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Astros Q&A with Chip Himself – Part 2

This is the second part to a two part Q&A with Chip Bailey.

Chip is the founder of this blog, which he created after having run the Astros fan blog for years on the Chronicle (Spit!!) and today we give Chip a shot at five more Astro/baseball questions.

6. Is the recent major criticism of Dusty Baker fair? If you grabbed former managers like Bill Virdon or Larry Dierker in their prime and put them in charge of the 2017 or the 2022 teams – would they have won it all?

To be fair, I don’t follow the news accounts (e.g. radio, newspapers) as much as I used to, so my view may be slanted here. The game has changed since Virdon and Dierker, and players don’t respond to a matter-of-fact, no-namby-pamby-allowed, no-nonsense mindset. Honestly, I thought Dusty would hang it up after winning last year, and he might be forced out if they don’t win it all this year. Candidates? I like managers who were catchers. They have a great sense of the game. Brad Ausmus is 54 now, and not sure he’d be interested, but it might be worth a check-in. Wild thought: Would they bring back A.J. Hinch? Hinch is 49 and is in the third year of a five-year contract in Detroit, but he hasn’t had a winning season yet. I believe Hinch is an interesting option, and I’m not opposed to that. Stew on that.

7. The Astros have 10 seasons in the AL in the rearview mirror. Did moving to the AL West work in their favor at all vs. their old spot in the NL Central?

I’m a purist, plain and simple. I hated it when they forced them to move. It still sticks in my craw a little, especially how it was shoved down our throats. Did it help or hinder? Two world championships later, though, it’s worked out fairly well, hasn’t it? I like tradition, so those regular series against the Cardinals, Reds, and Cubs are gone. But in truth, not many people will remember it at all in another 25 years. It will be a blip in baseball history.

8. Also, after 10 seasons, how do you feel about the designated hitter rule, and are you happy it is in both leagues, or would you rather have it like the old days with the pitchers flailing away?

Again, you’re talking to a purist here, and this has more impact than moving from one league to the other (previous question). I don’t like the DH, I never have. It takes away so much of the strategy that was used well by the Virdons, Dierkers, and others. Unfortunately, we’ve moved away from athletes and replaced them with specialists. Give me the four-man rotation, a pitcher who could throw 300+ innings and a base-stealer who regularly had 100 steals (Ricky Henderson, Lou Brock), and a squeeze bunt or traditional sacrifice that manufactures the go-ahead run. That’s baseball. I won’t get any argument here, though. The game today is all about money, and I hate that about anything. No decision — personal or otherwise — should be driven by money.

9. How do you feel about these recent changes to the game….Man on second to start extra innings….The pitch clock……The larger bases…..The crackdown on “sticky” stuff helping the pitchers?

The man on second is for softball or t-ball. Just stop it! That cheapens MLB. I wonder how Fergie Jenkins, Goose Gossage, Pedro Martinez, or Nolan Ryan would react to a pitch clock? I’m not completely against it, but it’s just another way they’re taking away strategies and making the game more modern. Some things shouldn’t change; unfortunately, it’s a slow erosion away from what we grew up with. It’s not the same game we were introduced to 40-50 years ago; I fear it is a sign of other things to come, like an automated home plate umpire. They should manage true sticky stuff, but you can’t be throwing out players because of resin. (Note: I don’t always follow the follow-up to pitchers getting tossed, so I’m not sure of the ultimate outcomes.) If he’s cheating with real sticky stuff, go sit down.

10. MLB says they would consider expansion to 32 teams if they can resolve the problems with Oakland and Tampa Bay. Let’s say the MLB owners approve the Oakland to Las Vegas move, and Tampa Bay moves to Nashville. Where would you like to see 2 more teams appear?

I like Charlotte, Orlando, and maybe even take a look at San Antonio, though I don’t think SA will be on the shortlist. MLB expanded four times from 1969 to 1998, but they haven’t expanded since then – 25 years. Nothing will happen until Tampa Bay and Oakland are situated. I know there are some who want to go back to Montreal or put a franchise in Portland, but I just don’t see those as viable options. You can see the odds-on markets here.

We always thank Chip for his viewpoint. This blog would never have existed except for his love for the game and everything Astros. He promised to try this again in the off-season.

 

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72 responses to “Astros Q&A with Chip Himself – Part 2”

  1. If you have about 7-8 minutes – this breakdown of Tucker’s grand slam at bat by MLB network is so very complimentary – Tucker’s agent should be taking notes…

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  2. 6. I don’t think anyone has a problem (at least among us non-players) with the way Dusty communicates with people. For many of us that follow the game daily however, the gripe is that Baker does not play his best team often enough, even when rested and healthy. And Chip, we’ve been through all those complaints daily. If you’ve followed the blog at all, you’ve read plenty to get the drift.

