Astros County: Your Neighborhood Astros Blog & Grill

My Wife Almost Left Me (And Still Might)

2024-04-22T21:36:00.005-05:00

For far too many years on here I wanted to be the good guy. I never slid into anyone’s DMs. I wasn’t inappropriate with anyone. I got suspended for 12 hours because – if I remember correctly – I said I hoped a guy (Cardinals fan, maybe?) got syphilis. But here’s the thing: I’m an asshole.

Y’all never saw it because I had cultivated this online persona of Thickie Don. Having a Twitter account and a blog that had been around for a while came to be my sole source of dopamine. The likes and RTs that came with some joke or comment, or blog post, or [waves hands around head] was the dragon I chased. It’s incredibly embarrassing to say that out loud, a “man” my age was addicted to Twitter (it will never be “X.”)

There were other dragons. Pardon, there are other dragons.

She and I grew up in the Church of Christ. If you’re not familiar with the Southern American Protestant denominations, that’s the one that doesn’t use instruments, politically (and these are sweeping generalizations) to the right of Baptists, and they think you’re probably going to hell. I went to Abilene Christian University, and got a very conservative liberal arts degree. It was a joke that girls at ACU attended with the idea of getting their “Mrs” degree (get it?). The point of dating was to find your life partner, get married so you could finally have sex, and go on about your life.

We got married in Houston and moved back to Abilene while she finished school. I had a very random chance encounter in the nine months I lived in Nashville after graduating in trying to find an apartment in Abilene that got my started on a career in museums which eventually took us to Cooperstown, New York, where I was the Manager of Visitor Education at the Baseball Hall of Fame. She worked five jobs to support us on my ridiculously-low museum salary, and I didn’t really think anything of it, because this was my career.

There were complications in trying to start a family. Miscarriages – six of them – three were ectopic and two of those almost killed her. She put her body through absolute hell trying to have a son (I’m the last male in my family line) until she couldn’t get pregnant anymore. Four weeks post-surgery, stitches still present, she packed up our house and loaded the U-Haul because I wanted to work as long as possible to have a bigger check as we moved to Nashville, another step up in my museum career. I didn’t think anything of this, either.

I threw myself into my job, as I had done since moving to Cooperstown, because I was trying to build my resume. My dad and grandfather are/were Church of Christ preachers, and I was the first of my last name in three generations to not be one, and I was trying to prove something. Moving to Cooperstown brought some legitimacy to my career within my family, and that was another dopamine hit: Validation.

Of the number of revelations I’ve had about myself through a variety of means which I’ll get to soon, I understand that there’s a decent amount of toxic insecurity within me. I need to be constantly validated. My wife was wonderful at this, building me up, supportive in every single way, but I never took that to heart – to my eternal regret. Instead I sought it from others. This insecurity bred arrogance and selfishness.

What I thought made “A Man” was so preposterously off-target. I worried constantly about exactly the wrong things: dick size, body shape (I was 300 pounds when I graduated from college), resume, etc. My wife went to have a D&C after another miscarriage and I was…at work.

We were all at church one Sunday morning in Nashville, our perfect, beautiful daughter included. The sermon that Sunday was delivered by one of my wife’s favorite psychology professors at ACU and our regular preacher, and the theme was “Have The Ego Strength To Be A Nobody.” Later that week – around ten years ago from now – I flew to Texas to interview to become a teacher, and then, eventually a soccer coach.

I worked under a coach who was the epitome of toxic masculinity – I had never encountered that before, really, on such a personal level. I had never failed at a job. I tend to stick to what I know and I don’t like to get out of my comfort zone (i.e., “Astros County”). I’m like Joey in that episode of Friends where he only bought the V encyclopedia. But instead of pushing back and saying, “I don’t really think this is who I am,” I bought into it, trying to match his energy.

It was about this time that my wife found theatre – a true community of like-minded people that not only supported how expressive she is, they encouraged it. Meanwhile, I was sitting at home. Don’t get me wrong: as the Introvert’s Introvert, this was fine with me. But she was screaming for something else. She was screaming for fulfillment and meaning outside of this bubble in which I insulated myself.

