,

An Open Letter to Jim Crane

One of the things I enjoy doing is to wander down memory lane with the blog. Sometimes I just randomly go back in time and read through some old posts and the comments. I try to ignore the ones where I want to trade Jose Altuve or think that Preston Tucker is the next big thing. Yesterday I came upon this gem from January 2015 written by Chip Bailey.

AN OPEN LETTER to Astros’ GM Jeff Luhnow.

It was a crucial time for the Astros and Jeff Luhnow. The team had finally risen out of the 100-loss mire of 2011 to 2013, but the 72-90 season was not a triumph, and it came with the firing or Luhnow’s choice (we thought) of manager Bo Porter, who did not even make it through 2 seasons. 2014 was also the time of the Brady Aiken first-round pick mess, and a lot of fans, and possibly Jim Crane himself, were wondering if “The Plan” was in the hands of the right GM.

Well, no doubt inspired by Chip’s letter, 2015 ended up as a big season for the Astros and for Jeff Luhnow. The team leaped into an unexpected appearance in the playoffs under new manager A.J. Hinch and Luhnow had a great draft that included two future All-Stars in Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker and draft choices that would be the part of future trades for Justin Verlander, Ken Giles, Aledmys Diaz, Martin Maldonado and in the case of Myles Straw, for Phil Maton and Yainer Diaz.

So, I thought it might be a good time to repeat what Chip, so eloquently prosed and send an open letter to the Astros’ owner, Jim Crane.

Dear Jim –

First, I want to say thank you. I’m sure you get a ton more complaints than you receive gratitude for what you have done for the baseball fans of Houston.  Since 2015, the team you and Jeff Luhnow re-built has made the playoffs eight times, the ALCS seven times, the World Series four times, and brought home the only two Championships in the team’s history. The team has had probably two or three times more success under your ownership than all your predecessors combined.

You bought the team as it was headed downward and then you and your new GM Jeff Luhnow took all the slings and arrows of the critics for cutting the budget to the bone, deliberately fielding a team that would fail, and running a team due to TV contract problems, that was not seen by the majority of your fanbase.  Let me assure you that I stuck with you and the team throughout this timeframe having many an argument on this blog with those who said you would never spend money on the team and that the team would never have success. I believed in what you were doing.

So, why am I writing right now? Perhaps it is premature, but it feels like the team has lost its way and that it is not certain that there is a “Plan” in place.  Maybe I am wrong, but you know that saying used when there is continuous failure, “Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result”? There is also a saying that I just invented relative to continued success, “Insanity is doing things differently and expecting the same result”.

We talked about how the Astros only made it through this period of excellence by running their business in a way that supported sustaining that excellence.  Five critical items: Astros’ sustainability – ALL THINGS ASTROS (chipalatta.com)

The team has strayed from some of these pillars over time. Some of it was due to the success in removing some of the discount options that came with finishing last. Some of it was self-inflicted wounds and front-office decision-making.

It is likely that you are thinking that the one constant throughout this Astros Renaissance has been you, Mr. Crane. There have been three different GMs and three different managers involved. Front office folks like Mike Elias, Sig Mejdal, and David Stearns have been here and gone, but the team has been to those seven consecutive ALCS appearances and beyond.

Yes, you were integral to the team’s success, but as with your other businesses, one key to your success in baseball was choosing the right people and supporting them in their decision-making.

I know if you had your way, AJ Hinch and Jeff Luhnow would not have been wiped away by the scandal, and you would be working with two men who created or supported “The Plan.” But that is not where you are. After being a team where it was pretty clear who was in charge and making decisions, it now feels like an unbalanced ship at sea, shifting swiftly back and forth with no clear means of control.

I’m not saying you should not bring in some folks you respect for their opinions on things. But right now, it is not clear who is in charge and if the correct folks are making decisions. It is not clear if there is a far-reaching Plan, what that Plan is, and who is in charge of making it happen.

This goes beyond whether the Astros should have brought in Jose Abreu and whether they should prop him up and hold on to him to soothe the egos involved. It goes to the heart of a successful franchise and the decisions they make to continue being one.

