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2021 Houston Astros Thread


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4 hours ago, henrygandorf said:

well yeah, that part is always baked in.

it all boils down to "if we lost, then something fishy must be going on".  

It's almost like playing a board game with a bossy, bratty little girl: "No no no, when I land on your Boardwalk with a hotel, that means you owe me $2000." 

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Even so, fans and media have theorized that the Astros declined to appear at the All-Star Game in Denver because they were reluctant to receive a hostile reception from the crowd and from their peers in the clubhouse. (Fans did boo Orbit, the Astros’ mascot, at Monday’s Home Run Derby). 

For the other All-Stars who decided to play in the exhibition, however, the Astros’ absence is a non-issue. 
“I think with the players, it is what it is,” Rangers pitcher Kyle Gibson said Monday. “I think you’ve had your chance to play alongside those guys on the other side of the field and kind of deal with it inside. I wasn’t actually impacted by it, so maybe it’s a little different if I’d been in a clubhouse that was on a grander scale. But I’ve talked to a few of those guys. I know Ryan Pressly really well, so still talking to him. Some of those guys I’m sure are good people, just maybe caught up in a time where they had to make some tough decisions.” 
Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner, who was on the Los Angeles team bested by Houston in the 2017 World Series, sidestepped a question about the Astros’ absence. 
“I think it’s an honor to be selected an All-Star, and I don’t necessarily always agree with the decisions to not come, but everyone has their own reasons for what they do, and I’m just happy to be here,” he said. 

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge said he doesn’t think there would have been much awkwardness or animosity directed at the Astros in the American League clubhouse. 
“It’s tough to say. I don’t think so, because this is a time where we celebrate the game,” Judge said. “If you’re at the All-Star Game in the clubhouse, that’s a tough room to get into, you know? So I don’t think guys would be holding anything over anyone’s head.” 
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, who played for the Astros in 2018 and 2019, respectfully declined to speculate. 
“I definitely don’t enjoy being in the middle of that,” he said, “and I have really no opinion on it, to be honest.” 


Pitcher Chris Bassitt, whose Oakland A’s team is a division rival of Houston and had the chief whistle blower in former Astro Mike Fiers, said he also thinks the storyline is overblown. I think it’s a bigger media story than player story, honestly,” he said. “It wasn’t just the Astros. So it is what it is. Obviously, I have teammates who played with them. I know how good of people those guys are. They were stuck in a bad situation. So yeah, I think it’s a massive media thing, but from a player standpoint, I think a lot of people are kinda over it.” 
The Astros are not outliers in deciding to skip the All-Star game; Mets ace Jacob deGrom and Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina also opted out because they wanted to rest and get healthy for the second half of the season. 
Multiple All-Stars on Monday theorized that returning to a full-length schedule this season following a shortened 2020 schedule has taken a toll. 
“Having COVID and a shortened season, now coming back and playing 162 games is a big shock to the system,” Judge said. “I think it’s smart that a lot of guys are going to stay back and rest up. It’s the right thing to do. It’s their career.” 
Said Gibson, “I know there’s guys that are always playing through injuries that aren’t actually IL injuries and stuff like that, so I guess that could play into it. Those are all personal questions and personal decisions that people have to make for themselves


https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/astros/article/MLB-All-Stars-not-bothered-by-Astros-absences-16310084.php

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1 hour ago, tx 3 putt said:

longest 3 days ever eric cartman waiting GIF by South Park

This.  Hell, i hate it when they have ONE day off.  A-S Break is like a mini-offseason.

Even the wife asked me why I was so fidgetty and bored... oh, no baseball.  LOL.

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1 hour ago, texashorne said:

Or game 2. Game 2 gets overshadowed by game 5, but its a top 5 game in Astro history, IMO. 

100% This.  I’m partial since I got to go to this game.  At the time, it didn’t feel like it could get any better than that.  First ever Astro win in a World Series.  

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Game 5 will always be one of the greatest moments for our family but also Astros game played. Lilshep met secret service agents, 76ers players, hung out with gf during bp and stole the base. Being behind the right field gate when Goat hit the homerun to tie it. Awesome. People going crazy. The energy, excitement and happiness was once in a lifetime. Then 2 months later be in Mr.Cranes office looking at ring choices. Mr.Crane taking lilsheps photo with the trophy and letting lilshep hold the trophy, so his hand print will always be there per Mr.Crane. 20171029_164744.jpg20171215_112937.jpg

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2 hours ago, texashorne said:

Or game 2. Game 2 gets overshadowed by game 5, but its a top 5 game in Astro history, IMO. 

Correct - I was in the right centerfield bleachers for Game 2 and afterwards didn’t think I would see a better game. Then Game 5 happened

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Looks like our nightmare is going to end next year

Quote

Seven-inning doubleheaders and starting extra innings with runners on second are likely to be dropped by Major League Baseball after this season.

Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, speaking Tuesday to the Baseball Writers' Association of America, said he views both innovations as specific to the coronavirus pandemic.

They were both adopted for the shortened 2020 season and kept on for 2021.

Manfred said they were implemented based on medical advice and aren't being contemplated as permanent. He said that while the health situation had improved with increased vaccinations, changes could not be made midseason.

 

Edited by TonyTexas
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1 hour ago, TonyTexas said:

0 walks is great. 1 strikeout, not as much  Hopefully his new mechanics make him a viable option  

 

In related news, Austin Pruitt should be joining the team very soon. Maybe we get lucky and he's one of those bullpen upgrades we've been expecting Click to trade for. He was  not good in his first few outings but has been solid for Sugar Land lately. He's pitching tonight in his last rehab outing. 

