I love that Astros fans continue to obsess over The Rangers and our thread. Best team in baseball and they're worried about what us peasant Ranger fans think.

Oh, how I hope for an ALDS match up to have a chance to send their candy asses home.

I went and read the thread just to see and my gosh. They're good but you'd think the team is just guaranteed to win the World Series the next 5 years while the Rangers win 20 games a year.

One thinks they'll hahe the overall head to head record by 2020 or 2019. I went and googled and it's 98-60 for us right now so +28. There's 9 more games this year then 19 each of the next two years so 47 through 2019.

They'd have to go 38-9 through games for 2019 or 48-18 for that to happen in 2020.

I don't think a lot of them really grasp that what they did to be really good now is something most franchises could do, they just choose not to.

Losing an average of 104 games over 4 years just to be maybe be good on the other end would be depressing as hell.

If (big If) they get a World Series it was well worth it.

I drove bus said:

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If (big If) they get a World Series it was well worth it.

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I'd say anything less than a WS and it's been an absolute failure. And even with a WS they'd also need to be a playoff caliber team for 5-6 years.

The Florida Marlins of 15-20 years ago proved you could punt for multiple years and position yourself for a World Series... and they did so without having to be historically bad.

If a team essentially didn't even field a team for 4 years, I'd want to see 10 years of mostly playoff baseball to even think it was close to worth it.

Don't disagree. Right now they are in year 3 of being a contender.

I won't bet against them the next few years either. Young and talented.

But they need a WS to complete the deal.

free_mhayden said:

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I don't think a lot of them really grasp that what they did to be really good now is something most franchises could do, they just choose not to.

Losing an average of 104 games over 4 years just to be maybe be good on the other end would be depressing as hell.

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Don't forget they also kept players in the minors, in order to extend their life under team control. Players and their agents REALLY hate when you do that.

Long-term it won't pay off. They have about a 2 year window. This year and next. Here is where their rotation sits:
Keuchel is Arb3 in 2018.
Morton is $7M in 2018, then a FA.
Fiers is Arb2 in 2018
McCullers is Arb1 in 2018
Peacock is Arb1 in 2018

They'll have money to spend, as they have $55M committed to 2018, and $24M for 2019.

Like him, or not... one thing JD has done is pay a little more now to extend players past their Arb years. Andrus, Odor, Perez, et al, sign them while they are still serfs, and go beyond their controllable years getting 2-3 more years out of them.

I'm going to guess the Astros don't have many players willing to take a home town discount after losing a year or more of control. I'd be interested in looking at their Rule V situation this offseason.

I drove bus said:

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Don't disagree. Right now they are in year 3 of being a contender.

I won't bet against them the next few years either. Young and talented.

But they need a WS to complete the deal.

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No doubt... I don't think any of us were really surprised though -- even a lot of Rangers fans had them winning the division this year.

And don't get me wrong, if they get a WS title then I'll be jealous. The team was just formed in a way that I wouldn't be bragging too much about it - they weren't just bad during the years they formed the nucleus of the current team -- they were historically bad. On purpose.

Exactly. I'd like to see teams who couldn't do the same after trading away anyone halfway decent and playing a team of basically AAA players for 3-4 seasons.

Winning a WS is anything but a surety...

The team to beat?

IMO: The Dodgers

Kershaw (29-L): 19 GS, 2.18 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 132.1 IP, 159 SO (Avg 7.0 IP/GS)
Alex Wood (26-L): 14 GS, 1.56 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 86.2 IP, 101 SO (Avg 6.0 IP/GS)
Brandon McCarthy (34-R): 15 GS, 3.38 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 82.2 IP, 61 SO (Avg 5.1 IP/GS)
Rich Hill (37-L): 12 GS, 3.69 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 61.0 IP, 70 SO (Avg 5.0 IP/GS)
Hyun-Jin Ryu (30-L): 13 GS, 4.21 ERA, 1.40 WHIP

Cl: Jansen: 37 GP, 38.2 IP, 58 SO, 0.93 ERA, 0.54 WHIP

I haven't been following it, but one commentator said the Dodgers DL is a joke. They apparently are using the new 10 day DL, to rest their SPs. I guess that is the alternative to the 6 man rotation. Ryu is currently on it.

The Rangers don't hit Lefties: .226 v .243

I think the Nats just pulled even with the Dodgers. Just shored up their bullpen with Doolittle and Madson.

Yu always gets in trouble when he gets away from his fastball.

Great start Yu.

Wtf Yu?

Minimal damage

Good job minimizing damage. It would be nice for the offense to show up today.

Sigh....

I drove bus said:

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Good job minimizing damage. It would be nice for the offense to show up today.

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Unfortunately the entire line up, minus Nap, seem to be slumping. Throw in the fact Yu is on the mound...don't have a good feeling today.

Yu is so good and yet so frustratingly bad at the same time

Not that Chirinos is a great framer, but I'm surprised all the starters haven't started requesting to throw to him over Lucroy.

D Rob!

free_mhayden said:

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Not that Chirinos is a great framer, but I'm surprised all the starters haven't started requesting to throw to him over Lucroy.

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The rumor recently was that "3 of the 5 starters didn't want to work with Lucroy".

Sigh....Away away away and Elvis is trying to pull the ball with a runner on first. Seemed like a good opportunity to hit and run.

Yea.... Kozma can kiss his seat on the bench bye bye. Robinson is easily a better option.

Another borderline low strike that Lucroy is completely out of place on.

Seven Costanza said:

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free_mhayden said:

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Not that Chirinos is a great framer, but I'm surprised all the starters haven't started requesting to throw to him over Lucroy.

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The rumor recently was that "3 of the 5 starters didn't want to work with Lucroy".

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Lucroy has made several statements regarding how well he prepares, suggesting the Ps should just trust him. Few pitchers I've seen blindly follow the Catcher.

Darvish seems to be one that likes to throw what Darvish wants to throw. So, I'm sure Darvish would rather throw to someone that doesn't mind being shaken off.

8 pitch walk is a perfect example of frustration w Yu. Quickly 0-2 then he gets cute.

Lucroy has a pretty good reputation league-wide as being very well prepared.

But it looks more and more like his body has started to fail him and he doesn't have the balance to frame pitches anymore.

And the walk bites him in the ass. G damnit

I drove bus said:

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8 pitch walk is a perfect example of frustration w Yu. Quickly 0-2 then he gets cute.

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I really don't think that was a good example of being cute -- Hosmer fouled off 2-3 pitches and is a legitimate power threat.

I actually think this game has had a couple of examples of Yu pitching to contact more than previous years.

AggieDPT said:

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Sigh....

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Embarrassing

Nice shut down Yu. Regardless if this team is winning or not. We need to sell him. I don't think he has what it takes to ever be an "ace". It seems like every time this team gives him a lead or ties it up he gives it right back. He has some of the best stuff in the league but has no idea how to pitch.

gigem1223 said:

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Nice shut down Yu. Regardless if this team is winning or not. We need to sell him. I don't think he has what it takes to ever be an "ace". It seems like every time this team gives him a lead or ties it up he gives it right back. He has some of the best stuff in the league but has no idea how to pitch.

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He's an idiot. Very low IQ

Offense frustrating as well. Strike out kings.