Yours Truly

Dan P

←
→

93 responses to “An Open Letter to Jim Crane”

Newer Comments »

  2. Dan, I suspect the fandom will have to stew for now while the tm advisors further evaluate the product on the field. Every hit, however few, gives Abreu an extension hoping he heats up. Doubtful we see any pink handed out.
    Buyers for P seems reasonable, but for who & with what? And they still have to evaluate Garcia/McCullers upon their return. A Plan? What Plan? A plan would be to allow the GM hired to show his mettle and the silence that has not been heard lately from the FO advisors to remain silent.

    Like

    Reply

  3. We’re seeing the good version of Hunter Brown showing up more frequently. Still a bit too hot headed though. He should have been out of that first inning with 10 less pitches. And when you hit a guy with 96 plus, go back to the mound and keep your mouth shut. That will help avoid further conflict.

    Yordan has become Yordan again. We had quite a few good at bats against a guy that been successful all season. Positive signs.

    I’m glad my effort ended after the 6th along with Hunter. I would not have enjoyed the bottom of the 8th. Yainer, you have to catch those pop ups!

    Another lefty going today. Does that mean Abreu gets all three starts in the series? Nobody seems to talk about the fact that Loperfido has had reverse splits throughout his minor league career.

    If owner Crane has a moment and decides the present hierarchy is not working effectively, he sure won’t tell us, unless of course he decides to part ways with someone. That likely won’t happen now though. We’ll have to keep guessing based on what we see. Seems the characters involved have been rather quiet lately though. Now that might have been a Crane directive.

    Like

    Reply

  4. 1oldpro, hopefully you’ve been able to negotiate a couple of hours of The Memorial this afternoon without compromising your option on The Open next weekend!

    Like

    Reply

  5. Andre- good stuff there – I agree with you

    daveb – maybe the team will just play their way out of this – it is what we have to hope

    Lineup today

    Altuve 2B

    Bregman 3 B

    Alvarez DH

    Peña SS

    Diaz C

    Meyers CF

    Dubon LF

    Abreu 1B

    MCCormick RF

    Loperfido gets to sit and watch

    Like

    Reply

    • Dan maybe the guys will play their way back into contention, but we could have a better team on the field and failing to play the best nine remains inexcusable to me.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  6. Blum inquired of Brown the status of Garcia/McCullers return. Brown gave a rather lengthy review of Garcia, even speculated, or hoped to have Garcia back by the end of July. Brown did not even attempt to give an update on McCullers. Why? I personally expect McCullers to be a non factor for who knows how long. Not hating on the man but his contract continues to be one this org definitely has to eat with him sidelined so long.

    Like

    Reply

  7. Don’t you just hate it when the video of the game in not synchronized with the audio?

    For example: Dana Brown was just in the booth chatting with TK & Blummer. They were talking about Joey L being called up and Brown said he needs to be playing every day because the team may need him later in the season. OK. Makes sense.

    Meanwhile, the picture is showing Joey sitting on the bench watching Heinz Abreu give the world an exhibition of what washed up mediocre ballplayers do.

    It wouldn’t surprise me one bit to someday see Dana Brown running for Congress. He has that much credibility in my book. Meanwhile, I’m wondering who really is driving this clown car? Obviously not this clown…..

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  8. (In the best Loel Passe voice over) “The mighty, mighty Astros snatch DEFEAT from the jaws of Victory once more time!

    For those of you who have never heard of Loel Passe, he was a color man for the club back in the 60s and had a unique voice. Look him up on the internet and listen.

    Espada again misuses the bullpen.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • He sure did. Where would he have learned pitching management? From DB? God help us!

      In the 60’s, I was listening to Herb Carneal & Halsey Hall calling Twins games on WCCO AM 830 out of Mpls. When I could. When we lived south of Marshall, reception was spotty except at night.

      Radio play by play today isn’t as good as back then. But it’s still better than the TV idiots. Usually.

      Astros fans are lucky to have the team on SCHN. No matter how much the technology they use sucks, those 3 (TK, Blum, and Julia are among the best in the game today.

      Like

      Reply

  10. Another game, another blown lead by Pressley. Why send a guy out the with a plus 5 ERA to hold a lead? Oh I remember, The same guys that keep sending Abreu to 1st base while Loperfido sits on the bench.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  12. Dana Brown – “Jon Singleton is our first baseman.”

