(Insert Joke Here About The Astros)

[Nconroe]

I heard "he's back" again this afternoon. amazing once listening for it.

seems Astros do these end of year runs fairly often, and often too late, so its easy to be frustrated. Atleast over 162 games it is looking a little better.

I guess math is if Astros go 14-4 and Brewers go 9-9 over last 18 games they end up tied from current 5 games back. so still a long shot.

Will they get enough to compete for full year during off season, I guess okay to give em a hard time about seeming to not do enough year after year.

[KJ3]

haha, well, maybe he keeps going on 4 day vacations or something...

the end of the year runs, while amazing, are probably the worst thing possible for the development as an organization. now it's, "well if we play like we did at the end of last year" and "add carlos lee too" and "one player away" type comments are going to surface instead of the, "does anyone remember april, june, july, and some of august?"

ben sheets, a real CF (bourn is good depth as a speedy, defense OF), and some sufficient effort to getting a real catcher would get me slighty interested in the next chapter of the astros. a 3rd baseman too. i'm not going to be an avid fan like years past until they give me something to cheer for. beer is way too cheap at home to go and be dissappointed....

[papabear]

Originally Posted by KJ3

haha, well, maybe he keeps going on 4 day vacations or something...

the end of the year runs, while amazing, are probably the worst thing possible for the development as an organization.

I agree with you somewhat on this, but the reality of the situation is that they are probably not as good as they are playing right....but they are not as bad as they were earlier in the year either. The one or two players away is probably not that far off.

i'm not going to be an avid fan like years past until they give me something to cheer for. beer is way too cheap at home to go and be dissappointed....

if your only going to be an "avid" fan when they give you something to cheer for then your not an avid fan to begin with. I'm with you on the beer prices though, but there is something about going to the park, even when they aren't any good.

[KJ3]

Originally Posted by papabear

I agree with you somewhat on this, but the reality of the situation is that they are probably not as good as they are playing right....but they are not as bad as they were earlier in the year either. The one or two players away is probably not that far off.

which do you think they are really closer to? now or early season? with their rotation sporting some real stinkers i'd say they are really overachieving. 1 or 2 players = ben sheets, real CF would do a lot of good, maybe even enough to make a real run at the playoffs but i don't know about title contention

if your only going to be an "avid" fan when they give you something to cheer for then your not an avid fan to begin with. I'm with you on the beer prices though, but there is something about going to the park, even when they aren't any good.

hey that's fair enough. i'll take what comes and if i get called a fair-weather fan, so be it. i supported for so long, astrodome days...then came the juice box and i never really had the same connection with the team. then the team just fell apart under purpura, now bagwell/biggio are gone...not much is left of what i remember loving the astros for.

[papabear]

Originally Posted by KJ3

which do you think they are really closer to? now or early season? with their rotation sporting some real stinkers i'd say they are really overachieving. 1 or 2 players = ben sheets, real CF would do a lot of good, maybe even enough to make a real run at the playoffs but i don't know about title contention

I think they are a about a 85 win team as they stand now. In other words they are just good enough to get on a hot streak and get into the playoffs. I think that huge funk that had them in last place was an aberration. Just like the hot streak is now. Things usually even out over an 162 games. If they sneak in, which I doubt, they are hot enough to do some damage though.

[Keith]

Well, I hope the Selig family is happy with themselves right now.

Disgusting.

[KJ3]

selig's family? what did they do?

[Keith]

Well, the Selig's don't own the Brewers anymore - they sold them in 2005 - but the reference is of course to Bud moving the Cubs series from Houston to Selig's old stomping grounds in Milwaukee in the early aftermath of Hurricane Ike.

The worn Astros hence had a home series become an away one, losing both in dramatic fashion, including the most illegitimate no-hitter ever imo, and thereby helping the Brewers climb back to earn the Wild Card berth.

Anyone think the Cubs would allow just one hit to the Astros in two games if a double-header were being played today?

[KJ3]

oh i thought his family said something or i dunno...

about those misplaced home games, i think drayton and co. are more to blame for not speaking up in time. sure, bud selig is going to do whatever has the most zeroes at the end but drayton and ed wade have to look out for their club more than that. drayton and bud are buddies anyway, if he called him up and said "no way" or "dallas instead" or wherever i think BS would've obliged. honestly, they shouldn't have even shown up for the games.

karma is a bitch though, karl malone will tell you. z got the no-no very unscrupulously and the cubs are looking to go far in the playoffs....

i hereby place a hex over the cubs, wrigley field, carlos zambrano, sweet lou, steve bartman, the 1908 championship team/banners/awards given, and any cubs fans who showed up to milwaukee to watch mlb make money.