JD expected to return in 2013

[Ron Brand]

As per this article in the Chron.

CSN Houston officials have not commented on Astros plans for 2013, but game analyst Jim Deshaies is expected to return, and studio analyst Steve Sparks could join the network. Play-by-play voice Bill Brown said he is uncertain of his plans for 2013.

[juliogotay]

As per this article in the Chron.

He has certainly been talking like he knew he'd return saying things like being excited about seeing new venues and cities.

[Fredia]

fingers crossed...and he seems to want to try all the new food

[JimR]

RB: check your PM.

[Gizzmonic]

As per this article in the Chron.

Best news I've heard all season.  Brownie coming back would be the 2nd best.  Those guys are the most enjoyable sports announcers I've ever had the pleasure of listening to...more than makes up for the limp radio team IMHO.

[roadrunner]

phew

[qcbaseball]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Deshaies went to the Cubbies.

http://blog.chron.com/ultimateastros/2012/12/03/deshaies-leaves-astros-booth-for-spot-with-cubs/

[Fredia]

damn

[Astros Fan in Big D]

FTC, FML.

[Lurch]

Just saw this.  Sorry folks.  For sticking with it, you at least deserved to keep the best color guy in the game

[HudsonHawk]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Deshaies went to the Cubbies.

http://blog.chron.com/ultimateastros/2012/12/03/deshaies-leaves-astros-booth-for-spot-with-cubs/

You're not. We've been talking about it for weeks.

[roadrunner]

So basically no radio guys and a half of a brownie.  Who is going to call the games that no one will be able to see or want to hear?

[juliogotay]

So basically no radio guys and a half of a brownie.  Who is going to call the games that no one will be able to see or want to hear?

Is Brownie a sure deal? I found this this morning http://www.astroscounty.com/   about half-way down in the Deshaies to Chicago story.

JD's partner, Bill Brown, still isn't sure what he's going to do...seeing as how he and the Astros haven't talked in two months:

"I need to talk to some people about this. I need to know a whole lot more about the situation than I know now. I was afraid something like this might happen because of the way in which Astros broadcasters are handled on one-year contracts. I'm surprised this didn't happen earlier....We have not talked in two months now. I need to know what the timing is, what the direction is, the philosophies. There are a lot of blank spaces to be filled in for me."

[Limey]

Is Brownie a sure deal? I found this this morning http://www.astroscounty.com/   about half-way down in the Deshaies to Chicago story.

JD's partner, Bill Brown, still isn't sure what he's going to do...seeing as how he and the Astros haven't talked in two months:

"I need to talk to some people about this. I need to know a whole lot more about the situation than I know now. I was afraid something like this might happen because of the way in which Astros broadcasters are handled on one-year contracts. I'm surprised this didn't happen earlier....We have not talked in two months now. I need to know what the timing is, what the direction is, the philosophies. There are a lot of blank spaces to be filled in for me."

I am convinced now that the new ownership is even more clueless than the old ownership, and that's uncharted depths of cluelessness. 

[Ebby Calvin]

I am convinced now that the new ownership is even more clueless than the old ownership, and that's uncharted depths of cluelessness. 

I don't think they're clueless, I think they just don't give a fuck. Winning games makes fans happy and puts asses in seats.  Until they start doing that consistently, every peripheral (beloved or otherwise) is up for grabs.

I hate it, but that's how I see it.

[astrosfan76]

Is Brownie a sure deal? I found this this morning http://www.astroscounty.com/   about half-way down in the Deshaies to Chicago story.

JD's partner, Bill Brown, still isn't sure what he's going to do...seeing as how he and the Astros haven't talked in two months:

"I need to talk to some people about this. I need to know a whole lot more about the situation than I know now. I was afraid something like this might happen because of the way in which Astros broadcasters are handled on one-year contracts. I'm surprised this didn't happen earlier....We have not talked in two months now. I need to know what the timing is, what the direction is, the philosophies. There are a lot of blank spaces to be filled in for me."

The article that this came from has been edited to focus on J.D.'s side, taking out most of Brown's lines, but the way it is quoted here is very misleading.  Brown wasn't saying that he and the club/CSN haven't talked in two months, but that he and Deshaies hadn't.  At least that was the way I read it yesterday without the truncations.  Big difference.  This is from the edited article:

Brown, who has called Astros games since 1983, added, “I’m hopeful of working next year. I have had the chance to have some discussions, and I do believe the Astros will try to do the right thing with their broadcasters. I feel good about things going forward.”

http://blog.chron.com/ultimateastros/2012/12/03/deshaies-leaves-astros-booth-for-spot-with-cubs/

[jbm]

I am convinced now that the new ownership is even more clueless than the old ownership, and that's uncharted depths of cluelessness. 

In all things unrelated to Luhnow (too early for assessment), this appears to be the case.  Other than Do-Ray, every decision appears hopelessly tone deaf.

I also wonder how financially strapped the ownership group is.  I wasn't expecting a high payroll, but wasn't expecting a bare-bones payroll either.  I also wonder how the clusterfuck over, and potentially much lower revenue from, their network affects their financial plans?

In sum, it actually could get worse.

[Limey]

In all things unrelated to Luhnow (too early for assessment), this appears to be the case.  Other than Do-Ray, every decision appears hopelessly tone deaf.

I also wonder how financially strapped the ownership group is.  I wasn't expecting a high payroll, but wasn't expecting a bare-bones payroll either.  I also wonder how the clusterfuck over, and potentially much lower revenue from, their network affects their financial plans?

In sum, it actually could get worse.

I don't think that the new owner was expecting to have to give away seats for free at the end of last season just to get people to show up...and they still didn't.  I suspect that their projections for revenue drop off have been revised sharply downwards, and so they are having to be careful of payroll throughout the organisation, not just for the playing staff.

The acquisition, IIRC, was heavily financed, and priority for financial resources will go to the debt service.  If revenue is below projections, they may well be potless after they write the monthly cheque to the bank.

[OregonStrosFan]

The acquisition, IIRC, was heavily financed, and priority for financial resources will go to the debt service.  If revenue is below projections, they may well be potless after they write the monthly cheque to the bank.

The financing was not actually as bad as it appeared at first glance, and doesn't project to be the issue that some initially feared (even with the lack of AIS).

[roadrunner]

I don't think they're clueless, I think they just don't give a fuck. Winning games makes fans happy and puts asses in seats.  Until they start doing that consistently, every peripheral (beloved or otherwise) is up for grabs.

I hate it, but that's how I see it.

I hate it, too, but honestly JD's not going to affect the bottom line and that's what these guys care about.  New unis, cutting payroll, investing in a long term winning product will drive that.

We are a small group of diehards, and even after moving to the AL and losing JD most of us will be back for Spring Training.  It's the other 99% that makes $$.

[Bench]

I don't think they're clueless, I think they just don't give a fuck. Winning games makes fans happy and puts asses in seats.  Until they start doing that consistently, every peripheral (beloved or otherwise) is up for grabs.

I hate it, but that's how I see it.

This is why we can't have nice things.

[chuck]

The financing was not actually as bad as it appeared at first glance, and doesn't project to be the issue that some initially feared (even with the lack of AIS).

How do you know?

[Tralfaz]

Well crappy, crap, crap! They sure know how to kick a fan when he's down.