OrangeWhoopass.com Forums
General Discussion => Talk Zone => Topic started by: EasTexAstro on May 13, 2011, 01:04:16 pm
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Probably mostly true, though:
http://msn.foxsports.com/video/MLB?vid=87f5cbf3-ea99-4967-8458-d775e40d1507
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Probably mostly true, though:
http://msn.foxsports.com/video/MLB?vid=87f5cbf3-ea99-4967-8458-d775e40d1507
If you have to type an apostrophe, why don't you just type an A?
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I think the criticism of failing to spend at the major league level is unfair, as the payroll has fallen only when Drayton finally embraced the need to rebuild.
But he's right about everything else. If Crane does actually come in and order a housecleaning for young talent, I'll have a ton of respect for it. But I don't see any way it happens, because he'd be viewed as just overseeing a Marlins-type teardown.
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Has there ever been a team that sold off every scrap of talent on the team to rebuild? Ever? I'm not talking here about selling off for money like the old As, but to rebuild talent?
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I think the criticism of failing to spend at the major league level is unfair, as the payroll has fallen only when Drayton finally embraced the need to rebuild.
I'd agree with that for the most part, but think there was a conscious decision not to spend more than was absolutely necessary this year. E.g.'s Byrdak: gone solely because of the money he'd have had to have been paid (think the club could use a decent LHP this season?); Lindstrom: IMO the primary reason he is gone has to do with money as well.
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I'd agree with that for the most part, but think there was a conscious decision not to spend more than was absolutely necessary this year. E.g.'s Byrdak: gone solely because of the money he'd have had to have been paid (think the club could use a decent LHP this season?); Lindstrom: IMO the primary reason he is gone has to do with money as well.
Fair, but that specifically was associated with the pending sale.
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Fair, but that specifically was associated with the pending sale.
Yep. I was pretty much picking nits...
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I think the criticism of failing to spend at the major league level is unfair, as the payroll has fallen only when Drayton finally embraced the need to rebuild.
But he's right about everything else. If Crane does actually come in and order a housecleaning for young talent, I'll have a ton of respect for it. But I don't see any way it happens, because he'd be viewed as just overseeing a Marlins-type teardown.
What's he going to tear down?
Young players are already at C, 1B, and 3B. There's no value in the players at SS and 2B. LF is untradeable. CF and RF are the only valuable position players in their prime. How much would another team give for them? Or do you keep one or both?
Myers and Wandy have value. How much to other teams? Happ and Bud are young enough to keep esp given that good pitching is harder to find. Not much value in the bullpen either.
To me, tearing down then would mean dealing Myers, Wandy, Pence, and Bourn, but only if you can get high caliber prospects in return. Is that really tearing down then or is this thing already pretty much torn down?
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To me, tearing down then would mean dealing Myers, Wandy, Pence, and Bourn, but only if you can get high caliber prospects in return. Is that really tearing down then or is this thing already pretty much torn down?
That's what I mean by tearing down. Also, releasing Lee to free up ABs.
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releasing Lee to free up ABs.
for......?
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for......?
Spite.
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for......?
Bogusevic? Martinez? Anyone that can swing a bat?
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Bogusevic? Martinez? Anyone that can swing a bat?
Martinez I can see. Bogusevic, not so much.
ETA: Then again Martinez has never faced the quality junkballer in AAA. No telling if MLB AB's would be worthwhile for him yet.
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What about Bourgeois?
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Martinez I can see. Bogusevic, not so much.
ETA: Then again Martinez has never faced the quality junkballer in AAA. No telling if MLB AB's would be worthwhile for him yet.
His notebook approach makes me think he'll get better at any level over time. However, I'd imagine it's still best to give him at least a half season at AAA.
Boojwah/Bogusevic platoon with a little Michaels sprinkled in sounds better to me than Lee.
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Boojwah/Bogusevic platoon with a little Michaels sprinkled in sounds better to me then Lee.
I'd be happy with this.
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And screw trading Keppinger. The Bill Hall power experience we've enjoyed over the first 6 weeks needs to be retired. Keppinger's grade school jock strap could slug 327. I could see Kepp's approach at the plate being a nice teaching tool for the young guys.
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Hall can follow the Pedro Feliz route.
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Hall can follow the Pedro Feliz route.
The Astros managed to trade Feliz. I would be astounded if anyone would trade anything at all for Bill Hall.
