I have been waiting for this

[juliogotay]

a book about the Astros that is beyond the obvious recounting of what we all know and see about the Crane/Luhnow team. A "how-they-done-it" book. Hopefully this will be it. https://www.si.com/mlb/2018/04/18/houston-astros-astroball-ben-reiter-book

[BUWebguy]

No idea if the book will be any good or not, but that's a pretty sweet cover.

[Waldo]

Just preordered the Kindle version.  If it's at least as good as Bill Brown's book (which I thought was pretty ehh) then I'll be pleased.

[JimR]

Just preordered the Kindle version.  If it's at least as good as Bill Brown's book (which I thought was pretty ehh) then I'll be pleased.

Brown’s book was disappointing.

[juliogotay]

Brown’s book was disappointing.

I did not read it. I think this story, if told well, will be a good one. It could be "Moneyball" good if done right.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

I wonder who will play Altuve in the movie?

[NeilT]

I wonder who will play Altuve in the movie?

Isn't Tom Cruise short enough?

[VirtualBob]

Isn't Tom Cruise short enough?

RMM

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Isn't Tom Cruise short enough?

If Philip Seymour Hoffman can play Art Howe, I guess anything is possible.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Isn't Tom Cruise short enough?

Kevin Hart is Jose Altuve

The Rock is  JJ Watt.

 In a world flooded by hurricane Harvey,  these 2 iconic athletes lift the city's spirit in time of disaster,  and team up to thwart a human trafficking ring headed up by Russian mobsters and a pharmaceutical company hell bent on putting profits before people.

 With Gary Oldman as AJ Hinch and John Malkovic as Dave Roberts.

[Jacksonian]

Kevin Hart is Jose Altuve

The Rock is  JJ Watt.

 In a world flooded by hurricane Harvey,  these 2 iconic athletes lift the city's spirit in time of disaster,  and team up to thwart a human trafficking ring headed up by Russian mobsters and a pharmaceutical company hell bent on putting profits before people.

 With Gary Oldman as AJ Hinch and John Malkovic as Dave Roberts.

I'd go see that.

[NeilT]

I'd go see that.

I just think the bad guy should be Ted Cruz.

[Jacksonian]

I just think the bad guy should be Ted Cruz.

Russian mobsters not Canadian mobsters.

[Knoxbanedoodle]

Kevin Hart is Jose Altuve

The Rock is  JJ Watt.

 In a world flooded by hurricane Harvey,  these 2 iconic athletes lift the city's spirit in time of disaster,  and team up to thwart a human trafficking ring headed up by Russian mobsters and a pharmaceutical company hell bent on putting profits before people.

 With Gary Oldman as AJ Hinch and John Malkovic as Dave Roberts.

You’re a genius.

[Reuben]

"It was that combination of humans and computers that led to this unlikely championship last October."

Great quote from the linked video, referring mainly to the way Luhnow and co. re-discovered the importance of scouts, and figured out better ways to integrate their observations/opinions with the data.

[HudsonHawk]

 With Gary Oldman as AJ Hinch and John Malkovic as Dave Roberts.

I just watched Darkest Hour where Oldman plays Winston Churchill.  He’s pretty instantly recognizable in any movie he’s ever been in, but if you didn’t put it in the credits, there’s no way I’d have known it was him in this one. He was terrific in it, btw, and a pretty good film too.

[Lefty]

I just watched Darkest Hour where Oldman plays Winston Churchill.  He’s pretty instantly recognizable in any movie he’s ever been in, but if you didn’t put it in the credits, there’s no way I’d have known it was him in this one. He was terrific in it, btw, and a pretty good film too.

He smoked 400-something cigars in 48 days during filming (Romeo y Julieta Cubans) and ended up being hospitalized with nicotine poisoning.

And yeah, he was great (as usual) and their makeup and prosthetic guys deserved their Oscar nomination.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Gary Oldman is arguably the best actor of his generation and for sure of the top five male actors born since 1955. The Oscar was long overdue. Should have won years ago for Sid and Nancy or Prick up You Ears.

