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General Discussion => Talk Zone => Topic started by: Bench on January 04, 2013, 02:31:03 pm
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Morgan Ensberg.
Ensberg is back in the fold.
McTaggTweet: Morgan Ensberg is returning to the #Astros organization as a roving instructor. More Minor League assignments to come.
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Ensberg is back in the fold.
McTaggTweet: Morgan Ensberg is returning to the #Astros organization as a roving instructor. More Minor League assignments to come.
A roving instructor? Odd for MoBerg's role to be mobile.
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A roving instructor? Odd for MoBerg's role to be mobile.
He'll never travel to a city the same way twice.
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AE too. McTweet: Former SS Adam Everett is also returning to Astros as a Minor League instructor. #astros
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AE too. McTweet: Former SS Adam Everett is also returning to Astros as a Minor League instructor. #astros
"Keep one eye on the ball, and the other on the LFer. Trust me on this."
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AE too. McTweet: Former SS Adam Everett is also returning to Astros as a Minor League instructor. #astros
Anyone read The Art of Fielding? I pictured Scrimshander as AE the entire novel.
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"Keep one eye on the ball, and the other on the LFer. Trust me on this."
Only Stuart Scott can truly achieve such a feat.
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Only Stuart Scott can truly achieve such a feat.
And Marty Feldman.
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That's pretty cool - two of my more favorite (?) - Astros, although I was hoping Ensberg might be part of the broadcast or radio team in some capacity.
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Vince Coleman on Astros Minor League staff as outfielder/baserunning developmental specialist at Quad Cities.[/url]
Whoa. I guess they want DDJ to get 150 next year.
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Vince Coleman on Astros Minor League staff as outfielder/baserunning developmental specialist at Quad Cities.[/url]
Whoa. I guess they want DDJ to get 150 next year.
A perfect fit. He long ago pioneered the technique of throwing fireworks at young people to make them run faster.
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Probably nothing, but...
http://www.torontosun.com/2013/01/04/blue-jays-radio-broadcaster-alan-ashby-resigns
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Probably nothing, but...
http://www.torontosun.com/2013/01/04/blue-jays-radio-broadcaster-alan-ashby-resigns
http://sports.nationalpost.com/2013/01/04/blue-jays-radio-analyst-alan-ashby-going-home-to-call-astros-games/
After six years as radio analyst on the Toronto Blue Jays games, Ashby has been hired to do both analysis and play-by-play on the Houston Astros television network.
“I feel blessed and fortunate to be able to come home, giving my wife and me a chance to live at home now and work here in Houston,” Ashby said in a telephone interview.
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The Rangers have made an offer to Berkman. Tags reports that Luhnow has also reached out to Puma in the last couple of days.
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The Rangers have made an offer to Berkman. Tags reports that Luhnow has also reached out to Puma in the last couple of days.
Why am I suddenly remembering this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srED53EoMuU)?
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The Rangers have made an offer to Berkman. Tags reports that Luhnow has also reached out to Puma in the last couple of days.
Let's hope he reached out to encourage him to sign with the Rangers.
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After six years as radio analyst on the Toronto Blue Jays games, Ashby has been hired to do both analysis and play-by-play on the Houston Astros television network.
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2013/01/brett_dolan_astros_radio.php
And the front office was really into marketing and branding, and they wanted Dolan and Raymond pushing that side of things. They also wanted the broadcasters stressing the positive, no matter how bad things were out on the field.
"This front office was less interested in hearing criticism of the team," Dolan said. "I think we did our best to present the positives until games where there weren't [any positives]. I think there were fans that wanted more criticism and analysis, but I don't think that would've served Dave or myself well. But ultimately [in terms of our jobs], it probably wouldn't have mattered."
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And the front office was really into marketing and branding, and they wanted Dolan and Raymond pushing that side of things. They also wanted the broadcasters stressing the positive, no matter how bad things were out on the field.