Instead of supporting her in all of these endeavors, I doubled-down on being an asshole. I threw a fit that my wife could find any kind of fulfillment outside of me. That is not, after all, what the Church of Christ (and probably most Evangelical churches) told me marriage was about. And I couldn’t care enough to try to find out what it was about – because it wasn’t about me. I had all of the ego and none of the strength. I tried theatre, doing a show with my wife and daughter sounded fun, but I didn’t have an awesome time and so I made sure that she knew that I wasn’t having an awesome time – a petulant child, unwilling to put in the time to understand.

I drank. A lot. I know I can teach history hungover. I know I can run a soccer practice hungover. I also knew that I couldn’t be trusted with hard liquor, so I switched to beer. Then I kind of realized how many calories were involved in that and I switched to hard seltzer. 80 to 100 of them a week.

It was on our 20^th wedding anniversary trip last summer that things came to a head. My wife – through a bizarre set of circumstances – was in hospital for the entirety of the trip with hyponatremia, her body didn’t have enough sodium (or potassium, or magnesium) and had about 75 seizures, two of them massive seizures. I knew something was wrong throughout the drive to Colorado but when it started I froze, terrified. I waited way too long to call 911. She’s okay now, but there was about an hour where I thought she wouldn’t be.

When we got back and she was recovering in bed, screaming in pain because her muscles had completely freaked out…I sat on the couch and drank. I didn’t know what to do, so I didn’t do anything. Once again, in one of her biggest times of need, I chose myself. I texted someone else, and while it wasn’t traditionally unfaithful (in every sense you might be thinking), I still was talking to another woman, looking for validation, while my wife was recovering from something that almost killed her. That’s not masculinity, that’s fragility.

During the course of this soccer season she (and our daughter) got COVID. She had a recurrence of the seizures. I had a cold, and she asked me to stay home from our game. Now, I will go to my grave swearing that I misunderstood what she was asking, but it doesn’t matter, because she asked me to stay home with her and I said, “But I’m the head coach,” and I walked out the door.

My wife has her own story with her own upbringing and her own traumas (and boy, does she have them), and it’s not my place to share that story. But that moment in January started us down a path that has not been pleasant. We are technically separated. She has not felt emotionally connected to me since at least 2016 (when I think my mental health became An Issue) because I didn’t feel emotions.

None of this was new to me. She had asked, repeatedly, for me to do some very key things differently for her and for our daughter. And I would, for a little while, and then I would get frustrated and go back to doing whatever it was I was doing before. But the fact is that they both saw me throw myself into the soccer program I run (defense mechanism) and not give them the same level of attention. I can’t do that anymore.

I’m figuring out who I am when you take away the ego, the self-righteousness, the social media, the blog (the irony of putting this on a blog and then tweeting about it is not lost on me), the likes and the RTs – I’m assuming Elon hasn’t changed RTs to “florps.” I am an alcoholic who has chosen to not drink for 231 days and counting, not wanting the sound of me opening a beer to be the soundtrack to our daughter’s childhood. I’m in a 12-step recovery program and in therapy. There is meditation and journaling. We’re going to church – not a Church of Christ. In February I was diagnosed with “Recurrent Severe Major Depressive Disorder, Without Psychotic Features” and am on an antidepressant. We’re working on ourselves for our daughter. One day I hope to God she can trust me enough to restart a life together, but that’s not up to me.

Mainly, I’m learning how to be a real man. A man who stands up and shows up for his wife and for his daughter. A man who his daughter can look at and see how she deserves to be treated. A man who can put down his phone and pay attention, look around and see what actual life has to offer. My wife and I are in a good place, working back towards each other. But I have to understand that the hurt I’ve caused may run too deep.

Now, she was sitting next to me as I wrote this out. She read it, and approved.