[Lefty]

Gary Oldman is arguably the best actor of his generation and for sure of the top five male actors born since 1955. The Oscar was long overdue. Should have won years ago for Sid and Nancy or Prick up You Ears.

He wasn't even nominated for arguably his best role:  Drexl Spivey

[Navin R Johnson]

I wonder who will play Altuve in the movie?

Hervé Villechaize

[HudsonHawk]

He smoked 400-something cigars in 48 days during filming (Romeo y Julieta Cubans) and ended up being hospitalized with nicotine poisoning.

Good grief. That’s 10 per day. It takes at least two hours to smoke each one. Did he smoke in the shower and in his sleep?

[Outlawscotty]

He wasn't even nominated for arguably his best role:  Drexl Spivey

What the fuck is a Drexel?

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

What the fuck is a Drexel?

Something that is not as pretty as a couple of titties.

[Reuben]

Good grief. That’s 10 per day. It takes at least two hours to smoke each one. Did he smoke in the shower and in his sleep?

“I got serious nicotine poisoning,” Oldman told The Hollywood Reporter. “You'd have a cigar that was three-quarters smoked and you'd light it up, and then over the course of a couple of takes, it would go down, and then the prop man would replenish me with a new cigar - we were doing that for 10 or 12 takes a scene.”

For his scenes, Oldman smoked at least 400 Romeo y Julieta Cubans which saw almost £15,000 of the film's £22.4m budget go into the cigars alone.
link

[Lefty]

“I got serious nicotine poisoning,” Oldman told The Hollywood Reporter. “You'd have a cigar that was three-quarters smoked and you'd light it up, and then over the course of a couple of takes, it would go down, and then the prop man would replenish me with a new cigar - we were doing that for 10 or 12 takes a scene.”

For his scenes, Oldman smoked at least 400 Romeo y Julieta Cubans which saw almost £15,000 of the film's £22.4m budget go into the cigars alone.
Echo...ooo...ooo

link

Those were the same cigars that Churchill loved.  Nobody watching the movie would have known the difference, but they were sticklers for detail.

Oldman talked a prop guy to come out of retirement to make the "fat suit" that he wore.

[Lefty]

What the fuck is a Drexel?

He's got everything from a diddle-eyed-joe to a damned-if-I-know, if that helps.

[juliogotay]

Brown’s book was disappointing.

I bet you didn't feel like you learned anything from Brown's book?

Luhnow was asked about the upcoming Reiter book due out this summer by Ford on Sunday's pregame. He said he will be excited to read it but added that a lot of it will be information Reiter learned about the Astros operations during his research for the 2014 SI story. Luhnow added that the organization has since become more reluctant to let journalists get too close because they thought they had almost revealed too much in the SI piece.

[LonghornCDR]

Yesterday was release date.  Got the Kindle version and blew through the first two chapters before bed last night.  A little too much discussion of the Jakes so far, but that’s to be expected to explain Luhnow/Mejdal history.  I’m really enjoying learning more about the brain trust, especially Mejdal. 

[juliogotay]

My hard copy arrived yesterday.

[JimR]

I have mine and 3-4 others about the 2017 Astros on my Kindle. I hope some or all are better than Brownie’s.

[juliogotay]

I have mine and 3-4 others about the 2017 Astros on my Kindle. I hope some or all are better than Brownie’s.

I hate to say it but Brownie is a lazy writer. Anything I've read by him about the club is something I already knew.

[MusicMan]

I tried “Hurricane Season” and it was brutal. Horribly edited. ERAs expresses wrong (“.229”), referring to the Rangers as the Texans, just awful.


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[Waldo]

I tried “Hurricane Season” and it was brutal. Horribly edited. ERAs expresses wrong (“.229”), referring to the Rangers as the Texans, just awful.


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I finished Hurricane Season a few days ago.  I thought it was decent, but yeah, all those little errors were annoying.

[Lefty]

I hate to say it but Brownie is a lazy writer. Anything I've read by him about the club is something I already knew.

Did you see him in the (usual) booth yesterday?  Lazy reader too.

[chuck]

Did you see him in the (usual) booth yesterday?  Lazy reader too.

Or possibly just very contemplative.

[Knoxbanedoodle]

Or possibly just very contemplative.

