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2019 Houston Astros Thread

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My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 weeks ago. Tomorrow she starts her treatment. She's been a wreck ever since the diagnosis. I mentioned a few pages back how a friend of the family manage

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Mez2
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Newest Astro fan was born earlier today at 12:09 am Mez3, holla!

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Pibald

Pibald 18

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We are going to be ok this year. No need to draw big conclusions from the poor start. I’ll be there Friday, and I share season tix with three good friends. The bats will come alive and we will soon be awash in RISP boon.  

I’m concerned with the blowback from the Angel Hernandez fiasco. You gotta think that those union hoes are at least aware, if not outwardly hostile, towards the Stros. This shit has got stop. 

That jackass tonight made a mockery of baseball, and I’m afraid Hinch is less tactful than he should be in his response. 

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UTexasFight

UTexasFight 9,362

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I’m concerned with the blowback from the Angel Hernandez fiasco. You gotta think that those union hoes are at least aware, if not outwardly hostile, towards the Stros. This shit has got stop. 
That jackass tonight made a mockery of baseball, and I’m afraid Hinch is less tactful than he should be in his response. 

This right here
Don’t understand what hinch was thinking in Florida
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Rimbo

Rimbo 25,705

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Wikipedia editors are having a blast right now.

"

"On April 3, 2019, Kulpa was the home plate umpire when he began taunting the Houston Astros dugout during a game with the Texas Rangers. After ejecting Astros’ hitting coach Alex Cintron, manager A.J. Hinch left the dugout on three separate occasions to protest Kulpa’s childish behavior. On the third visit, Hinch was ejected.

It was determined that Kulpa’s irrational behavior stemmed from an incident the previous evening at the umpire’s hotel. Kulpa’s wife was in attendance, along with another man identified only as “Bull”. According to eyewitness accounts, Kulpa’s wife refused him “cleanup duty”, as is their typical custom. Kulpa’s only recourse, as he is not accustomed to being denied this treat, was to take his frustration out on the Astros."

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There was some of this last season with the reaction to the Astros HR/ SO ratio in 2017.

Maybe Hinch is willing to tell the league that shit ain't flying this season.

Fuck the insecure motherfucking umps.  They have been cocksuckers forever.  This ain't helping.  

 

IDGAF about your little strikezone idiosyncrasies.  Call the fucking game correctly.

Edited by slorch
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WBT

WBT 20,376

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10 hours ago, henrygandorf said:

i think it's more about the boston series leaving a bad taste and waiting 6 months.....for this.

i don't think anyone on this thread honestly thinks we're gonna struggle to win the west.

You'd be surprised

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Seasick Sailor

Seasick Sailor 3,747

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We will run away with the AL West and may even be the one seed in the AL.

You know how many games we lost in Tampa last year? 3.

You know how many games we lost in Arlington last year? 2.

You know when we had our first 2-5 stretch last season? April. 

Was it more fun to start 9-2 before going through a rough period? fuck yes.

But this team will be fine. 

Edited by Seasick Sailor
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TonyTexas

TonyTexas 10,467

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Vic Mackey actually had the nerve to start a thread of hate last night. So far it is inhabited by the usual Ranger suspects plus WBT. The best way to deal with those losers is to ignore them so I would urge all to stay away and let that dumbass thread die along with their hopes and dreams.

 

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FondrenRoad

FondrenRoad 4,378

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1 hour ago, Seasick Sailor said:

We will run away with the AL West and may even be the one seed in the AL.

You know how many games we lost in Tampa last year? 3.

You know how many games we lost in Arlington last year? 2.

You know when we had our first 2-5 stretch last season? April. 

Was it more fun to start 9-2 before going through a rough period? fuck yes.

But this team will be fine. 

Don't know about running away with it. There are always teams that surprise and stay competitive for the season.

I agree with you otherwise.  Pitching has been good.  We have been getting on base well enough.  The one glaring hole is hitting with RISP.  I think that will fix itself.  

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Mez2

Mez2 4,020

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not going to be surprised if AJ shuffles the lineup this upcoming series. i see Correa hitting 3/4 and moving around brantley and bregs. 

