Apparently, the Astros' Asian scouting division is getting something done, and the Good Guys now include Chia-Jen Lo. He's 22 years old, and this would be his first professional gig. He tops out at 95 mph on his fastball and throws a curveball, according to BR Bullpen. So it seems like he's a reliever. I can't find anything else, stats-wise, about him. We also only paid $250,000 for him, beating out Boston's offer of $200,000. Cool.
Allison Footer - atypically chipper this week - douses fans' hopes for a Peavy trade:
Now it's time to step back into my glass-half-empty mode. Would that be enough for the Padres to deal Peavy to Houston? Maybe. But to deal those aforementioned pitchers sacrifices the future and overall health of the organization. Insiders are really excited about the '08 Draft class, and I believe that the team is on its way to rebuilding what has been lost over the last five years. But they need depth. They need to develop their own players. And getting rid of them -- all of them -- for Peavy, who has a ton of money coming to him over the next four years, may not be the best route to take.
This is the point I've been trying to make for the last week about this potential trade. Any trade will invariably hurt the Astros organization more than it helps the big-league club - particularly if it involves trading Spaz or Bogusevic or what little young pitching we have. As I posted over at the Crawfish Boxes (yes, I'm enough of an asshole to quote myself):
But from everything I’ve read, Wade blends both “traditional” evaluation and statistical evaluation, which should mean that given enough time, the Astros will improve. I know we Astros fans are eager to see immediate change (it’s why so many of us want to see Ben Sheets in an Astros uniform), but it’s going to take some time.
I've said it before: give the Astros a few seasons, and we will once again be a powerhouse. Just give it time, folks.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Hey, remember Drew Sutton?
I mentioned him about two months ago, when I was attempting to show how Ed Wade could cut payroll significantly and blow up the roster. Well, turns out he's tearing up the Arizona Fall League: he's batting .636/1.125/1.761 in 10 games. Granted, that's a small sample size, but if he has a strong showing, the Astros' 2B situation is going to be very interesting. If Sutton hits well coming out of spring training, I'd hate to see Ed Wade treat Sutton like Purpura did with Pence - if he's good, put him in MLB games right away. Kazuo is going to go down at some point next season. Even if he doesn't get injured, Sutton should get the opportunity to compete for the starting spot. Really, I wouldn't mind just calling Sutton up and trading Matsui - if Sutton is a disaster we can still use Loretta.
After Bogusevic recovered from a slight hamstring tweaking, he's gone .357/.435/.792 in 8 games. Not destroying anything, but that's alright. If he has a strong showing this fall, he's probably going to give Bourn a run for his money during spring training, too.
After Bogusevic recovered from a slight hamstring tweaking, he's gone .357/.435/.792 in 8 games. Not destroying anything, but that's alright. If he has a strong showing this fall, he's probably going to give Bourn a run for his money during spring training, too.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Vince the Idiot
Da Good, Da Bad, and DeMeco has a pretty hilarious post up about Vince Young's most recent press conference. The best part:
"[Collins] and me, we talk all the time. All the time. For anything. Not just football but off the field things, business-wise, accounts. All kinds of stuff.'"
Why, just the other day, Kerry and Vince held court in the lockerroom regarding the current financial crisis, during which Vince opined that the largest problem is the lack of consumer confidence in the value of mortgage-backed securities. Vince advocated riding out the stock market fluctuations if you are still in at this point, though Kerry proposed that you should always have a stop-loss selling point in mind. Vince countered that, were someone still in, they likely passed a realistic stop-loss number a while ago.
Hah. As I've said previously, I think Vince Young can still be a good QB. His completion percentage rose last year (though he didn't get any increase in yards from it), and he might still be able to develop further. There's a pretty small window on that, however, I think it's doubtful he'll get the coaching he needs. That's not a knock on the Titans' coaching staff, it's just that the guy probably requires a very specialized touch.Monday, October 20, 2008
Just to make things absolutely clear:
Eat shit:
1) Boston / New England
2) Cowboys fans (and, by extension, Dallas)
3) Dallas (deserves its own)
4) Indianapolis
Houston wins (was WAY too close for comfort by the end, there, but a win is a win), Dallas loses, Boston loses. Great day. Now I don't really give a shit about what happens in the World Series, since I hate neither team, but I'd rather have the Phillies win. Having the Rays accomplish in 10 years what took the Astros 42 years is painful enough, but having them win a World Series would suck. Of course, those fucks in Arizona and Florida have titles, so fuck them. In any case, having the Yankees of the 21st Century lose some is pretty awesome, since we all hate those fucks in New England.
But the Cowboys lost to the fucking Rams. And the Colts got blown out. The only thing that would have made this better would have been if the Tennessee Sister-Fuckers had lost, too.
1) Boston / New England
2) Cowboys fans (and, by extension, Dallas)
3) Dallas (deserves its own)
4) Indianapolis
Houston wins (was WAY too close for comfort by the end, there, but a win is a win), Dallas loses, Boston loses. Great day. Now I don't really give a shit about what happens in the World Series, since I hate neither team, but I'd rather have the Phillies win. Having the Rays accomplish in 10 years what took the Astros 42 years is painful enough, but having them win a World Series would suck. Of course, those fucks in Arizona and Florida have titles, so fuck them. In any case, having the Yankees of the 21st Century lose some is pretty awesome, since we all hate those fucks in New England.