Like, immensely, aggressively Zen.

[Lefty]

Or possibly just very contemplative.

Wonder what colors the shirt was.  It looked festively cool.

[LonghornCDR]

Really enjoying this one.  Except for re-living the Appel over Bryant pick and the JD Martinez release.   It’s crazy to think that as good as this team is, it could have very easily been even better. 

[hostros7]

Really enjoying this one.  Except for re-living the Appel over Bryant pick and the JD Martinez release.   It’s crazy to think that as good as this team is, it could have very easily been even better.

They could have picked Buxton over Correa, thus also preventing them from signing McCullers. Aiken could have signed the lower offer sheet, which would have resulted in them not drafting Bregman the next year. I’m happy with a World Series Championship. No front office has a flawless track record; this one’s is pretty damn good so far.


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[LonghornCDR]

They could have picked Buxton over Correa, thus also preventing them from signing McCullers. Aiken could have signed the lower offer sheet, which would have resulted in them not drafting Bregman the next year. I’m happy with a World Series Championship. No front office has a flawless track record; this one’s is pretty damn good so far.


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Oh I’m not griping.  We are blessed as fans with a great front office.  The Aiken situation was handled very professionally and broke the Astros’ way. 

And without drafting Appel, there’s no Ken Giles.  Wait... what point am I making?

[BlownRanger]

Oh I’m not griping.  We are blessed as fans with a great front office.  The Aiken situation was handled very professionally and broke the Astros’ way. 

And without drafting Appel, there’s no Ken Giles.  Wait... what point am I making?

Even if Appel were not in the system, I'm pretty sure the Giles trade would have been worked out.  I have to think the Phillies were much more interested in Velasquez, anyway.

[Reuben]

Even if Appel were not in the system, I'm pretty sure the Giles trade would have been worked out.  I have to think the Phillies were much more interested in Velasquez, anyway.

For sure. It was originally Fisher in the deal instead of Appel, for one thing.

[JimR]

For sure. It was originally Fisher in the deal instead of Appel, for one thing.

Yep, but the Phillies asked for another pitcherbecause they were worried about VV’s arm.

[LonghornCDR]

Finished.  Great way to relive 2017 and the years leading to it.  It almost feels like the Astros gave too much to Reiter.

The book also leaves me asking why Beltrán isn’t still being paid an exorbitant amount to be a bench coach or special assistant in the dugout? 

[Lefty]

Finished.  Great way to relive 2017 and the years leading to it.  It almost feels like the Astros gave too much to Reiter.

The book also leaves me asking why Beltrán isn’t still being paid an exorbitant amount to be a bench coach or special assistant in the dugout? 

Beltran may have wanted some time away.  He could certainly have a job in MLB any time he wants one.

[LonghornCDR]

Beltran may have wanted some time away.  He could certainly have a job in MLB any time he wants one.

Agreed.  That aspect definitely comes through in the narrative.  But it’s countered by the fact that he interviewed for the Yankee job. 

[Lefty]

Agreed.  That aspect definitely comes through in the narrative.  But it’s countered by the fact that he interviewed for the Yankee job. 

"If I can't get my dream job I'm cool being retired."

[LonghornCDR]

"If I can't get my dream job I'm cool being retired."

Hence my “exorbitant amount” incentive. 

My main point is that the book really sold Beltrán’s value.  If the FO valued Beltrán as much as the author does, they’d keep paying for his involvement with the team. 

[juliogotay]

Finished.  Great way to relive 2017 and the years leading to it.  It almost feels like the Astros gave too much to Reiter.

The book also leaves me asking why Beltrán isn’t still being paid an exorbitant amount to be a bench coach or special assistant in the dugout?

Luhnow acknowledged concern about the amount of info provided.

[JimR]

Hence my “exorbitant amount” incentive. 

My main point is that the book really sold Beltrán’s value.  If the FO valued Beltrán as much as the author does, they’d keep paying for his involvement with the team.

Do you know they did not try?

[LonghornCDR]

Do you know they did not try?

Of course not.  What I am sure of is that they made a carefully measured evaluation of Beltrán’s value to the team and made their decision, whatever it was, based on that evaluation. 