    Joe Espada – “Uh, thats not the word I got from the actual GM.”

    Dana Brown – “Well, we can’t call up our minor leaguers and let them sit.”

    Joe Espada – “Uh, thats not the word I got from the actual GM.”

    This goes back to Maldy/Diaz. We know Brown wanted Diaz playing over Maldy. But the actual GM spoke. I’m beginning to wonder just how much of Maldy playing was Baker.

    And I am committed to never watching Ryan Pressly pitch again. Next time he walks out, I’m turning off the TV. Its the only way to keep my sanity.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  13. That was a sloppy, give it back game by the Astros. We made errors. Even with 14 hits we left plenty of guys on base. And I’m still trying to figure out why the pen was used the way it was today. Yesterday we won a game 6-1 but still used four guys from the pen. And we got a 25 pitch inning out of Pressly.

    Today I think we lost the game when Martinez was pulled after giving up a baserunner on an error and then getting two strike outs. He threw 15 pitches. He looked pretty sharp to me. He had the off day on Thursday. He did not pitch on Friday. He did not pitch last night. I would have used him to finish the 6th and given him the 7th. And if he was dealing, I might have given him the 8th. Instead we use four more guys to blow the game and go into San Francisco tomorrow with a tattered pen.

    Joe Espada does not throw the pitches or hit the baseballs. But sometimes I just don’t understand the rationale behind his decision making.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  15. Now that I’ve slept off the hangover from the latest Astro implosion, a few things have come to mind.

    I thought Pressly was gradually getting his game back together. That is obviously wrong. It is remarkable that so many 0-2 pitches can be thrown in places where they are sure to be battered. And again, I don’t understand why he was assigned the 8th inning after throwing 25 pitches the night before. And it’s clear that manager Joe is assigning these innings to the pen well before the game even gets underway. I don’t think he has the ability to shift on the fly. And last night, Joe didn’t even try to be diplomatic. Paraphrasing; he insisted that Pressly will be sent right back out there. He’s one of the main guys.

    Trey Cabbage made a heck of an attempt at stealing that walk off homer in the 9th. But that said, as Steven briefly pointed out, JL comes back in and sits for two games. He could have pinch hit instead of Cabbage. He could have pinch run for Abreu. He could have played yesterday. He’s now sat out 8 straight games when on the Astro roster. And we are not too stupid to know that JL has reverse splits.

    Frenchie Dubon picked a bad day to have a bad day. He misplayed an out into a single in left. He made another off line throw to the plate from the outfield. And of course he made those two pivotal errors at third. We should not expect too much from Dubon. He’s a utility man. And with all the outfielders we have at this point, at least one with more upside, he does not need to be in the outfield.

    We’re basically screwed on the Abreu front. He’s hitting .132 now. We’re stuck with a guy that will help this club lose more than win. And Dana knows, but that won’t get Abreu moved out.

    The dynamics of the Astro organization remain so damn contradictory. Dana and Joe seem unable to at least get on the same page with their public statements, so that honest or not, they both match. This is Dana and Dusty, 2.0. Are strings from above being dropped directly into Joe Espada’s office? I think so. At this point, I don’t think Joe is the right man for the job. But are any of these guys?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  16. Joe is the wrong guy at the wrong time. DB just that much worse. The combination of two poor decision makers with Jim “Jerry Jones” Crane is too much down draft for any plane to fly. At the All Star break, Joe and DB are toast.

    Like

    Reply

  17. Scottie wins and Astros lose badly. That is 2024 in a nutshell.

    This huge payroll being carried is going to hamstring the Astros for the next few years, as they are handicapping themselves with bad penalties and fewer decent prospects. The front office and clubhouse are on different pages because there is no longer a book with a plan.

    Like

    Reply

  18. I’m confused – are we thinking Espada is making the wrong decisions in game because he’s being directed to do something by Crane or are we in agreement that he’s making them because he is a rookie manager who may or may not ever get better? Honestly, it’s like watching college baseball. You see guys played out of position because the coach is willing to sacrifice defense in hopes of some offense. You see bad pinch hitting decisions solely based around lefty/righty matchups. You see pitchers who clearly don’t even have it brought in from the bullpen and allowed to throw more pitches than they’re comfortable with. Normally I’d say the seasons is 162 games long and we shouldn’t stress over gifting a win here or there, but we’ve done it far too many times.

