beaten to death physically by Georgiou. Perhaps they needed something for her to do in the final battle, but to get them together it needed Control to board Discovery, setting up the plot hole above. There surely was a better way to have this happen - maybe put her on his ship, rather than the other way around.
Remember that Leland was human before Control infected/invaded him. And he went to Discovery to try to retrieve the Sphere data himself since that was the only place it could be done. As for how Control/Leland was defeated, there is on-screen precedent for something like that: Picard defeated the Borg in First Contact by defeating the Borg Queen, and individual Borg drones were susceptible to physical damage/injury. Control Leland, being both biological and technological, was probably at the point where one couldn't survive without the other.
Quote
In the end, they tied off the major loose ends the show created with the existing canon - with various levels of aplomb. Discovery is now erased from history and deposited into the future, with the spore drive, the Sphere data and the Red Angel suit, to take us on an exploration of a Star Trek universe yer to be seen. I can't wait.
Agreed. I still don't know where the show ranks overall, but I do know that this is pretty high up the list of my favorite Star Trek seasons ever.
431
Beer and Queso / Re: Game of Thrones Season 8
« on: April 24, 2019, 08:40:26 am »The other wrench in timelines of books v. show is that everyone on the show started off several years older than in the books. Dany was something like 13 in the books when it started. Jon Snow was 14 or 15, I think.
Maybe they didn't want to depict a brother grabbing his 13-year-old sister's boob within the first couple of episodes?
432
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: April 23, 2019, 10:47:36 am »All those Democratic criticisms of Republicans (many of whom know what a piece of shit Trump is) for putting party over country ring hollow.
I disagree. If you are the Democratic Party and you think Trump is bad for the country, then what's good for you is ostensibly what's good for the country. Impeachment proceedings could easily backfire on them in today's ass-backward political climate. They're better off keeping their eye on the ball for 2020, IMO.
433
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: April 23, 2019, 09:14:18 am »As expected, Pelosi punts. Probably some bullshit about gathering evidence or proof. Fucking cowards.
The problem, is at their core, they are just like Republicans in that they believe both that the majority of Americans are lazy and depraved and that the purpose of a political party is not to promote values but to instead accumulate power.
Wait, when hasn't a political party sought to accumulate political power as the vehicle for promoting(/pushing/enforcing) their values? Not in my lifetime, I don't think.
434
Talk Zone / Re: Ryan Pressly
« on: April 17, 2019, 02:23:57 pm »What's the word for a cougar from another century?
Extinct?
435
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: April 16, 2019, 04:27:54 pm »The town hall was in Bethlehem Pa. Take the event to Kentucky and you'll get a different take I bet.
Nevertheless, it's not very on-message for Fox News. They wouldn't have run with it if they didn't think the crowd would be sympathetic to their values.
436
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: April 16, 2019, 08:34:24 am »"Renovations - what's that all about?"
I thought this was a joke until the last link posted in the thread.
437
Talk Zone / Re: Red Sox home opener
« on: April 12, 2019, 03:19:20 pm »Giles was actually 12/12 when the Astros traded him. In addition to the well-documented struggles with the organization, there were two problems with his pitching:
1) The Astros were almost certain to lose any tied game that he entered. He was a complete dumpster fire in those situations.
2) Even when he recorded the save, he often needed so many pitches he was unavailable the next day.
Giles in 2018:
Save situations: 27 games, 26 saves, 0.35 ERA, 0.662 WHIP, 93 batters faced (3.6 batters per inning)
Non-save situations: 28 games, 0-3, 9.12 ERA, 1.784(!) WHIP, 119 batters faced (4.8 batters per inning)
And that was after he started pitching better in Toronto.
438
Beer and Queso / Re: Star Trek: Discovery (Spoilers)
« on: April 12, 2019, 12:02:39 pm »
Ok, so I don't know which of you nerds are watching this now or waiting to binge it, but season 2 is almost over. I'm still having trouble deciding where this fits into my hierarchy of Trek shows, and I'm almost considering it an entity unto itself, but I've really enjoyed a lot of the things they've done this season.
For those who haven't watched yet I will list only vague spoilers for now...
At the top of that list is Anson Mount's portrayal of Christopher Pike, who has shot up my rankings of personal favorite captains and maybe trails only Patrick Stewart as Picard. The TOS tie-ins they've done for Pike with the Talosians and his later accident were really well done. They've already said that Mount/Pike won't be back for season 3, and while I wouldn't be terribly excited about yet another prequel series if they decided to do a Pike spinoff (like they're doing with Georgiou/Michelle Yeoh), I'm kind of sad that Mount/Pike are done on-screen after this season.
I've largely come to terms with the fact that they are retconning newer tech into a pre-TOS show, mostly because by today's standards TOS looks like a piece of shit so why should they make Discovery, with a larger budget and better effects/set design, look like a piece of shit? However, throughout season 2 they've laid the groundwork for tidying up a few "advanced technology" bits by season's end, including the spore drive (increasingly plausible reasoning throughout the season) and the holographic communication system (somewhat less plausible, but whatever).