    No problem with Ausmus. But I’d rather have almost any other guy in baseball manage the Astros going forward than A. J. Hinch. He’s the spineless guy that lost his dugout and allowed the mess to spiral out of control. All these years later, Altuve still gets booed, even in places like Baltimore. Had Hinch showed some integrity, he would have stopped the cheating. At the end of the day, Dana Brown has to be able to choose his manager going forward.

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    • I agree totally about Hinch. He didn’t stop the trash can business and could have. When he expressed opposition, the players didn’t even have enough respect to take the hint. Plus, I don’t consider him an elite manager. He bungled game 7 of the 2019 WS. I think our current manager is actually better.

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      • Game 7, heck, still haunts me. Grienke did a wonderful job through 6. Adrenaline alone would have gotten Cole through the next 6 or 9 innings. Imagine the difference in what he and our starter were throwing? He wanted it. And we still had a pen to finish it if Cole ran out of gas. That game was destined to be a shutout.

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  3. 7. Gosh, we sure complained about having to leave the NL and having to accept the DH. Today it’s a non-factor. None of us even bring it up at this point, as least in recent memory. The only thing I don’t like is playing so many West Coast games. My bedtime beats game time.

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  4. Where would Yainer Diaz be without the DH? I’ve come full circle. I miss seeing a good bunt, as 21st century baseball has moved away from those intricacies, but seeing a pitcher with bat flailing away or trying to get a respectable bunt down is worse.

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  5. 9. The one rule I can’t stomach is the man on second thing. Did the owners and players association really agree to this injustice? Yeah, the Astros have not figured out a way to be good at this concept, but it flat out impacts the integrity of the game. Play 12 innings max and if tied, so be it. There would be plenty of managerial decision making after 9 and pitchers can go back to having empty bases when they toe the rubber to start the 10th.

    The other stuff does not bother me and the robot could not come too soon.

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    • Ditto all that. The runner on second thing is just looney tunes. Like some 10 year olds would make up for a sandlot game in case it’s getting dark.

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  6. Some thoughts on above…
    – UK – I’m thinking that the team has to go at least 8 years to extend Tucker. I know that will take him to well into his 30’s (he would not be a FA until he is 28 y.o.). At least I’m not thinking that he is going to turn into an overweight mid-30 year old.
    – Jeff and UK – I have to agree with you on Hinch – I overall liked him as manager, but I do agree that 1) He screwed up Game 7 of the WS and 2) His inability to stop the team from cheating showed a true weakness (it also showed to me that he did not think he would get support if he took the complaint up the ladder).
    – UK – I don’t miss pitchers hitting or attempting to bunt. I wish similarly that they outlawed non-pitchers pitching.

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    • Dan, he’ll age pretty well and left field would make his job a bit easier down the road. It will be hard to convince him to DH very often though. If 8 years is enough, then 35 per might get it done. No state tax. But he really needs to want to stay. Someone will offer significantly more.

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  7. I opposed the Hinch hiring because his team in Arizona did not like or respect him. I don’t think I ever liked him in Houston, but losing the 2019 WS and subsequently learning of the cheating firmly removed any feelings of good will I might have toward him. I don’t agree with a lot of Baker’s decisions, but I’m having a hard time attributing any of our postseason losses to him rather than the players.

    It’s also fairly obvious to me that Diaz is good enough offensively and defensively to be starting, but when multiple starting pitchers want Maldonado catching him I think maybe we should take a step back and reconsider. As I’m fond of saying, this isn’t fantasy baseball.

    I don’t mind the DH as much as I used to. I like the pitch clock, but would prefer it were structured differently. I don’t like the pickoff limitations, but until teams get burned in the postseason I doubt anyone cares much. Regarding the sticky stuff crackdown, I think it was absolutely necessary, but it really needs MLB to accompany it by fixing the issue with new balls being so slippery. To be clear, it’s much like steroids in my opinion – players are almost forced to break the rules to keep up with the players who are already breaking them. Give the players a chance at a level playing field.

    I’m not sure expansion makes sense. The regional sports networks are collapsing. Prices on everything continue to rise and we’re going to see Ohtani get a $600M guarantee this winter. Charlotte is a great city, but no one wants to go play basketball or football there. I still don’t see how Las Vegas would function. Nashville shouldn’t be considered on the grounds that Bud Adams is a jerk and I’ll accept no argument to the contrary. If the goal is to setup a couple more franchises that live off the revenue sharing from the top third then I guess we can accomplish that.