    Like

    Reply

  19. Let’s see –

    • It took me a minute to realize OP was talking about Scottie Scheffler – I thought he was talking about Tayler Scott – lol. Scheffler in his last 8 starts as won 5 golf tournaments (including the prestigious Masters, Players and Memorial), came in 2nd twice and came in 8th at the PGA where he was famously arrested for going the wrong way as far as a certain policeman was concerned. This is Tiger-ish at this point. On to the US Open.
    • As daveb writes up above – Espada should not have taken Martinez out when he did – he just struck out two guys. Montero comes in and gives up a run.
    • And why didn’t Espada bring in Hader when he needed a strikeout in the 8th – he waits until Pressly gives up the runs and then brings him in.
    • Some folks were piling on Hader this morning. Yes, he gave up the winning homer, but he has been very, very good for more than a month. Once in a while they will get you
    • I guess Dubon won’t be getting the Gold Glove for utility players this year. But you know it has to be tough jumping from the outfield to the infield and it took them so long to send him out there when they pulled Bregman that he did not even get a warm up roller at third.
    • I hope Bregman is OK – took another HBP off his hand – shades of Jeff Bagwell. And I hope Diaz’s hand does not swell up after getting hit by the foul ball. I’m used to catchers keeping their bare hand out of the way while catching – not sitting on top of his leg. Maybe that is too get throws off quicker, but…
    • Why does it fell like we lost that series?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • If our position with Seattle were swapped we probably wouldn’t feel that way. However, they dropped two to KC and we beat Anaheim twice to open the weekend. Picking up two games was huge. They won in extras yesterday and we blew another save before getting walked off. It was a huge missed opportunity. At least we gained 1 game on them in the standings, but it was really close to being 3.

      Like

      Reply

      • I could see Bregman needing a 10 day rest after taking that bonus shot off his hand. Maybe it’s time to put Whitcomb or Wagner on the 40 man. I don’t think Kessinger and Hensley provide enough variety between the two of them.

        Put JL in right and leave him there until Tucker gets back. Then worry about where to play him next.

        Got to take Pressly out of his 8th inning slot. Let him work through his issues in situations that won’t allow him to give back games.

        Make sure Verlander starts getting a 5th day of rest between starts. With 5 days off coming up this month, it should be doable for all five guys. And find a sixth man for the rotation this month. Trying to hold out thinking that Garcia might be the solution could be a critical mistake.

        Chas is not far off from hitting again. Don’t give up on him.

        Like

  22. One more thing. Using Bryan Abreu so frequently will backfire eventually. Same with trying to get 4 or 5 outs from your closer. Maybe we get back to .500, but maybe we get gassed while we’re doing it.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  23. It has become painfully obvious that Jose Espada has the same level of imagination as a fruit fly. This guy would be out of his depth in the kiddie pool.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      • I think most club owners are savvy enough by the time they buy a club to recognize a dunce when they see one, Apparently except Jim Crane judging by the company he keeps. That would explain him (Espada) not getting the gig elsewhere.

        Why Crane hired him without really even looking at anybody else is beyond my understanding. Unless a dunce is who he has in mind.

        In which case he nailed it with Espada!

        Like

  25. Another lineup to irritate the masses

    Altuve 2B

    Bregman 3B

    Alvarez DH

    Peña SS

    Meyers CF

    Dubon LF

    Abreu 1B

    McCormick RF

    Caratini C

    Abreu in the lineup again

    Abreu moved up to 7th

    Loperfido continues to gather splinters

    Like

    Reply

  28. Battle of First Base Heavyweights tonight. In the Astros corner, Jose Abreu, batting .132 with an OPS of .385. In the Giants corner, Trenton Brooks, batting .167 with an OPS of .453. Should be an exciting time!

    Like

    Reply

  30. In response to Daveb7 I agree about Abreu. He has already appeared in 33 games this season which is more than any other relief pitcher in the league. Are these guys trying to blow out his arm? Even if he’s good he’ll be nothing more than a rag arm by August. What a bunch of Morons that we have running this team. If I were at a game I’d hold up a sign that says, “fire everybody in management”.

