Alyson Footer, Take a Walk!

 

 Before I begin rantastic ravings, I’d like to point out beckeesh’s good call on the Brandon Backe game in the last post. Backe wasn’t responsible for all six, but the final was 6-4 brew crew. Interesting. 

  Now, though I’m not for homers with rose colored glasses working the press beat for the Astros, I AM for Footer either cheering up and getting off her high horse, or getting the hell out of writing for the Astros on the official website.  She’s either organically become a bitter person, has been slighted by the organization (anyone heard anything?), or has some agenda against the team.

  As I remember, her columns and observations used to be enjoyable, two years ago, but now it’s doom, gloom, sneers, and, oh my god, Footer, are you pouting? What the hell kind of team writer are you? Here’s an idea: look on the bright side, maybe once a season? Jesus!

  She not only undermines the good intentions and efforts of players and managers, (Ed Wade, Hunter Pence, Tejada, Valverde), she insults her readers with a smug attitude I find insufferable.   

  So Ms. Footer, here’s my smug response to all of your sighing, windy, dismissive “Mailbags”.   A team reporter’s job, it seems to me, is to provide accurate, accessible, and slightly biased reports towards the team in question. If you doubt your team’s character, management, and ability, do so in a way that does not crush the hope of the fan base. OF COURSE the Astros probably aren’t doing a damn thing this season, but that is not the point or spirit of baseball!  A fan’s job is to understand that their team is finished clinically, logically, but to harbor that fever of that possible impossible comeback in the deep of their chest. Kids read this website lady, and they pull for the team no matter the odds! They love the anticipation of the possibility.  And no team has earned more of a right for this ridiculous hope from the fans than the Houston Astros. Or have you all, Houston writers, completely forgotten about the thrilling Cardinals chase two years ago, or the “Gravestone World Series” before that? We pay a lot of good money for our irrationality. Respect that.

  And be grateful our new GM plays to win. Forget the farm system.  A good draft helps restore it every time, and last time I checked we still have a lot of ammunition down  there in Corpus and Round Rock. I love that Wade plays to win, and plays for the now, even if it is illogical! Or would you all like to rebuild for the next eight years, a la the Brew Crew, Royals, and A’s? Hey, know what’s worse than getting swept by the Pirates?  Trading Pence before the deadline to the Red Sox for two “highly touted” AA prospects. That would be boring and sad. Period.  I love the Wolf deal. It’s low risk and balls at the same time. 

Ms. Footer, you write for the fans. It is a privilege. Treat it as such. And THAT means NOT talking down to them during your mailbag column. Respect our intellect and our irrational optimism. It’s your job. You ain’t writin’ for the Washington Post. Please stop being so dry.  Let reading the website become enjoyable again. 

  Rediscover the fun, Ms. Footer, or take a vacation.

Wandy! Wandy!

Thank Jesus, the Astros won last night against a tough Brewers club.  Rodriguez got the win, and deserved it, after pitching 6 innings, fanning 7, and allowing only 1 run. 

The run he allowed was Corey Hart, Astros killer.  After reaching first base to lead off the 2nd, he advanced to second on a balk by Wandy.  Wandy had clearly been trying to hold Hart at first, and when his balk allowed him to reach second, Wandy looked so pissed.  He then stared him down at second, took his mind off the batter Bill Hall, and allowed an RBI double to left center.

Other than a HBP (please –  Rickie Weeks has been hit 13 times this season) and allowing a few walks, Wandy dominated, and that was the key to the game.  Oh, that, and we finally managed to drive in some runs in the 7th.  (Yeah, bases loaded no outs and we actually scored a few!)

Wandy is our ace.  Who’da thunkit?  Last October, I was sure Wandy would be shipped in a trade.  Nope, somehow this 29 year old lefty is still hanging around.  I couldn’t be more pleased with his performance this season.

Tonight, Brandon Backe takes the mound.  What do you think about this 30 year old’s chances?  Corey Hart has pounded him in the past, 6 hits in 15 ABs, including a homerun and three doubles.  Mike Cameron, Ryan Braun, and J.J. Hardy all have an OPS over 1.1 against our man Brandon.

I’ll call 6 earned in Backe’s start tonight.  Would you take the over or the under?

Pittsburgh 8, Houston 2

Miggy sums it up for us

Ouch!

Wow, I thought I might’ve come close to calling it last night.  Oh, by calling it I mean reverse calling it – you know, when what one sarcastically suggests could never happen actually happens – it’s a skill I have.  Hernandez lasted 5 1/3 and only gave up 2 runs!  

Of course, it wasn’t enough, because our offense only scored 3, and then… the ninth.

Ouch.

The Jason Bay homerun was hard to take, but the following homerun was harder.  And the inside-the-park off Byrdak made me laugh out loud – not in a good way.

I’m gonna start attaching numbers to the ways we blow games.  It’ll be a shorthand for all the myriad of ways we find to lose.  That way blog posts like this one can be short and sweet.  Blown saves will now be WAY #1 that the Astros lose games.  If it happens again tonight, expect a post that says,

Ouch.  WAY#1.  Pirates 9, Astros 3.

A Look Ahead at the Pirates Series

With just a couple hours to go before this series begins, I find myself asking the obvious question.  No, no, Ed Wade, not How many RBIs will Tejada get out of the Pittsburgh starters? (Alas, he’s hitless against the three we face).  And no, Eddie, not Will Valverde collect his 27th save this series?  (He may very well, but the Pirates’ 2-3-4 hitters have all touched him for hits.)  No, Mr. Polyanna, my question is also not, How close is Berkman to the triple crown? (He’s great, but we’ve stopped throwing that idea around haven’t we?) And, unfortunately, we both know that neither of us is asking, Can Roy nail down another win? (DL, DL, DL.)

Although these were the questions that we might like to be asking ourselves, Mr. Wade, the types of questions that back in March we were hoping to be asking ourselves, that you told us we would be asking ourselves…Today, ‘Stros fans who live in reality (ahem) must look at the standings in the NL Central and find only one question in their minds: 

What will it take to land a solid reliever before the deadline? 

Ed!  No!  Stop interrupting my blog.

The question we fans down here are asking ourselves is,

Can we do it?  Can we hold onto our two game lead over the Pirates in order to stay out of the cellar? 

God, I hope we can.  I hope that tonight Hernandez fans 9 over 7 innings.  Oh but when I say that I “hope” that happens, of course what I mean is that I doubt it will, since the Pirates – yes, the Pirates – scored 10 earned in Hernandez’s last start and in fact he hasn’t pitched more than 5 innings in the majors since he went 5 1/3 in September of 06 with the Kansas City Royals.

Oh, OK, Ed, I’ll wait and see what happens.  Maybe you’re right, I’m being too negative.  No no no, I do love the team.  Yes, I’ll be watching and rooting.  Yes, I’ll write a follow up blog.  Right, right, you’ll be busy working the phones.

Say, didn’t we leave some young pitchers in Colorado a couple years ago?  I’m pretty sure one of them is a pretty good reliever right now.  Send somebody over to pick him up, Ed.  Yeah, and while you’re at it, get that snappy center fielder with 41 stolen bases.  He used to be ours, too.

I know, I know, that’s not how you roll. 

Is Michael Bourn starting tonight?