F the guy but he has a point
***** 2024 Houston Astros Season Thread ***** [Staff Warning]
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Last: 2 mo ago by jkag89
F the guy but he has a point
July 31, 1998: The Mariners trade Randy Johnson to the Astros.
— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) August 1, 2024
pic.twitter.com/H9ELE6bWyQ
Fightin' Texas Aggie and Sam Houston State Bearkat
When you have 5 runs (3 unearned) on 4 hits and 1 walk against a sp with a 6+ era, compared to their 9 hits and 4 runs, id say the Astros didn't deserve a win as much as the Pirates really blew that one. Cruz's 3 errors were the difference.
But, and win is a win. At the end of the season they don't look at how you win the games, just how many you won
But, and win is a win. At the end of the season they don't look at how you win the games, just how many you won
Well it feels like we were owed this game and could use a few more like it to even up some of the headscratching losses we've had this year.
Having Freddy Garcia in that 2004 NLCS Rotation sure woulda been nice...just sayinbearkatag15 said:July 31, 1998: The Mariners trade Randy Johnson to the Astros.
— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) August 1, 2024
pic.twitter.com/H9ELE6bWyQ
3.3 WAR in 11 starts for us in 1998.bearkatag15 said:July 31, 1998: The Mariners trade Randy Johnson to the Astros.
— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) August 1, 2024
pic.twitter.com/H9ELE6bWyQ
And 14 innings in the playoffs, only giving up 3 ER, yet going 0-2 because our offense disappeared as usual.
And I can't wait for Kikuchi to match it.iBrad said:
And 14 innings in the playoffs, only giving up 3 ER, yet going 0-2 because our offense disappeared as usual.
Listening to his interview pieces in Facing Nolan gave the impression that he is a very humble guy. Not what you would expect for a guy that was as dominating and intimidating as he was.Farmer1906 said:3.3 WAR in 11 starts for us in 1998.bearkatag15 said:July 31, 1998: The Mariners trade Randy Johnson to the Astros.
— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) August 1, 2024
pic.twitter.com/H9ELE6bWyQ
I have been in Abu Dhabi for 3 weeks, I woke up to the Trump assassination attempt, the Biden drop out, and even more importantly trading our top young guns for Kikuchi rental and DFA Montero?
What a chode Crane is being shown to be. After his mouthpiece Bagwell has been defending the Montero contract for years they literally dfa his ass, but not before sending three possibly large contributors in the very near term away to a fellow AL team?
The window doesn't extend beyond this year or maybe next year, and our farm is absolutely destitute
What a chode Crane is being shown to be. After his mouthpiece Bagwell has been defending the Montero contract for years they literally dfa his ass, but not before sending three possibly large contributors in the very near term away to a fellow AL team?
The window doesn't extend beyond this year or maybe next year, and our farm is absolutely destitute
BadAggie said:
F the guy but he has a point
I've always been a fan of Will the Thrill and he is 100%, dead-on accurate with that statement.
Interesting perspective from "The Athletic" regarding the Crane/Brown dynamic and the Montero & Abreu signings.
Not the whole piece but the important parts. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5673404/2024/07/31/astros-rafael-montero-dfa-jim-crane-contract/?source=dailyemail&campaign=601983&userId=9964939
HOUSTON Houston Astros owner Jim Crane is in the overnight business. He made his money as a shipping magnate, bought a baseball team and, for two months, became its de facto general manager. Crane officially took the title on Nov. 11, 2022, the day he "parted ways" with James Click.
The next morning, Crane finished his first contract, rewarding Rafael Montero's first season of sustained success with a three-year, $34.5 million deal that made him the sport's fourth-highest paid reliever. At the time, one rival general manager mused it "stalled the market," problematic for both shipping and, as it turns out, the baseball team Crane tried to construct.
Operating at that breakneck speed isn't sustainable, even for a logistics mogul. Crane signed Montero and did not hire a general manager for the next nine weeks. In the interim, he teamed with trusted confidant Jeff Bagwell to hand first baseman Jos Abreu the largest free-agent contract of his ownership tenure, another three-year deal that caused curiosity across the sport.
Bringing back beloved outfielder Michael Brantley on a one-year, $12 million contract concluded Crane's cameo as a front-office executive. It spanned two months and left an impact his club will feel for the next two years.