If any of this comes as a surprise, it’s because I wouldn’t let anyone see who I really was. None of the above are excuses for what I’ve done and how I’ve hurt my family, but I’m trying to make it right. And if any of this sounds familiar to you at all, please reach out. Mental health and masculinity are not a one-size-fits-all band-aid, but I’m more than happy to share ways that I’ve tried to get back on track.

And the Astros kind of suck now?

Tuesday Morning Hot Links

2023-12-05T05:27:00.001-06:00

Oh I guess the Winter Meetings started, marking the end of this eternal offseason slumber...in theory, anyway. Let's see who said what and what it may or may not mean.

*Dana Brown is "not entertaining" trading Alex Bregman. Check out this Chandler Rome article, where he's as incredulous as I am that Dana Brown and Jim Crane haven't discussed a budget yet.

*The Astros will get a 4th option year on Forrest Whitley, who will apparently report to Spring Training as a reliever, because Dana Brown is "not interested in overpaying for a reliever."

That's smart. Because some idiot gave Rafael Montero a 3yr/$34.5m contract a year ago and set the market way too high. As soon as we find the guy that did that we ought to whoop his ass.

So it's interesting to note that the Astros are allegedly interested in free agent Cy-Creek guy Jordan Hicks. And have talked to Hector Neris about re-upping.

*Dana Brown says things aren't to the "exchanging medical information" stage yet but things are "heating up."

*Joe Espada wouldn't name an everyday CF yet, saying that Jake Meyers and Chas McCormick will play in Spring Training. Mauricio Dubon will play everywhere.

It's a tough one. On one hand you have Jake Meyers, proud owner of a career 88 wRC+ (albeit with a 7.8 DEF rating). On the other you have Chas McCormick, fresh off a 133 wRC+ and a slightly worse 3.2 DEF rating. That 133 wRC+ is 3rd among CFs with at least 300PAs, behind Cody Bellinger and Mike Trout's 134 wRC+. McCormick was 8th among CFs with at least 300PAs in fWAR, at 3.8 - better than Brandon Marsh. But you know, lotta winter left before you make a decision.

Okay. I guess I should have made this more clear. Yes, Chas can play LF and Jake can play CF. That's in play.

*Joe Espada has talked to Yainer Diaz "once a week" since Espada took the reins. On the backup side, the Astros have allegedly been in contact with catcher Tucker Barnhart, giving Real Gs the opportunity to have a fantasy team named "Kyle Tucker Barnhart."

*Speaking of backup catchers, the Angels, White Sox, Padres, and Marlins are interested in the services of Martin Maldonado.

*A few days ago the Astros signed reliever Kervin Castro to a minor-league deal. He's not in the mix for 2024 as he's recovering from Tommy John Surgery.

*You can get tickets to the Astros Foundation College Classic, featuring ut, UH, Texas State, Vanderbilt, LSU, and the University of Louisiana - March 1-3, 2024.

Elsewhere

*A.J. Hinch signed a long-term extension with the Tigers.

*Toronto has apparently met with Shohei Ohtani. But maybe not.

*The Athletic: Quincy Promes, and how Amsterdam's criminal underworld preys on [soccer players].

*Esquire: La Cote Basque, 1965.

*Outside: Running the Nakasendo, an ancient postal route across the Japanese Alps.

*The Texans haven't won seven of their first 12 games since 2019, when they started out 8-4.

A Musical Selection

Check out the Spotify version here.

Monday Morning Hot Links

2023-11-13T05:37:00.003-06:00

Good morning. It appears as though the Astros have their new manager, and will announce Joe Espada as the 20th manager in franchise history at a press conference today at 11am. Espada was hired by A.J. Hinch from the Yankees to be Alex Cora's replacement as bench coach. I got it wrong, I didn't think the Astros would be willing to hire Espada.

Obviously this is going to be good news for Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Justin Verlander, Ryan Pressly, and anyone else who has been with the Astros since 2018 because it provides continuity. There's (probably) not going to be this massive change in style and culture, since everyone knows what Espada is about, and he already knows absolutely everybody. If winning is the standard in Houston, Espada already knows what goes into that level of winning. I think it's a great hire, and I'm happy for the previously-perennially-second place Espada.