But the Cowboys lost to the fucking Rams. And the Colts got blown out. The only thing that would have made this better would have been if the Tennessee Sister-Fuckers had lost, too.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
I've been fucking around with Madden lately
I started a franchise game where I upped Slaton's stats slightly (79 -> 82) and traded Schaub and a 3rd round pick to the Titans for Vince Young. They were more than happy to take the trade and have someone other than an alcoholic with the shakes running the offense, and I was more than happy to see what virtual-Vince could do with some real receivers.
Thus far, I've been impressed. Obviously, video games are no way to evaluate players, but virtual Vince has added a fairly interesting dynamic to the Texans' offense. And with guys like Owen Daniels, Andre Davis, Kevin Walter, and (most importantly) our man Andre Johnson there to bail virtual-Vince out, it leads to interesting plays. The AI prefers to blitz virtual-Vince, but virtual-Vince is faster than the defense most of the time, which usually buys enough time for the receivers in the secondary to get open. My favorite play is using play action (Slaton is scary enough for most defenses to guard against his run, too), scrambling outside towards the line of scrimmage, and then throwing a long pass out to AJ or KW. Pretty cool.
Obviously, virtual-Vince isn't as mind-bogglingly stupid as real Vince. So he doesn't throw into coverage as often. But it's a fun experiment.
I think the real Vince Young might yet develop into a good QB. Unfortunately for him, he's been the victim of being rushed into the starting position and probably being retarded. It's really too bad that Bud Adams forced the Titans management to draft the poor bastard, because they have totally botched his development.
Thus far, I've been impressed. Obviously, video games are no way to evaluate players, but virtual Vince has added a fairly interesting dynamic to the Texans' offense. And with guys like Owen Daniels, Andre Davis, Kevin Walter, and (most importantly) our man Andre Johnson there to bail virtual-Vince out, it leads to interesting plays. The AI prefers to blitz virtual-Vince, but virtual-Vince is faster than the defense most of the time, which usually buys enough time for the receivers in the secondary to get open. My favorite play is using play action (Slaton is scary enough for most defenses to guard against his run, too), scrambling outside towards the line of scrimmage, and then throwing a long pass out to AJ or KW. Pretty cool.
Obviously, virtual-Vince isn't as mind-bogglingly stupid as real Vince. So he doesn't throw into coverage as often. But it's a fun experiment.
I think the real Vince Young might yet develop into a good QB. Unfortunately for him, he's been the victim of being rushed into the starting position and probably being retarded. It's really too bad that Bud Adams forced the Titans management to draft the poor bastard, because they have totally botched his development.
Hey, now I'm the hipster douche!
I was a communist before it was cool.
And then I dropped it right as it got "mainstream." Shit, I knew I was a trendsetter. Pretty soon, everyone is going to leave Communism and become Syndicalists, and then I'll drop that for neo-feudalism. It'll be great, I promise.
Seriously though, anybody attempting to read Capital as a guide to what is going wrong in the current crisis is a fucking fool. That is some dense reading material, and anybody without at least some economics training is going to be lost.
Anyways, anyone looking for a slightly better evaluation of orthodox Marxism needs to read:
1) Marx's Revenge by Meghnad Desai
2) Beyond Marxism by Sidney Hook
Good discussions of the classic misinterpretations of Marx's work. I think Hook might be a little off, given that he thought Marx really had some sort of moral considerations, but he puts up a good argument. Desai is a relatively famous economist, and he shows where (particularly in Capital) Marx may have realized that Capitalism was not necessarily doomed to failure. On the other hand, the failure of Keynesianism and the victories of the neo-Classicals like Friedman might mean that Marx was right, after all. Keynes' work really fucked with what Marx thought was necessary, and Friedman's work shows that Capitalism really can't be "fixed."
The problem Marx presents is that he had such an ambivalent view towards Capitalism. He saw it, I suppose, as something similar to a walk in baseball - a good thing, but not the best thing. It made real surplus of wealth possible for the first time in human history, but it came at the cost of exploitation and inequality.
In any case, anybody who's turned off of Capitalism from this little spat in the economy needs to get a grip. But if they're looking for some sort of answer to the damn thing, don't look to the classical Communist parties. They're a bunch of tools.
And then I dropped it right as it got "mainstream." Shit, I knew I was a trendsetter. Pretty soon, everyone is going to leave Communism and become Syndicalists, and then I'll drop that for neo-feudalism. It'll be great, I promise.
Seriously though, anybody attempting to read Capital as a guide to what is going wrong in the current crisis is a fucking fool. That is some dense reading material, and anybody without at least some economics training is going to be lost.
Anyways, anyone looking for a slightly better evaluation of orthodox Marxism needs to read:
1) Marx's Revenge by Meghnad Desai
2) Beyond Marxism by Sidney Hook
Good discussions of the classic misinterpretations of Marx's work. I think Hook might be a little off, given that he thought Marx really had some sort of moral considerations, but he puts up a good argument. Desai is a relatively famous economist, and he shows where (particularly in Capital) Marx may have realized that Capitalism was not necessarily doomed to failure. On the other hand, the failure of Keynesianism and the victories of the neo-Classicals like Friedman might mean that Marx was right, after all. Keynes' work really fucked with what Marx thought was necessary, and Friedman's work shows that Capitalism really can't be "fixed."
The problem Marx presents is that he had such an ambivalent view towards Capitalism. He saw it, I suppose, as something similar to a walk in baseball - a good thing, but not the best thing. It made real surplus of wealth possible for the first time in human history, but it came at the cost of exploitation and inequality.
In any case, anybody who's turned off of Capitalism from this little spat in the economy needs to get a grip. But if they're looking for some sort of answer to the damn thing, don't look to the classical Communist parties. They're a bunch of tools.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
As usual, nobody knows what the hell they're talking about.
