Topics

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Talk Zone / An Astro meets a President

« on: November 06, 2019, 06:44:34 pm »

Walking through the breakroom and see on the television an uncomfortable looking Urquidy in an office with the President of Mexico. Glad Urquidy is getting some love in his native land. So impressed with how he handled himself in the World Series, and hoping he gets a chance to repeat wearing Astros orange. Viva Urquidy!

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Talk Zone / Celebration of Verlander's no-hitter

« on: September 05, 2019, 10:33:41 am »

As noted elsewhere on the board Jomboy has been kicking ass covering MLB, including some excellent coverage the Astros. All this from a Yankees fan. could give one hope for the species.

Jomboy's coverage of Verlander's no-hitter is brilliant. So many great lines its hard to choose the best. Even though I know its coming I laugh every fucking time I hear "ohhhhhhhhmygod, he knows mahhhhhhname!"

https://jomboymedia.com/2019/09/02/justin-verlander-no-hits-the-blue-jays-a-breakdown/

Reddicks hair flip, also wonderful...can't say I've enjoyed any coverage of baseball more than this guy.

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Talk Zone / Power ball

« on: October 09, 2018, 02:19:43 pm »

Rob Neyer has a new book, Power Ball,  that examines baseball through a single game played by two teams in September 2017. Because one of the teams is the Astros i'm listening to it. 

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Beer and Queso / Youth baseball bat

« on: September 28, 2018, 03:39:20 pm »

Buying a bat for a 9 year old. Found useful stuff online on how to select proper size.
Any recommendations on brands?

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Beer and Queso / Football down under

« on: September 28, 2018, 09:59:48 am »

Aussie rules football championship is tonight. If you are up late and want to check out a great sport give it a go. If you are in houston the phoenix on westheimer has a great party. Its kid friendly, taking four of mine. Go blues!

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Talk Zone / Fun Commerical with Astros

« on: April 04, 2018, 10:02:12 am »

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/astros/article/Springer-Correa-Altuve-coffee-H-E-B-commercial-12802113.php

Apologize for linking a commerical but this one has two of my favorite addictions, coffee and Astros. Disfrute!

7

Talk Zone / And the winner is...

« on: November 14, 2017, 09:46:03 pm »

Paul molitor wins AL Manager of the year with twice as many votes as Hinch's 52. Guess Mr. Hinch will have to console himself with a world series championship over the long cold winter. Thank you Mr.Hinch.

8

Talk Zone / The BIG STAGE

« on: October 26, 2017, 04:51:47 pm »

I was thrilled that the Astros road to the World Series went through Boston and New York. They are great teams with a national fan base full of history and tradition. The national market noticed when the Astros won game seven against the Yankees, which would not have been much of a story if the Astros beat Cleveland. Sorry Cleveland, but the country is accustomed to you loosing.

And I am delighted that the Astros are playing the Dodgers. It is easy to say, beat L.A., and mean it. And L.A. and the Dodgers are another big market, big payroll, long history team. People are finally getting to see what Springer, and Altuve, and Correa are all about. And Houston too. A lot of people think of Houston as a backwater submerged trump loving swamp, most likely underwater and in need of pity. I am so proud of the city and hope the national attention helps to frame how awesome and resilient this region and this team are.

More than national recognition, I hope this team can turn Houston into a baseball town. I love seeing all the Astros gear that people are wearing. I love when neighbors ask me the score. I love when someone is a real baseball fan and gets excited about the Astros. Because that's what bothered me the most about the AL move--most of the market was oblivious or indifferent. There is no tradition of loving the home team. I don't have hate for any baseball fan, not even Yankee fan when he's pouring beer on the family of the visiting manager. Sure, he's a classless shit, but he's stupid, and a yankee, and doesn't know any better. And he loves baseball and his team so all right.  But someday I'd like Houston to have a lot of people who grew up loyal to the Astros and know the stories of the old greats who played and maybe don't pay so much attention to the Texans until after the home team is done for the year.
 

9

Talk Zone / Non-fiction baseball book recommendations

« on: October 10, 2017, 12:39:48 pm »

I've learned to appreciate baseball while watching the Astros play. Along the way a few books  have helped me understand and provide context for the game.
One that comes to mind is "Pure Baseball" by Keith Hernandez. It is a play by play analysis of a couple of games that helps explain what the managers and players are thinking during the course of a game. Doesn't provide the answers, but helps to highlight the questions.
At this point I am interested in the whole game. The macro/micro. Would love to learn which baseball books the OWA crowd reads about this great and glorious game.

10

Talk Zone / NYT Story on changing role of Relief Pitchers

« on: September 28, 2017, 12:39:48 pm »

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/magazine/here-comes-the-closer-in-the-seventh-inning.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=mini-moth&region=top-stories-below&WT.nav=top-stories-below

"Here Comes the Closer" NYT story about using "Closers" in non-save situations. Also includes conversation with some of the Dodgers Analytics team. News you can use.

11

Talk Zone / Division Winner

« on: September 22, 2017, 03:57:12 pm »

Been having a lot of emotions around the Astros this season and now experiencing some new ones. The Astros and baseball are synonymous with me--fan since 1994. Right now I feel like the team is back. I can connect with them again. I had felt distant for a while.  It broke my fan's heart when they moved to the AL--I had nightmares of the team being moved to some cold foggy place in the pacific northwest--stadium and all--I would try to drive to the juice box in my dream and it was gone. I'd go to the dome and it was gone. I'd go to a game and the baseball fans were there for the team batting at the top of the inning.

And a close friend died last year. He had stopped following the Astros after the AL swtich. He had been a Cardinals fan before the Astros existed, so he went back to being a Cardinals fan. We had talked Astros Baseball for over two decades, he told me about the Colt 45's, the mosquitoes in the original park, Micky Mantle's home run. We'd  gone to games at the Dome, downtown, took our kids watched them on t.v., radio...but he just turned his back on them after the went to the AL.  I understood.  If I had ever been a fan of another team I'd have done the same thing. 

But this season has been been different. There are echos of events in many seasons that have come before (5 men at an All start game; Carlos Beltran, an epic trade at the last possible moment with a second to spare to name a few). The thing that feels really new is the Astros have never been this good. Some of you want them to beat the Indians for best record in the AL. I don't care. At all. I want the Astros to win their Division, they have and I am delighted. The Astros have to play two good teams before they get to the World Series. I am looking forward to watching some great baseball. And I think the 2017 Astros  can hold up their end of making each series amazing, how ever many there may be.
 
I can't give a fuck about how the Indians play unless and until the Astros face them. The Astros have more wins on the road than at Home so how much can I care about home field advantage? Sure, I do want to see the Astros knock the Angels out of the Wild card and sweep the Rangers in their home at Arlington and watch them open UP a whole lot of ORANGEWHOOPASS in bean town and drive the Red Sox fans crazy. Seriously, I want crazed heartbroken red sox fans to troll this board and meet JimR. But there ain't no shirt for best regular season record. It's fine with me if some poor sad fucker in cleveland  gets to print that one up custom along with his matching  "record win streak 2017" sweater to keep him warm among that lake effect snow. 

And I think that is some of it. Other than the Rangers (arlington annexing Texas), Yankees (yankee fans) and White Sox (2005) I couldn't connect to the teams in the AL. It took  time  to adjust to the context of the new league. Now it feels like the Astros are back in Houston. It feels like the Hurricane and the Verlander trade and sweeping the fucking Mets and winning the division, even the AL WEST, brought them--no me--back home.

And this complete lack of a pennant race in late September is weird. Don't intend to get used to it, but it sure is nice to know what it feels like. 



 




 

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Talk Zone / Good Places to watch away games in Houston

« on: September 14, 2017, 03:02:35 pm »

For the Houston-based denizens of the grand old OWA, where are places you recommend going to watch away games? I live near Oakforest and work near the Galleria, so places inside the loop or just north of it are best? Any suggestions?