*Espada will be the second Latino manager in Astros history, first since Preston Gomez in 1974-1975.

*Chandler Rome lists the four main challenges Espada will face as the new Astros manager: Alignment with front office/ownership; first-year pitfalls; reminding the Astros how to do the fundamentals (defense, baserunning, things of that nature); who plays where in the outfield.

*MLB.com's Mark Feinsand is reporting that "4-5 teams" are interested in Martin Maldonado for 2024, which means that Martin Maldonado's agent told Mark Feinsand that 4-5 teams are interested in Martin Maldonado for 2024.

*The deadline to add prospects to the 40-Man Roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft is tomorrow (Tuesday) at 5pm. The Astros have a number of their MLB.com-listed Top 30 Prospects that would need to be added. They include: Colin Barber, Kenedy Corona, Justin Dirden, Miguel Palma, Zach Daniels, Shay Whitcomb, Jaime Melendez, and Misael Tamarez.

*The Astros unveiled their plans for an entertainment district around Minute Maid Park.

*Someone in Florida won $5.5m on a parlay when the Texans beat the Bengals yesterday.

*Texas Monthly: A Texas teen is introducing the pedal steel to a new generation.

*A Musical Selection:

Thursday Morning Hot Links

2023-11-09T07:24:00.001-06:00

It's time for the GM Meetings, so of course we're going to hear more from Scott Boras than we will Mariah Carey on the radio for the next few days. Unless everyone poops themselves to death and the GM Meetings end early. UPDATE: Everyone's bowels is definitely loose. GM Meetings have been canceled.

*Boras said there have been positive interactions towards extensions for both Altuve and Bregman, but nothing formally yet.

GM Dana Brown:

I think that we understand they have one more year left. And we want to sign them. I think they're interested in being here. I think it's just going to take time to figure out is there going to be somewhere that we can make it work. And that just takes time sometimes. I wish it was easy...but we do have an interest in both guys, for sure.

There is apparently interest in extending both Framber and Tucker, but since they're under team control for two more years there isn't as much urgency in getting those done.

*Boras also said that Lance McCullers will "no doubt" be pitching in 2024, though Dana Brown expects that to be in July.

*I think it's a derivative of the previous Athletic link, but Dana Brown addressed the Astros' piss-poor performances at home:

I think it's a fluke. I think it's an aberration. I think if you look at this club, the success that they've had in Houston has been really good. I don't want to get wrapped up into it and make it this big psychological thing. I think the team's been really good. I think it's a fluke. I think guys started talking about it and they started pressing more.

If this was an AP US History written response, I would cross out all of the "I think" phrases. Make a claim. Own it. Be bold, and if you're wrong, be boldly wrong. But don't forget that two teams in professional sports history have lost all four home games in a seven-game series: the 2019 Astros and the 2023 Astros.

*There's some weirdness with the Joe Espada situation. First of all, I did not realize he was only 48. Second, he interviewed for the Astros' manager gig last week. He's been linked to the now-vacant Milwaukee, and while Dana Brown said the Astros "hold the keys to permission" allowing him to interview with the Brewers...

...but they don't. Espada's contract expired on October 31. Espada doesn't need the Astros' permission to do anything. So either Dana Brown didn't know that Espada's contract was up (which is terrible) or he forgot (which isn't great, either). But click that link to see how highly Dana Brown apparently feels about Espada.

A lot of people in the organization think highly of Espada. I think highly of Espada. I just don't know that Crane will let a first-year manager take the reins of a team looking to make its 8th straight ALCS. Crane has managed to surround himself with Reggie Jackson and Jeff Bagwell. Obviously they know Espada better than we do, but Espada isn't a splashy name, and I think Crane is drawn to the splashy name.

*Matt Kawahara has five free agent reliever options for the Astros.

*The Astros don't have a ton of financial flexibility with which to operate.

*All that said, it seems like Dana Brown is enjoying his first-ever GM Meetings. And having fun is all that matters.