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    • Devin, good points. One thing though. Assuming several starters want Maldy to be their catcher ( even if they have not pitched to Diaz) is it the best thing for the team? Besides the obvious offensive benefits, there are quite a few stats that suggest the Astros pitch better to Yainer. ERA is the most straightforward one. But there are quite a few other defensive stats that also favor Diaz. Maybe a different manager would convince those Maldy guys that it’s a team game.

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  8. Wow. Sitting in the Yard Houae after a long day at work, and is if seeing JV back where he belongs isn’t enough, then we see a total feel good story with Jon Singleton smashing a total bomb to right field. Amazing. Then, before I even finish a beer, he does it again! What a great story. I feel so happy for him.

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      • I think we should.

        Maybe I’ll go over for this evening (Sat 12th Aug) game?

        Tomorrow is a day game, am not a big day drinker ….

        Then am away for a few weeks on business but am back all of Sept if that’s when we share a few drinks and watch a game on the screens at The Yard House?

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      • Crikey

        I went back to the Yard House tonight.

        And we won 11-3 again ….

        Have I jinked the team?

        Do I have to go there every night until November now?

        If so, beer donations gratefully received

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  12. No one could convince me that on any given night the bottom of the order would hit 12-25 with 4 BB’s while the top goes 3-24, 4 BB’s(Tuv 2-5, Chas 1-1). This is not a complaint. A win’s a win. Good pickup to help cover the top.
    I love how Diaz continues to make himself relevant (off & defensively). As much as we despise his bench-warming duties he makes it impossible to be kept there

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  13. That performance by Singleton could set this team on fire and get them rolling. He really smoked those balls! Is this a one-time thing or will he continue to be hungry?

    Some people say his brain is made out of mud
    A poor man’s Ricky Williams muscle and blood
    Muscle and blood and fat and smoke
    Did Cintron find a tweak for a swing that was broke?

    Jon Singleton, whattaya get?
    Another day older but lesser in debt
    St. Peter don’cha call me, ’cause I can’t go
    I owe my soul to the Houston Astros

    He was at BP one morning when the sun didn’t shine
    Picked up his bat and walked to the line
    Launched sixteen bombs of 109 exit velo
    And the Crane boss said, “Well bless my soul!”

    Jon Singleton, whattaya get?
    Another day older but lesser in debt
    St. Peter don’cha call me, ’cause I can’t go
    I owe my soul to the Houston Astros

    He was born one morning, it was drizzlin’ rain
    Inhalin’ and puffing was his middle name
    He was raised on the cannabis by an old mama lion
    Can’t no high-stoned woman make him walk the line

    Jon Singleton, whattaya get?
    Another day older but lesser in debt
    St. Peter don’cha call me, ’cause I can’t go
    I owe my soul to the Houston Astros

    If you see him blowin’ better step aside
    A lotta pitchers didn’t, a lotta pitches died
    One fist of iron, the other of steel
    If the right one don’t getcha then the left one will

    Jon Singleton, whattaya get?
    Another day older but lesser in debt
    St. Peter don’cha call me, ’cause I can’t go
    I owe my soul to the Houston Astros

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  14. I missed the game last night as I was out at our Rastafarian version of Simon’s Yard House. It’s actually called The Cherry Tree, a cool little road house up in the hills. I checked the score on my phone early and saw 1-0 Halo’s, but figured our guys would pounce at one point. Little did I know.

    Old School has already noted all those hits. But no way I would have figured 15 hits with Bregman, Tucker and Alvarez going 0 for 10.

    Nice to see the starter get pulled after 6 last night.

    Frenchy, famous centerfielder, got kind of discombobulated out there at the wall last night.

    Did Diaz get. a couple of hits off a lefty?

    As long as Singleton hits, we need to have Abreu’s back stay a little sore. Is it possible his back has been sore all year?

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  16. Thoughts
    – Even if Jon Singleton never does anything else for the team, he will always have Paris – uh – I mean last night. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone hit exactly the same two home runs in a row – they had to be within a few feet of each other. I hope Jon has a whole career starting from his walk to start the Kyle Tucker grand slam rally.
    – Already covered above, but the chances of the Astros scoring 11 runs in a game with getting no hits out of Bregman, Yordan and Tucker have to be nil = .00001%
    – Even though he has been struggling lately, I sure hope Maton is not badly hurt. I guess Parker Mushinski would take his spot if there is a move made.
    – Justin Verlander, who often in his time here got minimal offensive support, was given the max last night.
    – I blink and suddenly notice that Altuve has a .311 BA and a .946 OPS. He is just an amazing hitter.
    – Love to see the ball jump off Yainer Diaz’s bat

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  17. Making a quite scan of the Astros minor league clubs reveals issues regarding pitchers, especially starting pitchers. Their ERAs are quite high. Perhaps the club should hire more pitch coaching help??