Bregs looks like he's pressing with him just signing the contract. george is hitting piss balls all over the place. Altuve is slow to form which isn't necessarily surprising. reddick has made some nice adjustments at the plate and paying off. chirinos what we thought we was. tyler white, lol. mix in a salet.

 

 

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TexArcher

TexArcher 37,414

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, TonyTexas said:

Vic Mackey actually had the nerve to start a thread of hate last night. So far it is inhabited by the usual Ranger suspects plus WBT. The best way to deal with those losers is to ignore them so I would urge all to stay away and let that dumbass thread die along with their hopes and dreams.

 

Oh, I couldn't possibly do that.

Matter of fact, I'm gonna PM every one of those cocksuckers the final standings, since they will have long ago abandoned that ridiculous thread.

That's the equivalent of talking shit because the Mavericks scored the first basket against Golden State.  Jesus.

Edited by TexArcher
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henrygandorf

henrygandorf 29,169

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, TonyTexas said:

Vic Mackey actually had the nerve to start a thread of hate last night. So far it is inhabited by the usual Ranger suspects plus WBT. The best way to deal with those losers is to ignore them so I would urge all to stay away and let that dumbass thread die along with their hopes and dreams.

 

i made exactly zero posts on that thread last year.  not sure i even ever clicked on it.  this is my recommendation as well.

don't feed the trolls.

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Rimbo

Rimbo 25,705

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39 minutes ago, drewlaws said:

Kulpa's BS making national news outlets

https://boston.cbslocal.com/2019/04/04/mlb-has-to-discipline-umpire-ron-kulpa-incident-astros-aj-hinch/

It was the top of r/baseball last night. The comments came in two variations: "This shit will not stand, man!" and "I can't fucking stand the goddamned Astros, but this shit will not stand, man!" Even Rangers fans were getting in on it.

This fucker's fuckery got the entirety of baseball telling the fucking fucker to get fucked.

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FondrenRoad

FondrenRoad 4,378

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1 hour ago, drewlaws said:

Kulpa's BS making national news outlets

https://boston.cbslocal.com/2019/04/04/mlb-has-to-discipline-umpire-ron-kulpa-incident-astros-aj-hinch/

Didn't realize he has a history of the same shit.  He should have been suspended for the first 2 events and fired for this one.  Apparently the umpire union is even better than the police union.

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henrygandorf

henrygandorf 29,169

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1 hour ago, Rimbo said:

It was the top of r/baseball last night. The comments came in two variations: "This shit will not stand, man!" and "I can't fucking stand the goddamned Astros, but this shit will not stand, man!" Even Rangers fans were getting in on it.

This fucker's fuckery got the entirety of baseball telling the fucking fucker to get fucked.

baseball fans always unite over shitty showboat umpiring.

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Player

Player 4,575

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As well they should. Nobody’s buying tickets to go see the umps, and jackasses like this are bad for the game. The “I can do whatever the fuck I want” remark, coupled with the prior instances of being a little bitch, is pretty damning evidence that he’s lost his perspective.

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henrygandorf

henrygandorf 29,169

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props to the boston affiliate of cbs sports (is that a thing?) for picking up the ball and running with it:

https://boston.cbslocal.com/2019/04/04/mlb-has-to-discipline-umpire-ron-kulpa-incident-astros-aj-hinch/

the audio play-by-play on the first twitter post is greatness.

i see the world thru orange glasses (burnt and otherwise) so it's nice to see one of our "rival" cities stick up for us in this one.

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Fudge Nuggets

Fudge Nuggets 19,111

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, henrygandorf said:

i see the world thru orange glasses (burnt and otherwise) so it's nice to see one of our "rival" cities stick up for us in this one.

That tells you everything about the situation.  When even your rivals are supporting your side, you know the dude done fucked up.

But nothing will happen.  Absolutely nothing.

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Dennis Taylor

Dennis Taylor 18,644

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7 hours ago, Fudge Nuggets said:

That tells you everything about the situation.  When even your rivals are supporting your side, you know the dude done fucked up.

