***** 2024 Houston Astros Season Thread ***** [Staff Warning]

4,038,874 Views | 67712 Replies | Last: 29 days ago by jkag89
texasaggie2015
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Yeah, I don't know. It doesn't bother me at all and never has.
RED AG 98
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EastCoastAgNc said:

txags92 said:

texasaggie2015 said:

Ag_07 said:

Again...What do you really expect him to say?

'Yeah we suck...I don't see us turning it around and probably looking to sit pat and possibly even have a fire sale here shortly'

That's not gonna happen
I will never understand why people get so mad at this. It's PR.

I worked in media for a long time. What these guys tell you on air versus what they tell you off the record is completely different.
My only problem is when they make statements that are just blatantly and clearly untrue in the name of trying to not say something controversial. When we can go look up the stats and see that what they are saying is not true, they would be better off just not answering the question if they can't at least say something that is not demonstrably false.

Like when Abreu was coming back after his Palm Beach trip and he or Espada said something about how well Abreu had hit or that he showed signs of real improvement. At the time, his performance and objective stats against much easier pitching didn't show anything of the sort. So he could have said something like "we are hopeful he will come back with an improved approach at the plate" that would be completely true, instead of telling us he was looking better, which wasn't true based on how he hit down there.

This is a pretty accurate summary of why I get annoyed with the way they talk about things. We as fans aren't stupid.
Agreed. Coach speak or GM speak doesn't bother me -- we're always looking at options and evaluating along the way to put our team in the best position .. blah blah blah. He can do all of that without saying anything of note or anything that is so easily refuted.

He might as well tell us Big Jon is an All Star -- oh wait Astros' social already did that.
Ag_07
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Which is almost exactly what he said.

Y'all are making a mountain out of a molehill for something that is SOP for any GM of any sport ever.

What the GM says on his weekly radio spot is the absolute least of this team's problems.
Project Gemini
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EastCoastAgNc said:

txags92 said:

texasaggie2015 said:

Ag_07 said:

Again...What do you really expect him to say?

'Yeah we suck...I don't see us turning it around and probably looking to sit pat and possibly even have a fire sale here shortly'

That's not gonna happen
I will never understand why people get so mad at this. It's PR.

I worked in media for a long time. What these guys tell you on air versus what they tell you off the record is completely different.
My only problem is when they make statements that are just blatantly and clearly untrue in the name of trying to not say something controversial. When we can go look up the stats and see that what they are saying is not true, they would be better off just not answering the question if they can't at least say something that is not demonstrably false.

Like when Abreu was coming back after his Palm Beach trip and he or Espada said something about how well Abreu had hit or that he showed signs of real improvement. At the time, his performance and objective stats against much easier pitching didn't show anything of the sort. So he could have said something like "we are hopeful he will come back with an improved approach at the plate" that would be completely true, instead of telling us he was looking better, which wasn't true based on how he hit down there.

This is a pretty accurate summary of why I get annoyed with the way they talk about things. We as fans aren't stupid.
I've got bad news for you man, "we" as fans collectively, are pretty damn stupid. You, of course, are not and should be an MLB GM.
tjack16
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The lying doesn't bother me… I assumed he wouldn't be forthright. I'm just so done with the Abreu experiment and it drives me crazy they won't just bite the bullet. I'm sure he's a great human… but he can be a great human on the bench or with his 39 Mil we owe if we cut him.
Beat40
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EastCoastAgNc said:

txags92 said:

texasaggie2015 said:

Ag_07 said:

Again...What do you really expect him to say?

'Yeah we suck...I don't see us turning it around and probably looking to sit pat and possibly even have a fire sale here shortly'

That's not gonna happen
I will never understand why people get so mad at this. It's PR.

I worked in media for a long time. What these guys tell you on air versus what they tell you off the record is completely different.
My only problem is when they make statements that are just blatantly and clearly untrue in the name of trying to not say something controversial. When we can go look up the stats and see that what they are saying is not true, they would be better off just not answering the question if they can't at least say something that is not demonstrably false.

Like when Abreu was coming back after his Palm Beach trip and he or Espada said something about how well Abreu had hit or that he showed signs of real improvement. At the time, his performance and objective stats against much easier pitching didn't show anything of the sort. So he could have said something like "we are hopeful he will come back with an improved approach at the plate" that would be completely true, instead of telling us he was looking better, which wasn't true based on how he hit down there.

This is a pretty accurate summary of why I get annoyed with the way they talk about things. We as fans aren't stupid.
Then why do you listen? If you know the GM and Coach are engaging in GM/Coach speak, why listen to it?

You guys are acting so surprised. This has been going on for 50 years.

