I don't understand

[Noe]

Yes, I even ask myself questions at times.  Like this one: Where are all the prognostications and chest thumping "My Astros can beat your Cubs" blatherings?  I mean, it's already spring training time and the first spring game is upon us and yet, we hear nothing, nada, zip, zero, zilch on the fortunes or misfortunes of the 2011 version of the local nine. 

What gives?

Can it be true, the Astros have become a non-story in Houston?  Is fandom such nowadays that the Astros are largely ignored by the great unwashed?  Where is my annual "Brett Myers (or substitute any pitcher's name here)will win the CY YOUNG this year... count on it!" boasting? 

I fear the worse for the Houston Astros.  No, I don't mean in terms of wins and loses, I mean in terms of apathy from the so-called fans.  Is there nothing exciting about the team this year to make them somewhat "interesting"?  Other than Hunter Pence being the leader of the team that is.  Aye Dios Mio!

[Fredia]

if the fans slip into lethargy will the grocer open up the wallet to bring on a more interesting team. going back to hp it was a bringing together of the fans with the outcry to bring him up. do you see anyone any where in the minors eliciting that kind of excitement.  i promise to attend as many games as possible and be as loud and encouraging as possible. i shall call it the  fredia principle.

[Ron Brand]

All I've seen is the garden-variety piling on and bitching about every move or non-move. I got tricked into going to Bleacher Report this morning - now they're affiliated with the Chron - and it's excrement. It may be that the losing has driven away the casual fan who was prone to those chest-beatings.

I'm not interested in anything that might cause the BBGs to take notice, anyway.

[Reuben]

I'm not interested in anything that might cause the BBGs to take notice, anyway.

Same here. You won't even see me proclaim "Michael Bourn's gonna win a Gold Glove and lead the league in steals this year!"

[Mr. Happy]

As I've prognosticated every year since 1967, the Astros will win the pennant.

[roadrunner]

The expectations for this season are lower than I can ever remember.  I mean, BP even picked the team to finish with the worst record in baseball.  We all know that's bullshit, but random fans read about that and I have to hear them make jokes in the office about how terrible the Astros are.  Throw in Drayton trying to sell the team, and overall it's just hard for the average joe to care at all about this team. 

That said, I'm legitimately excited for this season.  Footer had a great blog post about how she has no idea what this team is but that is what is great about this season.  I feel the same way.  I don't expect this team to do anything, but watching the young kids compete hard every day will be fun.  The new additions of Barmes and Bill Hall, who are apparently great clubhouse guys, will be a refreshing change from a disgruntled Oswalt and random Pedro Feliz.  I've also completely bought into the media spin of this team working hard and coming together.  Who knows if that translates into anything of substance, but it makes me feel better.

Around town the Astros are an afterthought right now, but fortunately Houston is loaded with mediocre sports teams so any success this year will draw some attention.  At least I hope.  If I get sucked into any more 3-4 defense/Kubiak conversations I think I'll kill myself.

[Curly]

We can talk them up all we want, they will be mediocre at best.

[Bench]

Meanwhile, Clarkie's Crushers is trying to close out the intrasquad.  Per FooterTweet:

Heading to final inning of #intrasquad, Koby Clemens has three hits and 2 RBIs, Bogusevic is 2-for-3 and Clarkie's Crushers are up 5-1.

So... when's the GZ oiling up it's sprockets?

In other news, as far as I can tell, Friday 3/18 v. Fla and Saturday 3/19 v. StL are the only ST games FSN is showing.  There are a few games on MLBN here and there as well, but as a U-Verse household I won't bother writing it down.

[Bench]

We can talk them up all we want, they will be mediocre at best.

Yeah.  It's hard to have any expectations about this group.

But, it certainly will be fun to watch and I'm sure we're all excited for the return of baseball and our favorite team regardless.  Getting to watch Michael Bourn play centerfield every day - much like AE a few years ago - is an absolute treat. 

[Ron Brand]

There are so many question marks with this team that despite their record, it's going to be fun over the next 2-3 years watching the new guys find their way. I'm particularly looking forward to Lyles and Wallace becoming big leaguers.

[strosrays]

There are so many question marks with this team that despite their record, it's going to be fun over the next 2-3 years watching the new guys find their way. I'm particularly looking forward to Lyles and Wallace becoming big leaguers.

Wallace is the one I want to watch, especially.  Partly because he resembles Damone, yes; but also because he is a guy who impressed no casual/stats-only fan last year, on the surface.  But some of us who have taken a closer look think there is a chance he could be an everyday .300/.390/.475 hitter at 1B, something like that.  I am going to enjoy watching him develop, I think.