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  18. In an off the topic subject – it is Big Bill Weekend at the ballpark with both 2B Bill Doran and retired broadcaster Bill Brown being inducted into the Astros Hall of Fame.
    Billy D was always one of my favorites – solid player, hustler and kind of the forgotten man at a position (Biggio, Altuve, Morgan) that has had a probable 3 Hall of Famers. Heck that doesn’t count another Hall of Famer that played a bit for them – Nellie Fox.
    Loved them letting Bill Brown do an inning and a half of play by play and all the stories that he shared with Blummer during last night’s game. Todd Kalas is very good on the broadcast, but so was Bill Brown.

    A lot of fun….

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  19. This might be the best lineup…

    1 Altuve 2B
    2 Bregman 3B
    3 Alvarez, Y DH
    4 Tucker RF
    5 Diaz, Y C
    6 McCormick LF
    7 Singleton 1B
    8 Peña SS
    9 Meyers CF

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  20. So they are indicating Abreu has been dealing with his back problem for awhile – which is how he has looked the last couple weeks.
    Is Singleton going to Wally Pipp him? (I know I know – not likely)

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  22. Another great win for the good guys. The top of the order rakes and the bottom pitches in to give one of the best RISP”s we’ve seen in weeks. Last I saw for today’s gm was 4-6, but that improved with! the last few runs. Tuv has gone ballistic. Just wait until Alvarez gets his timing back, OMG!
    The lineup sargeh posted should be etched in stone for the rest of the season with a few off days penciled in (and if Brantley returns)
    I know (for us suffering fans), why fix what ain’t broke, coach?

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  23. Somewhat lost in the offensive explosion this series have been some pretty good pitching performances – especially by JV and JP, but continuing through the bullpen. I know the Angels have been in a funk, but our guys have risen to the occasion.

    Regarding the offense – in his last seven games Jose Altuve is slashing .536/.629 with 11 runs scored, 7 RBI. He has walked 6 times and only struck out 4. That’s what you call a table-setter!

    Meanwhile, over the same time period Alex Bregman is slashing .296/.424 and Jeremy Pena is slashing .360/.467.

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    • That little guy drives the offense Mr. Bill – 50 runs in the last 6 games. Tucker with 11 RBIs in those 6 games too. On the other side – Yordan hitting .160 in those 6 games and .142 in the last 7.

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  24. Lineup today

    Altuve DH
    Bregman 3B
    Alvarez LF
    Tucker RF
    McCormick CF
    Singleton 1B
    Dubon 2B
    Kessinger SS
    Maldonado C

    Diaz watching from the dugout

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    • Yeah, I foolishly thought there might be a game or two a week for Diaz at first in order to keep his bat in the lineup. Hopefully the Singleton experiment (and it certainly is an experiment) will have a positive impact today.

      If Frenchy is going to keep playing as much as he has, I’d sure like to see him hitting a bit.

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      • Frenchy has been downright awful at the plate recently:
        Over his last 15 games his slash line is .179/.289.
        So Dusty decides to line him up with Maldy [season slash line .181/.249] and Kessinger [season slash line .188/.297].

        Dusty Baker to Astro fans: You’ve had enough fun the last two days – now go back to sucking eggs!

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      • And he has the worst lineup lined up with the pitcher (Urquidy) who likely needs the most run support. Awfully strange.

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  25. I was not joking when I used the term ‘suffering fans’. What was not broken was the past 2 lineups we fans were hoping to see. They were very successful. Then Dusty did what Dusty does. He fixed it, much to our chagrin. Lord help us and them!

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  26. I probably should not point out that over his last seven games, Chaz is slashing .174/.269 – with zero HRs, zero RBIs, and 10 strikeouts in 23 AB.

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  28. Plenty of time for the Angels to give this one back, but in mid August, you’ve got to put the hammer down and keep Diaz’ bat in the lineup. I know Altuve did not ask to DH. And while Singleton had a special night on Friday, Diaz would have been a correct choice at first today too. No excuse that he sits. We gave up a sweep of the O’s earlier in the week. Our manager is trying to do the same again today.

