2022 Houston Astros Thread

[runthebone 7,968]

28 minutes ago, Guadaloopy said:

I used to think this way, but the shift really is unfair to LH hitters.  For a large percentage of players, power comes mostly when they pull the ball.  
 

RH hitters are not forced to adjust to the shift and can hit more frequently with their naturally more powerful pull swing.  LH hitters are forced to adjust to the shift more and give up that natural power to the pull side.  A fair sport should not have an inherent advantage in the primary offensive activity based on left- or right-handedness.  

Baseball is inherently advantageous to left handed hitters because they are 2 steps closer to first.

[HtownHorn 14,677]

2 hours ago, Hank Chinaski said:

I don’t know if they want more scoring per se - I think they want more hits, they don’t want every ground ball to be an out. I was watching the 1992 ALCS last night while trying to go to sleep (I know, I’m a degenerate) and the game was so different - grounders up the middle were hits, guys tried to steal bases a lot, etc. I think the thinking is that disallowing the shift would get us back to a little more of that. I don’t know if it’ll work or if we should try to make it work, but that seems to be the idea.

Yeah, the shift has put a premium on launch angle and trying to hit HRs. The game is shitty compared to what it once was, because of all the strikeouts. Hopefully, with more holes, people will stop trying to hit every pitch out of the park and there will be more contact and action.

[Wulaw Horn 19,069]

2 minutes ago, HtownHorn said:

Yeah, the shift has put a premium on launch angle and trying to hit HRs. The game is shitty compared to what it once was, because of all the strikeouts. Hopefully, with more holes, people will stop trying to hit every pitch out of the park and there will be more contact and action.

All of this. 

Add that to a pitch clock saving 20 or 30 minutes of standing around doing nothing time and we've got our old sport back played by even better athletes.  It will be great.

I remember many (not necessarily on here) bitching about the electronic signal of pitch calls.  Be smarter, don't get your signs stolen, that's on you.  Does anyone miss seeing the catcher put down signs, the conferences to make sure the signs are ok, all that nonsense?  If that person exists I want to meet them. The shift will be the same.  The pitch clock will be the same.  

[tx 3 putt 76,905]

It’s not damn hard for a mlb lefty to poke a ball towards 3rd and against the shift 

[TonyTexas 10,510]

4 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

It’s not damn hard for a mlb lefty to poke a ball towards 3rd and against the shift 

That’s why the best hitters in the world have a hard time doing it. Because it’s so easy. 

[HtownHorn 14,677]

Just now, Wulaw Horn said:

All of this. 

Add that to a pitch clock saving 20 or 30 minutes of standing around doing nothing time and we've got our old sport back played by even better athletes.  It will be great.

I remember many (not necessarily on here) bitching about the electronic signal of pitch calls.  Be smarter, don't get your signs stolen, that's on you.  Does anyone miss seeing the catcher put down signs, the conferences to make sure the signs are ok, all that nonsense?  If that person exists I want to meet them. The shift will be the same.  The pitch clock will be the same.  

Oh I am totally on team #ChallengeBallsandStrikes. A team gets 3 challenges a game to dispute balls/strikes. If they are right, then they keep their challenge. As soon as they are out of challenges, then have to accept the call. I think this is a sensible compromise because I only trust robo balls/strikes a little more than humans. I would hope that by challenging balls/strikes it would help the umps adjust to a more consistent zone in game.

[Wulaw Horn 19,069]

2 minutes ago, HtownHorn said:

Oh I am totally on team #ChallengeBallsandStrikes. A team gets 3 challenges a game to dispute balls/strikes. If they are right, then they keep their challenge. As soon as they are out of challenges, then have to accept the call. I think this is a sensible compromise because I only trust robo balls/strikes a little more than humans. I would hope that by challenging balls/strikes it would help the umps adjust to a more consistent zone in game.

If the challenge worked as quickly as it does in Tennis (what like 30 seconds tops- maybe 15) and you could put it on the video board I'm pretty sure I would like this.  

Also- I'd say the challenge should have to come from the pitcher, the catcher or the batter.

[rvm96 1,643]

19 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

It’s not damn hard for a mlb lefty to poke a ball towards 3rd and against the shift 

If it's so easy why wouldn't Brantley do it every time?

[Wulaw Horn 19,069]

Again, ignore easy or hard. Ignore should or shouldn't.  None of that ultimately matters.  Focus instead on "what is most fun to watch?"  Viewed through that prism the shift sucks.  Batted balls in play where people run and jump and catch and all that are fun.  We have more of those without the shift.  