In a similar vein:
We do eventually see the inside of the Enterprise, and their depiction of it is a modern, yet faithful, take on the original design. It's what the TOS Enterprise would have looked like if Gene Roddenberry were given a larger budget. And the exterior of the Enterprise, once they get around to showing "starship porn" of it, is goddamn gorgeous in this show.
Even if you're waiting to binge the show, unless you've been living under a rock you know that Spock is indeed depicted in season 2. If you're going to dig Spock back up yet again then you have to do it right, so I was a little skeptical at first. It takes a while for it to really pay off but it's turned out really well, IMO.
And now for some predictions about the season finale which includes MAJOR SPOILERS:
spoiler
spoiler
spoiler
spoiler
spoiler
spoiler
spoiler
spoiler
stop scrolling if you haven't watched yet
no really, stop scrolling
ok, here goes
1. I've seen some speculation that Control eventually becomes the Borg. While it does look like the plot breadcrumbs may be leading in that direction, Star Trek: First Contact establishes that the Borg existed at least 150 years before the events of Discovery (when Vulcans make first contact with Earth in 2063, the Borg are "still in the Delta Quadrant" a loooooong way from Federation space). I'm hoping we don't see them try to connect the dots without a really plausible explanation.
2. At first I thought that the Short Treks were fun little one-off shorts that weren't relevant to anything. But now they've incorporated "The Brightest Star" and "Runaway" into the season 2 plot, and I think they're gearing up to incorporate "Calypso". In "Calypso" the Discovery, without any explanation given, has been sitting abandoned in space for as much as a thousand years, and in that time its computer has developed its own consciousness and identity. By now in season 2 we've already seen that the Sphere data in Discovery's computers has evolved to protect itself (first by locking the data when the crew tries to delete it, and later by aborting the ship's auto-destruct on its own), so the crew is going to have to time-crystal-spore-jump Discovery into the future and abandon it there to protect the Sphere data from Control. Knowing that the show has already been renewed for a third season I find it hard to imagine that they'll air a show named Discovery about a ship named Discovery without that ship, but if they pull it off I'm here for it.
3. As Enteprise and Discovery prepare to face the Control ships in battle, how did they have so many shuttlecraft? It's even more than Voyager had in the Delta Quadrant!
For those who haven't watched yet I will list only vague spoilers for now...
At the top of that list is Anson Mount's portrayal of Christopher Pike, who has shot up my rankings of personal favorite captains and maybe trails only Patrick Stewart as Picard. The TOS tie-ins they've done for Pike with the Talosians and his later accident were really well done. They've already said that Mount/Pike won't be back for season 3, and while I wouldn't be terribly excited about yet another prequel series if they decided to do a Pike spinoff (like they're doing with Georgiou/Michelle Yeoh), I'm kind of sad that Mount/Pike are done on-screen after this season.
They're going to introduce more technology that is more advanced than anything seen in any ST iteration ever, further polluting their own timeline.
I've largely come to terms with the fact that they are retconning newer tech into a pre-TOS show, mostly because by today's standards TOS looks like a piece of shit so why should they make Discovery, with a larger budget and better effects/set design, look like a piece of shit? However, throughout season 2 they've laid the groundwork for tidying up a few "advanced technology" bits by season's end, including the spore drive (increasingly plausible reasoning throughout the season) and the holographic communication system (somewhat less plausible, but whatever).
In a similar vein:
I'm curious to see how they depict the Enterprise internals (e.g. the bridge), given that Discovery's tech is equal to or better than the TNG/DS9 era. I doubt that they're going to make it look the way it looked in the 1960s, but even the show Enterprise, with better special effects available to them, still depicted relatively primitive technology on the Enterprise NX-01 (buttons to open doors, comm panels vs. comm badges, etc.).
We do eventually see the inside of the Enterprise, and their depiction of it is a modern, yet faithful, take on the original design. It's what the TOS Enterprise would have looked like if Gene Roddenberry were given a larger budget. And the exterior of the Enterprise, once they get around to showing "starship porn" of it, is goddamn gorgeous in this show.
I know that the Discovery and Enterprise coexist at this point in time, and I'm fine with them featuring it in the show since the ship will not yet have Kirk or his crew (except possibly Spock, who served under Pike). My hope was that later on (i.e. in a few seasons, if the show is still going) they resist the temptation to dredge up Kirk and the TOS crew again.
Even if you're waiting to binge the show, unless you've been living under a rock you know that Spock is indeed depicted in season 2. If you're going to dig Spock back up yet again then you have to do it right, so I was a little skeptical at first. It takes a while for it to really pay off but it's turned out really well, IMO.
And now for some predictions about the season finale which includes MAJOR SPOILERS:
spoiler
spoiler
spoiler
spoiler
spoiler
spoiler
spoiler
spoiler
stop scrolling if you haven't watched yet
no really, stop scrolling
ok, here goes
1. I've seen some speculation that Control eventually becomes the Borg. While it does look like the plot breadcrumbs may be leading in that direction, Star Trek: First Contact establishes that the Borg existed at least 150 years before the events of Discovery (when Vulcans make first contact with Earth in 2063, the Borg are "still in the Delta Quadrant" a loooooong way from Federation space). I'm hoping we don't see them try to connect the dots without a really plausible explanation.