But nothing will happen.  Absolutely nothing.

all the supervisors are old umps that Peter Principled their way into management and probably rejoiced in him showing AJ who the boss is 

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UTexasFight

UTexasFight 9,362

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Move Springer out of leadoff! (Facepalm)
And other assorted common surly Astro FAQs:


Despite beginning the season by having their way with reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, the Astros returned home from their first road trip of 2019 with a 2-5 record.

Their star-studded lineup struggled to produce runs against the Rays (outside of Opening Day) and the Rangers, and on Friday night they will begin their first homestand, against the A’s and the Yankees.

In the meantime, let’s get to the questions you submitted for The Athletic’s latest Astros mailbag. In a major upset, not one reader asked about Aledmys Díaz.

It seems the offense could be facing major questions. I know it’s early, but it looks like a problem to me. How do you see it? — William F.

If you are one who likes to draw conclusions from small sample sizes of evidence, then yes, the Astros’ offense could be facing major questions. But I prefer to wait for a larger sample of statistics before making such a determination. And with the sample size in mind, I think the Astros’ lineup will be fine.

It’s not unusual for pitchers to be ahead of the hitters this time of year, and this is far from the first time this collection of hitters has started slowly. Through seven games in 2017, a season in which they produced numbers quite literally of historically great proportions, the Astros batted .238 with an on-base percentage of .312 and a slugging percentage of .402.

Through seven games this season, the Astros have batted .235/.304./363. Their offensive woes so far can be best summarized by a failure to hit with runners in scoring position. In 51 plate appearances with runners on second or third base, they have batted a dismal .095/.220/.238.

For context, the average major leaguer batted .254/.339/.414 with runners in scoring position last season. The Astros’ numbers in this department will improve, and their run production will improve with it.

José Altuve isn’t going to continue to be a .222/.276/.370 hitter. Ditto for Alex Bregman and his .208/.321/.375 line Really, of the Astros’ top six, only George Springer and Carlos Correa lived up to their individual standards in the first week.

I know it’s too early to panic, but Altuve hasn’t had the success at the plate we are used to. I know it’s too early to worry, but how is his knee? — Joseph S.

Altuve’s knee, which was surgically repaired, is fine. His slow start offensively can be attributed to poor pitch selection. He’s been swinging and missing more than usual. We’ve seen that before from him this time of year. In his 2017 MVP season, he struck out twice in each of the Astros’ first five games. His timing just hasn’t been quite there yet.

George has had a great start to the season. Moving him to the leadoff spot a couple seasons ago did wonders for him, but is there any chance we could see him moved down in the lineup in order to have runners on base for him more often? — David N.

I’ve wondered the same at times, but Astros manager A.J. Hinch seems married to George Springer batting leadoff. Since August 2016, Games 4 and 5 of last year’s ALCS have been the only time he’s batted Springer lower than first, and that was in a desperate attempt to make the Red Sox pitch to Bregman.

Whenever the topic comes up, Hinch lauds the energy Springer provides as the first batter of the game and mentions how he loves having the power threat right out of the gate. Could his stance change down the road? Of course. But Hinch has offered no indication it will change any time soon.

What is your take on the home plate umpire fiasco tonight (April 3)? Maybe he just had a bad night but, if the TV screen strike zone box is accurate, he missed many calls – some by a lot. — Richard V.

Ron Kulpa had a brutal night at calling balls and strikes in Wednesday’s Astros-Rangers game, but umpires miss calls all the time. They are, after all, only human. What made his night such a fiasco was his behavior in reaction to the Astros’ complaints and how he instigated confrontations. He lost control of the game. It was the very definition of an Ump Show.

The first time through the rotation (and 2nd start for Verlander) Chirinos caught everyone but Cole. With the caveat that it’s early, is this about how you see time being split (4/5ths Chirinos) at catcher? — Martin C.

Max Stassi caught Wade Miley’s season debut, as well, so it was 3:2 in terms of Robinson Chirinos: Stassi starts the first time through the rotation. The playing time will fluctuate, but in general I suspect Chirinos will start at least once more than Stassi every turn through.

Performance could quickly change that one way or the other, of course, but neither catcher has hit so far. Chirinos had a big game Monday but overall is 3-for-14. Stassi is 0-for-8 with four strikeouts and has some work to do to get his swing on track.