Beltrán could have valued time off more than the Astros were willing to pay.  The Astros may not have valued his input as highly as the author portrayed. 

[MusicMan]

Finished.  Great way to relive 2017 and the years leading to it.  It almost feels like the Astros gave too much to Reiter.

The book also leaves me asking why Beltrán isn’t still being paid an exorbitant amount to be a bench coach or special assistant in the dugout?

He may have felt that Puerto Rico relief efforts were a better use of his time.


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[juliogotay]

He may have felt that Puerto Rico relief efforts were a better use of his time.


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I would have posted this if you hadn't of.

[JimR]

Of course not.  What I am sure of is that they made a carefully measured evaluation of Beltrán’s value to the team and made their decision, whatever it was, based on that evaluation. 

Beltrán could have valued time off more than the Astros were willing to pay.  The Astros may not have valued his input as highly as the author portrayed.

I think he wanted some time at home.

[Gizzmonic]

I know I'm kinda late to the party, but I just wanted to say I got "Astroball" for my birthday a couple of days ago and I'm enjoying it so far.

 It's not too structured-more like a bunch of rough notes-but still extremely interesting.

[Duman]

My 18 year old son just told me he is ordering it for himself.  Makes a dad proud.

[BUWebguy]

I haven't had a chance to read "Astroball" yet, but my 9-year-old son is itching to read it...

Anyone who's read it -- is there any adult language or anything like that that would give you hesitation about letting a kid read it?

[doyce7]

I haven't had a chance to read "Astroball" yet, but my 9-year-old son is itching to read it...

Anyone who's read it -- is there any adult language or anything like that that would give you hesitation about letting a kid read it?

There are some fbombs and there's a place talking about how alex bregman doesnt give a shit.

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[doyce7]

I got the audio book since I drive so much and couldn't find time to add it to my actual reading list. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Kind of made me emotional at a few points.


I enjoyed hearing about Sig and the thought process behind different things.

[JimR]

I got the audio book since I drive so much and couldn't find time to add it to my actual reading list. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Kind of made me emotional at a few points.


I enjoyed hearing about Sig and the thought process behind different things.

I loved the book. One thing I thought strange was there was zero mention of McCann and his veteran leadership. He gave 100% credit to Beltran, even for the team meeting after Game Five in NY.

[doyce7]

I loved the book. One thing I thought strange was there was zero mention of McCann and his veteran leadership. He gave 100% credit to Beltran, even for the team meeting after Game Five in NY.

That definitely stood out as well. I guess it just fit his narrative better to have a guy who luhnow faced in the postseason and wanted to bring in, rather than a guy with no connection to the astros or luhnow/sig. Still odd though.

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[HudsonHawk]

I loved the book. One thing I thought strange was there was zero mention of McCann and his veteran leadership. He gave 100% credit to Beltran, even for the team meeting after Game Five in NY.

If there was ever a “right guy in the right place at the right time”, it was McCann last season.

[JimR]

If there was ever a “right guy in the right place at the right time”, it was McCann last season.

Giving McCann the credit he deserved certainly would not detract from Beltran. I thought it was strange.

[BUWebguy]

There are some fbombs and there's a place talking about how alex bregman doesnt give a shit.

Thank you!

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Bump.

Finally got around to reading Astroball.  Really enjoyed it.  A few quick hits:

- if an accomplished franchise like the Cardinals is/was that fractured,  how bad were other franchises across baseball?
- the parts covering the Dark Times filled me with dread, even knowing what was coming (#buttslideptsd)
- they took it in the shorts over Brady Aiken.  But they made the right call not because of the outcome but because his risk fell outside of their acceptable parameters.
- the most heartening side of the book was the acknowledgment of the human factor,  flying in the face of many know nothing critics of the rebuild
- the JV trade recap had my pulse racing.  Holy crap.
- on a critical note I thought he didn't quite convey what a catastrophic event Harvey was. 
- funny to read about Sig chewing thru towels during the WS and thinking about what a sweating, palpitating mess I was doing the same.  Something we all crave deeply,  a WS title,  and its essentially a 50/50 proposition.
- God bless Carlos Beltran

Many other highlights of course.   Most of all,  I feel fortunate that our franchise is in such good hands.