"No one bats 1.000 with these contracts," said Dana Brown, the man tasked with cleaning up his boss' mess.
Houston's second-year general manager completed the task Wednesday morning by designating Montero for assignment. Seven weeks ago, Brown said he spearheaded the decision to release Abreu, to whom Crane still owes $30.8 million.
Neither man made it to the third season of his contract. According to Baseball-Reference, Montero and Abreu accumulated a combined minus-2 wins above replacement after signing Crane's deals. The owner did not comment Wednesday afternoon, again leaving Brown to answer for a mistake he did not make, but still must remedy.
"It was our hope that both of these guys would be really good," Brown said. "There's a reason they were signed to these contracts. You don't get these contracts for not being a good player or a good pitcher. The hope was for them to perform and everything would be smooth. With the lack of performance, we have to put the team and the organization first."
Removing both men from the major-league roster illustrates the urgency with which Brown is operating and, perhaps, the freedom Crane is giving him to overhaul a roster the owner helped to handcuff. Whether the disastrous returns on Abreu and Montero's contracts will lessen Crane's influence in baseball operations decisions is a legitimate question, but cutting ties with both players does demonstrate Brown's ability to convey what is best for the club's championship aspirations.
That Brown has convinced Crane to eat almost $45 million within a month and a half is a sign of his mettle. Brown presented both departures with the tact and respect two veteran players deserve, even spending most of Tuesday explaining how Montero could factor into the team's stretch run should he remain in the organization. In a business that can be unforgiving and that has sometimes lost human feel in Houston that shouldn't be overlooked.
"We're going to continue to do what we have to do to make this team better," Brown said. "I've had conversations with Jim on anything that I do with this organization. I always keep him up to date. I had conversations with him and said, 'Look, I think this is better for the club and we really feel like we have a chance of him going down and coming back.' So that was the gist of it."
Not the whole piece but the important parts. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5673404/2024/07/31/astros-rafael-montero-dfa-jim-crane-contract/?source=dailyemail&campaign=601983&userId=9964939
HOUSTON Houston Astros owner Jim Crane is in the overnight business. He made his money as a shipping magnate, bought a baseball team and, for two months, became its de facto general manager. Crane officially took the title on Nov. 11, 2022, the day he "parted ways" with James Click.
The next morning, Crane finished his first contract, rewarding Rafael Montero's first season of sustained success with a three-year, $34.5 million deal that made him the sport's fourth-highest paid reliever. At the time, one rival general manager mused it "stalled the market," problematic for both shipping and, as it turns out, the baseball team Crane tried to construct.
Operating at that breakneck speed isn't sustainable, even for a logistics mogul. Crane signed Montero and did not hire a general manager for the next nine weeks. In the interim, he teamed with trusted confidant Jeff Bagwell to hand first baseman Jos Abreu the largest free-agent contract of his ownership tenure, another three-year deal that caused curiosity across the sport.
Bringing back beloved outfielder Michael Brantley on a one-year, $12 million contract concluded Crane's cameo as a front-office executive. It spanned two months and left an impact his club will feel for the next two years.
"No one bats 1.000 with these contracts," said Dana Brown, the man tasked with cleaning up his boss' mess.
Houston's second-year general manager completed the task Wednesday morning by designating Montero for assignment. Seven weeks ago, Brown said he spearheaded the decision to release Abreu, to whom Crane still owes $30.8 million.
Neither man made it to the third season of his contract. According to Baseball-Reference, Montero and Abreu accumulated a combined minus-2 wins above replacement after signing Crane's deals. The owner did not comment Wednesday afternoon, again leaving Brown to answer for a mistake he did not make, but still must remedy.
"It was our hope that both of these guys would be really good," Brown said. "There's a reason they were signed to these contracts. You don't get these contracts for not being a good player or a good pitcher. The hope was for them to perform and everything would be smooth. With the lack of performance, we have to put the team and the organization first."
Removing both men from the major-league roster illustrates the urgency with which Brown is operating and, perhaps, the freedom Crane is giving him to overhaul a roster the owner helped to handcuff. Whether the disastrous returns on Abreu and Montero's contracts will lessen Crane's influence in baseball operations decisions is a legitimate question, but cutting ties with both players does demonstrate Brown's ability to convey what is best for the club's championship aspirations.