    Like

    Reply

  31. I’m trying to find reasons to sit Loperfido once again. This lefty Harrison is pretty good, but JL hits lefties better than righties. And I know he’s a better outfielder than Dubon. Why was JL brought back up? Last nine Astro games when on the roster, nine games on the bench. I’ve already said it. The club is 8-4 in his starts. What concerns me most is that the guy might start thinking he does not want to play for this organization. I’ve seen too much footage of Loperfido making plays all over the field. I’ve watched him in person, going back to Corpus. I’ve seen too many big hits. I’ve seen a 6’3″ kid that runs the bases. I’ve seen the spark. And I’m just a bleeping old coot that sees a ball player, like Altuve when no experts rated him, like Yainer Diaz when he was considered a throw in. I’ve gotten a bunch of guys wrong too, but for goodness sakes, you’ve got to give the guy a real shot.

    Like

    Reply

  32. “…but for goodness sakes, you’ve got to give the guy a real shot.”

    Goodness has nothing to do with what is going on in the Astros FO these days. To get traded to a different club may just set him off like a rocket. Sitting on the bench watching Heinz Abreu only gets him a meager paycheck and callouses on his rear end.

    Joey will get a real shot. I’d hate to see him do it wearing a Rangers hat. Or Mariners. But it will happen.

    This is all just ugly interpersonal conflicts between egotistical athletes and overeducated, EXTREMELY overcompensated celebrity owners. All playing out in ballparks on TV and viral podcasts.. I don’t think I would want to work for this outfit, either.

    Must smell worse than that chicken farm i worked at one summer. ONE summer! 🙂

    Like

    Reply

  35. I didn’t stay up and watch the end of that (was out by the 7th) but to that point it was a typical lackluster offense for a team that can’t afford more 10 inning losses.

    One thing is it appears that Loperfido was brought in to pinch run for Abreu, but then went to LF and Dubon was brought in to play 1B. Like the missing video, I’m going back to the tin foil hat. I think Espada has to be under direction from the top not to play Loperfido at 1B, they don’t want the majority of fans realizing he can or they might have a revolution on their hands at the park. The last thing they want is to see Abreu get boo birds out at home. It’s possible not playing Loperfido at all is again an organizational decision made to protect their veteran.

    Veteran respect goes a long way in baseball, more so than any other sport. In the NFL these guys are just assets. If they lose so much as a tenth of a second off their 40 time they are usually gone, replaced by a newly drafted kid that has that tenth. The NBA they get some leeway, but it’s very common for guys to go from regular to bench roles to being the 12th guy on a roster around to provide help to the kids, and it can happen quickly to them. No, MLB is special in how it’s part of the culture to protect your guys. But the Astros are taking protecting Abreu too far, as these close games like this, you keep marching out a guy that is probably going to ofer, and not saying someone else (Singleton or Loperfido) won’t have ofers, but every single game we lose by 1 run and Abreu ofers, it’s tough to watch.

    For the first time ever, I find myself rooting against an Astro in 4 AB’s every game. The Astros are going to put pause on releasing him 2 or 3 more days every time he gets one hit, and a week every time he homers. Part of me was happy to see that double down the line in the Angels series finale, because he pulled something. But then I remembered, it was an 86 MPH slider from a lefty coming at him that caught to much of the plate. When I was in my 30s I probably could have caught that pitch too.

    He could prove us all wrong. He could start jacking 96 MPH mistake pitches in the middle of the plate into LF or LC bleachers routinely. I just don’t see any indication that is coming. He hits almost everything to the right side, when he does put it in play. It’s still just the same bat, the bat speed is there, he is still putting exit velo on there, but the clock’s second hand is ticking to slow.

    Like

    Reply

    • The boo birds are already out at MMP. We only get to hear the murmurs because of some creative placement of microphones by the SCHN people.

      But they’re there even if we don’t hear them much yet.

      They won’t be able to cover it up much longer.

      Like

      Reply

  36. Yeah, Loperfido was sent out to left. I too am convinced that he’s not allowed to play first, regardless of the fact that Brown said on Sunday he might play the position against the Giants. Brown might not even know about that rule! He also said that Loperfido would play two or three times against the Giants. I guess last nights appearance counts as one of them.