*Mike Petriello notes that the Astros have the 2nd-best roster already, entering the 2024 season. Of course Shohei Ohtani hasn't signed with the Rangers yet...

*ESPN's David Schoenfield graded his pre-2023 bold predictions for each team. Yordan's race for the Triple Crown is still on.

*Let's make fun of Joel Reuter's Top 10 Catchers list (with their wRC+ in parentheses):

1. Adley Rutschman (127 wRC+)

2. Sean Murphy (129)

3. William Contreras (124)

4. Will Smith (119)

5. Cal Raleigh (111)

6. Jonah Heim (103)

7. Gabriel Moreno (103)

8. Willson Contreras (127)

9. J.T. Realmuto (102)

10. Ryan Jeffers (138)

Not Listed: Yainer Diaz and his 127 wRC+.

*You can buy Woody Williams' Newpoint Estates former home for $3.7m.

*The Angels hired Ron Washington as their manager, and he's bringing Eric Young, Jr. (who was linked to Houston) with him.

*The Brewers are PISSED at Craig Counsell. And I can understand why.

*Texas Monthly: How the oldest Indian restaurant in Houston prepares for its Diwali rush.

*LOLMANUTD.

*Rolling Stone: The shocking loss and unbreakable bond behind Sleater-Kinney's new album.

*A Musical Selection:

Sunday Morning Hot Links

2023-11-05T08:03:00.005-06:00

Some guys became available around MLB. If I'm Dana Brown, I'm looking for pitching help. Let's take a look at that, and more? I guess.

*Hector Neris declined his $8.5m option for 2024. Neris threw 133.2IP for the Astros in 2022-23 with a 2.69 ERA / 1.03 WHIP with 10.5 K/9. If I'm Neris, I'm taking a picture of Rafael Montero with me to any meeting and saying, "Give me more than he got."

*Lefty starter Eduardo Rodriguez has opted out of his contract with Detroit, leaving 3yrs/$49m on the table to go to free agency. Rodriguez has posted 3.0+ fWAR in three of the last four seasons.

*Marcus Stroman opted out of his deal with the Cubs, leaving 1yr/$21m on the table. Stroman has made 50 starts in the last two seasons, totaling 4.7 fWAR with Chicago.

*San Diego and Nick Martinez declined their respective options. Martinez was worth 1.4 fWAR in 2023, his Age 32 season, appearing in 63 games with nine starts.

*Seth Lugo opted out of his deal with San Diego. Lugo posted 2.8 fWAR in 26 starts. 2024 will be his Age 34 season.

*San Diego also declined the 2yr/$32m option on Michael Wacha. Wacha posted 2.6 fWAR in 24 starts for the Padres.

*Tampa placed reliever Jalen Beeks on waivers. Beeks had an ugly 5.95 ERA in 42.1IP but with a 3.82 FIP.

*Lefty reliever Joely Rodriguez only threw 11IP in 2023, but Boston declined his option for 2024.

*Cody Bellinger declined his option and is a free agent.

Bellinger, 2017-2019: .278/.369/.559, 111 HR/288 RBI

Bellinger, 2020-2022: .203/.272/.376, 41 HR/134 RBI

MAN. If only we knew about what happened between the 2019 and 2020 seasons that changed the way Bellinger, or any member on the Dodgers, really, approached the plate. Crazy to think that after three seasons that included a Rookie of the Year and an MVP award that someone would just forget how to hit. I wonder what might have changed. Nice that he remembered how to hit without getting any signals in 2023 though.

*Chicago declined their $14m option on shortstop Tim Anderson for 2024, who said in 2020 that he - and presumably the rest of the White Sox - were going to approach the Astros trying to "knock everybody's heads off - from the owner down to the trainer."

*Within his Sunday Links post, FanGraphs' David Laurilia tells us that Former Astros Great Marwin Gonzalez became just the fifth player in MLB history to homer in both the World Series and the Japan Series. The Japan Series was a tale of two fanbases.

*Thank you to the University of Oklahoma, who made sure I get to watch college football the rest of the season with no anxiety whatsoever.