You know you've been missing baseball when you are driving around town on a Saturday listening to XM, and are enjoying . . . I said enjoying John Sterling's and Suzyn Waldman's call of a meaningless Yankee-Philie early spring training game.

[Ron Brand]

Wallace can really rip the ball and seems to understand plate discipline too. I'm not sure what to make of the early reports from Mike Barnett, who is focusing on getting his hands right because weight shift is too disruptive to his swing. His body type would suggest a little more power but if stability helps him hit better, then so be it.

[Taras Bulba]

I found it interesting that Wallace would not listen to Bagwell.

[Bench]

Wallace can really rip the ball and seems to understand plate discipline too. I'm not sure what to make of the early reports from Mike Barnett, who is focusing on getting his hands right because weight shift is too disruptive to his swing. His body type would suggest a little more power but if stability helps him hit better, then so be it.

He's certainly one to watch.  If he can become a latter day Nick Johnson, that wouldn't be a bad thing at all.

Basically, I see the team breaking down like this off the top my head, which has enjoyed a lovely Houston sunday on the porch sipping rum and wine (not at the same time):  The front four of the staff can certainly be very solid with an outside shot at impressive.  Melancon and Abad have the potential to constitute a ferocious short inning corp, and Lyon has the experience, but not the track record, to be a consistent closer.  Offense-wise, Bourn can rebound to his 2009 track, Pence might make the leap to "getting" situational hitting, Lee could show that 2010 was a bad fluke, Johnson can keep on keepin' on, Castro and Wallace could blossom into the hitters everyone saw in the draft rooms and trading floors and hopefully Barmes can play a meaningful shortstop and Bill Hall can show that his play at second learned a lot in Boston, while providing occasional power from the bottom of the lineup.  It's all possible, and it's absolutely worth watching unfold, but it's a lot of long shots.  

[Ron Brand]

You must not read BP. This team is going to stink to high heaven.

[Reuben]

I found it interesting that Wallace would not listen to Bagwell.

Huh?

[OregonStrosFan]

There are a lot of 'what ifs' with this squad, but they certainly have the potential to surprise a lot of folks this season.  It could be a very entertaining one...

Here are a couple of the Astros storylines I'll be paying attention to this season (in no particular order):

- Getting a read on what kind of contribution Norris and Happ are going to have for the Astros in the future (though Happ had 5 starts between 2007 and 2008, he didn't have 15 starts in a season until 2009 and 2010; Norris has had 38 starts over the past two season; now that they are both through their '2nd years' in the bigs, it'll be easier to see what the team has in them IMO);

- Castro and Wallace: are they the going to be the quality players that I think (and hope) they'll be for years to come;

- Who is going to come out of nowhere in the bullpen this season and have a great season (a la Sampson, Fulchino, Arias, Lopez, etc. over the past couple of seasons);

- Can Myers come close to repeating last seasons performance;

- Is Carlos done, or was last season an enigma;

- Jordan Lyles rookie debut.

[Ron Brand]

Huh?

I know we're all familiar with Pence!!! disregarding Bagwell, but I think I remember something about Wallace sticking to his batting style and not wanting to change it other than looking for small differences in his established style.

I can sympathize with that - I mean, do you trust what has worked for you for years and got you where you are, or do you start tinkering with it because a Hall of Fame caliber hitter tells you to try something pretty different from what you've been doing? Those kinds of questions would drive me nuts if I was in his place.

[Ron Brand]

Baseball. I can't believe that we get a game tomorrow. I'm very happy.

[cougar]

You know you've been missing baseball when you are driving around town on a Saturday listening to XM, and are enjoying . . . I said enjoying John Sterling's and Suzyn Waldman's call of a meaningless Yankee-Philie early spring training game.

Did Rajah show up so Suzy could wet herself again?

[OregonStrosFan]

Baseball. I can't believe that we get a game tomorrow. I'm very happy.

17 hours, 15 minutes and counting.  CAN'T WAIT!!!

[chuck]

I found it interesting that Wallace would not listen to Bagwell.

When talking with McTaggart today I very casually mentioned that I had heard this and he didn't seem to know anything about it. It's interesting that some people around the team obviously keep their ear close to the ground while others do not.

[Reuben]

When talking with McTaggart today I very casually mentioned that I had heard this and he didn't seem to know anything about it. It's interesting that some people around the team obviously keep their ear close to the ground while others do not.

Where did you and/or Taras hear it? And did Wallace just not want to overhaul his swing, as Ron Brand alluded to, or did he flat-out not heed anything Bagwell had to say? He doesn't strike me as a stupid or stubborn kid.

[Waldo]

Meanwhile in Austin, Astros merchandise is gradually drying up.  I knew this was to be expected with the Express, but it still sucks.