This is easy, boys.
txags92
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Ag_07 said:

Which is almost exactly what he said.

Y'all are making a mountain out of a molehill for something that is SOP for any GM of any sport ever.
Exactly. I am not and have not been complaining about what he said about trades. 2015 seems to want to make it about trade details for some reason. What he said about trade plans was general in nature and couldn't be debunked as false. I just wish he would do the same when it comes to talking about other parts of the team. Just don't tell us things that are obviously false. That is all I am asking.
BadAggie
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Marvin
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Ag_07 said:

Again...What do you really expect him to say?

'Yeah we suck...I don't see us turning it around and probably looking to sit pat and possibly even have a fire sale here shortly'

That's not gonna happen


Um, I don't expect anything from him. I appreciate that he's toned down the rhetoric about reeling off a bunch of wins. I think he is being more realistic now, at least. Outside of that, no one here expects him to trash the team he helped build. We may vent about the stark contrast between what he expects to happen and the reality on the field, but that's what fans do.

I'm all for him being a cheerleader for Abreu and the other players, but don't expect us to believe everything he says. Play the GM game, keep your cards close regarding roster decisions, and do your job as Crane allows it to be done.

I love Texas Aggie sports, but I love Texas A&M more.
texasaggie2015
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txags92 said:

Ag_07 said:

Which is almost exactly what he said.

Y'all are making a mountain out of a molehill for something that is SOP for any GM of any sport ever.
Exactly. I am not and have not been complaining about what he said about trades. 2015 seems to want to make it about trade details for some reason. What he said about trade plans was general in nature and couldn't be debunked as false. I just wish he would do the same when it comes to talking about other parts of the team. Just don't tell us things that are obviously false. That is all I am asking.
I used trades as an example of reasons why he wouldn't tell the truth in front of cameras and microphones. That's it.

Also, if you want a reason why he wouldn't be completely honest about Abreu, here you go. He's not going to say he looks bad because they're looking at all avenues to get rid of him. If he says he's he looks horrific and it's a lost cause, that eliminates the possibility (and the odds are already very slim) of making some sort of deal with another team. He's only going to say he's working hard and looks good. Hopefully that makes sense- just using Abreu as an example since it's relevant.

Again, I really don't care at all about what he says to the public. I guess some folks do and that's fine. But it doesn't bother me at all.
Mathguy64
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iBrad said:

When we get to Chicago, we're going to trade Abreu for Maldy. Abreu will retire with the White Sox and Maldy will transition to a coaching role.


I would take that deal yesterday.
Farmer1906
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Mathguy64 said:

iBrad said:

When we get to Chicago, we're going to trade Abreu for Maldy. Abreu will retire with the White Sox and Maldy will transition to a coaching role.


I would take that deal yesterday.


Everyone on our side would. But the Sox would laugh in our faces.
Beat40
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txags92 said:

texasaggie2015 said:

There's 100% a reason to lie.

Telling the public your trade deadline and roster plans only hurts your organization. You don't announce your cards at the poker table.

Maybe he could say "no comment" but I know people would be upset with that too.
I am not talking about trade plans, I am talking about things like telling us Abreu hit well in Palm Beach when he didn't. Or telling us the bullpen is fine when they are a dumpster fire. The trade stuff is fine if they want to talk generalities and not give details that would give away our plans. Again, as you said, it is all just coach speak and nobody expects them to say anything of great importance, so when they do decide to actually make a specific statement or take a position, they should try to at least do it in a way that can't be immediately debunked.
So, I think there is some disconnect. While I don't think Abreu is any good anymore, there is a difference between when a baseball guy evaluates a player and a fan evaluates a player.

How many times have you heard a former baseball player say a hitter is close based on what they are seeing and within a week the player breaks out? The fan just sees the outs and says this guy is sucking. This situation happens ALL the time.

So, you can't just say because Espada said he's looking better or hitting the ball better, or whatever he says that he's lying. Despite his bad play since coming back, he has hit some balls well over 100+mph.

Point is, baseball guys and fans evaluations are usually different.
Mathguy64
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Farmer1906 said:

Mathguy64 said:

iBrad said:

When we get to Chicago, we're going to trade Abreu for Maldy. Abreu will retire with the White Sox and Maldy will transition to a coaching role.


I would take that deal yesterday.


Everyone on our side would. But the Sox would laugh in our faces.


Not if we DFA him and eat the contract or flat give him and the money to the CWS. Which if we DFA him is the same thing.

Any way you cut it he's getting another $30MM
Bonnettecj1
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I get bringing him back because he's just a $19 million piece sitting in Florida at the time. It's the amount of playing time he's gotten since coming back. The team was actually heating up before he came back, then he immediately gets inserted into the lineup in the Seattle series and right back down we go.