*Fluminense beat Boca Juniors in dramatic fashion to win the Copa Libertadores.

*Eight things running and the creative process have in common.

*Happy First Day of Daylight Saving to all of us who love the darkness.

*A Musical Selection:

Thursday Lunch Links

2023-11-02T12:56:00.004-05:00

The Ramgers won the World Series. I hate it. But they went 11-0, outscoring opponents 71-29, on the road in the postseason, defeating the Rays, Orioles, and Astros on the way to the World Series. I hate them, but you can't argue with that.

ESPN: Inside the Ramgers' rapid rebuild.

Teams that have not won a World Series: San Diego, Seattle

It is 114 days until the Astros' first Spring Training game of 2024.

It is 147 days until Opening Day.

*Dana Brown gave an update on the Astros' search for a new manager:

We're not going to rush through this. So there's not really a timefrane. But as far as a candidate, I'm looking for someone with some leadership ability, someone that could run the clubhouse, of course, looking for someone with great feel for players and managing players...There's a lot that I'm looking for. I mean, he's got to know the game. He's got to be able to run a bullpen and most of all he's got to have the leadership skills. I'm looking for someone who I could gel with and communicate well with.

This is a little different from what Jim Crane said at Dusty's retirement press conference on October 26 regarding the timeframe:

We've got things running well in the back office. And, so I don't think it'll take us very long to find someone that will fit in well with us.

*BetMGM's 2024 World Series title odds:

Atlanta: +650

Los Angeles: +800

Houston: +900

Six Flags: +1000

*The Astros are ranked 5th in ESPN's Way-Too-Early 2024 Power Rankings.

*Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, and Yordan Alvarez are all finalists for AL Silver Slugger awards.

*Check out McTaggart's offseason primer.

*Kenedy Corona is catching up in the Arizona Fall League after injuring his finger diving back to first base.

*Get ready for a San Diego firesale! Ownership had to take out a $50m loan in September just to cover payroll and whatnot.

*Bob Knight changed Indiana Basketball, and Indiana itself.

*The Kaitlyn Armstrong Murder Trial has begun in Austin.

*One man's search for the world's greatest sandwich.

*The rise and fall of Mikey Williams.

*A Musical Selection:

A Handy Guide to the Astros' Payroll

2023-10-30T12:34:00.004-05:00

This isn't Breaking News, but here's a handy little guide to the Astros' future payroll commitments:

Name	2024	2025	2026	2027	2028
Jose Altuve	$29m
Yordan Alvarez	$10.83m	$15.83m	$26.83m	$26.83m	$26.83m
Alex Bregman	$30.5m
Justin Verlander	$18.3m*
Lance McCullers	$17.7m	$17.7m	$17.7m
Rafael Montero	$11.5m	$11.5m
Cristian Javier	$7.4m	$10.4m	$21.4m	$21.4m
Jose Abreu	$19.5m	$19.5m
Kendall Graveman	$8m
Ryan Pressly	$14m	$14m^

*The Mets are paying $25m of Verlander's 2024 salary

^Pressly's has a $14m mutual option in 2025, or the Astros can buy him out for $2m.

2024 Payroll Commitments: $167.8m

2025 Payroll Commitments: $76.9m

2026 Payroll Commitments: $65.9m

2027 Payroll Commitments: $48.2m

2028 Payroll Commitments: $26.83m

1st Year of Arbitration: Bryan Abreu, Mauricio Dubon, Luis Garcia, Chas McCormick

2nd Year of Arbitration: Kyle Tucker, Framber Valdez

3rd Year of Arbitration: N/A

Free Agents after the 2023 World Series: Michael Brantley, Martin Maldonado, Phil Maton, Hector Neris, Ryne Stanek.

Pre-Arbitration: Ronel Blanco, Hunter Brown, Yainer Diaz, Matt Gage, David Hensley, Joel Kuhnel, Seth Martinez, Jake Meyers, Jeremy Pena,

Monday Morning Hot Links

2023-10-30T09:11:00.003-05:00

*The World Series, which they're still playing for some reason, is tied 1-1. Game 3 is in Arizona tonight. FanGraphs has it Six Flags 52.2 - 47.8 Arizona.