"This front office was less interested in hearing criticism of the team," Dolan said. "I think we did our best to present the positives until games where there weren't [any positives]. I think there were fans that wanted more criticism and analysis, but I don't think that would've served Dave or myself well. But ultimately [in terms of our jobs], it probably wouldn't have mattered."
From the previously linked article:
It didn’t take long for fans to embrace his articulate, unadorned and insightful style. Working alongside play-by-play man Jerry Howarth, Ashby was not timid about criticizing the performance of Jays’ players, but criticism was hardly his stock in trade. He came across as friendly, fair and without conceit, just as he does off-air.
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Have to give props to the new organization. Bringing back former Astros (Everett being one of my favorites of all time, up there with Bagwell and Puhl) is a good thing for all of us. Losing Deshaises hurts, but bringing back the bridge to the past is always welcome.
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Reading that Houston Press article, it makes me wonder. Was I not the only one who thought they were awful, and that article is a bright light on how far off-base they were, or do I just live in an alternate dimension and DoRay were poor victims who deserved better?
There's no way that can be true. They were horrific and clueless. I'll jab at that windmill forever before I change my mind.
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Reading that Houston Press article, it makes me wonder. Was I not the only one who thought they were awful, and that article is a bright light on how far off-base they were, or do I just live in an alternate dimension and DoRay were poor victims who deserved better?
There's no way that can be true. They were horrific and clueless. I'll jab at that windmill forever before I change my mind.
My thoughts exactly. The idea that DoRay were just itching to speak the truth to power strikes me as fanciful. Besides, if there's anybody I don't need pontificating about the franchise's mis-steps, it's a couple of Cubfans.
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My thoughts exactly. The idea that DoRay were just itching to speak the truth to power strikes me as fanciful. Besides, if there's anybody I don't need pontificating about the franchise's mis-steps, it's a couple of Cubfans.
A-fucking-men.
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Reading that Houston Press article, it makes me wonder. Was I not the only one who thought they were awful, and that article is a bright light on how far off-base they were, or do I just live in an alternate dimension and DoRay were poor victims who deserved better?
There's no way that can be true. They were horrific and clueless. I'll jab at that windmill forever before I change my mind.
They were awful. However, there is a case to be made that the format they worked in was crazy and that's on Astros management. THey were essentially both PBP guys without anything to add from an analysis POV and they both blabbed incessently without saying anything worth hearing. THe note on Ashby indicates he'll do some PBP. I don't remember him being very good at that, either. But I welcome him back.
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My thoughts exactly. The idea that DoRay were just itching to speak the truth to power strikes me as fanciful. Besides, if there's anybody I don't need pontificating about the franchise's mis-steps, it's a couple of Cubfans.
What a couple of douchebags. Fans don't want to here you criticize the organization, they want you to describe the fucking game they're not watching. They were fired because they sucked at their jobs.
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What a couple of douchebags. Fans don't want to here you criticize the organization, they want you to describe the fucking game they're not watching. They were fired because they sucked at their jobs.
It is absolutely an analyst's job to give a clear-eyed view of what's happening on the field. With an organization like the Astros there will inevitable be a good deal of analysis that might be seen as criticism.
They were indeed terrible but no one should be surprised that I would avail myself of an opportunity to share an article that indicates that the front office is full of thin skinned people that don't know shit about baseball.
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They were awful. However, there is a case to be made that the format they worked in was crazy and that's on Astros management. THey were essentially both PBP guys without anything to add from an analysis POV and they both blabbed incessently without saying anything worth hearing. THe note on Ashby indicates he'll do some PBP. I don't remember him being very good at that, either. But I welcome him back.
I agree with this but I would say Ashby improved greatly as a middle-inning-sub-for-Milo-pbp-man from 1998 to 2005--going from unbearable to tolerable. Hopefully, the past 7 years in Toronto has furthered his growth.
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They were indeed terrible but no one should be surprised that I would avail myself of an opportunity to share an article that indicates that the front office is full of thin skinned people that don't know shit about baseball.
That may or may not be true, but if DoRay are so blindingly wrong about everything else I can't suddenly trust that they're right in assessing the people who got rid of them.