    This group of players desperately needs the shake up that must include Abreu going home. There is far too much talent playing inferior baseball. If Tucker really is due back on Friday night, something needs to happen by then. I certainly don’t have any confidence it will though. Depending on how these next two games go, the home fans might be a restless group at this point.

    Like

    Reply

    • Since I’m not paying for MLB TV this year, I did stay up and watched to the end as the game was broadcast on MLB Network. I thought Abreu looked good against the Angels and didn’t have a problem with him last night. Both defensively and in the box he looked like a major leaguer. He shouldn’t have hit in the ninth, but I can’t see any situation where Espada would have the guts to pinch hit the rookie he won’t play in the situation most calling for it. Then again, recall I’ve questioned if Loperfido can handle the legit velocities as well so maybe Espada read too many of my scouting reports.

      For defensive purposes it makes a lot more sense to have Loperfido in the outfield than Dubon. I strongly feel Loperfido is the stronger defensive player in the OF or at 1B than Dubon, but you can’t put him in both positions at once. Speaking of defense, they originally ruled an error on the ball Ramos hit past Pena in the 10th and ruled the ball Montero missed a hit. Those have been switched, but both should have been errors. Ignoring the fact Montero did not have life on his fastball or any clue where he was throwing it last night, those two gifts almost ensured the Giants would win instead of extending it to the 11th. I think we see a shakeup in the coaching staff before the end of the month as it’s cheaper than firing the players.

      Like

      Reply

      • Devin, keeping Abreu on the roster is only going to save about 750K a year, which is the price for a Loperfido or a Wagner or a Whitcomb. Abreu gets paid whether he’s with the club or home on his couch. The bonus is that the club is better as soon as Abreu is sent home. And as long as he’s around, it impacts the other players too. They want to win. They probably like the guy. But they know he’s a weak link.

        Like

  37. Thoughts –

    • Arrighetti pitched very well again – giving up the run at the very end of his appearance.
    • With or without Tucker – this offense should not score only one run in 9 innings
    • You can’t give up a 2 run lead in the 10th – you just can’t
    • I went to bed around the 6th inning – woke up later and checked on the game – there were two outs in the 9th with a guy on 2nd and 3rd and Abreu up. I go “why?” After the game they asked Espada if he considered pinch hitting for Abreu. He said yes, but that he trusted him and he wanted to hold on to other players (Loperfido??) for pinch running. Really?? If he didn’t want to put the rookie up – did he consider using Diaz (or was his hand bothering him after getting hit by a foul ball Sunday)?
    • I wondered if they considered sending Hader out again in the 10th after only 10 pitches in the 9th. Other than him there were fresher but unproven arms Shawn Dubin and Nick Hernandez in the bullpen. (Montero has been pretty untrustworthy – if that is a word).
    • Bullpens blowing leads is almost as bad for morale as manager’s not putting the best options in the lineup.
    • Jose Abreu is batting .127 in 110 ABs. No one else batting .127 or worse in the majors has more than 99 ABs (and that is Martin Maldonado). After him the next players have 67 ABs.
    • This team is 7-1/2 games behind the M’s and they should be 5-1/2 games back with a 4 game winning streak instead of a 2 game choking streak.
    • I am close to sticking a fork in them. They mathematically can come back. And with their talent they should come back. I just don’t see what Rudy T would call “The Heart of a Champion” in this version of the team.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Yes. “Untrustworthy” is a real word. It’s in the dictionary and everything. Right next to a picture of Monterrible.

      Like

      Reply

  38. “there were two outs in the 9th with a guy on 2nd and 3rd and Abreu up. I go “why?”

    I won’t post here what I said at that same moment.

    FJE

    Like

    Reply

  39. Joey Loperfido returns to Sugar Land once again after gaining invaluable major league experience pinch running and playing an inning of left field during his latest 3 day visit. So much for playing 2 or 3 games in San Francisco. It seems Yainer Diaz’ finger is the problem. Are the Astros higher on Cabbage?