2. At first I thought that the Short Treks were fun little one-off shorts that weren't relevant to anything. But now they've incorporated "The Brightest Star" and "Runaway" into the season 2 plot, and I think they're gearing up to incorporate "Calypso". In "Calypso" the Discovery, without any explanation given, has been sitting abandoned in space for as much as a thousand years, and in that time its computer has developed its own consciousness and identity. By now in season 2 we've already seen that the Sphere data in Discovery's computers has evolved to protect itself (first by locking the data when the crew tries to delete it, and later by aborting the ship's auto-destruct on its own), so the crew is going to have to time-crystal-spore-jump Discovery into the future and abandon it there to protect the Sphere data from Control. Knowing that the show has already been renewed for a third season I find it hard to imagine that they'll air a show named Discovery about a ship named Discovery without that ship, but if they pull it off I'm here for it.
3. As Enteprise and Discovery prepare to face the Control ships in battle, how did they have so many shuttlecraft? It's even more than Voyager had in the Delta Quadrant!
439
Talk Zone / Re: Tom Hamilton
« on: April 12, 2019, 09:20:11 am »Add Chirinos to this list. Practically everything I've read about him since he signed emphasized how voraciously he was consuming all the new data that the team was feeding him, and the training they provided for pitch framing in particular.
Sounds like you're channeling a recent article from The Athletic.
440
Talk Zone / Re: Red Sox home opener
« on: April 09, 2019, 04:12:53 pm »
Also helps that the pitch was wild. Did Sale get distracted by the catcher or infield yelling about Gurriel, or was that pitch wild all the way?
441
Talk Zone / Re: I have been waiting for this
« on: April 06, 2019, 12:08:53 pm »The kindle version I read included a chapter about the 2018 season/ playoffs and Sig's/ others departures.
Hmm, I wonder if my Kindle book got updated with that.
If the book were designed solely as a 2017 Astros biography then the omissions of McCann and Morton are more egregious. But that's not the primary goal of the book.
442
Beer and Queso / Re: VPNs
« on: April 04, 2019, 10:36:39 am »Anybody got any advice concerning virtual private networks? Or know of other ways to bedevil MLBTV into not blacking out any teams?
I use Unlocator. Their standard "trick" is to change your DNS servers to theirs, but they also offer a smart VPN service for mobile devices where changing DNS isn't possible/feasible. Your Internet traffic doesn't actually go through the VPN, which is nice, as that would cause the video quality to suffer.
Unfortunately, using other services like Netflix while pointed to Unlocator can result in those services region-blocking you, so it's a difficult setup to implement for a smart TV.
443
Beer and Queso / Re: iPhone SE? Maybe? New Android?
« on: April 03, 2019, 12:28:07 pm »FIFY
Well played, sir. At least the Mac desktops haven't abandoned USB-A yet.
444
Beer and Queso / Re: iPhone SE? Maybe? New Android?
« on: April 03, 2019, 08:53:44 am »I have a Mac at work and the ergonomic people said the Apple mouse was too small for my hand, so they replaced it with a Logitech mouse. The new mouse, which is also wireless, is actually designed so that you can charge it and use it at the same time. It's quite nice.
You know, I don't use the Magic Mouse and I wish it was shaped a little differently, but I think it's a pretty cool little mouse. And I can appreciate that Apple changed their mice, keyboards, and trackpads to be rechargeable instead of requiring AA/AAA batteries. But I want to know what supposed genius at Apple put the Lightning charging port on the BOTTOM of the fucking Magic Mouse. What in the actual fuck? Both the wireless keyboard and the Magic Trackpad 2 have their charging ports on the rear back of the device, allowing them to be used while plugged in.
Now, to be fair, my Logitech rechargeable mouse at home can't be used while charging - it has charging contacts on the bottom and it drops into a charger base to charge. But I bought that mouse 11 years ago. You'd think if Logitech had figured it out by now (like subnuclear's mouse) then Apple could have.
445
Beer and Queso / Re: iPhone SE? Maybe? New Android?
« on: April 03, 2019, 08:35:40 am »Those two were cheaper, but the replacement Windows machines she was looking at were coming out the same price as the MB Air. The latter had the ports and the form factor that she wanted (she's a realtor so is carrying the thing around all day). It wasn't $1200, because it was the old model discounted because the new one was out. She didn't want the new one.
I don't fault her for switching to Mac because ultimately people like what they like and they hate what they hate. But there are a ton of shitty Windows laptops out there, and they are often the benchmark used to judge Windows laptops compared to Macs. Spec for spec they may be comparable to a Mac, but the build quality and the manufacturer support (how long will they release BIOS and driver updates? is their tech support US-based?) will be inferior.
446
Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: April 03, 2019, 08:23:17 am »Well. Well. Well. I just wanted to check in now that Mueller's report was a bust, and it appears that the wheels are grinding slowly toward prosecuting some of these criminals, e.g., Comey, Clapper, Ohr, McCabe, etc. and putting them in jail where they belong. Karma is a beautiful thing.