For the last week of so, the Jake Peavy rumors have been flying. And the Crawfish Boxes has a good post about the possible effects of such a trade.
Look, a trade for Peavy is pretty unlikely. As in, about 1000 to 1. But Peavy has stated that he'd really like to pitch in Houston. No doubt that the presence of Roy (with whom Peavy owns a hunting ranch in Michigan) is a big part of that.
While I think Wade could do worse than gathering Roy and Lance's hunting buddies into a team (remember how hard they were lobbying for Sheets?), the Astros really should be focusing on rebuilding. The only way I can see this working is if the Astros concoct some three-way trade for Peavy, which would be exceedingly difficult. If we were able to get rid of Tejada in such a trade, all the better. Otherwise, I have no clue as to how such a trade would happen.
Look, a trade for Peavy is pretty unlikely. As in, about 1000 to 1. But Peavy has stated that he'd really like to pitch in Houston. No doubt that the presence of Roy (with whom Peavy owns a hunting ranch in Michigan) is a big part of that.
While I think Wade could do worse than gathering Roy and Lance's hunting buddies into a team (remember how hard they were lobbying for Sheets?), the Astros really should be focusing on rebuilding. The only way I can see this working is if the Astros concoct some three-way trade for Peavy, which would be exceedingly difficult. If we were able to get rid of Tejada in such a trade, all the better. Otherwise, I have no clue as to how such a trade would happen.
A chronicle of everything wrong with my generation.
College life has exposed me to a larger cross-section of my generation. It's a really astounding thing. Maybe it's that Tulane is filled with a bunch of wealthy Yankee fucks, but the whole experience has been rather disturbing. It really makes me question the optimism with which I typically view the future.
And there is no better example of the douchebaggery of our youth than in the Tulane Hullabaloo. Let's take a look at this week's editorial page, shall we?
Let's start off with a piece on abortion. Now, I know the guy who wrote this, and Will's a great guy, but he's totally fucking off base on this.
Add to that the belief that unless we get a chance to dip a soul in water, the all-knowing and all-powerful God is forced to make that soul burn for an eternity of torture. If you believe that, you're definitely going to have problems with abortion, and it makes sense that you would want to prevent others who happen to have different beliefs from having a say in the matter.
Unfortunately for the pro-life folks, it seems a majority of America doesn't agree - otherwise we would have stopped debating Roe v. Wade and started shooting doctors a long time ago.
Seriously? First he mischaracterizes the views of billions of religious people, then he insinuates that pro-lifers want to shoot doctors. Look, man - if you're attempting to critically examine the abortion debate, then do it. But this crap only further hurts the situation.
Then he gives Don Marquis' famous argument against abortion and argues against it with the basic shit we learned in Professor Courtland's Ethics 103 class. I'll skewer this shit another time. But suffice it to say that I'm sure Will isn't ready to really look at the ontology of embryos and humans. And if he can't do that (nobody really can in 500 words), then maybe he should stop trying.
Then we have a pair of political pieces that offer nothing new and simply parrot their respective parties' lines. I never said that this generation was politically disaffected. Just stupid.
We have the "Campus Question:" What do you think about the recent increase in sexual assault on and near campus? Well, Hullabaloo staff, I'm sure everything thinks it's pretty shitty. Some of the answers given:
"It sucks!" (No shit, really?)
"I don't know. I think it's awful."
"I think it's something that obviously and absolutely needs to be prevented."
"I think it's scary."
How insightful!
And, finally, we have the coup-de-grace. A piece by our resident hipster douchebag. Honestly, you can't make this shit up. And I'm sorry to all of those who won't get to see the writer's awesome staff photo, because this shit really needs to be seen. He's got the ironic smirk, ironic mullet, and ironic v-neck. Christ, I hate this school.
Really, I love his characterization of himself and his hipster friends as "young intellectuals." Yeah fucking right. Schedule of the hipster douchebag:
1:00 - Wake up, snort coke
2:00 - Walk around the quad with my shirt off and wearing cowboy boots (I've seen him do this, it's awful).
3:00 - Snort coke
4:00 - study about something. Just kidding, look ironic
5:00 - repeat ad nauseum.
He's not an intellectual. Intellectuals come up with new ideas. Even the postmodernists had something new to say.
If my generation's Students for a Democratic Society, the classic student activist group, composed our own Port Huron Statement, it would begin: "we are people of this generation, bred in substantial comfort, housed now in universities and gentrified neighborhoods, looking quite indifferently to the world we inherit."
You're all a bunch of fucking Randians. That's the only explanation. How can someone grow up in this society and not be convinced that something is grossly wrong? How can you look at the absolute poverty of New Orleans and not think that there are major problems in our everyday lives? How can you experience the iniquities of modern society and not see that there are still real battles to be fought? How can you look at the world - a world where most people live without real political power - and say that you are indifferent? You are a bunch of spoiled children. Perpetual children, who will always be living off of mommy and daddy's estate.
They (or we, if I may be so bold to include myself among today's apathetic wunderkinds) would rather steal V-necks and lament the implications of post-modern ontology than bother with such trivial things. We have no counter-culture because we have no cause.
No. You don't know what "post-modern ontology" means. You just like the way it sounds when it comes out of your pie-hole.
Look, compared to the hipster douches of the world, the Egoists as likeable. This guy is just full of himself. He's no wunderkind. He's a kid with too much free time and no sense of personal responsibility.