*Six Astros whose surprise 2023s could lead to more in 2024.

*ESPN: That iconic moment in baseball history? Dusty Baker was probably there.

*Dusty hit up Trill Burgers.

*Ryan Pressly hit a free throw before yesterday's Rockets game for $5,000.

*Yordan went to the Dynamo game.

*Astros in the Arizona Fall League:

Zach Dezenzo: 16G/65ABs, .231/.333/.446, 22K:8BB.

Kenedy Corona: 4G/13ABs, .154/.214/.154, 3K:1BB.

Miguel Palma: 12G/42ABs, .095/.170/.095, 0K:0BB

Miguel Ullola: 6.2IP, 5H/10ER, 5K:10BB

A.J. Blubaugh: 9IP, 9H/3ER, 13K:3BB

Ray Gaither: 7.1IP, 4H/1ER, 9K:7BB

Tyler Guilfoil: 10.2IP, 14H/12ER, 10K:5BB

Jaime Melendez: 3.2IP, 3H/2ER, 3K:6BB

*Schax Merzer is annoying af.

*#1 High School Basketball recruit Cooper Flagg picked Duke. Good to see the Blue Devils finally catch a break.

*The Legend of Dick Campbell.

*Salem's Unholy Bargain: How tragedy became an attraction.

*I watched "Race to the Summit" on Netflix. It's about speed-climbing crazy-ass mountains without ropes and whatnot. It's subtitled. Any of the preceding may be disqualifying for you, but I liked it.

*A Musical Selection:

Friday Morning Hot Links

2023-10-27T07:21:00.002-05:00

It's the first Post-Dusty Day in Astros history.

Quotes from Dusty Day:

Dusty:

It was probably the quickest four years I've ever spent in my life. But that's what happens when you win. They were winning when I got here, winning while I was here and I wish them well.

Jim Crane, to Dusty:

You came in and helped us when we needed some help, and you did a great job. And I think you are the only guy that can do that in the business. You did a fantastic job, and the record speaks for itself. You will be missed, I know the players will miss you...You're a great guy and a great friend and thank you very much for what you did.

Dana Brown:

His greatest quality is his relationship with his players...I think he's outstanding with human beings, and it's a testament to his leadership.

Yordan Alvarez:

Cristian Javier: "The living legend. Thank you!"

Yuli Gurriel: "Legend, thanks."

*Buster Olney: Dusty Baker connected generations through baseball.

*Check out Brian McTaggart's five questions for the Astros this off-season.

*McTaggart also has ten potential candidates to be the next manager of the Astros. Among names not listed in yesterday's post: Cubs bench coach Andy Green.

That leaves us with the following names, in alphabetical order:

Brad Ausms, Jeff Bannister, Craig Counsell, Joe Espada, Joe Girardi, Andy Green, Mark Kotsay, Rodney Linares, Omar Lopez, Joe Maddon, Don Mattingly, Buck Showalter, Will Venable, Walt Weiss, Eric Young, Sr.

*Former Ramgers Manager Jeff Bannister, on the possibility of managing the Astros:

It would be a 'pinch yourself' moment.

I would have an awful lot of crap to eat if Jaff Bennister is the next manager of the Astros.

*Jim Crane promises to work "quickly" to replace Dusty.

*Paul Wall got Dusty some grillz.

*The Athletic: What is Dusty Baker's legacy?

*The back of Chas McCormick's leg is going to hurt for a while, thanks to Aroldis Chapman's completely intentional HBP in Game 7.

*This guy from SI wonders if the Astros could pull off a trade for Cleveland's Shane Bieber.

*Former Astros Greats on the active rosters of the two teams in the World Series:

Six Flags:

-Defending World Series Champion Will Smith

-Bob Grossman

Arizona:

-Brent MF Strom

*A Musical Selection:

Thursday Morning Hot Links

2023-10-26T10:53:00.003-05:00

Ready for a break from the gah dang Houston Astros? TOO BAD. There's news.