    Like

    Reply

  40. One thing about this Abreu fiasco. Singleton has essentially been benched, with Abreu back to playing everyday. Even the Crane led committee has to want some kind of a decision to be made on Abreu, hence all the playing time. If he keeps hitting .132 for the next couple of weeks, maybe he goes by July 1 or at the All Star break. The unfortunate thing is that the team may well have tanked by then.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  41. I have this little thing going on in the back of my hollow head. I’m thinking the Astros will have limped into the All Star break pretty much done for the season. Even Vegas has pretty much written them off. The decision is made to both buy and sell, planning for 2025. Abreu goes home, Bregman goes for a solid arm for the pen and a good prospect. Dubon might even go to a club that needs what he does. Garcia is about ready. Brown swings a deal for a starter that helps further solidify the back end of a six man rotation. Chas or Jake is part of that deal. Whitcomb, Wagner, Leon and Loperfido all join the club for the duration. And maybe at some point we see Blubaugh to help with innings when Blanco and Arrighetti close in on getting shut down. McCullers finally shows up in the pen. We will have changed both corner infield positions and reimagined the outfield. And we might have more pitching too.

    Suddenly we’re watching guys diving for balls all over the field, better athletes taking extra bases and stealing them too. Guys like Wagner working counts and it’s contagious. Speedy guys are dropping bunts down and slapping opposite field base hits. And we have more power. We’re significantly younger. Suddenly everyone is having fun and the club goes on a frenzied run. On September 1, with Jim Cranes blessing, Dana Brown announces an 8 year extension for Kyle Tucker. Maybe these guys even track down a post season berth.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  42. Last year, Dana said, publicly, that Diaz was going to play more as catcher. Baker ignored him and stayed with Maldonado.

    This year, Dana says, publicly, that Loperfido is going to play first base mainly and a lot. Espada is ignoring him. The commonality in these two comparisons? Dana cannot get the manager on board. It seems Dana either has no stroke or he is too weak to control the team.

    Like

    Reply

  43. Yesterday evening, the Giants pitcher threw seven pitches in the first inning to retire the side.

    Tonight, the Giants pitcher, once again, throws seven pitches in the first inning to retire the side!

    Piss, poor strategy friends!

    Like

    Reply

    • I didn’t know that swinging wildly like a scared girl scout at anything white and round was considered a strategy, sarge. Or even a tactic.

      It’s just embarrassing. I have to draw the curtains and turn off the lights to watch Astros games these days.

      Like

      Reply

  45. Six or seven out of ten times Hicks throws a breaking pitch bottom zone it’s a darn ball! Nobody is gonna drive in any runs chasing ghosts. They just got bailed out of possibly looking foolish by an errant throw, thank goodness.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  46. Six or seven out of ten times Hicks throws a breaking pitch bottom zone it’s a darn ball! Nobody is gonna drive in any runs chasing ghosts. They just got bailed out of possibly looking foolish by an errant throw, thank goodness.

    Like

    Reply

  48. Wow, a win with Pressley closing. Do you think that tey’re showcasing him for a potential trade? And why isn’t Singleton not playing more? He had a really good game tonight with a great defensive play. Pena on the other hand is swinging at anything and everything off the plate. Does he win the Golden Sombrero for going 0 for 4 with 3 K’s? Save for the error from Chapman in the 5th we might have scored 0 after having runners on second and third with no outs. Nice performance by Blanco and the BP tonight.

    Like

    Reply

  50. Ronel did what he has done so many times – give you a shot in the arm when you need it.

    Pena is scuffling.

    Altuve is chasing pitches that are insanely stupid to chase this year. While I listened to TK and Blummer say good things about how he hit a pitch that no one else could, I know they were thinking wth are you swinging at? Why? It ended up a weak dribble up the middle. Now Dubon probably scores either way since it was a contact play, so even if Hicks had fielded it I think he was safe, but man you got to do better. That pitch was almost out of the other sides batters box.

    Speaking of chasing, the whole team was on the train last night. Hicks can have control issues, and he can leave some in bad spots, but he is a still a tough at bat. It was frustrating to see hitters get to 3 ball counts than get struck out on pitches not even really close. To be fair, Hicks does that to a lot of people.

    Overall kind of win that winning teams have. Scratch out a few runs but rely on quality starting pitching and the bullpen doing their job.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
Newer Comments »

Leave a reply to Zanuda Cancel reply