And the Astros are done, again...

[navscanmaster]

Walk off homer by Erstad wins the game, but Brewers winning eliminated Houston from the Wildcard. SIGH......Why the hell can't they remember how to play in the summer? Every freakin year, same story. Start decent, suck for a long time, then wake up to catch a train that is speeding away.

[Bull's-eye]

Bud Selig should be shot for what he did, making the Astros play 2 "home" games in Milwaukee

[zebrablue2]

we are just in the wrong div. gonna finish with a better record than the dodgers, but they move on and we stay at home. just 4 more wins and we would be in the drivers seat. I predicted we were a .500 team at the start of the season. we finished better than that though. not a bad season, just not good enough..

[Maroon87]

It's always nice to get the game winner off that idiot Julian Tavarez.:thumbsup:

[Gontex]

Stros need to sign some pitching over the off season. Hope they can pick up somebody like Sheets and they definitely need to resign Randy Wolf. Oswalt had a good year despite the rugged start he had. Moehler did a good job for them, but Backe and Rodriguez need to be replaced. Bullpen was surprisingly good at the season's end. What in the world happened to Berkman? He went into a late season swoon that he never has seemed to come out of. Erstadt, Blum and Loretta all need to be brought back. Tejada did a good job except for his propensity (does it often Abilene) to hit into double plays. Wigginton finally arrived. Bourne scored from second base on a sacrifice fly last night. The guy can fly. Pence is solid and it will be good to get El Caballo back. Q may finally have become a good major league catcher. Towles will be a decent backup, but his bat has to come around. Selig s***s, enough said. I think he cost the Stros a playoff spot. Losing those two home games in Milwaukee and then playing poorly in Florida definitely cost them big time.

[SintonFan_inAustin]

Originally posted by Bull's-eye
Bud Selig should be shot for what he did, making the Astros play 2 "home" games in Milwaukee Astros owner pick this site as other places were booked and he was getting the $'s from the game and knew the cubs would draw fans in Milwaukee.

[Gontex]

Originally posted by SintonFan_inAustin
Astros owner pick this site as other places were booked and he was getting the $'s from the game and knew the cubs would draw fans in Milwaukee.

Selig forced the move. Games should have been played in Houston at the end of the season. Games could have been played in Arlington. Texas was playing on the West Coast. Astros would have pulled in lots of fans. Game could have been played at Dell Diamond in Round Rock. Could have easily sold 15-20000 tickets there. Either of those two venues would have been much more fair to the Stros.

[Panther One]

They could have played at Tropicana in Tampa. Seeing that the Astros would be headed to Florida for the next series anyway and the Cubs were due a real road trip, I think that would have been the prime location.

The Astros met my expectations this year. While many experts had the team winning around 70-75 games, I figured the 'stros were good for around 85, staying in the playoff hunt until late. Doing that with the injuries we had was impressive. Losing Carlos Lee when he was on fire hurt, maybe not initially, but down the stretch, especially since Wigginton, who picked up the slack in Lee's absense, got hurt down the stretch, too.

The Astros really need to focus on resigning Randy Wolf. Guys like Sheets and Sabathia are going to be way out of the Astros price range, and with Sheets' injuries problems, I'd avoid him like the plague. I still think trading for Wolf was just as much a move for next season as it was this year. I think Houston had a better chance to sign him with him on the roster, than coming from SD.

[espn1]

Yep! Bye! Bye!:mad: :mad: :mad:

[SintonFan_inAustin]

Originally posted by Gontex
Selig forced the move. Games should have been played in Houston at the end of the season. Games could have been played in Arlington. Texas was playing on the West Coast. Astros would have pulled in lots of fans. Game could have been played at Dell Diamond in Round Rock. Could have easily sold 15-20000 tickets there. Either of those two venues would have been much more fair to the Stros. fox sports radio announcers said ALL options were looked at and every place considered had something going during those days. Round Rock was not considered because they said Cubs wouldnt agree to playing in a minor league park. Only thing Selig did wrong was not letting them play those games at the end of the season if needed.

[Gontex]

Originally posted by SintonFan_inAustin
fox sports radio announcers said ALL options were looked at and every place considered had something going during those days. Round Rock was not considered because they said Cubs wouldnt agree to playing in a minor league park. Only thing Selig did wrong was not letting them play those games at the end of the season if needed.

It looked to me like Selig should have reclused himself from the situation. His family still owns the Brewers and they definitely benefitted from having the Stros play the Cubs in Milwaukee. I don't think McAstros owner wanted to play in Milwaukee. FOX announcers said Mrs. McAstros owner did everything but called Bud a you know what in a confrontation she had with him in a hotel in Milwaukee. Why should the Cubs have any say in where the games were played?

Backe once again proved tonight that he doesn't belong on the Astros roster next year. Gave up something like nine runs in the first two innings again. I think something like five of his last six starts were basically batting practice innings for the other teams they were playing. Let Wandy carry his bags out for him as he goes.

[sahen]

Originally posted by Gontex
Stros need to sign some pitching over the off season. Hope they can pick up somebody like Sheets and they definitely need to resign Randy Wolf. Oswalt had a good year despite the rugged start he had. Moehler did a good job for them, but Backe and Rodriguez need to be replaced.

Sheets is hurt ALOT and Wandy didnt really do that bad this year, Backe either needs to figure it out before the season next year or be sent to AAA, but yes teh Astros need to find a solid number 2 if thats Sheets so be it, but I'd rather them find someone else since he seems to be hurt for half a season every year....

[sahen]

Originally posted by SintonFan_inAustin
fox sports radio announcers said ALL options were looked at and every place considered had something going during those days. Round Rock was not considered because they said Cubs wouldnt agree to playing in a minor league park. Only thing Selig did wrong was not letting them play those games at the end of the season if needed.