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It is absolutely an analyst's job to give a clear-eyed view of what's happening on the field. With an organization like the Astros there will inevitable be a good deal of analysis that might be seen as criticism.
They were indeed terrible but no one should be surprised that I would avail myself of an opportunity to share an article that indicates that the front office is full of thin skinned people that don't know shit about baseball.
The FO has certainly displayed an alarming amount of tone-deafness when it comes to certain things. However, I think the comment you refer to ought to be taken with a grain of salt, considering it's coming from Dolan (who in that brief article blames just about everyone/everything but himself, Hurricane Irene, and the batboy for his firing) and written by a wormy non-journalist.
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Vince Coleman on Astros Minor League staff as outfielder/baserunning developmental specialist at Quad Cities.[/url]
Whoa. I guess they want DDJ to get 150 next year.
Quad Cities= the new LEX (lo-A ball), so Coleman won't be working with DDS unless he roves over to Lancaster or Corpus. I can't think of any burner-types, offhand, who project to be at QC this year.
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Quad Cities= the new LEX (lo-A ball), so Coleman won't be working with DDS unless he roves over to Lancaster or Corpus. I can't think of any burner-types, offhand, who project to be at QC this year.
[thinking out loud]... Brett Phillips, D'Andre Toney maybe? I doubt Correa will be running very much... Austin Elkins, if he goes from TC to QC, ditto Sclafani... Teoscar Hernandez was 10-for-11 in SB in the GCL, but I'm assuming he goes to Greenville. That's about all the lower-level speed guys I can think of.
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http://sports.nationalpost.com/2013/01/04/blue-jays-radio-analyst-alan-ashby-going-home-to-call-astros-games/
After six years as radio analyst on the Toronto Blue Jays games, Ashby has been hired to do both analysis and play-by-play on the Houston Astros television network.
“I feel blessed and fortunate to be able to come home, giving my wife and me a chance to live at home now and work here in Houston,” Ashby said in a telephone interview.
It feels so weird to read some actual good news. Even if it is off the field stuff.
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It feels so weird to read some actual good news. Even if it is off the field stuff.
At this point, it's an impossibility for the Astros to do or say anything that is not an improvement over the last few years.
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bravo bravo (claps)
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At this point, it's an impossibility for the Astros to do or say anything that is not an improvement over the last few years.
I'm not sure how trading Deshaies for Ashby qualifies as good news.
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I heard Geoff Blum will be back, too.
I'm not sure whether it is 100% or not, but I heard that he'll be a part of the broadcast team.
Brownie will do 100 or so games, and in his absence, Ashby will fill in. While Ashby does play-by-play, Blum will do color.
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I'm not sure how trading Deshaies for Ashby qualifies as good news.
I'm not comparing Ashby to JD, no one can ever measure up to him. I did like Ashby when he was on the radio, though, and I'm happy with the choice. If it had been someone like, say, Josh Lewin... I never would have watched another Astros game without the TV muted.
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I heard Geoff Blum will be back, too.
I'm not sure whether it is 100% or not, but I heard that he'll be a part of the broadcast team.
Brownie will do 100 or so games, and in his absence, Ashby will fill in. While Ashby does play-by-play, Blum will do color.
I have no idea how good he'll actually be, but I could see Blum in the color role. He's smart, has a sense of fun. He might be quite good at it.
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Quad Cities= the new LEX (lo-A ball), so Coleman won't be working with DDS unless he roves over to Lancaster or Corpus. I can't think of any burner-types, offhand, who project to be at QC this year.
Quad Cities was a cards affiliate. It is in Cards territory. Good PR move to help the new affiliate by basing him there but he will be roving to other teams on road trips. He basically takes to role Milt Thompson had last year.
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I heard Geoff Blum will be back, too.
I'm not sure whether it is 100% or not, but I heard that he'll be a part of the broadcast team.
Brownie will do 100 or so games, and in his absence, Ashby will fill in. While Ashby does play-by-play, Blum will do color.
