I know this is true, because I can get my wife and 16 yr. old daughter to sit still for an inning or two before the struggle for the remote begins. Young guys who are having a lot of fun winning more than they lose. A pitcher with 10 wins before the All Star break. I think they're still leading the AL in home runs. They are hyper aggressive on the bases, with lots of speed. I know this board is dominated by Rangers fans, and I have no ill will for the zealots, but man, it's been awhile since those of us that grew up watching the Stros in the Dome had this much fun during baseball season. "Coldest foam in the dome; COOOLD BEEEEER!"
I grew up watching them since they were the Colt 45's. I really liked that logo, but that name would be banned now, for violence. I understood the change to the Astros, even as a little kid. I liked me some Morgan, Aspromonte, Dieker, Rader, Menke, and Toy Cannon. The days of Gene Elston, Harry Kallas, and Lowell Pass on Astros radio. Kallas called homers "Astro Orbits." Then he went to the Phillies and NFL Films, replacing legend Facenda, as their voice. Pass had his "lucky pencil" and the folksy sayings. Elston made it to the broadcasters Hall of Fame. Followed them right up till the end of the Biggio and Bagwell days. Glad they got into a World Series for those guys. Would love to watch them, but that Comcast fiasco took them off the air and they haven't been back. I even called the MLB office in New York and actually talked to some exec in the broadcasting department, he couldn't help though. I did tell him that we were supposed to get the Texas teams in Texas, but no dice. Then I told him it was Selig's fault for putting the Astros in the American League. They tried to use that Astros vs. Rangers excuse, but I told him it was because Selig didn't want to put his beloved Brewers's back in the American League, from whence they came. I believe the Astros are on some network called Root Sports now, but their still blacked out in most of Texas. Wish I could watch them some, not one player left, from back then. Qualls did return in the pen, I think, maybe gone again. "Foamer Nights," in the Dome, an Astro homer when that light was lit, and everybody got free beer.
I live in Austin, get most Stros home and away games on Root (Uverse channel 1758). Only drawback is Alan Ashby as their color guy; he's less exciting and animated than Tom Grieve, if you can imagine that. Astros are a fun team to watch, as are the Rangers. Both teams with good, young players; I favor the Rangers - always been an AL fan - but I think Houston has a bigger upside for the future. I'm also pissed that Texas no longer has an NL team. As NB said, it's Selig. We're the only region / state with only two MLB teams. both in the same league: LA - Dodgers & Angels (SD near), Bay area - A's & Giants, Chi - Sox & Cubs, Ohio - Indians & Reds, NYC - Yanks & Mets, FL - TB & Mia, and the DC area - O's and Nats. Living in Centex, it was an easy 2 1/2 hr drive to Arlington or Houston to see any team. Interleague games don't bring all the NL teams in every year and just don't have the history and "feel" of longtime rivalries.
Before the Comcast thing, all Astros games were either on FoxSW or one of the alternate sports channels in the 400's. Depended whether FoxSW was showing the Rangers or Astros. That stopped with the Comcast contract, now maybe Dish doesn't have to show the Astros since they are in the AL with the Rangers and I am in a Rangers market. They black out all Astros games unless there on the regular Fox Network. Tomorrow the Astros vs. Red Sox game is on MLB channel and we will get a different game on that channel. Dish doesn't have Root Sports or even offer it in any form.
Yeah, that sucks. For years we got some games of each team on Fox, but for the last several years mostly the Rangers, not many Astros games....which was okay considering the way Houston was playing. Now between Root Sports SW and Fox we get most of both. Root Sports is operated by Directv and also has NW (Mariners), Rocky Mtn (Rockies), and Pittsburgh (Pirates). All carry some of their regions other pro teams: Rockets, Jazz, Penguins, soccer, and some colleges. Uverse here just carries Southwest.
As a kid I watched the Astros on the old HSN out in El Paso and when one of my high school classmates Butch Henry (who committed to Texas but got too much money thrown at him to pass up going pro immediately) landed with them I had even more reason to watch. Dont get me wrong, my loyalty is first and always to the Rangers but I will always have a soft spot for the Stros and it is good to see them playing MLB level baseball again instead of the garbage they have thrown out the last several seasons while they blew up and basically reset themselves. If they continue to play well and actually win the west, their long term formula may well get adopted by some other teams.
Getting after the Angels! Hell yes! You have to like how tough these young players are. I hope they can keep it up. Meanwhile, Rangers are fading...
Astros get the sweep over the Angels, on a walk off three run homer in the bottom of the ninth. Jason Castro breaks up a 0-0 game, with two on and two outs. This could be a fun stretch run.
It was fun to watch them lose last night. JK, the series for these two teams is going to be fun for a long time.
I hate that the Rangers had their way with us, but the last minute heroics last night against the As gave me hope that the Stros could win on the road. The bull pen has good numbers, but there's a reason we were looking for a closer before the deadline. I fear giving up narrow leads late will be the achilles heel of this team.
With 45+ games to go: West ..........W L PCT GB L10 STRK HOME ROAD Houston ......64 54 .542 -0 ..4-6 ..W1 ...40-19 ...24-35 LA Angels.... 60 57 .513 3.5 3-7 ..L3 .....36-23 ...24-34 Texas.......... 59 57 .509 4.0 6-4 ..W4 ...26-29 ...33-28
big win yesterday, we just got to win every series we got at home. Road has been tough esp post All-Star break.
Mike Fiers, a recent acquisition from Milwaukee, throws a 134 pitch no-hitter against the Dodgers tonight in a 3-0 win. It was his first ever complete game win, his first win as an Astro. Take that Bud Selig, will never forgive you for sending the Astros to the American League. Astros still hanging on to first place in the AL West.
As I said earlier, I'd like a NL team in Texas. I think most fans who like the Stros in the AL West are the ones intense abt the Dallas / Houston city rivalries in general.
I preferred the Astros in the NL if only because it gave me an NL team to root for without compromising on the Rangers. It was also fun to do getaway weekends to see NL teams that didn't come to Arlington on a regular basis.
Hope Astros can hang on to the second wild card slot - winning in Arizona without the DH will be a challenge. Is there anywhere they can play Gattis in the field in order to keep his bat in the lineup?
The Astros have the talent to win the West. Next year they will have upgraded talent and EXPERIENCE. Watch out!
They are two games behind with two to play. Twins lost tonight and are just about out of it. Leading 21-2 against Arizona now in the 8th, I think they are getting close to making the playoffs. One more win may do it, if they don't tie for the division, will have a one game lead over the Angels for the wildcard after tonight.
Astros beat the Yankees 3-0 and move on to meet Kansas City in the next round. Dallas Keuchel with another quality start. Home runs by Gomez and Rasmus supply enough offense.
So if we give the Yankees a run, the Astros get to rejoin the National League again. Sounds like a fair trade to me.
If the Stros were to make it to the WS, would they be the only team to represent both the AL and the NL in the WS?
Although a split squad World Series would be interesting and assure an Astros win, there is a caveat. By the Selig Rule, the National League Astros squad would be replaced by the Milwaukee Brewers.
I may be only seeing wanted humor in duck's post, but I think he meant because of the above post about advancing to the NLDS, that the Astros would be representing both the AL and NL in this year's World Series. At least I hope he meant that. It gives the thread legs for more humor.
You flatter me and give me credit where it is not due. My meaning was that the Astros appeared in the WS as the NL champ against the White Socks, and if they went this year, they would be representing as the AL champs. I'm not a baseball scholar, so I have no idea if it's a stupid question to ask if any other team has done that.
