03_Aggie said:

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falcon09 said:

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Steven A has lost his damn mind. How the hell does the Astros batter knowing what pitch is coming make the Yankees only score 3 runs in 4 games?!

This is what pisses me off the most. Idiots finding any way the can to **** on the Astros, even if it's completely illogical and makes no sense in the context of baseball. That and the whole buzzer thing still being a thing.

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I don't think it's intentional by him. Pretty sure that's him on every issue he talks about. Guy is a moron.

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He really should only be allowed to talk about basketball. Hell he went to freaking fashion college before playing d2 ball in NC.

He isn't an authority in any sport other than that and it shows time and time again

Farmer1906 said:

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Actual baseball talk!

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Sounds like Urquidy is already being penciled in as the #4. I kinda hope we find niche roles for James/Valdez or use them as trade bait. They have nasty stuff but don't seem consistent enough to be 5-6 inning starters.

I'd encourage everyone to not take what Stephen A Smith says too seriously. His job is literally to just have hot takes and vigorously defend them in showmanistic style.

I'm willing to listen to some calm, rational arguments that our system MIGHT have affected the Dodgers series. But any arguments that say the Yankees should have beat us in 2017 are just dumb. Three runs in four games at MMP. Three runs in four games at MMP. Three runs in four games at MMP.

Deluxe said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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Actual baseball talk!

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Sounds like Urquidy is already being penciled in as the #4. I kinda hope we find niche roles for James/Valdez or use them as trade bait. They have nasty stuff but don't seem consistent enough to be 5-6 inning starters.

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Framber is too inconsistent -- but he is a left-hander.

James is also inconsistent -- but he can get it up to 101 mph. He can throw gas.

Pruitt is a wild card.

I think the Astros should do this -- see if they can ship Framber off for prospects. Send James to the BP and let Pruitt start. Keep Peacock as long relief.

wangus12 said:

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After all the backlash today, I'm more than convinced nothing Boston is getting a slap on the wrist. MLB doesn't want another PR hit, especially against one of their bigger teams.

Jackasses on the radio here in Dallas are so pissed. They think Crane should be forced to sell the team and that the entire team should not be allowed to play this year. As in the franchise is banned for a year.

****ing bull**** that we have to take the brunt of all this when everyone knows there were other teams with evidence against them. But I guess we're just gonna sweep that evidence under the rug.

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I guess we'll find out in the coming days whether this is going to be true or not. If ESiPN continues to run headline after headline after headline about some poor put-upon pitching washout with a 6+ career ERA that's blaming his suckitude solely on the mean old Astros......then MLB has zero interest in letting it die. They got the sham apology turn yesterday that they were screaming for, which everyone knew was going to be an insincere dog and pony show, but they wanted Crane and company trotted out there anyway. So if you're truly interested in putting it to bed, that should be the end of it. "Everything's cleaned up now" (smirk and a wink), we got'em and let's move on.

I've got more than a sneaking suspicion that won't happen. They'll continue to allow the media to bang that trash can until the clicks finally die down. And the Red Sox still won't even get a slap on the wrist. For purportedly doing the same exact thing.

I'd go James for the first 2-3 rotations and then re-evaluate from there. Our 1-4 spots should be good enough to where it won't hurt us that much

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Might as well blame everything that was stolen in 2017-2019 on the Astros.

. . . said:

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Someone should ask him to go into specifics if he's going to make claims like that. Why do you think they cheated in ~2018/2019 when the commissioner said they didn't? What evidence do you have other than Altuve not wanting his jersey ripped off? Can you point to any specific moments in the 2017 World Series where the Astros used their system and impacted the outcome of a game?

It's obviously alot easier to just be emotional and make baseless claims. But if he's got specifics to back up everything he's saying, I'd love to hear it.

The Bellinger stuff is exactly why I wish we would have fought back.

I agree with y'all, so funny to see him say that when they just got Mookie and Price.

I do wonder though, based on that tweet from Jon Heyman, if people already know the report isn't going to be "that bad." I wonder if they'll even be accused of cheating, honestly.

And the dodgers pitching coach during those years was once suspended for having a thumb tack in his glove while pitching during his playing years.

Comments like that from Bellinger lead me to believe an earlier conversation from this week about batters getting beaned. I bet we see a lot of it. Players are going to take it upon themselves to do the punishing of our players.

Kurt Suzuki said we were cheating because they heard whistling

I hope they are that stupid. With our offense we can put even more runs up quickly then

k20dub said:

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Comments like that from Bellinger lead me to believe an earlier conversation from this week about batters getting beaned. I bet we see a lot of it. Players are going to take it upon themselves to do the punishing of our players.

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First series is against LA in Houston. Second series against Oakland in Oakland.

I think that Oakland series has the potential to be a little chippy. We should definitely see Fiers in that series.

Honestly, I think if any batters get plunked, it's going to be during the first month or so. Probably will be Bregman or Altuve.

We don't play Cleveland until June, and I think things die down by then.

I wish we played the Dodgers this year. I'd like to see them put their money where there mouth is.

We get Cleveland before the season starts. Too bad Baby Mike his injured, or I'd think that'd get a little chippy.

Wonder if we retaliate and wonder how much MLB ultimately steps in

Deluxe said:

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Wonder if we retaliate and wonder how much MLB ultimately steps in

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This. I'm willing to bet the MLB issues a memo to the league, if things get out of hand they won't be afraid to dish out suspensions.

Please let all of these jackasses running their mouths on top of their high-horses motivate this team to go on another tear to the World Series this season.

So tired of losers blaming the Astros for their own failures. Screw you Bellinger.

WelchAg said:

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If Bellinger could have actually made contact in 2017, they probably would have won the WS. He is to blame waaaaayyyyyyy more than the Astros for their failure.

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That is probably the most annoying thing about this deal as it relates to the playoffs. Our pitching was the major factor in our wins, not hitting. So I kinda agree with Crane that it wasn't really a factor.

YNWA_AG said:

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Kurt Suzuki said we were cheating because they heard whistling

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Need to find video of game 6. Pretty sure the dugout camera inadvertently caught them whipping around an whistling before a Verlander pitch after a HR or RBI celebration.

I also seem to recall Verlander pointing out the whistling on his breaking pitches.

agproducer said:

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Deluxe said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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Actual baseball talk!

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Sounds like Urquidy is already being penciled in as the #4. I kinda hope we find niche roles for James/Valdez or use them as trade bait. They have nasty stuff but don't seem consistent enough to be 5-6 inning starters.

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Framber is too inconsistent -- but he is a left-hander.

James is also inconsistent -- but he can get it up to 101 mph. He can throw gas.

Pruitt is a wild card.

I think the Astros should do this -- see if they can ship Framber off for prospects. Send James to the BP and let Pruitt start. Keep Peacock as long relief.

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All of this. We got plenty of sample size from Valdez last year to know he's not the answer

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Yeah I see this as doing ZG a solid.

He wasn't here in 2017 so why put him out there during all this?