[JimR]

Bump.

Finally got around to reading Astroball.  Really enjoyed it.  A few quick hits:

- if an accomplished franchise like the Cardinals is/was that fractured,  how bad were other franchises across baseball?
- the parts covering the Dark Times filled me with dread, even knowing what was coming (#buttslideptsd)
- they took it in the shorts over Brady Aiken.  But they made the right call not because of the outcome but because his risk fell outside of their acceptable parameters.
- the most heartening side of the book was the acknowledgment of the human factor,  flying in the face of many know nothing critics of the rebuild
- the JV trade recap had my pulse racing.  Holy crap.
- on a critical note I thought he didn't quite convey what a catastrophic event Harvey was. 
- funny to read about Sig chewing thru towels during the WS and thinking about what a sweating, palpitating mess I was doing the same.  Something we all crave deeply,  a WS title,  and its essentially a 50/50 proposition.
- God bless Carlos Beltran

Many other highlights of course.   Most of all,  I feel fortunate that our franchise is in such good hands.

The thing I thought very strange was his giving McCann little to no credit for veteran leadership. He deified Beltran in that regard and virtually ignored McCann. Beltran has always been a favorite of mine, and his leadership contributions to the team were enormous, but McCann was right up there with him if you believe the players’ comments. Reuter ignored those comments.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

That's a great point.  The only mention of McCann I remember it's when he was the officiant at Beltran's glove funeral.

Maybe it was an editorial decision to streamline the storyline.

I don't recall a single mention of Brent Strom either.

[Bench]

I don't recall a single mention of Brent Strom either.

Also an editorial decision. Reiter was asked about not including Strom in this interview:

When you write a book like Astroball, which is about so many talented people doing so many different and novel things, you have to make some tough choices for the sake of character development and narrative. A few readers have reasonably complained that I didn’t write enough about Marwin Gonzalez, and Strom probably falls into that category, too. Even so, Strom does deserve a lot of credit for his work.....

Astroball is about how the Astros have managed to effectively combine man and machine to get the best out of both, and Strom’s a key part of that

- the most heartening side of the book was the acknowledgment of the human factor,  flying in the face of many know nothing critics of the rebuild

This was my main takeaway as well.

[JimR]

Also an editorial decision. Reiter was asked about not including Strom in this interview:

When you write a book like Astroball, which is about so many talented people doing so many different and novel things, you have to make some tough choices for the sake of character development and narrative. A few readers have reasonably complained that I didn’t write enough about Marwin Gonzalez, and Strom probably falls into that category, too. Even so, Strom does deserve a lot of credit for his work.....

Astroball is about how the Astros have managed to effectively combine man and machine to get the best out of both, and Strom’s a key part of that


Horse hockey. It is his book.

This was my main takeaway as well.

[moriartp]

I kept waiting for a Morton chapter that never came. He’s mentioned three times in the whole book, never more than in passing.

[juliogotay]

I kept waiting for a Morton chapter that never came. He’s mentioned three times in the whole book, never more than in passing.

To have full captured the team and the experience he would have had to have a 600 page book. Which, frankly, I would have immensely enjoyed.

[MusicMan]

To have full captured the team and the experience he would have had to have a 600 page book. Which, frankly, I would have immensely enjoyed.

I’ll gladly buy “Astroball: The Director’s Cut”


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[JimR]

To have full captured the team and the experience he would have had to have a 600 page book. Which, frankly, I would have immensely enjoyed.

Either do it right or do not do it.

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Either do it right or do not do it.

"Do, or do not. There is no 'try'."


Second the motion for the director's cut.

The kindle version I read included a chapter about the 2018 season/ playoffs and Sig's/ others departures. 

[Waldo]

The kindle version I read included a chapter about the 2018 season/ playoffs and Sig's/ others departures.

Hmm, I wonder if my Kindle book got updated with that.

If the book were designed solely as a 2017 Astros biography then the omissions of McCann and Morton are more egregious.  But that's not the primary goal of the book.