Free Blog Weekend is a Chipalatta tradition. Basically you can blog about whatever you want relative to the 2018 Astros.
But if you want a few starter questions….
- Who is most responsible for the Astros repeat success? Jim Crane, Jeff Luhnow, A.J. Hinch or the players themselves?
- We have been tough on this team expectation-wise. Did you realize the Astros are the first WS champion with 100 wins since the 1990 A’s?
- The Astros play the Indians in the ALDS? If they get by the Indians who would you want or not want them to face in the ALCS?
- Who are the five most critical players headed into the playoffs for the Astros?
- Did the tight pennant race make the Astros better, worse or the same as the 2017 version headed into the playoffs?
Hit those questions or any other subject of your choosing – the stage is yours.
ALL THINGS ASTROS 
112 responses to “Free Blog Weekend: Credit, better than ’17 and other starters”
-As an old school baseball fan and a lifelong student of baseball, I know how important Carlos Correa’s Game 1 was yesterday.
-Momentum can shift, but confidence is ridden like a wave.
-Beating bad teams, even though you are not hitting on all cylinders is the mark of a good team.
– Hinch wants to see LMJ pitch again today.
-Myles Straw, where in the hell did that come from?
-I know it was the Orioles, but Framber sure was good yesterday.
-Boston lost another weekend series to a contender.
-Pressley got the save without his slider. He could not get it over the plate.
-Cleveland and Houston have two of the best starting rotations in baseball, and their respective lineups are the hardest to strike out in MLB. They are the only two teams to have struck out less than 1200 times, with one game left.
– With no 200 hit season, no batting title and no chance at the MVP trophy, how ready to do something special will Jose Altuve be for the playoffs? I have seen him when he comes out of a funk and it can be fabulous.
-Who might benefit from a few days off? Bregman, who is popping up a lot, which is the sign of a tired bat.
-My candidate for surprise hero in the Cleveland series is Brian McCann. he is very comfortable at the plate right now.
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Peacock looking strong!
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It’s ok…….this game doesn’t define our season, but it DOES THEIR’S.
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Hinch has said they are going with a 7 man bullpen. After what I saw down the wire here is my 7:
1. Osuna
2. Pressly
3. Rondon
4. Sipp
5. McCullers
6. McHugh
7. James
I like James’ stuff more than Peacocks experience.
I see no way the McCullers doesn’t make it if he’s healthy, but if for some reason he is not, I think it will be a tough choice between Valdez, Peacock, Harris and Smith.
I would go with Valdez to have another lefty in case Sipp goes all 2016/17 on us at an inopportune time. I could even make a case for him over McHugh if he didn’t struggle so much with command.
I don’t trust Smith or Harris enough and I lost a lot of trust in Peacock over the last 1/2 of the season.
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I tend to agree with your analysis. It would be nice to have James and Valdez on the playoff roster. Thinking ahead to next year, it’s nice to have some good options.
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Torture was watching the Texans and Astros today.
I need drugs.
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Scioscia is out. I cannot see Joe Girardi not being chased by the Angels. A big pay job and a big name manager that are tailor made for each other.
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If the Dodgers don’t win a playoff series, I could see a bidding war over Girardi between the two LA teams, so maybe the Angels ought to not wait.
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Yeah I think the Dodger fans did not like Roberts pitching decisions in the WS and think they under performed this year
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I agree. I hope he gets fired and ends up as an Astros bench coach next year. He would be a great replacement for losing Cora. He and AJ have great vibes.
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I would really love to see Dave Roberts work with our baserunners. Or Jeff Bagwell. Or just about anybody.
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I don’t think the Dodgers picked up Robert’s option yet. That does not bode well for him.
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Quote of the Day: Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News Rangers writer, “The season is over. The Rangers did not win today. Or very often.”
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Hinch on Tucker “he’s got to come up with a ‘B’ swing that will allow it to be adjustable to more styles of pitches and different ways guys attack him.”
Period.
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So why was he brought up in the first place? They seemingly threw him to the wolves, unprepared. This does not sound much like the ringing endorsement we’ve heard from virtually everyone on this kid. What if he does not have a “B” swing in him?
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ST is the appropriate place and time to help
him adjust to the big leagues.
September in a pennant race is definitely not the time to throw your best prospect to the wolves.
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Maybe they brought him up so that he could be exposed to quality major league players who could talk to him about the adjustments they had to make to their swings and their minds in order to be successful against major league pitching.
Tucker is someone who made $4million before he ever played a pro game and the swing he has got him through AAA.
Now we found out that the Astros are trying to get him to revamp his swing to be successful against the best pitchers in the world and those pitchers are not in AAA! He faces the same thing Springer did when he got to the majors. Springer does not have the same swing he had when he arrived.
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