[austro]

Meanwhile in Austin, Astros merchandise is gradually drying up.  I knew this was to be expected with the Express, but it still sucks.

It's not just the merchandise, either. Just try finding something about the Astros in the newspaper.

[Ron Brand]

There's a newspaper?

[94CougarGrad]

I live in DFW, where there are a great many unwashed who don't give a shit about the Astros. Truth be told, I don't believe many of 'em know that there's another MLB team in this state. They're pretty uppity about their Rangers fandom. I have gotten asked several times whether I follow baseball, and when I respond that I'm an Astros fan, I get blank looks followed by, "Oh... yeah..."

[hostros7]

I live in DFW, where there are a great many unwashed who don't give a shit about the Astros. Truth be told, I don't believe many of 'em know that there's another MLB team in this state. They're pretty uppity about their Rangers fandom. I have gotten asked several times whether I follow baseball, and when I respond that I'm an Astros fan, I get blank looks followed by, "Oh... yeah..."

Did you just move there last fall? Because, prior to that, I'm pretty sure no one in Dallas knew there was an MLB team in the entire state.

[S.P. Rodriguez]

I live in DFW, where there are a great many unwashed who don't give a shit about the Astros. Truth be told, I don't believe many of 'em know that there's another MLB team in this state. They're pretty uppity about their Rangers fandom. I have gotten asked several times whether I follow baseball, and when I respond that I'm an Astros fan, I get blank looks followed by, "Oh... yeah..."

Having fled the D/FW area several years back, I can attest to the reaction you describe.  However, with time, I've learned that your Astros fandom declaration invoked a state of shock in the Ranger fan.  See, according to ESPN, and all Dallas-ites listen to Randy Gallo without question, Houston fans don't exist.  So your declaration was equivalent to saying "I'm Sasquatch" or "I'm a blonde that doesn't like enormous hair/sassy bob!".  You get the idea...   My advice, leave the area and don't look back.  DON'T EVER LOOK BACK!!!

[GreatBagwellsBeard]

Look back and you turn into a pillar of cocaine.

[geezerdonk]

Look back and you turn into a pillar of cocaine.

with implants

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

DFW is a constructed image. It is purposeful to an extent but one should be careful how it is used. The city of Fort Worth is a great town. The city of Dallas is a vapid hell hole.

[strosrays]

Look back and you turn into a pillar of cocaine.

with implants

Wow.  Compelling image.

Dallas is a midwestern city like Des Moines or Omaha, face it.  It being in Texas is just an accident of geography.

Ranger fan acting uppity is pretty funny, considering all the team's history up to last season.  But not surprising.

[94CougarGrad]

I used to hear the bitching and moaning about the Rangers before last season, but while those folks bemoaned this and that, they still couldn't give a damn about the Astros. I am convinced that the local usage of the term "DFW" is another means of several populations of Dallasites to attempt to present themselves as superior to those of us from... any other part of the state. I worked in Fort Worth for a while, and there really is a different culture of North Texanism over there. I myself use the term DFW because I live in the general area of D but prefer not to pose as a Dallasite.

What has surprised me about moving up here is that I keep finding pockets of Texans who are FTC fans. Really? WTF??

[Taras Bulba]

Wow.  Compelling image.

Dallas is a midwestern city like Des Moines or Omaha, face it.  It being in Texas is just an accident of geography.

Ranger fan acting uppity is pretty funny, considering all the team's history up to last season.  But not surprising.

Exactly right--it's a Midwestern place. Dallasites like order.  Having to live or even visit an exotic locale like San Antonio or Galveston puts the mind fuck on them.  Houston is just simply too messy.

I live as far north as I ever want to be.

[Duke]

I live as far north as I ever want to be.

Where I come from anybody living north of Waco is a yankee.  Especially folks from Dallas.

[Guinness]

Especially folks from Dallas.

You really shouldn't insult yankees like that.

[sporadic]

What has surprised me about moving up here is that I keep finding pockets of Texans who are FTC fans. Really? WTF??

Not at all unusual.  I lived north of Dallas when I began playing little league.  If you wanted to watch NL baseball it was either the FTCubs on WGN or the Braves on TBS.  There were no other options.

[94CougarGrad]

Neither the Braves nor the FTC are acceptable options. No wonder so many folks up here are... indescribable.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Not at all unusual.  I lived north of Dallas when I began playing little league.  If you wanted to watch NL baseball it was either the FTCubs on WGN or the Braves on TBS.  There were no other options.

When I lived up there, or worse, in Oklahoma, having the Astros on the NBC Saturday game of the week was like a holiday.