You showed astonishing restraint in waiting as long as you did to post this. I expected this about a week ago.
You should have shown more restraint.
447
Beer and Queso / Re: iPhone SE? Maybe? New Android?
« on: April 02, 2019, 03:04:07 pm »* Mrs Limey was far from an Apple fan girl, but after suffering through HP and Dell laptops, she's now thoroughly enjoying her MacBook Air
How much did those HP and Dell laptops cost? My biggest pet peeve about the whole Windows vs. Mac debate is that people think a $500 HP or Toshiba is in any way equivalent to a $1200 MacBook Pro.
448
Beer and Queso / Re: iPhone SE? Maybe? New Android?
« on: April 02, 2019, 11:50:45 am »They stumbled blindly into the obvious fact that most people simply won't buy a new phone every year if ithas stupid face-recognition tech that no one wantscosts as much as a laptop. Since then, the best they've come up with is dumbed-down phones that are still too expensive and being last into the crowded subscription TV service melee.
To be fair, this isn't a uniquely Apple problem. The entire industry is nearing a saturation point with innovation, although 5G will give it a shot in the arm. Google's cheapest modern phone is $800. Other companies' flagship phones (Samsung S10, LG G8) still start at about $750-800 just like the iPhone XR. And it's true that other manufacturers make low-end and mid-range phones while Apple hasn't since the iPhone SE (which was arguably neither, just a 6S with a smaller screen), but when has Apple ever catered to the lower end of any hardware market? Their computers have always skewed toward the high end and as such have been "too expensive" for the better part of two decades, and their phones and tablets have always run circles around their budget Android counterparts. The only counterexample I can think of was when they started aggressively pricing the 5th-gen and 6th-gen iPads at $329, but that was in a rather depressed tablet market. If consumers' changing purchasing habits cause the smartphone market to go the same way, maybe we'll see new flagship devices come down in price just like the iPad.
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Beer and Queso / Re: iPhone SE? Maybe? New Android?
« on: April 01, 2019, 11:17:55 pm »I thought the abandoning of the MagSafe charging port for new MacBooks - in favor of a few USB-C ports that don’t connect to anything - was the all-time low, but this is close in the lazy design Olympics.
So now you have to stick with the USB-A connectors for your phone and AirPods, plus a dedicated USB-A charger for your watch, none of which will plug into your MacBook without an adapter. Add to this the Apple TV remote that doesn’t plug into the Apple TV it comes with and you have the sort of disaster that almost has to be planned because the unconnectivity is so complete.
You forgot to mention that Apple made the move to USB-C for the late 2018 iPad Pro, a move that seemed to make sense in the context of the decision to go USB-C on the Macs... but then the 2019 iPad Mini and iPad Air still use Lightning.
But hey, new animojis!!!
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Talk Zone / Re: Another good twitter feed to read
« on: March 29, 2019, 04:11:32 pm »Every pitch JV threw last season, broken down by type and count.
https://twitter.com/darenw/status/1111696482003021826?s=19
Just eyeballing it, it looks like he had about the same number of 0-2 and 1-0 counts. Awesome.
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Talk Zone / Re: Team Payroll 2019
« on: March 25, 2019, 01:33:29 pm »I can't tell from the article whether Verlander's line "It was something that was important to me," is about being one of the highest paid pitchers or just getting an extension. The context is not very clear.
This tweet from the Astros has the press conference video:
https://twitter.com/astros/status/1109840582376071169
The context is that having the higher/highest AAV was important to him because it was only a two-year extension. The team apparently didn't want to do a longer deal, so Verlander wanted the higher AAV to compensate.
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Talk Zone / Re: Team Payroll 2019
« on: March 23, 2019, 06:10:15 pm »Pretty sure there were similar articles when he took over the Astros.
He's been a great owner so far. He(and Luhnow) didn't beat around the bush and give the bullshit "we're going to compete" line that most owners spill. He made no secret that it was going to be bad for a while but that things would turn around and that the money would be there when the time came. The time is now and the money is here. It's quite refreshing to have an owner that is(seems) honest and puts his money where his mouth is.
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And, perhaps more than anything, he has let the baseball people do their fucking jobs, and in fact has given them arguably the best possible resources to do their jobs better than their counterparts in other orgs. Crane is a massive improvement over the meddling, Pam-Gardner-enabling McLane.
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Beer and Queso / Re: Game of Thrones Season 8
« on: March 15, 2019, 03:36:07 pm »So I'm still working my way through Season 2. So if you're gonna post spoilers, please give us a heads up beforehand.
Spoiler alert: everybody dies.
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Talk Zone / Re: Spring Training 2019
« on: March 15, 2019, 09:21:15 am »
McHugh's career spring training stats, to date:
He has always sucked in spring training, including his best two seasons in the majors (2014 and 2018). March/April in the regular season is historically his second-best month (career: 7-3, 3.24 ERA, 1.175 WHIP, 76:14 K:BB) so I'll be worried if he's still getting lit up in mid/late April, but not before.