If we don't make the playoffs, that decision to put him in the lineup immediately could be the turning point in everything.
htxag09
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Damn 50+ posts…figured we finally dfa'd abreu or something. Should have known it would just be quotes about nothing.
The Porkchop Express
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As a former media dummy, I can tell you that Brown and espada and every other coach alive pretty much hates talking to the media and would probably rather take a fastball to the chest than sit there answering the same inane questions over and over again. Their job in that situation is to protect the team, circle the wagons, all those cliches. He's almost there, he's working out some kinks, he looks great in practice, we're relying on him, on and on.

You realize how many RC Slocum press conferences I sat through back in the day when he said the same crap about every single player? It didn't matter if you were Sam Adams or the last gut on the bench, you had a nose for the ball, you were getting after it, you were really being a great example for the other guys, etc.

The only time you're getting a real answer out of a coach is if 1) They know they're getting canned and they are too bitter to worry about their next job. 2) You get them pissed off by asking a bunch of questions that people usually don't, but of course then you run the risk of getting banned/blackballed by the team; 3) You have a unicorn coach / GM who will just say whatever cuz they can't help themselves. Tony Barone was a good example of that in my career. He was ****ing furious from opening tip and would bad mouth his own players, the refs, the crowd for not showing up, the person playing the music at G Rollie White, anything;

When I covered prep sports, there was the very unlikely female coach who had no filter. She was at Clements in Sugarland and coached volleyball and would drop the truth bombs on anything that moved. She talked noise about Cinco Ranch violating some rule I'd never heard of, so I put it in the article for laughs, and then had none other than your favorite Lt. Governor Dan Patrick come after me because his kid was there.

Anyway, I've gone too long. The coach and the GM aren't going to do anything that hurts the team's ego, confidence, or anything else. if the ysay something serious or shocking, the situation internally is probably 5,000 times worse.
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W
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I agree that the 'stros are hanging onto him thru the trip to Chicago

then the DFA
linkdude
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You should know better than to hope that
Boiling Denim
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Does Chas have a timeline?
texasaggie2015
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I remember I asked an anonymous A&M coach why a certain team had given them trouble in the past. They had lost 3-4 years in a row to them if I recall correctly. Perfectly valid question. He looked me right in the eye and said "they've never given us problems"
linkdude
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EastCoastAgNc
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Keep it classy folks
Farmer1906
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The Porkchop Express
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texasaggie2015 said:

I remember I asked an anonymous A&M coach why a certain team had given them trouble in the past. They had lost 3-4 years in a row to them if I recall correctly. Perfectly valid question. He looked me right in the eye and said "they've never given us problems"
My all-time #1 A&M media sports story is a buddy of mine asking Tony Barone is he was concerned that the team's free throw shooting was "kind of pathetic" in a post-game press conference after the Ags beat a decent TCU team with Kurt Thomas.

Barone almost let it go, but couldn't, and eviscerated this guy for about 12 minutes straight - asking him if he knew what it was to be a professional (he did not), saying what a joke he was, what a joke the Batt was (probably true), comparing his to other guys in the room, telling him he needed to get out of the business.

When it was finally over, the next question, asked by Olin Buchanan, was "Coach, talk about how well Joe Wilbert played tonight?" Barone says, "He was pathetic."
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EastCoastAgNc
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I've seen 2015 mention the possibility of having someone else take on abreu. Aside from the white Sox, who would want to do that given his contract? Wouldn't we have to pay down pretty much all of it? Doubtful we could get anything in return for him.
Mathguy64
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Vogelfat had been DFAed before. This aint his first Golden Corral buffet.
The Porkchop Express
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EastCoastAgNc said:

I've seen 2015 mention the possibility of having someone else take on abreu. Aside from the white Sox, who would want to do that given his contract? Wouldn't we have to pay down pretty much all of it? Doubtful we could get anything in return for him.
What if we agree to pay some of JV's contract for the Mets, and then we trade Abreu, Chas, and Ryan Pressly for Alonso. They can also have Orbit - who is a Hall of Famer.
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All I do is Nguyen
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texasaggie2015
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EastCoastAgNc said:

I've seen 2015 mention the possibility of having someone else take on abreu. Aside from the white Sox, who would want to do that given his contract? Wouldn't we have to pay down pretty much all of it? Doubtful we could get anything in return for him.


They're trying because it would be foolish not to. But it's very unlikely to happen
agproducer
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All I do is Nguyen said:


Legend.

texasaggie2015
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Jose Abreu has been released. Right at 40 ABs. Y'all are welcome.
htxag09
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jah003
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We are so ****ing back.
ttha_aggie_09
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Bout damn time
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