He's not the equivalent of Abbie Hoffman. Hoffman stood for something, even though life was pretty good. He's the equivalent of the characters in the Great Gatsby. And the only way his little clique will ever produce their Fitzgerald will be when some of them wise the fuck up.
I'm reminded of the Oingo Boingo classic "Nothing Bad Ever Happens to Me." They are this generation's yuppies. But they don't produce anything. They're just a cancer, a parasite on society. The Marxist in me wants to line them up against a wall.
Jesus, I just feel sorry for my English-major friends. They have to deal with this shit every day. These dicks stay out of the philosophy and economics departments, for the most part.
And there is no better example of the douchebaggery of our youth than in the Tulane Hullabaloo. Let's take a look at this week's editorial page, shall we?
Let's start off with a piece on abortion. Now, I know the guy who wrote this, and Will's a great guy, but he's totally fucking off base on this.
Add to that the belief that unless we get a chance to dip a soul in water, the all-knowing and all-powerful God is forced to make that soul burn for an eternity of torture. If you believe that, you're definitely going to have problems with abortion, and it makes sense that you would want to prevent others who happen to have different beliefs from having a say in the matter.
Unfortunately for the pro-life folks, it seems a majority of America doesn't agree - otherwise we would have stopped debating Roe v. Wade and started shooting doctors a long time ago.
Seriously? First he mischaracterizes the views of billions of religious people, then he insinuates that pro-lifers want to shoot doctors. Look, man - if you're attempting to critically examine the abortion debate, then do it. But this crap only further hurts the situation.
Then he gives Don Marquis' famous argument against abortion and argues against it with the basic shit we learned in Professor Courtland's Ethics 103 class. I'll skewer this shit another time. But suffice it to say that I'm sure Will isn't ready to really look at the ontology of embryos and humans. And if he can't do that (nobody really can in 500 words), then maybe he should stop trying.
Then we have a pair of political pieces that offer nothing new and simply parrot their respective parties' lines. I never said that this generation was politically disaffected. Just stupid.
We have the "Campus Question:" What do you think about the recent increase in sexual assault on and near campus? Well, Hullabaloo staff, I'm sure everything thinks it's pretty shitty. Some of the answers given:
"It sucks!" (No shit, really?)
"I don't know. I think it's awful."
"I think it's something that obviously and absolutely needs to be prevented."
"I think it's scary."
How insightful!
And, finally, we have the coup-de-grace. A piece by our resident hipster douchebag. Honestly, you can't make this shit up. And I'm sorry to all of those who won't get to see the writer's awesome staff photo, because this shit really needs to be seen. He's got the ironic smirk, ironic mullet, and ironic v-neck. Christ, I hate this school.
Really, I love his characterization of himself and his hipster friends as "young intellectuals." Yeah fucking right. Schedule of the hipster douchebag:
1:00 - Wake up, snort coke
2:00 - Walk around the quad with my shirt off and wearing cowboy boots (I've seen him do this, it's awful).
3:00 - Snort coke
4:00 - study about something. Just kidding, look ironic
5:00 - repeat ad nauseum.
He's not an intellectual. Intellectuals come up with new ideas. Even the postmodernists had something new to say.
If my generation's Students for a Democratic Society, the classic student activist group, composed our own Port Huron Statement, it would begin: "we are people of this generation, bred in substantial comfort, housed now in universities and gentrified neighborhoods, looking quite indifferently to the world we inherit."
You're all a bunch of fucking Randians. That's the only explanation. How can someone grow up in this society and not be convinced that something is grossly wrong? How can you look at the absolute poverty of New Orleans and not think that there are major problems in our everyday lives? How can you experience the iniquities of modern society and not see that there are still real battles to be fought? How can you look at the world - a world where most people live without real political power - and say that you are indifferent? You are a bunch of spoiled children. Perpetual children, who will always be living off of mommy and daddy's estate.
They (or we, if I may be so bold to include myself among today's apathetic wunderkinds) would rather steal V-necks and lament the implications of post-modern ontology than bother with such trivial things. We have no counter-culture because we have no cause.
No. You don't know what "post-modern ontology" means. You just like the way it sounds when it comes out of your pie-hole.
Look, compared to the hipster douches of the world, the Egoists as likeable. This guy is just full of himself. He's no wunderkind. He's a kid with too much free time and no sense of personal responsibility.
He's not the equivalent of Abbie Hoffman. Hoffman stood for something, even though life was pretty good. He's the equivalent of the characters in the Great Gatsby. And the only way his little clique will ever produce their Fitzgerald will be when some of them wise the fuck up.
I'm reminded of the Oingo Boingo classic "Nothing Bad Ever Happens to Me." They are this generation's yuppies. But they don't produce anything. They're just a cancer, a parasite on society. The Marxist in me wants to line them up against a wall.
Jesus, I just feel sorry for my English-major friends. They have to deal with this shit every day. These dicks stay out of the philosophy and economics departments, for the most part.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Urge to kill rising
Fuck you, Bud. Goddamnit, you're the worst fucking thing since Pol Pot. And, I swear to God, if you play in Houston wearing the damn things, it'll be your head. Christ, the NFL better deny them their request. Fuck them.
This has gotten me thinking: if the opportunity to take back the Oilers legacy arose, would you take it? If Bud Adams died tomorrow, and whoever inherited/bought the team offered the Oiler name and records to Bob McNair, would we accept it?