I'm in a Veags sports book at the moment. They give the Astros 250-1 to win the world series this year. The only teams remotely close to those odds are the Ponzis, the Nats and the D-backs, all at 150-1.
I took some shit last year for saying that the Astros' organization was as bad as the Pirates and the Royals. It's now pretty obvious to me that the Astros are all alone as the single worst franchise in baseball. I hope that in addition to a sincere youth movement Crane installs a competent and professional front office.
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I hope that in addition to a sincere youth movement Crane installs a competent and professional front office.
Does this include Wade/Heck?
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I took some shit last year for saying that the Astros' organization was as bad as the Pirates and the Royals. It's now pretty obvious to me that the Astros are all alone as the single worst franchise in baseball. I hope that in addition to a sincere youth movement Crane installs a competent and professional front office.
The problems with this franchise predate and go over the heads of Wade/Heck.
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The Astros managed to trade Feliz. I would be astounded if anyone would trade anything at all for Bill Hall.
I was astounded anyone wanted Feliz. Let alone get a possible future bullpen arm for him. Hall still has the potential to hit for a lick, where as Feliz was just a warm body at the point of the trade. Might get something for him. At least someone willing to eat his salary.
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I took some shit last year for saying that the Astros' organization was as bad as the Pirates and the Royals. It's now pretty obvious to me that the Astros are all alone as the single worst franchise in baseball. I hope that in addition to a sincere youth movement Crane installs a competent and professional front office.
99% of this board thinks Lee is untradeable and I don't think you can start a youth movement without getting rid of him and his large salary. Explain to me how a competent front office might deal with that better.
Astros finished significantly in front of the Pirates and Royals last year, so they were the better team at the time of the discussion, though I don't remember it.
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I'm in a Veags [sic] sports book at the moment.
You live the most nomadic life of anybody I've ever met.
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You live the most nomadic life of anybody I've ever met.
chuck is everywhere....
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He is the most interesting poster of the board.
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Carlos is untradeable. Everyone knows I love Carlos but it was a bad if not terrible contract for the team and they're paying the cost of it now. I think the only way the team deals with it is to resign itself to having a veteran RBI man in the lineup this year and next. The only player he could possibly be blocking that might deserve a spot next year is Martinez and I'm not sure Martinez is a fit for left any more than Pence should be in right.
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And I have family in Vegas by the way so it's not like I'm out here high rolling with Tiger Woods like Limey.
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And I have family in Vegas by the way so it's not like I'm out here high rolling with Tiger Woods like Limey.
Do you have a family everywhere you go? Does your family in Kissimmee only see you in the spring?
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The problems with this franchise predate and go over the heads of Wade/Heck.
Unfortunately, there is a odd but true sort of air about the current Astros braintrust: "Guilt by association". I know that Wade/Heck were doing what the boss ordered to an extent, but the reality may be that many will say that they both bought into the methods ordered by the boss. Pam? Not so much because she will be seen as an exec who "did well to keep the turnstiles turning even with a bad ballclub and bad owner with bad baseball men (yes men)"
My fear is that no one will scratch the surface and see that what Wade and Heck did was because the real boss was Smith, who tried to play the middle against the ends (extremes) of both McLane and Pam. Pam had more to do with baseball than folks realize.
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Pam had more to do with baseball than folks realize.
Like what?
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Like what?
Or Why? Her job was to get people through the turnstyles. If that made bad baseball, and Drayton let it, Pam was just doing her job.
but I have it on good authority that last week she was the one who left Abad in to pitch against righthanders.
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Do you have a family everywhere you go? Does your family in Kissimmee only see you in the spring?
In Florida I have only stalkers and no family that I am aware of.
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The Twins by the way are 47-1.
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In Florida I have only stalkers and no family that I am aware of.
I've never stalked you, that I can remember.
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I've never stalked you, that I can remember.
I told my brother all about the Avett Brothers experience last night. I think we may have another convert.
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I told my brother all about the Avett Brothers experience last night. I think we may have another convert.
"Lots of other white people who also know all the words to all the songs."
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"Lots of other white people who also know all the words to all the songs."
With hipster hats. Don't forget the hats.
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With hipster hats. Don't forget the hats.
Ah yes, the hats. I will be sure to keep an eye peeled on Friday.
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Did they postpone the Houston show that was booked for April or do they just love Houston so much that had to return for another engagement?
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Did they postpone the Houston show that was booked for April or do they just love Houston so much that had to return for another engagement?