W-L ERA G GS IP H R ER HR SO BAA WHIP
2013 0-1 9.64 3 1 4.2 10 5 5 1 0 .500 2.14
2014 0-1 14.29 3 0 5.2 12 9 9 1 5 .414 2.47
2015 0-2 3.98 6 6 20.1 16 10 9 3 22 .216 1.03
2016 1-1 4.61 4 4 13.2 15 7 7 1 8 .283 1.32
2017 0-1 16.20 1 1 1.2 5 3 3 0 2 .556 3.60
2018 1-0 5.91 6 2 10.2 12 8 7 2 17 .286 1.41
2019 0-1 15.88 3 3 5.2 12 10 10 2 3 .429 2.47
Career 2-7 7.22 26 17 62.1 82 52 50 10 57 .322 1.57
He has always sucked in spring training, including his best two seasons in the majors (2014 and 2018). March/April in the regular season is historically his second-best month (career: 7-3, 3.24 ERA, 1.175 WHIP, 76:14 K:BB) so I'll be worried if he's still getting lit up in mid/late April, but not before.
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Talk Zone / Re: Changes to the game coming this year??
« on: March 14, 2019, 08:59:59 am »
- position players could only pitch in extra innings or when leading or trailing by at least 7 runs
FIFY
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Talk Zone / Re: Team Payroll 2019
« on: March 11, 2019, 08:38:10 pm »I like the part where Bregman told them to just renew him at the minimum and the Stros gave him an extra 100K anyway.
When I read that part of the article I kept checking to make sure McTaggart wasn't starting a new satire column.
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Talk Zone / Re: Changes to the game coming this year??
« on: March 11, 2019, 01:37:40 pm »Conversely, if it adheres to the top and bottom, hitters will.
Seems like an even trade to me.
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Talk Zone / Re: 2019 Roster (New & Improved)
« on: March 10, 2019, 08:37:34 am »Brian McTaggart @brianmctaggart 13h ago
Hinch was very complimentary today of LHP Reymin Guduan, saying he was "97 and nasty." He's in the mix for last bullpen spot.
For anyone thinking about bringing back the cheese jokes, we pretty much covered them all a while back.
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Talk Zone / Re: Changes to the game coming this year??
« on: March 09, 2019, 08:15:17 am »6) Hell yes, but I foresee a lot of "injuries" with this one. Relief pitchers should be banned from playing for 3 days if they leave due to injury.
How about a hybrid idea: the number of batters a relief pitcher faces determines their "cool down" period. Face three or more batters, you can pitch the next game. Face two batters, you're inactive for the next game. Face one batter, you're inactive for the next two games. Injured or not, doesn't matter. Pitchers that relieve starting pitchers are exempt from these restrictions.
This would discourage mid-inning pitching changes but not completely disallow them, and it still gives the manager the freedom to yank a gassed starter whenever he needs to without the first reliever paying the price.
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Talk Zone / Re: Ex-Astros News 2019
« on: March 01, 2019, 09:28:09 am »If he makes the team will that be a happy finish?
As long as the younger Rougned Odor doesn't get traded to Toronto.
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Talk Zone / Re: Preseason Panic
« on: February 28, 2019, 04:57:52 pm »That's new-fangled stuff, like people wearing caps in restaurants.
My dad and I went out to dinner the other night. While we were waiting for our waiter to give us the time of day, I saw him sit at a booth while those customers were trying to decide what to order. The only thing I could think about was not that it had been ten minutes and we'd only gotten menus, but rather that if Hudson were there they'd have to close the restaurant to scrape his brain matter off all the surfaces.
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Talk Zone / Re: Bryce Harper
« on: February 27, 2019, 05:18:24 pm »Re-watched Dave a couple of weeks ago, still great.
"He's got the power, that's why he's in the shower"
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Talk Zone / Re: Bryce Harper
« on: February 20, 2019, 04:20:46 pm »Ok. Good luck to Bryce on the 400.
SF still is pursuing a short term deal. Wonder how they are pitching it? If they could only read the TZ....
Maybe not $400mm, but I think the point is that there is no incentive to signing a 5-year deal over a 10-year deal (regardless of the opt-out) unless the 10-year deal isn't going to happen. The market has now shown that a 10-year deal is a still distinct possibility, so right now, pitching the 5-year deal to Harper as "it's just as good as the 10-year deal with an opt-out after year 5" is silly. That can change if the deal never materializes, but right now Harper has every reason to stick to his guns.
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Talk Zone / Re: Bryce Harper
« on: February 20, 2019, 03:16:57 pm »GM: “Sure, Manny got ten years, but he has an opt out after five so he can pursue another FA deal. Here is a five year deal for you at $X. At its end, you are free to go after the next big deal too without having to fight over the opt out clause now.”
Harper: "Do you think I am fucking stupid or only ordinary stupid?"
Nicely done.
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Talk Zone / Re: Ex-Astros News 2019
« on: February 14, 2019, 12:12:14 pm »A classic.
"Hunter Pence swings the bat like a very tall hobbit avoiding a swarm of bees, but somehow he makes it work."