My natural reaction is yes. I still think the "Texans" nickname is a stupid one, but it's one I've grown accustomed to. It would be nice to have the Campbell/Blanda/Moon etc. legacy back where it belongs. Actually, just having Campbell's records back would be cool. Moon is a drunk wife-beater. Campbell is an official Hero of Texas.
But I almost feel like that legacy is tainted goods. Those fucks in Tennessee tarnished it. And it kind of feels like accepting it and becoming the Oilers once again would somehow be a bitch thing to do. I don't know.
Whatev. That fucker better not show his jabba-the-hut face on the streets.
This has gotten me thinking: if the opportunity to take back the Oilers legacy arose, would you take it? If Bud Adams died tomorrow, and whoever inherited/bought the team offered the Oiler name and records to Bob McNair, would we accept it?
My natural reaction is yes. I still think the "Texans" nickname is a stupid one, but it's one I've grown accustomed to. It would be nice to have the Campbell/Blanda/Moon etc. legacy back where it belongs. Actually, just having Campbell's records back would be cool. Moon is a drunk wife-beater. Campbell is an official Hero of Texas.
But I almost feel like that legacy is tainted goods. Those fucks in Tennessee tarnished it. And it kind of feels like accepting it and becoming the Oilers once again would somehow be a bitch thing to do. I don't know.
Whatev. That fucker better not show his jabba-the-hut face on the streets.
Never seen anything like that before...
I'm sure I'm not the first (or second, or hundredth, or thousandth) person to point this out, but Obama's campaign is freakin creepy. Obama is the first political candidate (in my short lifetime, admittedly) whom I remember attaining legitimate status as a pop-culture icon. Growing up, I never saw people wear t-shirts with Clinton's face on them. I never saw Gore or Bush posters prominently featuring either's visage. What the hell is going on?
Is it just my generation? Is it just that people my age are predisposed towards this? I don't know, and it's a frightening thing.
Politicians should not have this sort of devotion attached to them. This is not simply a devotion to his ideas or ideology (he fails to articulate either, anyways), but a real idealization of the man. That's a troubling phenomenon, because it means that the likelihood of his supporters analyzing his policy decisions in the future is much less.
Politicians should be ugly. They should be uncool. They shouldn't have mainstream people hanging up their pictures.
I wouldn't compare this to a real cult of personality, because it's not even close. But Obama has become an actual icon, and I think that contributes to the weird ideas people associate with him - he'll fix all our problems, foreigners will love us, race relations will be solved, poverty will be gone. These expectations would not be associated with anyone else.
People just need to stop treating the guy like a movie star. It's disturbing.
Is it just my generation? Is it just that people my age are predisposed towards this? I don't know, and it's a frightening thing.
Politicians should not have this sort of devotion attached to them. This is not simply a devotion to his ideas or ideology (he fails to articulate either, anyways), but a real idealization of the man. That's a troubling phenomenon, because it means that the likelihood of his supporters analyzing his policy decisions in the future is much less.
Politicians should be ugly. They should be uncool. They shouldn't have mainstream people hanging up their pictures.
I wouldn't compare this to a real cult of personality, because it's not even close. But Obama has become an actual icon, and I think that contributes to the weird ideas people associate with him - he'll fix all our problems, foreigners will love us, race relations will be solved, poverty will be gone. These expectations would not be associated with anyone else.
People just need to stop treating the guy like a movie star. It's disturbing.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Who the fuck keeps giving Mike Winters a job?
He's the home plate umpire for tonight's NLCS game. Twice, he's called an inning-ending strike 3 on balls below the knee. Once on Russell Martin and another on Jeff Kent. The one on Kent was outside, too.
We've been through this shit with Winters before. It's kind of crazy that the MLB assigned him to umpire a playoff game. Christ, he's awful.
We've been through this shit with Winters before. It's kind of crazy that the MLB assigned him to umpire a playoff game. Christ, he's awful.
Why didn't Wade think of that?
"If we add a few players, we can contend," ace Roy Oswalt said. "I think we're about three players away from being real good. I'd say baseball players. Pitching is a spot to start at, for sure. Players."
Well, shit, Roy... that's fucking deep. We just need a few more players - baseball players, specifically - and the Astros will contend. I'm sorry that DeMeco Ryans won't be the Astros' starting third baseman next season, but I'm glad that the Wizard figured out our need for baseball players.
Well, shit, Roy... that's fucking deep. We just need a few more players - baseball players, specifically - and the Astros will contend. I'm sorry that DeMeco Ryans won't be the Astros' starting third baseman next season, but I'm glad that the Wizard figured out our need for baseball players.
Reason for some hope
I think that Drayton's seeming reluctance to sign any big FA pitchers this winter is going to be a little painful. So I'm going to list the minor leaguers from this year's draft (and any Latin signings) whose stats jump out at me.
1) Nathan Metroka - OF/DH, 21 y/o. I know I've talked about him before, but it bears mentioning again. He batted .327/.387/.531 in 33 games. He's in rookie ball with Greenville. Oh, and he was our 49th pick of the draft.
2) Phil Disher - 1B/DH, 23 y/o. Again, mentioned before. .304/.381/.536. Dude's hit 13 homers in 71 games, so that's good. What's impressive about both Disher and Metroka is that they're walking. It's not a lot of walks, but it's not like they're Tejada. Walking 6-8% of the time is pretty good.
3) David Flores- 3B, 21 y/o. 56 games, 11 homers, 17 doubles, going .266/.319/.495. He's also stolen five bases without getting caught.
4) Jack Shuck - CF, 21 y/o. .300/.385/.430 Undoubtedly has the coolest name in the Astros' draft class. And he's doing fairly well.