Do you think the Astros will maintain their current pitcher to position player ratio throughout the season? It would seem once Joe Smith comes back, or if Whitley is going to come up this year, it would require a roster opening either by trade / release / injury. — Doug T.

The Astros started the season with 12 pitchers and 13 position players, varying from their norm of 13 pitchers and 12 position players. I expect they’ll shift between those two configurations throughout the season, and they will probably opt for the extra arm well before Joe Smith returns from Achilles injury in June or July.

The schedule will play a big role in how the Astros configure their roster. Four team off days early in the season made it convenient for them to carry one fewer pitcher to open the season. Their May schedule won’t be as conducive to this arrangement.

But yes, because Tyler White and Tony Kemp are out of minor league options, the Astros might wait for their first position player injured list stint to switch back to 13 pitchers. If no injuries arise, they might need to make a more permanent move with one of their bench players to accommodate the needs of their roster.

I expect to get this question in every mailbag or live Q&A we do this season before Whitley’s eventual call-up. I wish I knew the answer. There are too many factors at play to be able to predict it. Is the Astros’ rotation healthy? How are Collin McHugh, Wade Miley and Brad Peacock performing? Is Forrest Whitley healthy? How is he performing in Triple A? Do the Astros give Josh James, Framber Valdez or Corbin Martin a chance before Whitley? It all remains to be seen.

The Astros will want to give Whitley enough time to settle into major league life before the end of the regular season, but they will also need to conserve his innings to have him available late in the year. That’s why he’s not scheduled to make his Triple-A debut until Tuesday, when Round Rock hosts Nashville in its home opener.

Curious as to any perspective on Kyle Tucker’s standing in the eyes of the front office after his spring training. I read that some were down on him after his rough debut, but Bregman had a similarly rough start and he seemingly never lost his luster in the organization. Then again, the 2016 team also had the luxury of sparing Bregman the at-bats to work through it. — Alex B.

It certainly seemed like the Astros were down on Tucker during spring training given how few starts he got in Grapefruit League games and how early he was demoted to minor league camp relative to 2018. One reason for that was he never had a legitimate chance to make the team after the Michael Brantley signing. He also didn’t really stand out when he did play in spring training. But now that the minor league season is underway, he very much has a chance to hit his way back into the picture for this season.

Bregman’s slump to begin his career in 2016 seems to be the comp every time an Astros position player prospect gets off to a slow start after his call-up. But for what it’s worth, Tucker’s major league debut didn’t remind me all that much of Bregman’s. Even amid his 1-for-32 stretch, Bregman hit the ball hard and played a good third base. Tucker’s first major league stint consisted of 64 at-bats, which notably is still a very small sample. He hit a few balls hard, but often just hit right into the shift on the right side of the infield. His defense in left field was below average.

Tucker is still only 22, and the Astros are counting on him to be a regular corner outfielder in the future. It’s just unclear how much of a role he will play in the present.

Could we see Alvarez get called up before Tucker this year? — Calvin K.

You could. Like with everything, it will depend on performance. Both are bat-first players who could be called up to spark the bottom of the lineup if necessary. Both are only a level away in Triple A.

Yordan Alvarez isn’t yet on the Astros’ 40-man roster, so he does have that going against him. But if he mashes in Triple A and shows progress with his defense in left field, I don’t think the Astros would hesitate to add him to the roster.

Any future for Derek Fisher and A.J. Reed with the Astros? — Pit C.

Probably not. Fisher has much better odds than Reed, but both are running out of time to provide value to the Astros.

A strong start in Triple A could put Fisher in position to be the first outfielder called up in the event of an injury, but I don’t see a viable route to regular playing time for him with the Astros. Reed has been bypassed for call-ups so many times that I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s on the chopping block the next time the Astros need a 40-man roster spot and have no players to transfer to the 60-day injured list.

 

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WBT

WBT 20,376

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31 minutes ago, Scraps said:

I just really really dislike that he never played for the Stros i only want ex Stros involved in my shit......but mainly because he is annoying unlike Sparks

 

 

Everything turns into a story from his time on the Yankees...fuck the Yankees

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