[Hammerin Hank 1,227]

27 minutes ago, Wulaw Horn said:

All of this. 

Add that to a pitch clock saving 20 or 30 minutes of standing around doing nothing time and we've got our old sport back played by even better athletes.  It will be great.

I remember many (not necessarily on here) bitching about the electronic signal of pitch calls.  Be smarter, don't get your signs stolen, that's on you.  Does anyone miss seeing the catcher put down signs, the conferences to make sure the signs are ok, all that nonsense?  If that person exists I want to meet them. The shift will be the same.  The pitch clock will be the same.  

I just can’t believe that the pitch clock saves 20-30 minutes. Is there some data on that? College games still seemed to last about 3:15 on average this season if my memory serves correct 

[Gut Wagon 8,065]

43 minutes ago, runthebone said:

Baseball is inherently advantageous to left handed hitters because they are 2 steps closer to first.

And most pitchers are righties. 

[Wulaw Horn 19,069]

1 minute ago, Hammerin Hank said:

I just can’t believe that the pitch clock saves 20-30 minutes. Is there some data on that? College games still seemed to last about 3:15 on average this season if my memory serves correct 

Yeah.  The athletic has articles on it where it was tried. They went from like 3:03 to 2:35 or something like that. Literally everyone raved about it. 

Below article is one of many.  Pretty good read.

https://www.mlb.com/news/how-pitch-clock-is-working-in-minor-leagues-in-2022#:~:text=The clock works.,it is an automatic ball.

[Gut Wagon 8,065]

Now that we have all this solved, we can figure out how to boost soccer scoring. I suggest four goalies per team at once...but the goal runs from sideline to sideline. 

[henrygandorf 29,189]

2 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

It’s not damn hard for a mlb lefty to poke a ball towards 3rd and against the shift 

can't wait for yordan to start being a poke hitter.

[Wulaw Horn 19,069]

1 hour ago, Gut Wagon said:

Now that we have all this solved, we can figure out how to boost soccer scoring. I suggest four goalies per team at once...but the goal runs from sideline to sideline. 

 Can one of those goalies be a shark that shoots lasers out of its eyes?

[Gut Wagon 8,065]

8 minutes ago, Wulaw Horn said:

 Can one of those goalies be a shark that shoots lasers out of its eyes?

Not only CAN it be...it MUST be. 

[runthebone 7,968]

Throw me a frickin' bone here.

[tx 3 putt 76,905]

2 hours ago, henrygandorf said:

can't wait for yordan to start being a poke hitter.

Slappy Alvarez 

[Pimphand 5,735]

1 hour ago, tx 3 putt said:

Slappy Alvarez 

 

[Gourmand 7,774]

 

[billfromlaketravis 11,456]

14 minutes ago, Gourmand said:

 

Does he have options? Keuchel on a minor league contract is something I’d take a flyer on. 

[tx 3 putt 76,905]

22 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Does he have options? Keuchel on a minor league contract is something I’d take a flyer on. 

lefty reliever ?

Has anyone seen Yordan’s activation news from a legit source ?

Edited July 21, 2022 by tx 3 putt

[henrygandorf 29,189]

[tx 3 putt 76,905]

[runthebone 7,968]

It is going to be that fan's World Series, I agree with that part.

[Gourmand 7,774]

2 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

lefty reliever ?

nothing here suggests he is anything but cooked

[Gourmand 7,774]

2 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

Has anyone seen Yordan’s activation news from a legit source

James Click isn't a legit source?
 

ETA: I didn't realize there were tweets out there about Yordan being activated Thurs. Expectation is he will play (from Click on 790) but I haven't found any updates about his batting practice today. I'm still sky-is-falling skeptical long-term about that hand injury and don't trust the hush hush nature of this one from the Astros org. 

Edited July 21, 2022 by Gourmand

[tx 3 putt 76,905]

Click Brantley will be back sooner or later, but there’s no rush 

[Guest]

14 hours ago, TonyTexas said:

That’s why the best hitters in the world have a hard time doing it. Because it’s so easy. 

They should just bunt...