5) Daniel Meszaros - RP 21 y/0. In 26 innings, he's posted a 1.10 WHIP. What's cooler is that he's striking out better than two an inning in low A. Small sample size, I know, but it's pretty good.
6) Patrick Urckfitz - RP 19 y/0. Okay, this guy has the coolest name. Urckfitz - wow. Striking out better than one an inning in rookie ball.
7) Jose Santana - OF 19 y/o. He's Dominican. What's strange about this is he's a Dominican with a real batting eye. Look at this line: .289/.434/.330. He doesn't have any power, but that's pretty typical of young kids. In any case, he's walking almost 15% of the time. That's good.
8) Jacob Priday - OF/DH 22 y/o. Okay, his numbers aren't really there yet. He's only played 24 games in A ball, though. What I know is that he's an Adam Dunn clone (and Dunn's his "most similar player," according to him). He strikes out a lot, but walks enough and shows enough power that he might have a career. If he can walk more and improve his power, he'll be great. And we might see that next year, as the current class gets acquainted with wooden bats and develop further.
Have faith. The Stros farm system is improving. Give it time.
1) Nathan Metroka - OF/DH, 21 y/o. I know I've talked about him before, but it bears mentioning again. He batted .327/.387/.531 in 33 games. He's in rookie ball with Greenville. Oh, and he was our 49th pick of the draft.
2) Phil Disher - 1B/DH, 23 y/o. Again, mentioned before. .304/.381/.536. Dude's hit 13 homers in 71 games, so that's good. What's impressive about both Disher and Metroka is that they're walking. It's not a lot of walks, but it's not like they're Tejada. Walking 6-8% of the time is pretty good.
3) David Flores- 3B, 21 y/o. 56 games, 11 homers, 17 doubles, going .266/.319/.495. He's also stolen five bases without getting caught.
4) Jack Shuck - CF, 21 y/o. .300/.385/.430 Undoubtedly has the coolest name in the Astros' draft class. And he's doing fairly well.
5) Daniel Meszaros - RP 21 y/0. In 26 innings, he's posted a 1.10 WHIP. What's cooler is that he's striking out better than two an inning in low A. Small sample size, I know, but it's pretty good.
6) Patrick Urckfitz - RP 19 y/0. Okay, this guy has the coolest name. Urckfitz - wow. Striking out better than one an inning in rookie ball.
7) Jose Santana - OF 19 y/o. He's Dominican. What's strange about this is he's a Dominican with a real batting eye. Look at this line: .289/.434/.330. He doesn't have any power, but that's pretty typical of young kids. In any case, he's walking almost 15% of the time. That's good.
8) Jacob Priday - OF/DH 22 y/o. Okay, his numbers aren't really there yet. He's only played 24 games in A ball, though. What I know is that he's an Adam Dunn clone (and Dunn's his "most similar player," according to him). He strikes out a lot, but walks enough and shows enough power that he might have a career. If he can walk more and improve his power, he'll be great. And we might see that next year, as the current class gets acquainted with wooden bats and develop further.
Have faith. The Stros farm system is improving. Give it time.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Strange
I was perusing the Rays blog over at SBN, and I looked at the posts for tonight's game (oh, by the way - Crawford tied a record for most hits in a playoff game, going 5-5. He also had two steals and scored thrice. He's from here, you know).
Anyways, I think that the Rays blog might just be populated by /b/tards. That's just going by the avatars and references to fuckin furries. I'm not sure what to think about that. On the one hand, /b/tards make the internet go, but on the other, they are the human equivalent of gonorhea.
Anyways, I think that the Rays blog might just be populated by /b/tards. That's just going by the avatars and references to fuckin furries. I'm not sure what to think about that. On the one hand, /b/tards make the internet go, but on the other, they are the human equivalent of gonorhea.
Dickie J isn't from around here.
Justice apparently needs more hits to his blog, because he's gone back to his "troll my readers" strategy. This time: Why do Houston fans hate the Cowboys?
I have no idea where Justice comes from. I know he's a UT alumnus, but that doesn't mean much. So maybe he doesn't understand this basic fact - Houston hates Dallas. It's just the way of the world. We hate their city (bunch of stuck-up fucks), they hate our city (dirty, mosquito-infested swamp) - it's a nice little set-up we've got going. The only people who root for the Cowboys in Houston are either (A) not from here, or (B) a bunch of traitorous fucks who better not be rooting for any other Houston teams, because that's a bunch of bullshit.
Now, for years, that rivalry was centered around the Governor's Cup and all that bullshit. But a decade of combined Oiler playoff chokes, losing Oiler teams, no NFL team in the city, and finally a terrible expansion team have made an NFL rivalry something of a joke. Houston is, strangely enough, more interested in the Stros than the Texans. Of course, the Rangers suck, so nobody in Houston really cares how they do. The only sport where Houston and Dallas are on par is basketball, and I'm happy whenever the Rockets kick the Mavericks' asses (I'm also happy when they destroy the Spurs, but it's less cathartic. I'm rather fond of San Antonio).
So, if the Texans can't compete with the Cowboys (however, the Cowboys are VASTLY overrated every year), I'm happy to just see Dallas teams lose. And I'm happy that Romo will not be playing for a month (lighten up, Cowboys fans, he just broke his pinky; he'll be fine). And I hope that "America's Team" fucking crashes and burns.
Honestly, I don't know what the hell Justice is confused about. It's a pretty simple equation.
EDIT:
I'm particularly fond of comments like this:
I'm a Cowboy's fan and rooted for the Oilers and Texans, as long as they weren't playing Dallas.