That Brown has convinced Crane to eat almost $45 million within a month and a half is a sign of his mettle. Brown presented both departures with the tact and respect two veteran players deserve, even spending most of Tuesday explaining how Montero could factor into the team's stretch run should he remain in the organization. In a business that can be unforgiving and that has sometimes lost human feel in Houston that shouldn't be overlooked.
"We're going to continue to do what we have to do to make this team better," Brown said. "I've had conversations with Jim on anything that I do with this organization. I always keep him up to date. I had conversations with him and said, 'Look, I think this is better for the club and we really feel like we have a chance of him going down and coming back.' So that was the gist of it."
The Abreu contract didn't cause "curiosity across the sport". That was actually thought of as a fair contract for a good player.
The Montero contract was the one that was a head scratcher.
The Montero contract was the one that was a head scratcher.
True but people questioned the 3rd year right away. It was one of the largest contracts in baseball history for ages 36-38.Ag_07 said:
The Abreu contract didn't cause "curiosity across the sport". That was actually thought of as a fair contract for a good player.
The Montero contract was the one that was a head scratcher.
The Abreu contract wasn't absurd at the time. Most people saw the decline in his numbers. No one expected his MVP form. Everyone knew it was likely to be an overpay for what we'd get. But no one predicted the dude would fall off the face of the earth.
Hopefully Crane isn't telling himself that when he gives Goldschmidt 3 years and let's Tuck walk.iBrad said:
The Abreu contract wasn't absurd at the time. Most people saw the decline in his numbers. No one expected his MVP form. Everyone knew it was likely to be an overpay for what we'd get. But no one predicted the dude would fall off the face of the earth.
Ok yeah that's fair.
The Montero contract was the complete opposite. Everyone thought 'WTF? That's absurd' immediately upon hearing the news.
The Montero contract was the complete opposite. Everyone thought 'WTF? That's absurd' immediately upon hearing the news.
Yup. At the time I believe he was a top 5ish in reliever total salary. A 7th/8th inning guy getting paid like a top end closer. It kind of reset the market for very good, not great bullpen arms.
I'm glad the article is also mentioning the contract to Brantley
that one busted too -- at least it was only one year
that one busted too -- at least it was only one year
Farmer1906 said:
Yup. At the time I believe he was a top 5ish in reliever total salary. A 7th/8th inning guy getting paid like a top end closer. It kind of reset the market for very good, not great bullpen arms.
I also feel like the Hader acquisition was a WTF?
Yeah, he had been elite but so had Pressly. Felt like we could have better spent that money elsewhere. And I don't think you can overstate the importance of Pressly's experience in the post-season which Hader doesn't have. That's a pressure cooker.
the Astros went 14-11 in July
currently 6-6 since the break
the slash lines were not pretty
finished 24th in on-base % and 24th in slugging % for the month
bats need to heat up in August
currently 6-6 since the break
the slash lines were not pretty
finished 24th in on-base % and 24th in slugging % for the month
bats need to heat up in August
and speaking up August and heating up...
for his career...Bregman's best month by far is August
career .996 OPS
150 points higher than any other month
for his career...Bregman's best month by far is August
career .996 OPS
150 points higher than any other month
A 20-8 or 19-9 record would be nice.W said:
the Astros went 14-11 in July
currently 6-6 since the break
the slash lines were not pretty
finished 24th in on-base % and 24th in slugging % for the month
bats need to heat up in August
Umpire: Nestor Ceja
— Umpire Scorecards (@UmpScorecards) August 1, 2024
Final: Pirates 4, Astros 5#LetsGoBucs // #Relentless#PITvsHOU // #HOUvsPIT
More stats for this game 👇https://t.co/m1eH1hwciA pic.twitter.com/mnW6n8hTu8
Altuve really got screwed in the first. Looks like the ump tried to make up for it in the 3rd tho.
Are any of these ever in our favor? They seem to ALWAYS benefit the other team. (But there's definitely no league favoritism going on...)
We've been favored in 42.6% of them, which is fifth worst in MLB.Kashchei said:
Are any of these ever in our favor? They seem to ALWAYS benefit the other team. (But there's definitely no league favoritism going on...)
https://umpscorecards.com/teams/
It may seem more egregious because we tend to post them on the thread when they don't go our way.
In Crane's defense, Luhnow signed Tony Sipp to a 3-year $18M contract, which was pricey for a guy whose career numbers didn't warrant it. He proceeded to post back-to-back negative WAR seasons before finally being productive again in his contract year.
So Dana is right. No one bats 1.000 on signings, but Crane's turned out to be an exceptionally bad 0-3.
So Dana is right. No one bats 1.000 on signings, but Crane's turned out to be an exceptionally bad 0-3.
Who is the best pitcher of this era?#MLBNow | #ThinkingFan
— MLB Now (@MLBNow) August 1, 2024
Probably Kershaw, but his durability the past few years impacts this answer. Honestly you could make an argument for all 3.
Baseball reference has a hall of fame monitor which measures how likely a player is to make the HOF (100 being a good possibility, and 130 a "virtual cinch"). It has scores for current players, and all time. It has Verlander as the top pitcher under this metric.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/hof_monitor.shtml
Pitching Not Yet Eligible
1. Justin Verlander - 240
2. Clayton Kershaw - 211
3. Max Scherzer - 179
4. CC Sabathia - 128
5. Zack Greinke - 117
6. Craig Kimbrel - 117
7. Kenley Jansen - 116
8. Gerrit Cole - 114
9. Jon Lester - 98
10. David Price - 97
Batting Leaders Not Yet Eligible
1. Albert Pujols - 334
2. Miguel Cabrera - 293
3. Ichiro Suzuki - 235
4. Robinson Cano - 181
5. Jose Altuve - 173
6. Yadier Molina - 169
7. Mike Trout - 145
8. Freddie Freeman - 130
9. Nolan Arenado - 122
10. Mookie Betts - 116
If you look at explanation for the scores Altuve has a lot of room to increase that number.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/hof_monitor.shtml
Pitching Not Yet Eligible
1. Justin Verlander - 240
2. Clayton Kershaw - 211
3. Max Scherzer - 179
4. CC Sabathia - 128
5. Zack Greinke - 117
6. Craig Kimbrel - 117
7. Kenley Jansen - 116
8. Gerrit Cole - 114
9. Jon Lester - 98
10. David Price - 97
Batting Leaders Not Yet Eligible
1. Albert Pujols - 334
2. Miguel Cabrera - 293
3. Ichiro Suzuki - 235
4. Robinson Cano - 181
5. Jose Altuve - 173
6. Yadier Molina - 169
7. Mike Trout - 145
8. Freddie Freeman - 130
9. Nolan Arenado - 122
10. Mookie Betts - 116
If you look at explanation for the scores Altuve has a lot of room to increase that number.
Verlander has Kershaw in WAR (by ~6) due to about ~600 more IP. A 2.49 career ERA is just wild. Kershaw has been the worst in the postseason. JV the best and the most Innings.JDUB08AG said:
Probably Kershaw, but his durability the past few years impacts this answer. Honestly you could make an argument for all 3.
Scherzer is very close, but I think he's a clear #3 at this point. All 3 are instant first-ballot HOFers 5 years after they retire. It would be fun if they all retire at the same time. That class would be all time.
Did you really think we would forget Junction Jack and Orbit Rover?
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 1, 2024
Both are available now at the Astros CF Team Store. https://t.co/pUHVaqZ3dZ pic.twitter.com/N1PhA7jrcM
Junction Jack belongs in a chainsaw horror movie
The fat or skinny one?EastCoastAgNc said:Did you really think we would forget Junction Jack and Orbit Rover?
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 1, 2024
Both are available now at the Astros CF Team Store. https://t.co/pUHVaqZ3dZ pic.twitter.com/N1PhA7jrcM
Junction Jack belongs in a chainsaw horror movie
Friday Night at Freddy'sEastCoastAgNc said:Did you really think we would forget Junction Jack and Orbit Rover?
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 1, 2024
Both are available now at the Astros CF Team Store. https://t.co/pUHVaqZ3dZ pic.twitter.com/N1PhA7jrcM
Junction Jack belongs in a chainsaw horror movie
Farmer1906 said:Who is the best pitcher of this era?#MLBNow | #ThinkingFan
— MLB Now (@MLBNow) August 1, 2024
Regular season: Kershaw or Verlander
Postseason: Verlander or Scherzer
So give me Verlander.
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