Off top... The season is already great on beaucoup levels and Astros have a xenon bright future for a good while. We're in the playoffs, so what's your call for your minimum worst finish?
True, but rings are difficult. I'm leaning 7-game ALCS. Indians are something EPIC right now, plus they have great experience from last season. Stros could very well win though.
I wont be happy with anything but a WS victory. But if we make a good postseason run I will go into the offseason not feeling too bad about it. If we go the way of the late 90s Astros it will be a long offseason.
So I challenge the question because content is the wrong for anything in sports until in retrospect. As fans or participants, you want to win it all. Being content only comes into play when there is no chance for advancement Given, that I answered it with what I want - a title. That's what they play for. That's what we root for. That is what you put up with the down years, the bad decisions, the near-misses, and all that for the lifetime of your fandom. To experience that amazing feeling when your team wins it all. Also, I challenge the whole "We have a long window" mentality. No one knows how long anyone's window is. Whether due to luck, health, unexplained underachieving, being in an era with some other dominant team, or just having the wrong fatal flaw. You have to take advantage of the chance you have this year, because you cannot always count on getting back the next year.
if i fast forward 3 months, i won't look back and be upset if they can at least put up a good fight (~6+ games) in the ALCS, assuming it's the Indians. If it's not the Indians, they need to win and get to the WS--and go at least 6 games there.
The key is to walk away with a measure so that we can evaluate the performance of the team. To do that we need to win at least one series, advance to the ALCS, determine why we failed if we do, develop a strategic plan with objectives, and strategies to achieve them, train, improve, advance next year. That includes evaluating the coaching staff. Thing is, this team may have enough to win it, we just don't know yet because they haven't had to do this before as currently constructed. I want to see if they can adapt and learn and improve.
We could literally have the AL all-star team and lose in the first round of the playoffs. That’s just how baseball works. This team has as good a shot as any other team in the playoffs. I’m confident in that. I’d be disappointed if we didn’t get out of the division series but I wouldn’t question the entire structure of this roster. Whether we go out then or win the World Series there will be adjustments and acquisitions in the offseason. That said, the Astros are going to the World Series.
Retrospect? If we lose ALDS or get swept ALCS, I will immediately and will always be utterly disappointed. 1998 is still very disappointing. Future isn't guaranteed, but it's easy to project a bright one. We have cheap, productive players who are gaining valuable experience.
Poll looks terrible with "DS" in the wrong spot. ____ Championship or bust is the majority. Strong view. Funny. If somebody said the franchise sucked because it had no championships, enemies would be created