Okay, just to be sure here:
Ashby on television (not radio - will do both PBP and color)
Blum on television (Color when Ash is doing PBP)
PBP on television - Bill Brown (limited with Ash doing color)
So that being the case, they still have to fill the radio gig... both PBP and color. Here is hoping Jerry Trupiano gets the gig. Just saying.
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Okay, just to be sure here:
Ashby on television (not radio - will do both PBP and color)
Blum on television (Color when Ash is doing PBP)
PBP on television - Bill Brown (limited with Ash doing color)
So that being the case, they still have to fill the radio gig... both PBP and color. Here is hoping Jerry Trupiano gets the gig. Just saying.
I agree on Trupiano. I saw that a former Mets announcer seems to be the PBP front-runner. Steve Sparks is the leading candidate for radio PBP.
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Reading that Houston Press article, it makes me wonder. Was I not the only one who thought they were awful, and that article is a bright light on how far off-base they were, or do I just live in an alternate dimension and DoRay were poor victims who deserved better?
There's no way that can be true. They were horrific and clueless. I'll jab at that windmill forever before I change my mind.
They just didn't get their shot? Please. They got far more opportunities than any other organization would have given. Go back to the minors and work on your game!
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David Barron yesterday:
Meanwhile, I expect the Astros to bring in Alan Ashby as early as Tuesday for a news conference regarding his return to Houston to call Astros games on Comcast SportsNet Houston. With confirmation that Bill Brown is cutting back his schedule to about a hundred games a year, it would not be a surprise this week to learn that Geoff Blum is signing on to do games alongside Ashby in Brown’s absence and work as a CSN Houston studio analyst on game days when he isn’t in the booth. Colleague Brian T. Smith said he is hearing that Blum will be on board, and a mix of games and studio work seems to be a logical slot for him. I also think it’s more likely that Larry Dierker and others, including Craig Biggio or Jeff Bagwell, will have studio duties rather than booth duties.
http://blog.chron.com/sportsmedia/2013/01/texans-bengals-rating-matches-2012-game-good-rating-for-cotton-bowl-more-chatter-about-blum-joining-astros-tv-crew/
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I agree on Trupiano. I saw that a former Mets announcer seems to be the PBP front-runner. Steve Sparks is the leading candidate for radio PBP.
Ugh, I liked Sparky on the show after the game, but he's a bit dull and dry for my taste as a color analyst. Having said that, he's not that bad either. I'd rather go with good analysis however it is delivered than analysis given by a hair on fire ex-ballplayer that's just babbling for babbling sake.
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Ugh, I liked Sparky on the show after the game, but he's a bit dull and dry for my taste as a color analyst. Having said that, he's not that bad either. I'd rather go with good analysis however it is delivered than analysis given by a hair on fire ex-ballplayer that's just babbling for babbling sake.
You just made me picture Hunter Pence doing TV work in 8-10 years. That made me chuckle.
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I enjoyed Sparks' insights as a player and found his pitching information to be very good as well.
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I enjoyed Sparks' insights as a player and found his pitching information to be very good as well.
+1
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Me too. Always liked him on the postgame.
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He's always been able to find a positive side of something.
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I thought it was great when Sparks filled in on the radio for a few games this year.
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I thought it was great when Sparks filled in on the radio for a few games this year.
Then again, an alpaca could have filled in on the radio and been an improvement.
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A guanaco even.
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A guanaco even.
Is that a taco made of bat poop?
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dont say that the austin city council might get ideas
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http://blog.chron.com/ultimateastros/2013/01/07/roger-clemens-on-verge-of-taking-active-role-with-houston-astros/
Seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens is on the verge of taking an active role with the Astros.
Clemens, 50, is scheduled to meet Monday with general manager Jeff Luhnow. The Astros plan to open their 2013 schedule to Clemens, allowing him to participate as much as he wants during spring training and the regular season. Owner Jim Crane and pitching coach Doug Brocail are onboard with the move, which would see Clemens take a role he’s often hinted at since retiring in 2007.