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48 minutes ago, Gourmand said:

In related news, Austin Pruitt should be joining the team very soon. Maybe we get lucky and he's one of those bullpen upgrades we've been expecting Click to trade for. He was  not good in his first few outings but has been solid for Sugar Land lately. He's pitching tonight in his last rehab outing. 

Don't hold your breath. He has been much better as an opener in his career than when he's been used as a regular reliever.

5.35 era in 146.1 IP as a reliever.

3.54 era in 53.1 IP as an opener.

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I guess the most suprising thing I've read on here the past couple of days or so is HG is married. 

Little boy finished up his summer season last weekend so I'll be able to follow along a lot more closely than I have, crazy how priorities change. Ine thing does change though is fuck bud selig and the yankees

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On 7/12/2021 at 2:28 PM, Planet Houston said:

I don’t have much to add about yesterday’s game other than that was fucking incredible. My all-time favorite Astro writing a great chapter to his legacy. What a fucking way for that to go down. 

Seriously, this. You can't make up shit that's this good. History's best writers couldn't write it any better than the way it played out...and if one of them wrote it up exactly as it happened in that game, with all the backstory, etc, everyone would blow it off as unbelievable fantasy.

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Lost in all the hoopla about the Altuve HR, his jersey being ripped off by his teammates, and his Melanie tattoo is the juxtaposition of the 6'7" Judge coming up small as always while the 5'5" Altuve comes up big AGAIN when it mattered the most.

Even with the Chris Russos and NY Post blasting the Yankees and calling Altuve their daddy, I'm still mad about the HR trolling both Judge and Sanchez did directed at Altuve and the Astros. I don't have a problem with tit-for-tat bat flips and shit talking in baseball, but I draw the line at perpetuating a known lie that disparages a great baseball player and a good dude just because your entire organization and fanbase is too chickenshit to admit he's better than any other player on that team. Too chickenshit to admit that he just owns them. Too chickenshit to allow the possibility that a future HoF second-baseman over one foot shorter than the Yankees gap-toothed dingleberry RF could just be that good at the game of baseball despite a lifetime of proving his doubters wrong.

When the Astros needed a win to salvage a terrible series heading into the All-Star break, Altuve did the unthinkable on a pitch near his ankles and launched it into the Crawford Boxes. What did Judge do in the ninth inning with runners on first and second and nobody out? Struck out to Ralph Garza Jr, who btw was optioned after the game back to AAA. Then he followed that feat of greatness at the plate with this gold glove play on the drive Toro hit to deep RF.....Yes it would have been a great play, but the opportunity was there for him to make it, he had it lined up but he mistimed his jump and the ball caromed off the top of the fence for a double. 

The Yankees and their fans love to make Judge into a great player and the face of their franchise, but he's small-time, petty, and has a giant inferiority complex about the 2017 MVP.

 

Screenshot (92).png

Screenshot (93).png

Edited by Gourmand
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So now that we're entering the 2nd half of the season, and the trade deadline is 2 1\2 weeks away, what's our need/hope? I would love to bring in another starting pitcher and some help in the pen. Baumgardner? Grey? Who else? I think Toro would be great trade bait. I'd love to keep him, but he might bring the biggest return. 

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10 minutes ago, Mo Horn said:

So now that we're entering the 2nd half of the season, and the trade deadline is 2 1\2 weeks away, what's our need/hope? I would love to bring in another starting pitcher and some help in the pen. Baumgardner? Grey? Who else? I think Toro would be great trade bait. I'd love to keep him, but he might bring the biggest return. 

Rodriguez from Pit and Rodgers from Minny kthxbai

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This team doesn’t need much. We have 6 above average starters. LMJ, Framber, Greinke, Odorizzi, Garcia and Urquidy with Javier for emergencies. The starting lineup is solid, especially when Bregs returns. Diaz coming back will help the bench. The bullpen has been the weak spot but some combination of returnees Baez, Pruitt, James, Smith and Abreu should bolster that. 

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12 minutes ago, TonyTexas said:

This team doesn’t need much. We have 6 above average starters. LMJ, Framber, Greinke, Odorizzi, Garcia and Urquidy with Javier for emergencies. The starting lineup is solid, especially when Bregs returns. Diaz coming back will help the bench. The bullpen has been the weak spot but some combination of returnees Baez, Pruitt, James, Smith and Abreu should bolster that. 

 Agreed. I wouldn't part with anything major, but it would be nice to add a little help. Also have to keep in mind that there is a possibility, tho small I admit, that Verlander might be back for the end of the season. 

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28 minutes ago, Gourmand said:

Get a proven closer with playoff experience to put together a Lidge/Dotel/Wagner set of arms. No such thing as too much pitching.

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk
 

The cubs are supposedly open to trading Kimbrell, but it would probably cost more than we want to give. 

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44 minutes ago, Scraps said:

Prospects are cool....parades are cooler

I read this as referring to Enoli…

not what you were intending but a healthy/effective Parades combined with only needing 4 starters in the playoffs and pushing the other SPs to the bullpen and that weak spot gets a lot stronger.

 

a lot of “ifs” though.

people are going to get hurt. People aren’t going to be as effective as we hope

get another bullpen arm or two. I’m not on board with Kimbrel though 

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