Postponed due to child birth.
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Like what?
Opening Day Catcher JR Towles, for one.
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Like what?
Well, you need to keep up a little better. When Gerry Hunsicker agreed to bow out gracefully, the business side and the baseball side were introduced to each other. Up until that time, Hunsicker made darn sure neither ever met because he wanted nothing to do with decisions made on the field that came from business operations concerns. McLane did not see eye to eye on that and of course Hunsicker was also known for his stand offish, rather caustic treatment of people in the business side. When he left, the walls came down faster than the Berlin Wall. It is also when Bob McLaren left as well to dedicate time to other McLane business interest. In came Pam Gardner, around the very same time Tim Purpura was hired as the new GM. So now the two sides promised to work with each other more to make the whole team operations as symbiotic as possible. Tal Smith had not problem with it either.
So they started to have days when business folks sat in to learn from scouting meetings and so forth. People like Dewey Robsinson, who worked in virtual anonymity in the baseball operations became more visible to business people. Pam was aggressive in trying to be the type of Business Ops VP that worked in this new system. So she had input on how a baseball decision might effect those fans who accosted McLane at the stadium. Her boss was not a sharp man when it came to baseball, but if he could have it explained in a "why this makes sense for business", he could sell it to the fans. So this great experiment started to lean to a situation that started to annoy Tim Purpura and it was not more evident than the day he had to answer for not calling up Hunter Pence as soon as everyone else (re: media and fan influenced) wanted. That was the indicator to many baseball folks looking at the Astros to say that this organization was now run by a huge influence from the business side and they were right to an extent.
It hasn't stopped. Many a baseball person who wants to work for this organization under McLane knew that this was a necessary evil. If you want a laundry list of examples, I cannot provide that for you. Only can tell you what baseball folks have told others and what they've told me.
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I remember Gerry H being extremely pissed off that Drayton would not authorize and additional $5 million for relievers prior to the 2004 season. We were extremely thin in the pen and neeeded help. I think that was the straw that broke the camel's back
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I told my brother all about the Avett Brothers experience last night. I think we may have another convert.
Nobody told my about the cellist (celloist?). That guy was fucking insane; I wish they put a mike in front of him. Wonderful show.
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Nobody told my about the cellist (celloist?). That guy was fucking insane; I wish they put a mike in front of him. Wonderful show.
What are we supposed to say? Hey, they have this demented, long-haired Korean dude on stage jumping around playing air cello and singing along like a backseat drunk, except he's holding what appears to be an authentic cello?
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What are we supposed to say? Hey, they have this demented, long-haired Korean dude on stage jumping around playing air cello and singing along like a backseat drunk, except he's holding what appears to be an authentic cello?
And soulfully playing it as well... about 20% of the time at least, which is better than the drummer can say for himself.
The sheer enthusiasm of J-Kwon (as we have dubbed him) was beyond the price of admission. Speaking of which, thanks Ty! Great seats.
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Agreed. Fantastic show. Probably the most energetic, sincere band I've ever seen.
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Nobody told my about the cellist (celloist?). That guy was fucking insane; I wish they put a mike in front of him. Wonderful show.
That's all well and good, but does he look like this while playing the cello?
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.brooklynvegan.com/img/music/rarariot/bowery2/28.jpg&imgrefurl=http://chocolatina.xanga.com/&usg=__rM0YyyXcBgraAGUXY91ToOKRREg=&h=705&w=470&sz=63&hl=en&start=29&sig2=JaUzQJ6DQOyM9jsLsXe01Q&zoom=1&tbnid=_lOVGAouH5l__M:&tbnh=129&tbnw=97&ei=GHHaTbSXF4nu0gG6vKz8Aw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dalexandra%2Blawn%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1388%26bih%3D571%26tbm%3Disch0%2C449&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=440&sqi=2&page=2&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:29&tx=44&ty=71&biw=1388&bih=571
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And soulfully playing it as well... about 20% of the time at least, which is better than the drummer can say for himself.
The sheer enthusiasm of J-Kwon (as we have dubbed him) was beyond the price of admission. Speaking of which, thanks Ty! Great seats.
Glad you enjoyed it as much as I did. One of the most earnest bands I have seen in some time.
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I was at Verizon on Friday. It was a great show...much better than I was expecting. I think I liked it even more than Wilco who just came to town, and that's despite the fact that I like Wilco much more overall as a band.