No. No, you're not a Cowboys fan. You can't cheer both teams and be a fan. I don't cheer the Mavs or Spurs. I don't care that they are from Texas; it just doesn't work that way. The only time boundary lines can be crossed is with South-Central Texans picking a baseball or football team. Otherwise, you stay loyal to your region's sports team. That's just the way it works.
That would be a stupid attitude to have in real life, but fortunately, sports teams aren't real life. So we can enforce arbitrary cultural boundaries.
I have no idea where Justice comes from. I know he's a UT alumnus, but that doesn't mean much. So maybe he doesn't understand this basic fact - Houston hates Dallas. It's just the way of the world. We hate their city (bunch of stuck-up fucks), they hate our city (dirty, mosquito-infested swamp) - it's a nice little set-up we've got going. The only people who root for the Cowboys in Houston are either (A) not from here, or (B) a bunch of traitorous fucks who better not be rooting for any other Houston teams, because that's a bunch of bullshit.
Now, for years, that rivalry was centered around the Governor's Cup and all that bullshit. But a decade of combined Oiler playoff chokes, losing Oiler teams, no NFL team in the city, and finally a terrible expansion team have made an NFL rivalry something of a joke. Houston is, strangely enough, more interested in the Stros than the Texans. Of course, the Rangers suck, so nobody in Houston really cares how they do. The only sport where Houston and Dallas are on par is basketball, and I'm happy whenever the Rockets kick the Mavericks' asses (I'm also happy when they destroy the Spurs, but it's less cathartic. I'm rather fond of San Antonio).
So, if the Texans can't compete with the Cowboys (however, the Cowboys are VASTLY overrated every year), I'm happy to just see Dallas teams lose. And I'm happy that Romo will not be playing for a month (lighten up, Cowboys fans, he just broke his pinky; he'll be fine). And I hope that "America's Team" fucking crashes and burns.
Honestly, I don't know what the hell Justice is confused about. It's a pretty simple equation.
EDIT:
I'm particularly fond of comments like this:
I'm a Cowboy's fan and rooted for the Oilers and Texans, as long as they weren't playing Dallas.
No. No, you're not a Cowboys fan. You can't cheer both teams and be a fan. I don't cheer the Mavs or Spurs. I don't care that they are from Texas; it just doesn't work that way. The only time boundary lines can be crossed is with South-Central Texans picking a baseball or football team. Otherwise, you stay loyal to your region's sports team. That's just the way it works.
That would be a stupid attitude to have in real life, but fortunately, sports teams aren't real life. So we can enforce arbitrary cultural boundaries.
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Texans' two minute drill
I noticed, as have other people, that the Texans rely an awful lot on one play in their two-minute drill. In fact, it seems that virtually every drill features the play within the first three or four plays.
Yes, Texans fans, that play is their patented QB Sack. It wouldn't be a Texans last-minute-to-win-the-game drive without it. While the coaching staff seems to call this play less frequently after Mittens was released, and Houston was one of the worse teams in running the play last season, the Texans are still pretty awesome at getting their QB sacked when the game is on the line. I once feared that the improved O-line would cut down on the Texans' effectiveness in this regard, but (despite Duane Brown's excellence thus far) they have shown themselves to be amongst the league's elite. Congratulations, Texans. You earned it.
Yes, Texans fans, that play is their patented QB Sack. It wouldn't be a Texans last-minute-to-win-the-game drive without it. While the coaching staff seems to call this play less frequently after Mittens was released, and Houston was one of the worse teams in running the play last season, the Texans are still pretty awesome at getting their QB sacked when the game is on the line. I once feared that the improved O-line would cut down on the Texans' effectiveness in this regard, but (despite Duane Brown's excellence thus far) they have shown themselves to be amongst the league's elite. Congratulations, Texans. You earned it.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Texans Win! Texans Win! Texans WIN!
Oh happy day! God, I knew You were just jerking us all around when You had Eugene Wilson catch that interception and then fumble it away. I knew You were just kidding around when Ronnie Brown got another TD to put the Texans down 23-28 with only 1:45 left on the clock. I knew it was all in Your divine plan to have the whole game come down to a 4th-and-3 QB draw play.
Sitting here in NOLA, I was joining in with those Texans fans at Reliant booing Schaub. He threw two interceptions today, which really cost us. Maybe that was just post-Case-of-the-Shits jitters.
Still, there were people chanting "We want Rosenfels" at the game. What the fuck, people? Were ya'll in some sort of mass coma last Sunday? Did you not see the Rosen-copter? I understand that Schaub was throwing pretty fucking dangerously today, but Rosenfels is no better. In fact, he's signifcantly worse.
Well, at least the Texans won't go 0-fer the season. This one had me holding my breath to the very end, and I'll be happy when the play the hapless Lions next Sunday. Hopefully that game will be much more conducive to my nerves.
The Rockets were handed their first defeat of the pre-season last night. Pretty bullshit calls at the end of the game. In other news, T-Mac almost got into two fights, and Ron Artest kicked Paul Pierce's ass. Awesome.
EDIT:
Oh, and Ed Hochuli was the ref for the Texans game. One blown call (that facemasking call in New Orleans wasn't his fault, fuckers) and Guns' career goes down the shitter - reffing Texans - Dolphins games. Ouch.
Sitting here in NOLA, I was joining in with those Texans fans at Reliant booing Schaub. He threw two interceptions today, which really cost us. Maybe that was just post-Case-of-the-Shits jitters.