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Beer and Queso / Re: DIRECTV streaming 2018
« on: February 12, 2019, 08:57:36 am »My friend recommended YouTube TV to me. He swears by it.
YouTube TV has excellent picture quality. I haven't tried Sling, DTV Now, or many of the others, but PS Vue's picture quality during our free trial was garbage. We showed the Super Bowl at work on our big projector screen using YouTube TV and people thought they were watching cable or satellite. Also, you get six simultaneous streams and it's pretty much the only streaming service that carries all four major networks in most markets; many other services usually lack one of those networks in each market.
My biggest complaint about YouTube TV is that with your DVR "recordings", if you don't watch them same day then they may get substituted for a VOD with commercials that you can't skip. Apparently the network or the studio can enforce that on any shows they want. It's only happened to us with a couple of shows, but it is annoying when it happens. Apparently other streaming services are susceptible to this as well.
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Talk Zone / Re: Changes to the game coming this year??
« on: February 12, 2019, 08:42:13 am »I didn't think the idea could get any stupider, but it has. Just makes it a luck of the draw thing.
Within the framework of the idea, though, using the previous inning's last batter makes the most sense, IMO.
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Talk Zone / Re: 2019 Roster (New & Improved)
« on: February 11, 2019, 08:35:39 am »I don’t know if it is the players, Boras or a little of both, but I find it kind of laughable that either thinks they are getting that kind of contract.
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I think Altuve's contract extension last offseason can inform a lot of aspects of this offseason with Keuchel and Marwin. Altuve was coming off an MVP season and World Series championship and had every monetary reason to wait and hit the free agent market. I guarantee you Boras wasn't the one pushing Altuve to get his contract extension done. Boras certainly is involved in setting the asking price pretty high for Keuchel and Marwin, but they would be signed by now if they wanted to be.
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Talk Zone / Re: Changes to the game coming this year??
« on: February 07, 2019, 11:07:53 am »Boswell in the Wapo today was talking about the extra-inning, runner on 2nd rule and acting as if it were on the table. I didn't see that in Nate's list. Is it really on the table? Definitely the stupidest proposal I've heard.
Only in spring training and the ASG, not regular/postseason.
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Beer and Queso / Re: DIRECTV streaming 2018
« on: February 05, 2019, 01:55:17 pm »
Hopefully this is the precursor to other streaming services (looking at you, YouTube TV) carrying AT&T SportsNet. fuboTV currently lacks the ESPN family of channels and MLB Network.
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Talk Zone / Re: 2019 Roster (New & Improved)
« on: February 04, 2019, 10:15:41 pm »I think LA was on his no trade exemption list.
Keep in mind, this isn't a prediction but a fear.
It ranks up there between nuclear war and carnies on my list.
What about the Dutch?
Also, isn’t it pretty typical for big name players to put large market teams on their no-trade exemption list?
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Talk Zone / Re: 2019 Roster (New & Improved)
« on: February 01, 2019, 03:51:44 pm »2020 Rotation (Assuming they sign JV for 1 year and Cole long term)
Verlander
Cole
Whitley
Valdez
James
No McCullers? And I'm hoping that McHugh will still be in the mix by that point.
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Talk Zone / Re: 2019 Roster (New & Improved)
« on: January 27, 2019, 08:21:02 pm »Hopefully getting the deviated septum fixed will have a similar effect to Josh James getting treated for sleep apnea. Oxygen is important!
Not a deviated septum, but in November I had a polyp the size of a golf ball removed from my left sinus. I forgot what it was like to sleep through the night without waking up 2-3 times.
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Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: January 19, 2019, 11:22:30 am »
Those are fair points. I still hate it though. Every misstep like this proves them right all along in their own minds, and I’d rather not let them have scoreboard at all.
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Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: January 19, 2019, 08:58:08 am »Some of the dossier is wrong, but most of it is correct.The way I see it, Buzzfeed was wrong enough, or they were wrong on important-enough details, that it took less than 24 hours to get a fairly rare rebuke from Mueller. And them standing by their reporting is worth nothing when a spokesman for the investigation itself is calling their claims into question, however cryptically.
The way to combat the #fakenews idiots is to dot every i, cross every t, and make sure that you are completely factual in your reporting. As skeptical as I was after the initial article, I became even more so when WaPo made no claims to its veracity by confirming with their own sources, and as far as I could tell the NYT didn’t even run the story.
So what do we have now? Perception is reality. Go look on Twitter and you’ll see that Trump supporters are claiming a decisive victory against fake news, and I’m finding it hard to disagree with them. It doesn’t even matter how good or bad of a news outlet Buzzfeed News is (although some of you here were lending them more than a little credibility).
“We” need to be more careful.
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Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: January 18, 2019, 09:20:13 pm »
And just like that, even if only a little bit, Trump’s “enemy of the people” rhetoric has been validated in his mind and the minds of those who support him.
Fucking Buzzfeed. What a worthless piece of shit web site.
Fucking Buzzfeed. What a worthless piece of shit web site.