McLane wanted them played in Round Rock but was told that is a Minor League Park and MLB does not play in Minor League parks by Selig, then Selig said teh only requirement for the other site was that it had to be domed so that there was no chance of a rain out....all other domed sites had events going on or would not staff a game so they went to Milwaukee where no one could sit in the upper deck since there wasnt enough staff aka Wrigley Field North.....There was something mentioned by the Astros owners that they would refuse to play there and just wouldnt show up and Selig told them if you dont show up you forfeit, so the Astros were left with no choice as Selig's Brewers got some serious help with those games......went from a for sure home sellout for the Astros w/ a 6 or 7 game home winning streak to an away game the day after they were battling a hurricane themselves, many players couldnt contact their families until after the 1st game...killed the Astros momentum and led to a losing streak that cost them the playoffs...

[Bearkat]

Originally posted by Bull's-eye
Bud Selig should be shot for what he did, making the Astros play 2 "home" games in Milwaukee


You are crazy if you think playing the CUBS in Milwaukee made that much of a difference. But I can tell you what made a difference during that series. The lastros got no hit for 16 straight innings. That's what made a difference. 16 innings in a row, without a hit.

[sahen]

Originally posted by Bearkat
You are crazy if you think playing the CUBS in Milwaukee made that much of a difference. But I can tell you what made a difference during that series. The lastros got no hit for 16 straight innings. That's what made a difference. 16 innings in a row, without a hit.

true but come on these guys are human, their houses and families are in houston and like i said earlier some didnt even get to contact their families to know if they are fine til after the first game....if you really think their minds are on baseball then i dunno what to say...there was no reason those games HAD to be in Milwaukee versus many other partial to the Astros and closer to home sites, it just made a bad situation worse....

[griff]

Here's another angle. Selig and all other parties involved should have considered delaying playing ONE DAY after the hurricane, have a additional day off to take care of their homes and families, then play a double header TWO days after the hurricane. That still would have left them with one more game to make up, but they were willing to do that anyway.

[Maroon87]

Originally posted by Bearkat
You are crazy if you think playing the CUBS in Milwaukee made that much of a difference. But I can tell you what made a difference during that series. The lastros got no hit for 16 straight innings. That's what made a difference. 16 innings in a row, without a hit.

I don't think their minds were exactly on the scouting report, and with good reason.

[Maroon87]

In his first at-bat of his last game as an Astro, Brad Ausmus hits a 2-run homer off former batterymate Mike Hampton. That's good stuff...

[Gontex]

Originally posted by Maroon87
In his first at-bat of his last game as an Astro, Brad Ausmus hits a 2-run homer off former batterymate Mike Hampton. That's good stuff...

That's the thing about Ausmus. When you least expect it, he comes through with some offense. I don't know how much it will hurt the Stros to play w/o him next year. I hope he retires because if he ends up with one of the SoCal national league teams, I know he will murder the Astros every time they play against him. Seems like that always happens.

[Gontex]

Originally posted by Panther One
They could have played at Tropicana in Tampa. Seeing that the Astros would be headed to Florida for the next series anyway and the Cubs were due a real road trip, I think that would have been the prime location.

The Astros met my expectations this year. While many experts had the team winning around 70-75 games, I figured the 'stros were good for around 85, staying in the playoff hunt until late. Doing that with the injuries we had was impressive. Losing Carlos Lee when he was on fire hurt, maybe not initially, but down the stretch, especially since Wigginton, who picked up the slack in Lee's absense, got hurt down the stretch, too.

The Astros really need to focus on resigning Randy Wolf. Guys like Sheets and Sabathia are going to be way out of the Astros price range, and with Sheets' injuries problems, I'd avoid him like the plague. I still think trading for Wolf was just as much a move for next season as it was this year. I think Houston had a better chance to sign him with him on the roster, than coming from SD.

For the most part, I agree with what you said here. I really didn't expect the Stros to be division winners this year because it just didn't look like they had the pitching to do it at the beginning of the year. Then they got hot when Puma seemed like nobody could get him out. Of course that was followed by the second ice age of the year when they were so cold, they couldn't beat a good little league team. I didn't necessarily think that the acquisition of Randy Wolf would help that much, but the guy is a winner. They definitely need to resign him for next year. Moehller was also a pleasant surprise. They definitely need to strengthen the pitching staff next year. Backe could be a spot starter, but he is not an every fifth day starter. Wandy had some good days, but he had too many bad ones. Cardinals always seem to be able to find good pitching in the off-season. Injuries ate them alive this year, but they'll be back next year too. Cubs just seem to have money to throw at people.

[Maroon87]

So long, Brad...you're the man.

Surf's up!:thumbsup:

[sahen]

what is the prob w/ Wandy...the guy is 9-7 this year w/ a 3.54 ERA, that is the definition of a bottom of the rotation starter....since 2005 the guy has given us 10, 9, 9, and 9 wins...that is exactly what you need out of your number 4 or 5 guy....

[Emerson1]

Waaaahhhh, the crowd did not make them lose games. They lost because they weren't very good, should of won 2 other games versus the last place teams I'm sure they lost to at some point during the season

[Bull Butter]

Originally posted by Emerson1
Waaaahhhh, the crowd did not make them lose games. They lost because they weren't very good, should of won 2 other games versus the last place teams I'm sure they lost to at some point during the season

Oh Gee, how many teams could say that? Every team that barely missed the post season can point to a couple of games that they should have won.

The Astros, Cardinals, Twins/White Sox, Mets, Yankees, Marlins, Blue Jays, D-backs are all in the same boat.

Of course, I don't know if the Rangers can point to 15 games they should have won.............:thinking: