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Laughing at the Chronicle

Discussion in 'Houston Astros' started by MadMax, Jul 5, 2005.

  1. MadMax

    MadMax Contributing Member

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    Where's the tombstone? Ride the integrity train. Eat it, boys. Again.

    http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3252619

    Wild card is up someone's sleeve
    As last year's Astros can attest, you don't have to run away with your division to harbor postseason hopes
    By BRIAN MCTAGGART
    Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
    RESOURCES
    ASTROS 2005


    Had there been no such thing as the wild card in major-league baseball, there would have been no Rally Monkeys in Anaheim, no World Series heroics for Josh Beckett, and no reversing of the curse by the Red Sox.


    And there would have been no magical playoff run by the Astros, who last year were 20 games out of first place in the National League Central in mid-August with no hope of catching the first-place St. Louis Cardinals.

    Despite being four games under .500 on Aug. 14 last season, the Astros were able to make the playoffs in the NL thanks to a 36-10 finishing kick that was just enough for them to grab the wild-card berth.

    They got their first playoff series win by eliminating the Atlanta Braves in the NL Division Series before losing in seven memorable games to the Cardinals in the NL Championship Series. The Cardinals were swept in the World Series by the Red Sox, who became the third consecutive wild-card team to win the championship.

    As baseball hits the midpoint of the season, more than half of the NL's 16 teams are still in the wild-card chase, with the Astros at the bottom of a group of six clubs that are within six games of the front-running Braves.

    Who cares if the Cardinals are once again running away with the Central Division? Thanks to the wild card, the Astros are still in the playoff hunt with a 39-42 record halfway through their schedule. They were 42-39 through 81 games last year.

    "The wild card gives you an opportunity and keeps people interested and keeps us interested," Astros manager Phil Garner said.

    With the upstart Washington Nationals leading the NL East and looking more and more like a serious threat to the Braves' run of 13 consecutive division crowns, Atlanta, Florida, Philadelphia and the New York Mets are left to fight over the wild card.

    All-Star outfielder Andruw Jones has carried the Braves, who have been without Chipper Jones since June 6. Atlanta's starting pitching has also been hit hard by injuries to Tim Hudson (strained left side), Mike Hampton (forearm tightness) and John Thomson (middle finger tendon).

    The Braves had already used 13 rookies by mid-June, yet they still lead the wild-card race by 2 1/2 games over the Marlins, whom many expected would win the division.

    Despite losing to the Brewers on Monday, Florida has won eight of its last 12 games and, after getting another shutout by ace Dontrelle Willis on Sunday, appears to be getting its act together.

    While the Braves and Marlins are surging, the Mets, Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks are struggling to stay around the .500 mark.

    The Mets, who rallied to beat the Nationals on Monday for their seventh win in 10 games, are back at .500 for the first time since June 12. If Carlos Beltran gets on track, they could be heard from in the second half.

    The Cubs have lost ground since righthander Kerry Wood returned from the disabled list last week. He lost Monday at Atlanta, extending Chicago's losing streak to five games.

    Arizona was one of baseball's best surprise stories the first two months of the season, but a 9-19 June — the worst record in the month by an NL West team — has dropped it into the middle of the pack.

    Even with a win Monday, the Phillies have lost 13 of their last 19 games, and some of their players can see the writing on the wall. Last week, closer Billy Wagner said the Phillies weren't good enough to make the playoffs.

    He may be right, but because of the wild card they still have a chance.

    "It has been so much more exciting for all of baseball," Garner said. "Last year we had seven teams in the hunt after the All-Star break, and two months to go it got down to about six, and with a month to go you had five teams that had a legitimate shot at the wild card.

    "That keeps a few cities interested, and prior to the playoffs, if you take a look at Houston, we're dead. We're dead in the water. You're not going to catch St. Louis. Mathematically you're not eliminated until three weeks to go in the season, but you give up hope with two months to go."

    Now that the Astros are within three games of .500 and increasingly a player in the wild-card race, there's no reason to believe they won't have something to play for come September.

    "Going down to that last month or two, there's going to be several teams that have a chance," Garner said. "And that's good."
     
  2. Rocketman95

    Rocketman95 Hangout Boy

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    Brown noser.
     
  3. MadMax

    MadMax Contributing Member

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    :D
    literally laughed out loud!!!
     
  4. bigtexxx

    bigtexxx Contributing Member

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    Ahh, the RM95/Mad Max lovefest continues.


    Yep, guys, all we need is another 36-10 run. That should be easy enough.
     
  5. MadMax

    MadMax Contributing Member

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    we don't need another 36-10 run, bigtexxxxxxxxxxx. we're 6 games out of the wild card with about 81 games to go. we're actually in better position than we were this time last year.

    and how can you not love RM95???
     
  6. Rocketman95

    Rocketman95 Hangout Boy

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    Wow, only two posts directed at one of us, and it's a love fest. Someone needs to get out more. :D

    And no, we don't need another 36-10 run. We're within striking distance halfway through the season. Our bats are heating up and our pitching is a good as it's ever been. We're going to be buyers at the trading deadline. Anyone who's not optimistic about this team right now is a hater, pure and simple.
     
  7. Aceshigh7

    Aceshigh7 Contributing Member

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    The chronicle is a joke. As i've said before, after the "Tombstone" article, the Astros players should have voted to not give interviews with Chronicle reporters for the rest of the season.
     
  8. Buck Turgidson

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    McTaggert's a good reporter.

    I will give credit where credit is due, Justice had a good column on Sunday about steroids, of course he naturally had to do a complete 180 on his previous stated opinions on the matter.
     
  9. The Real Shady

    The Real Shady Contributing Member

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    We were 4 games under .500 on August 14th last year so we have more time to make up ground this year.
     
  10. MadMax

    MadMax Contributing Member

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    yeah, the first thing i noticed was that this was McTaggert. I agree with you..he's good.

    Justice can never be wrong. He's taken both sides of EVERY issue. That way he can look back and tell you that, at least once, he was right.
     
  11. Harrisment

    Harrisment Member

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    I know at the all star break last year we were .500, but how many games out of the wild card were we? And we actually didn't go on our run until about a month after the break, right? It seems we've gotten an early start this year.
     
  12. MadMax

    MadMax Contributing Member

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    They're already closer to the wild card this season than they were on August 15 of last season.

    http://www.sportingnews.com/exclusives/20040920/567932-p.html

    When the Astros woke up on August 15, they found themselves four games under .500, 19 1/2 games behind the first-place Cardinals in the N.L. Central and seven games back of the Cubs in the wild-card race.
     
  13. NJRocket

    NJRocket Contributing Member

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    Damn I love being wrong. Long way to go fellas....but there is certainly enough hope to think that we WILL be in contention. That is sayig a lot because it looked as though we were heading towards a 60 win season. I still think we will need to add some offense (like a Dunn perhaps)...and possibly some security for Lidge(this latest injury scares me given the rash of injuries to big time relievers). 6 outta the WC....I'll be there every night this week rooting them on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    PS - does this Backe situation worry anyone? I hope his arm is ok because he is a big piece to our puzzle IMO.
     
  14. MadMax

    MadMax Contributing Member

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    i don't think you were/are wrong. they're in contention now...but they sucked. and they do have huge offensive struggles. their pitching has carried them, and they've had tremendous performances from guys. i just can't believe they're doing this without Jeff Bagwell. i thought for them to compete he'd have to perform like he did last season. now he's not even there.

    as for backe...in a sense, i'm relieved...because i think his recent problems are likely attributable to that nuisance.
     
  15. Rocketman95

    Rocketman95 Hangout Boy

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    NJ,

    Looks like Plan B is working out after all. ;) BTW, MM's going to be free later this week, so we need to get together for some beers and a game.
     
  16. NJRocket

    NJRocket Contributing Member

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    sounds good to me...i am literally going tonight, wed, thurs and fri (with customers and one of the games with friends)...let me know what it looks like for the sat or sun games or if you will be out after the games as well
     
  17. MadMax

    MadMax Contributing Member

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    the wife and kids are out of town as of Thurs. afternoon. definitely planning on catching beer and 'stros with you guys. let me know when!
     
  18. Astro101

    Astro101 Member

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    When I first saw the Tombstone article, I was just disgusted. I mean, whatever happened to a little faith and support?

    I know I kept saying that the Astros could make another run after my friends (Rangers fans) laughed at me. Nice to see the Astros prove their doubters wrong so far. :D
     
  19. MadMax

    MadMax Contributing Member

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    i'm excited about overtaking the baby bears tonight! :)
     
  20. Buck Turgidson

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    Getting better...

    Runs/Game

    April - 3.81
    May - 3.37
    June/July - 4.96

    The above pretty much directly corresponds to Lance getting healthy & Moberg pulling his head out of his arse & acting like a MLB cleanup hitter. Now if they can only find a corner OFer, but that's gonna be tough in a sellers' market given the parameters the front office has set - not a rental (strike Kotsay, P.Wilson & other potential FA's), young (Alou, Winn, Wilson), run producer (Winn, Kotsay).

    fyi: Backe got checked out by the docs & they say it's just a strained ligament...hope so. Lidge threw 40+ pitches off a mound yesterday for the 1st time since the injury & said he felt fine, will know later today if he's ready to go.
     

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