    And I’m so tired of Fox and Apple and other national broadcasters talking about Dusty Baker as if he’s the wizard. They don’t have to follow our lineups everyday. Again, if we win anything, it’ll be in spite of our leader.

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    • Boy, you can say that again. I watched about half of the game last night and you’d thought that Dusty was the greatest Manager ever. I guess if the Astros were down right awful that they’s still say Dusty was a great manager but the guys are under performing.

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  29. – On the positive side, Urquidy looked the closest to his best self this season, including his appearances before his injury.
    – Parker Mushinski comes in and immediately gets a double play grounder to get to the cusp of an escape. Ohtani then launches one into Yordanland above the batting eye. Since Ohtani gets a HR every three games that is just one of those shrug things. I guess they could have pitched around him, but it was the 6th inning.
    – We don’t know if Urquidy would have had as good a game with Diaz in or the Astros might have scored more runs with Diaz in the lineup. But I would have liked to find out.
    – Singleton scoring on that short wild pitch surprised the heck out of me – he showed a bit more speed and the Angels seemed to not recover well on that one. He also made some nice fielding plays, including a dive and quick recover in foul territory to throw out Moustasas.
    – As I texted to my brother when the lineup came out – “Pena’s been hitting, so he must sit. Diaz had been hitting so he sits, but gets one late AB with a guy throwing just nasty. Meyers has been hitting so he sits.” Does 25 year old Pena really need a day off when he finally seemed to find his stroke???

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    • It almost seems like Mr Toothpick manages in reverse. A batter in a slump gets to play everyday until he finally comes out of it and gets his stroke back. Then he gets to sit out the next day. Likewise for a player heating up and ripping the cover off the ball. He the gets a day off to “cool down”. Just perplexes the heck out of me.
      Good game for Urquidy. He deserved better. The pitch Ohtani hit out wasn’t a bad pitch but then again it’s Ohtani. Good job by Stanek to get out of the Montero bases loaded jam. The 0 for 8 RISP was a killer again. Need to sweep the Marlins. Got to stay in the hunt.

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  30. So Hunter Brown is out of the rotation for now. From a perspective of innings pitched, he’s probably the right guy. But Javier might need the break more based on performance. Either way, having more options rather than fewer is almost always better. Bielak got mauled on Saturday night by the Chihuahua’s, giving up 9 hits, 3 walks and 11 runs in 2.1 innings. I’m guessing he does not like pitching in AAA ball these days.

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  31. Dusty also noted post game yesterday that we’re not hitting on all cylinders yet, that we had a chance to sweep both of the last series, paraphrasing….we could have been 6-0 instead of 4-2.

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  32. I just realized that with Framber, Javier and Verlander starting in Miami, Diaz will continue to get plenty of rest.

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  33. Texas and Seattle both lost on Sunday, so that’s good.
    Will Wagner went 5 for 5 Sunday for CC. He had a homer and a double and knocked in 3 runs from the leadoff slot. Seems his hand is finally healed.
    Wagner played second base and also was the lead player in a defensive triple play. It went from 2B to SS to 1B to 3B

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    • I noted that 1OP, I keep thinking about having a utility man on the 2024 roster that might also be a hitter with a good eye and a high OBP. The pedigree is there!

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    • The conundrum is that Diaz might be squeezed further. The only way to remedy the situation is to put our best catcher behind the plate, and that won’t happen until 2024.

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  35. Joey Loperfido sent to AAA. One step closer. Those two homers on Friday night have some people giddy about Singleton, but Loperfido is a much better all around baseball player.

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    • I think with Big Jon the best we can hope for is an occasional impressive bomb every 10 to 12 games, after suffering through strikeout after strikeout, leaving tons of men stranded on base, night after night. What is is about Astro first-basemen? Did Bagwell break the position for our franchise forever?.

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      • I was about to say ‘what about Berkman’ but you beat me to it. And Yuli wasn’t too shabby.

        Maybe the FO thought our new signing was called ‘Breu

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  38. It will be interesting to follow Loperfido in AAA. Especially after Dirden, who tore pitchers up in all levels below AAA, has hit a wall in the PCL. Dirden’s minor league protection runs out but Loperfido has another year.

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  41. We need to start posting that we want more Maldy. Dusty would play Diaz every day, and sit Maldy, because he lives to ‘stick’ it to thuh man’.

    We’ve got a fever – and the only prescription is more Maldonado!

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  42. We need more Maldy because he is like Jake Odorizzi was for us last year. He is an innings eater for the catcher position to keep Yainer fresh for the end of the season. Maybe we can trade Maldy for a lefty reliever :-p

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