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http://blog.chron.com/ultimateastros/2013/01/07/roger-clemens-on-verge-of-taking-active-role-with-houston-astros/
Seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens is on the verge of taking an active role with the Astros.
Clemens, 50, is scheduled to meet Monday with general manager Jeff Luhnow. The Astros plan to open their 2013 schedule to Clemens, allowing him to participate as much as he wants during spring training and the regular season. Owner Jim Crane and pitching coach Doug Brocail are onboard with the move, which would see Clemens take a role he’s often hinted at since retiring in 2007.
so, he'll be ready to pitch by July 1?
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http://blog.chron.com/ultimateastros/2013/01/07/roger-clemens-on-verge-of-taking-active-role-with-houston-astros/
Seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens is on the verge of taking an active role with the Astros.
Clemens, 50, is scheduled to meet Monday with general manager Jeff Luhnow. The Astros plan to open their 2013 schedule to Clemens, allowing him to participate as much as he wants during spring training and the regular season. Owner Jim Crane and pitching coach Doug Brocail are onboard with the move, which would see Clemens take a role he’s often hinted at since retiring in 2007.
Maybe he will be the new Strength and Conditioning Coach.
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Maybe he will be the new Strength and Conditioning Coach.
Coach Needles.
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David Barron yesterday:http://blog.chron.com/sportsmedia/2013/01/texans-bengals-rating-matches-2012-game-good-rating-for-cotton-bowl-more-chatter-about-blum-joining-astros-tv-crew/
On Saturday, I heard that Blum would be doing "fill-in" work on days Ashby is doing play-by-play. So, I sent Brian Smith an email to validate what I heard. He wrote he hadn't heard anything but he'd ask around. The next morning, he wrote me back and told me that he asked the Astros and "they didn't deny it."
Anyway, I like Geoff Blum. I met him in San Diego a few years ago when he was with the Padres. He seems like he'd be good in the booth. Maybe we'll find out.
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On Saturday, I heard that Blum would be doing "fill-in" work on days Ashby is doing play-by-play. So, I sent Brian Smith an email to validate what I heard. He wrote he hadn't heard anything but he'd ask around. The next morning, he wrote me back and told me that he asked the Astros and "they didn't deny it."
Anyway, I like Geoff Blum. I met him in San Diego a few years ago when he was with the Padres. He seems like he'd be good in the booth. Maybe we'll find out.
Met Geoff Blum at a caravan tour one year. Jeff Kent was on the same tour. So Geoff takes the time to talk to me since I mentioned that several of us had a bet that year that his hair color would definitely be orange for opening day. He laughed and started to talk baseball with me. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Kent squirm a little as our conversation went everywhere in terms of baseball rituals and jinxes. We got the biggest eye roll from Kent when we both agreed that anyone who dyes their hair green is a sure 10 homerun or more hitter.
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Met Geoff Blum at a caravan tour one year. Jeff Kent was on the same tour. So Geoff takes the time to talk to me since I mentioned that several of us had a bet that year that his hair color would definitely be orange for opening day. He laughed and started to talk baseball with me. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Kent squirm a little as our conversation went everywhere in terms of baseball rituals and jinxes. We got the biggest eye roll from Kent when we both agreed that anyone who dyes their hair green is a sure 10 homerun or more hitter.
and then he flung himself off a monster truck.
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and then he flung himself off a monster truck.
Which hurts.
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McTaggart (http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130112&content_id=40938742&vkey=news_hou&c_id=hou) reporting Blum will indeed work 60-odd games (Brownie's off-days).
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McTaggart (http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130112&content_id=40938742&vkey=news_hou&c_id=hou) reporting Blum will indeed work 60-odd games (Brownie's off-days).
Any word on radio broadcast team?
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At this point, it's an impossibility for the Astros to do or say anything that is not an improvement over the last few years.