Still, there were people chanting "We want Rosenfels" at the game. What the fuck, people? Were ya'll in some sort of mass coma last Sunday? Did you not see the Rosen-copter? I understand that Schaub was throwing pretty fucking dangerously today, but Rosenfels is no better. In fact, he's signifcantly worse.
Well, at least the Texans won't go 0-fer the season. This one had me holding my breath to the very end, and I'll be happy when the play the hapless Lions next Sunday. Hopefully that game will be much more conducive to my nerves.
The Rockets were handed their first defeat of the pre-season last night. Pretty bullshit calls at the end of the game. In other news, T-Mac almost got into two fights, and Ron Artest kicked Paul Pierce's ass. Awesome.
EDIT:
Oh, and Ed Hochuli was the ref for the Texans game. One blown call (that facemasking call in New Orleans wasn't his fault, fuckers) and Guns' career goes down the shitter - reffing Texans - Dolphins games. Ouch.
Rays win, Longhorns win, Texans will probably lose.
That about sums it up. Glad to see Tampa Bay kick some ass, even if it took 11 innings. Also, Josh Beckett doesn't have a chin. The Longhorns benefited from some shitty officiating, but so did the Sooners. You'd think they'd have better refs for the Big 12's most important game of the year. Anyways, it's good to see Texas win, even if I'm not emotionally invested in them in the same way as Houston teams. Buncha hicks in Oklahoma should learn not to show up to these things.
The Texans face the Dolphins today. A couple weeks ago, this game seemed like a gimme, but it seems pretty clear now that the Dolphins are significantly better than anyone expected. They're no powerhouse, but they won't be pushovers, either. So the Texans will probably get their ass kicked.
The Texans face the Dolphins today. A couple weeks ago, this game seemed like a gimme, but it seems pretty clear now that the Dolphins are significantly better than anyone expected. They're no powerhouse, but they won't be pushovers, either. So the Texans will probably get their ass kicked.
Friday, October 10, 2008
The more I think about it, the more I like it.
I know that Drayton McLane and Ed Wade are going to take a lot of shit this offseason if they don't sign Ben Sheets (or some other ace pitcher). Drayton has indicated that they'll just stick with what they've got.
It's impossible to know someone's motivations. They way I see it, Ed Wade could have three reasons for not pursuing free agents this winter:
1) Money. It could be that Drayton is just unwilling to expand payroll. We're paying a lot of money to Tejada, Berkman, Lee, and Oswalt, and we're not getting that much out of it. Add to that a relatively large contract to Matsui, and we've got a club with a lot of money tied up in older players.
Now, I'm pretty sure that Drayton and Wade want to sign Valverde to a big contract. I'm not so sure that's a good idea - he's an injury risk and closers are highly overrated. I think his main value to the Astros would be as trade bait or as two draft picks in 2010. But clubs want "experienced" closers, and Valverde is as good as any other.
So Drayton could just be scrimping on payroll now to pay for other stuff down the line. That's not unreasonable.
2) Stupidity. Wade could be vastly overrating this team. He might think that this club really is an 87 win team, and that's just stupid. So he and Drayton might believe that, if they just go after some lesser-known talent, they can win big next year.
3) Wade is a freakin' genius. Or at least he pays attention. He might realize that this team really sucks, and that investing further will just be adding payroll to a team that might make it to 4th place in the NL Central next year.
So he might be looking for cheap contracts just to shore up the rotation and get the Astros through the season. They'll focus on the farm system for a while, and just hope for the best in the major league team.
I don't know. If they do go for a "rebuilding" route, it's going to be a shitty couple years. Only the wealthiest clubs (Yankees, Red Sox, etc.) can rebuild while remaining competitive in the big leagues. That's unfortunate for the rest of us. But remember that if we're patient, we can see another Astros dynasty. I'm pretty fucking tired of waiting for it, but I figure I can do it for another few years.
It's impossible to know someone's motivations. They way I see it, Ed Wade could have three reasons for not pursuing free agents this winter:
1) Money. It could be that Drayton is just unwilling to expand payroll. We're paying a lot of money to Tejada, Berkman, Lee, and Oswalt, and we're not getting that much out of it. Add to that a relatively large contract to Matsui, and we've got a club with a lot of money tied up in older players.
Now, I'm pretty sure that Drayton and Wade want to sign Valverde to a big contract. I'm not so sure that's a good idea - he's an injury risk and closers are highly overrated. I think his main value to the Astros would be as trade bait or as two draft picks in 2010. But clubs want "experienced" closers, and Valverde is as good as any other.
So Drayton could just be scrimping on payroll now to pay for other stuff down the line. That's not unreasonable.
2) Stupidity. Wade could be vastly overrating this team. He might think that this club really is an 87 win team, and that's just stupid. So he and Drayton might believe that, if they just go after some lesser-known talent, they can win big next year.
3) Wade is a freakin' genius. Or at least he pays attention. He might realize that this team really sucks, and that investing further will just be adding payroll to a team that might make it to 4th place in the NL Central next year.
So he might be looking for cheap contracts just to shore up the rotation and get the Astros through the season. They'll focus on the farm system for a while, and just hope for the best in the major league team.
I don't know. If they do go for a "rebuilding" route, it's going to be a shitty couple years. Only the wealthiest clubs (Yankees, Red Sox, etc.) can rebuild while remaining competitive in the big leagues. That's unfortunate for the rest of us. But remember that if we're patient, we can see another Astros dynasty. I'm pretty fucking tired of waiting for it, but I figure I can do it for another few years.
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