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Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: January 18, 2019, 05:06:09 pm »Wow, that didn’t take long:That is some Gene-Kelly-and-Donald-O’Connor level tap dancing.
https://twitter.com/Evan_Rosenfeld/status/1086391477456883713
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Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: January 18, 2019, 08:13:31 am »
I'm waiting to see if another outlet independently confirms the story before I trust the authority for the 20 best celebrity nip slips. WaPo, for example, will usually confirm news from other outlets with their own sources, but they didn't say anything as such in their article on the story.
I just hope that someone didn't shoot their wad on this and it turns out to be incorrect. In today's climate, that would probably translate to an approval rating bump for Trump.
I just hope that someone didn't shoot their wad on this and it turns out to be incorrect. In today's climate, that would probably translate to an approval rating bump for Trump.
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Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: January 16, 2019, 10:59:10 am »If we know anything about Trump, we know that he sucks at reading pre-written, staged speeches into camera.
Let's not give him too much credit - he sucks at off-the-cuff remarks as well.
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Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: January 15, 2019, 01:09:42 pm »Tomorrow, “evangelicals” will claim he divided five Big Macs and two Filet-o-fish to feed the Clemson masses.
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Christian satire is already on the case
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Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: January 15, 2019, 10:50:04 am »I know it's not important, but it's part of Trump's inability to tell the truth about anything, any time. He tweeted that he bought over 1,000 "hamberders" for the Clemson Tigers, and they were all eaten in less than an hour.
Think about the math of this: if the Clemson party was 100 people, that's 10 "berders" each. If it was 200 people, that's still 5 each. In an hour. Certainly doable as a food challenge, but when a guest at the White House?
It was 300 hamburgers, something he apparently said himself, which makes the 1,000 figure he made up that much dumber.
Quote
As Trump repeatedly makes clear, it is indeed a lot of food, but perhaps not a lot of food in the context of a hungry college football team. In his comments, he claims that there are 300 burgers total...
...There is one other asterisk worth noting. In other comments, Trump — in true Trump fashion — suddenly more than tripled the hamburger count.
Trump is GOB exaggerating the cost of his suit.
Also love the tongue-in-cheek tone of that article.
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Talk Zone / Re: Arb-Eligible Players 2018
« on: January 12, 2019, 10:39:07 am »I’m also not too wild about seeing McHugh on the list twice. He’s been a great citizen with the club. Role changes and not a peep of discontent.
At least they settled with him this time around.
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Talk Zone / Re: Arb-Eligible Players 2018
« on: January 11, 2019, 08:31:39 pm »Fuck. Take Cole to a hearing? We should want to extend him, not fight with him.
Maybe they think he's gone after 2019 anyway.
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Talk Zone / Re: 2019 Roster (New & Improved)
« on: January 11, 2019, 01:12:36 pm »Not placing much credence in a blog that thinks you can trade a player you just signed as a FA.
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Trade piece speculation aside, the article's source is a MLB.com writer.
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Talk Zone / Re: Ex-Astros News 2019
« on: January 10, 2019, 10:01:41 am »Does Ensberg not count as an ex-Astro?
Has he landed a coaching job for 2019 yet? He won't be back with the Astros.
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Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: January 08, 2019, 03:21:25 pm »Damn, I could go on forever on this, but some recent ones and some important ones:
1. The airing of his thing tonight. The only reason they are airing what they fully expect to be propaganda and lies is because they are afraid of the right characterizing them as left leaning or unfair to Trump. They didn't air Obama's, probably since they didn't view it as news-worthy. I get that, and have no problem with that; just don't have a double standard;
2. For about a year or longer, the press was cowed into not calling Trumps lies for what they were: lies. All types of euphemisms were used, justified by a shitload of bad rationales. Hell, Maggie Haberman (NYT) is still probably trafficking in those bogus rationalizations;
3. Just look at a typical CNN panel. Since they are scared to not have a Trump supporter, they have one alongside some Democrat. It normally proceeds with a complete lie or distraction by the Trump supporter and the resulting "discussion" revolves around that. If this scenario doesn't ring a bell, just think about Kelly Anne Conway, or Sarah Huckabee, and ask yourself "why do they still give airtime to these lying sack of shits?" They've dumbed down real and necessary discussion just to accommodate the fear that they'll be called "unfair to Trump;"
4. This example always burns me up. That motherfucker still hasn't released his tax returns. The press asked for it for a few weeks during the election, met some transparently bogus resistance, and just flat gave up. They still don't ask him. You think Hillary would have been treated that way? No fucking way;
5. The NYT relaying the bogus story, right before the election and sticking to it for over a year, that the FBI had cleared Trump; and, mostly since I am tired
6. The writeup before the Iraq war
There are likely hundreds of examples more. It's difficult to see through the fog, or step outside accepted norms of thought, but the paradigm of liberal bias will crash one day too.
I don't think any of this supports a claim that the press slants conservative. Rather, I think it shows how the press has to walk a fine line to prove Trump and his supporters wrong. After all, it's not like the press doesn't want Trump supporters to be buying their newspapers or watching their networks.
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Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: January 08, 2019, 02:10:43 pm »IMO radio doesn't get called out for it's bias (it is biased) because it's barely relevant in the greater conversation.