[Guest]

14 hours ago, Hammerin Hank said:

I just can’t believe that the pitch clock saves 20-30 minutes. Is there some data on that? College games still seemed to last about 3:15 on average this season if my memory serves correct 

If they managed the time both batters and pitchers spend just fucking around staring at each other, stepping out of the box, adjusting batting gloves, doing rituals like rubbing the tip of the bat( looking at you, Ted,) and then engaging again in the actual acts of pitching and batting; the game would be exponentially faster.

The game needs more Urquidy with regard to pacing.

[Helobious 9,448]

Shit sandwich on the menu for the Astros today, lunch & dinner. Don’t know who Cristian javier is but hope he has fun getting spitroasted by Judge & Stanton. 
 

Fun fact: Minute Maid is a more hitter friendly park than YS this year, and they’ve been basically even the past 3 years.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/parkfactor
 

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/statcast-park-factors

[Texas St. Armadillos 1,381]

Christian Javier?  You don't know who that is?  The guy that K'd 13 of your pinstriped fags on the way to a no-hitter?

Put down the crackpipe.

[Gourmand 7,774]

Surly Stros thread: "Is MLB gonna ban the shift and how will it help lefty Astros hitters? Is Click gonna get Soto or Josh Bell or Castillo before the trade deadline and what will it take to do it? What's the timeline for LMJ return?"

Helobious: YAY IT'S OUR WORLD SERIES, I CAN'T WAIT TO SHITPOST ON THE ASTROS THREAD

[The Dog 44,020]

I don't think Helo actually watches baseball. 

[Helobious 9,448]

Didn’t realize javier started the fake no hitter game. That actually bodes well for the yanks today, no one dominates a lineup twice in that short of a time span. 

[Jshep34 2,308]

I've tried not to be rude but the past 2 post have to got to be the most idiotic post ever by the same person. Pretend not to know who a pitcher is that started a no-hitter against your team, then follow it up by calling it fake. Im sorry dude in past I've agreed with some of the things you've said but the past 2 post, you've got to be better than that

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[Seasick Sailor 3,747]

4 minutes ago, Jshep34 said:

Im sorry dude in past I've agreed with some of the things you've said but the past 2 post, you've got to be better than that

He is not, has never been, and will never be better than that.

[formermav43 4,606]

13 minutes ago, Helobious said:

Didn’t realize javier started the fake no hitter game. That actually bodes well for the yanks today, no one dominates a lineup twice in that short of a time span. 

Justin Verlander in the 2017 ALCS comes to mind.

[Helobious 9,448]

5 minutes ago, formermav43 said:

Justin Verlander in the 2017 ALCS comes to mind.

Obviously HOF caliber pitchers are an exception. Safe to say Javier is not close to that. He’s having a good year and had what will undoubtably be the best start of his career last time out. It doesn’t mean he’s going to get shelled today or anything but the yanks will touch him up for some runs. Stanton’s going deep, he was hot going into break and then was ASG mvp.

Edited July 21, 2022 by Helobious

[Player 4,575]

1 minute ago, Helobious said:

Obviously HOF caliber pitchers are an exception. Safe to say Javier is not close to that. He’s having a good year and had what will undoubtably be the best start of his career last time out. It doesn’t mean he’s going to get shelled today or anything but the yanks will touch him up for some runs. Stanton’s going deep, he was hot going into break and then was ASG mvp.

Just shut the fuck up already, you stupid nutsack. 

[Scraps 13,561]

Yordan activated....Siri sent down.

Time to drag his nuts across helobious face

[Js1 85,311]

32 minutes ago, Helobious said:

Didn’t realize javier started the fake no hitter game. That actually bodes well for the yanks today, no one dominates a lineup twice in that short of a time span. 

Not negged for being a Yankees bandwagon fan from the valley, negged bc it’s a legit no-hitter, you fucking baby. TAKE THE LOSS PUSSY

[tx 3 putt 76,905]

5 minutes ago, Scraps said:

Yordan activated....Siri sent down.

Time to drag his nuts across helobious face

you better wear a hard hat, you’re in prime Yordan hr areas 

[Gourmand 7,774]

[Gourmand 7,774]

 

[tx 3 putt 76,905]

[Seasick Sailor 3,747]

NM

Edited July 21, 2022 by Seasick Sailor

[Gourmand 7,774]

That's a dgaf lineup from Dusty

[henrygandorf 29,189]

pretty much same lineup as the single game we played vs nyy a few weeks ago. 

[Helobious 9,448]

9 minutes ago, Gourmand said:

Someone should tell that graphic designer that chapman is just a 7th inning setup/mop up duty guy now.