I'm late to the party, hence the late reply. Lets say the Astros win their division this year (they won't). I am not convinced that I'll think this entertainment product is improved from, say, the 2009 74-win team with Bourn, Brocail, Lee, Wandy, etc.
The move to the AL, for me, has so fundamentally and negatively changed the entertainment product that I struggle to see how the successful presentation of that crappy product (winning season, etc...) can entertain me more than the poor presentation of a far superior product.
Sure, I'll watch the Astros this year. I expect that the passion will be largely gone because, even in its best form, it's just not an appealing product to me anymore. Maybe I am wrong or this will change over time. I hope so because there is a compelling choice right down the road...
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I'm late to the party, hence the late reply. Lets say the Astros win their division this year (they won't). I am not convinced that I'll think this entertainment product is improved from, say, the 2009 74-win team with Bourn, Brocail, Lee, Wandy, etc.
The move to the AL, for me, has so fundamentally and negatively changed the entertainment product that I struggle to see how the successful presentation of that crappy product (winning season, etc...) can entertain me more than the poor presentation of a far superior product.
Sure, I'll watch the Astros this year. I expect that the passion will be largely gone because, even in its best form, it's just not an appealing product to me anymore. Maybe I am wrong or this will change over time. I hope so because there is a compelling choice right down the road...
I hear you, and get where you are coming, especially since you do not live in Houston. However, I disagree. Watching winning baseball is far more fun than losing baseball, regardless of its a bastardized form of the game. You just said you have an appealing product up the road(the Nationals, who look to be competitive for a long time). Doubt you would switch to being a Nationals fan if they weren't on the upswing in terms of competitiveness.
Also, remember, the players had nothing to do with this. Crane will be rich regardless of what fans do, but this group of Astros players that will form the next competitive team do not deserve a lack of support because the team switched leagues.
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Also, remember, the players had nothing to do with this. Crane will be rich regardless of what fans do, but this group of Astros players that will form the next competitive team do not deserve a lack of support because the team switched leagues.
As a consumer, the most powerful - and often the only - way to register your opinion is by withholding your consumer dollars. I don't shop and Randalls, I will never, ever, ever buy a Samsung product and, for the foreseeable future, I won't spend a dime voluntarily* on anything to do with MLB. Yes this impacts the players who are not party to management's shenanigans, but there are shelf-stackers at Randalls and assembly techs at Samsung who likewise have done nothing to me.
* I am a Comcast subscriber, so I'm sure some of my eleventy-billion dollar monthly bill goes towards that CSN nonsense. All that's done is give me more reason to switch to U-Verse at the very earliest opportunity.
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As a consumer, the most powerful - and often the only - way to register your opinion is by withholding your consumer dollars. I don't shop and Randalls, I will never, ever, ever buy a Samsung product and, for the foreseeable future, I won't spend a dime voluntarily* on anything to do with MLB. Yes this impacts the players who are not party to management's shenanigans, but there are shelf-stackers at Randalls and assembly techs at Samsung who likewise have done nothing to me.
* I am a Comcast subscriber, so I'm sure some of my eleventy-billion dollar monthly bill goes towards that CSN nonsense. All that's done is give me more reason to switch to U-Verse at the very earliest opportunity.
Just curious about the Samsung boycott you have going on?
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Just curious about the Samsung boycott you have going on?
That's easy. What I want to know about is his problem with Randall's.
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That's easy. What I want to know about is his problem with Randall's.
Well shit, now that you mention it...
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As a consumer, the most powerful - and often the only - way to register your opinion is by withholding your consumer dollars. I don't shop and Randalls, I will never, ever, ever buy a Samsung product and, for the foreseeable future, I won't spend a dime voluntarily* on anything to do with MLB. Yes this impacts the players who are not party to management's shenanigans, but there are shelf-stackers at Randalls and assembly techs at Samsung who likewise have done nothing to me.
* I am a Comcast subscriber, so I'm sure some of my eleventy-billion dollar monthly bill goes towards that CSN nonsense. All that's done is give me more reason to switch to U-Verse at the very earliest opportunity.
I'm well aware of this tactic that you have chosen to employ. However, das was not talking about foregoing spending money on MLB, he was talking about switching allegiances to a different team, the Washington Nationals. If he wants to boycott baseball because of this, I get it. But to switch to being a fan of a different team because the team was forced to switch leagues is a bit much for me at least.
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While Nationals fandom is a temptation for many, not just those of us who live nearby, it's moderated by the use of the term 'Natitude' which I think lacks dignity and the fact that the Lerners own some of the worst shopping malls I've ever seen.
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While Nationals fandom is a temptation for many, not just those of us who live nearby, it's moderated by the use of the term 'Natitude' which I think lacks dignity and the fact that the Lerners own some of the worst shopping malls I've ever seen.
Not to mention that the uniforms look like they belong to the Walgreen's softball team.
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Well shit, now that you mention it...
He never forgave Randall's for being a grocery store.
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While Nationals fandom is a temptation for many, not just those of us who live nearby, it's moderated by the use of the term 'Natitude' which I think lacks dignity and the fact that the Lerners own some of the worst shopping malls I've ever seen.
I lived in DC for fourteen years (back when Marion Barry had his second go 'round as mayor and Logan Circle was still verboten); was actually surprised by how little my enthusiasm for the Natinals crested after the extortion of moving the Astros to the AL softball league. Still remember watching Eric Bruntlett's game winning home run for the Stros in the 14th inning back in 2005. My brother and I bought tickets for the cheap seats and worked our way down to club level, eerily like my last Astros home game in 2012. Too much has changed since then...
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Just curious about the Samsung boycott you have going on?
I have provided services to Samsung on two separate occasions - some time apart. Both times they let me work through one year's program and then stole my intellectual property. I swore never to buy any Samsung products after the first time and only worked for them again because my boss begged me to and it was a different part of the company. I am currently in a lawsuit over the second occasion.
There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on ... shame on you. Fool me ... you can't get fooled again.
You can imagine my satisfaction when they got slammed by Apple for...stealing intellectual property.
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Not to mention that the uniforms look like they belong to the Walgreen's softball team.
A really classy Walgreen's softball team, though.
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That's easy. What I want to know about is his problem with Randall's.
A long, long time ago I had a run of 200 cheques stolen. I closed that account immediately and reported the theft to the police, but that didn't stop the cheques from being written to numerous unwitting vendors. A number of them were written to Randall's (about $6k's worth in the end - I kept a spreadsheet), and I would reply very politely to each of their shitty letters telling them that the cheque was stolen, here's the police report, please do not accept any more cheques on this account.
Fast forward a few years, and a few address changes later: I am shopping for car insurance. I get a good deal, but I cannot bind it because I have two warrants for my arrest outstanding. WTF?!! Turns out both are the result of Randall's prosecuting me for passing stolen cheques. I guess the letters hadn't followed me through multiple address changes, so they just went ahead and filed with the cops - totally failing to cross-reference with their own fucking files.
I "turn myself in" for the warrants and get both warrants cleared in the separate courts in which they were filed, one easily and one not so easily*. In the meantime, I had called Randall's accounting department to figure out a way not to have this happen again. I told them that if it helps, I will never shop there again so they should not ever take any form of payment with my name on it. They said that they could not do this because the people they employ to run the registers are too stupid to perform any kind of check (seriously, she used the word "stupid"). I asked her if their office staff were too stupid to cross-reference the name and account number, and figure out it's the same dance that we've done over a dozen times - she told me that was also the case. I told them they needed to start hiring smarter people, starting with her position.
* I had to go to Pasedena to answer the second warrant. I was the only non-court personnel person in a suit and possibly in a minority of people wearing shoes and sleeves. I had to sit and wait to be called in front of the Assistant DA, and so I was forced to witness a parade of sad reality: repeat delinquency of minors and adults, spousal abuse and people too stupid to stay out of jail. There's no getting away from it either, as you are not allowed to use a phone or even read a book. Then my name was called. I sat down at the ADA's table and presented all my evidence - a big, fat file of correspondence, including the aforementioned spreadsheet, a copy of my affidavit attesting to the theft and a copy of the police report. I was calm and confident because this had been more than sufficient for the Houston ADA to dismiss my case swiftly and without fuss.
The ADA flicked through my file, absent-mindedly looking at some pages. I highlighted to him the numerous times I had corresponded with Randall's in the past, some 20 or so occasions. He flicked some more pages. He asked me why I had kept such a file, which was a stupid question because, as I told him, it was because I feared exactly this type of situation. He suggested that I had put it together specifically for this proceeding - another stupid question - and I assured him that I began compiling the file the moment the first bounced cheque letter hit my mailbox. When the cheques had first been stolen, the shitty letters from Randall's and others came thick and fast, and I wanted to make sure my arse was covered.
He closed my file and pushed it away from him dismissively. He told me that, based on the evidence presented, he was inclined to dismiss my case. Inclined? WTF? Then he mustered as much Law and Order gravitas as he could through that pencil neck and into his pin head and said "BUT!...if evidence comes to my attention sometime down the road that you did write these cheques...I will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law!"
I really, really, really wanted to slam his head against the desk a la There's Something About Mary, but I didn't. I was as much of a victim here as Randall's - moreso, in my opinion, because I had no control over this while Randall's did. But I held my cool and sat back in my pew waiting to be dismissed - which had been instantaneous in Houston but, in Pasedena, took a few moments to process paperwork first, or so the ADA told me. That fucker never moved any of my papers off his desk (I was watching), kept me waiting for an hour and a half, an hour and a fucking half of "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo's Even More Fucked Up Relatives", and then announced that I could leave.
The whole situation burns me to this day, and if I ever saw that ADA out and about I would bring down some mighty vengeance upon him. What a miserable little twat, living a such a miserable life that he has to exercise his tiny little bit of power over people who fall into his sphere of authority through no fault of their own. I would do my best to do him a favour by beating all that misery out of him.
That's why I don't shop at Randall's. Also, have you seen how fucking expensive they are?
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I'm well aware of this tactic that you have chosen to employ. However, das was not talking about foregoing spending money on MLB, he was talking about switching allegiances to a different team, the Washington Nationals. If he wants to boycott baseball because of this, I get it. But to switch to being a fan of a different team because the team was forced to switch leagues is a bit much for me at least.
I agree. It was MLB as a whole that conspired to force this move on the Astros which (as has been discussed in here exhaustively) was unnecessary and seemingly vindictive. Hence my boycott of MLB as a whole, which unfortunately happens to include the Astros.
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I asked her if their office staff were too stupid to cross-reference the name and account number, and figure out it's the same dance that we've done over a dozen times - she told me that was also the case. I told them they needed to start hiring smarter people, starting with her position.
I'm sure they hire every PhD that applies.
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I couldn't imagine giving up on MLB as a whole which is part of why I have accepted the move to the AL....but I'm also a single 27 yr old male who spends most of his time working, getting drunk, and playing terrible golf. I imagine having a real family life and stuff like that could make giving it all up easy.
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Also, have you seen how fucking expensive they are?
Fuck no, I don't shop there, either.
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I imagine having a real family life and stuff like that could make giving it all up easy.
Unless your family really likes baseball and the Astros.
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ding ding ding...
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Also, have you seen how fucking expensive they are?
You guys lose your Remarkable Cards?
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I couldn't imagine giving up on MLB as a whole which is part of why I have accepted the move to the AL....but I'm also a single 27 yr old male who spends most of his time working, getting drunk, and playing terrible golf. I imagine having a real family life and stuff like that could make giving it all up easy.
I continue to follow the Astros because I secretly wish I was a single 27 yr old male who spends most of his time working, getting drunk, and playing terrible golf.
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I continue to follow the Astros because I secretly wish I was a single 27 yr old male who spends most of his time working, getting drunk, and playing terrible golf.
Why secretly? I make no secret of it.