What I find interesting from this thread is that many of you don't see media as a whole more liberally biased. To me it's obvious. Equally obvious that Fox News is conservatively biased.
I try to draw a distinction between reporting and commentary whenever possible. I think, on average, "the media" does a pretty fair job of reporting (some outlets are obviously better than others), while of course the average commentator will have a liberal bias.
I also don't watch cable news, where the two are too easily blended.
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Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: January 08, 2019, 08:21:28 am »It was a link to a Washington Post article/editorial. It mentioned the "police acted stupidly" in the arrest of Henry Louis Gates comment. Some of his Trayvon Martin comments like if I had a son, he'd probably look like Trayvon. He had other disparaging comments about law enforcement. The few folks I know who are in the military now loathed President Obama for his lack of respect.
Valid criticism of law enforcement and/or their actions does not equal a lack of respect.
This is probably the thing I hate most about modern political rhetoric: eschewing nuance and shades of gray for binary positions.
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Talk Zone / Re: Collin McHugh podcast
« on: January 08, 2019, 08:00:28 am »Also, for any Twitter users, Collin's wife is a trip. @arbuzzy
She's one of my favorite follows. For those who haven't listened yet, at the beginning of the podcast Collin said he had a strict three-F-bomb policy for the podcast, but said if his wife were on it he'd have to label the podcast "explicit".
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Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: January 04, 2019, 11:24:49 am »
Thanks all for clearing that up.
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Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: January 04, 2019, 09:44:46 am »Wrong. A million times wrong. He's leading hopefully by protesting the all-star rogue nation makeup of the committee. Sometimes, a leader has to go it alone for a while.
Honest question - to which members are you referring? Because in looking at the list of countries represented on the committee, there are only 2-3 that really jump off the page for me. One of them is Israel, a perennial darling of the Republican party. But maybe I'm not completely up on current events.
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Talk Zone / Re: 2019 Roster
« on: December 27, 2018, 09:10:16 pm »
I'm not saying I want Pam Gardner back, but if she were still running the business side of the organization, Marcus (a)Stroman would already be putting on an Astros jersey at a press conference.
Who am I kidding? It would probably be a much more marginal player.
Who am I kidding? It would probably be a much more marginal player.
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Talk Zone / Re: 2019 Roster
« on: December 19, 2018, 07:54:37 am »Ok, boys and girls, I am more than ready for the big news Bregman forecast. I’ll leave the money talk to Crane, Luhnow, and Nate.
He said in a follow up tweet that it will be a couple of weeks.
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Talk Zone / Re: Keuchel
« on: December 12, 2018, 09:59:01 am »2016 & 2017.
Right, but he was pretty durable before that and after that.
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Talk Zone / Re: Keuchel
« on: December 11, 2018, 12:38:30 pm »I think a even bigger problem is his ability to stay healthy for a full season.
He started a career-high 34 games in 2018.
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Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: December 10, 2018, 05:34:46 pm »Maybe my worldview is too simplistic, but if there were impeachable crimes committed then impeachment should follow. Although, as an Independent I’m not looking at this from the standpoint of what’s best for a Democrat or Republican. IMO, if crimes were committed then what is best for the country should precede what is best for a political party that serves the country.
In a normal political climate you would be correct. But right now, down is up. Short of some seriously fucked up repugnant shit coming out of this investigation (I'm talking 100,000x worse than anything we've heard so far), there is zero chance of the Senate voting to convict. Knowing that, why even go through the circus of impeachment in the House? You could say that it would be symbolic, but the only thing it will do is further galvanize Republican voters and put a really bad taste in the mouth of independents. The wedge currently driven between everyone gets larger. That may be bad for the Democrats, but it's also bad for the country.
As backwards as it may seem, the Democrats need to play the next two years very carefully. They already lost on Kavanaugh, and impeachment is another guaranteed loss waiting to happen as soon as someone starts drawing up the articles.
If you believe Trump is bad for the country, you need to look for the best way to remove him from office. Impeachment is not that. If Trump is guilty of crimes, let the criminal proceedings determine his fate, even if that means he survives until the 2020 election at which point he can get voted out. If he's not guilty of crimes, the Dems can still hammer the shit out of Trump based on what we already know and he can still be voted out in 2020.
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Beer and Queso / Re: Roger Angell on "Most Important" Vote of His Lifetime
« on: December 10, 2018, 10:23:32 am »This is just so, so wrong. Impeachment is political suicide for Democrats. I get that it's the right thing to do in the abstract, but it's also the biggest gift they could hand the GOP for 2020. Democratic candidates for House, Senate, and POTUS need to be able to make a positive case for their own policies. In particular, they need to keep the conversation on health care. Do you honestly think anyone will be able to break through with a positive message on health policy while everyone is screaming "IMPEACHMENT IMPEACHMENT IMPEACHMENT" on the airwaves 24/7? It's nonsense.
You have to offer an alternative to the circus. Offer a return to normalcy. Offer people a chance to go a day without being bombarded by the latest absurdity from Washington. Impeachment would do exactly the opposite.
Bingo. Impeachment is a no-go in the current political climate.