*There's a Press Conference today at 11am at Minute Maid Park, presumably to announce the retirement of Dusty Baker. Last night I wrote up some thoughts about Dusty Baker's tenure with the Astros, and ended with a Barry Switzer quote in reference to Jim Crane, which was predictably (and this is likely some fault of my own, since I was very tired and just wanted to go to bed and didn't explain it very well) misinterpreted. The "he was born on third base and thought he hit a triple" has nothing to do with Jim Crane's net worth. It has everything to do with Jim Crane tried to "do the off-season" by himself, or at least with the help of Jeff Bagwell and/or Reggie Jackson, forgetting that it was Teh Nerds who turned the Astros into an absolute powerhouse, and the increasing likelihood that the next few hires (manager, President of Baseball Ops?) will simply do what Jim Crane wants, and not what The Spreadsheets 'n' Formulas say. That's all I meant by that. I'm not going back and changing it.

*Chandler Rome has 12 names to keep an eye on as the next Astros manager. Click the link and subscribe The Athletic for the full write-up, because it's a pretty good value, but here are the 12 names:

Brad Ausmus (who interviewed to be the GM before Crane hired Dana Brown), Craig Counsell, Joe Espada, Mark Kotsay (who previously interviewed before the Astros landed Dusty), Rodney Linares (former Astros minor-league manager), Omar Lopez, Joe Maddon, Don Mattingly, Buck Showalter, Will Venable, Walt Weiss, and Eric Young.

Based on personal preference alone, I'm striking Ausmus, Kotsay, Maddon, and Showalter from consideration. Joe Espada has been the manager-in-waiting for so long you could be accused of thinking Will Muschamp was the Astros' bench coach, so I'd like to see him be rewarded for his loyalty. Love the idea of bringing in Rodney Linares, who has worked under Kevin Cash in Tampa as well as spending a generation in the Astros' organization managing pretty much every homegrown star currently on the roster. I'm still pissed about 1999 NLDS Game 3 when it comes to Walt Weiss (obligatory "I Was There" tweet).

The Mets have asked for, and received, permission to talk to Craig Counsell. Remember Former Astros & Brewers Great David Stearns is now running the show in Queens. Cleveland has asked, as well.

*Sports Illustrated notes the possibility of Joe Girardi managing the Astros. And also adds Six Flags' Offensive Coordinator Donnie Ecker, and Ron Washington.

*Ben Verlander: The Astros' dynasty isn't over, but they need to take a hard look in the mirror.

*The Astros claimed reliever Oliver Ortega off waivers from the Twins. Ortega just turned 27 and has 58IP under his belt with the Angels and Twins with a career 4.03 ERA / 1.41 WHIP. He made ten appearances for the 2023 Twins and enjoyed scoreless outings in seven of them. Statcast notes that he has an arsenal of five pitches (though he really only uses four), and his four-seam fastball averages 95.3mph with a 95.7mph sinker (!).

*Richard Justice: A High School Football Fairy Tale Is Unfolding in Willis.

*ESPN: The Ultimate Clasico preview.

*The Atlantic: What scares Jordan Peele?

*Want to stay at one of these absolutely terrifying hotels?

*A Musical Selection:

On Dusty Baker

2023-10-25T22:33:00.003-05:00

Astros manager Dusty Baker apparently told Jim Crane this afternoon (Wednesday, October 25) that he is retiring. A press conference will be held on Thursday at noon at Minute Maid Park. Dusty:

I'm very grateful and thankful to Jim Crane and the Houston Astros for giving me this opportunity, and to win a championship. I felt like they've been good for me, and I've been good for them. What I really appreciate is that Jim has been totally honest and transparent with me on all things.

Dusty would like to remain in an advisory role, either with the Astros or with a team closer to his home in Sacramento.

Some of the many highlights from his resume:

-7th all-time in managerial wins, with 2183.

-8th all-time in games managed, with 4046.

-4th all-time in postseason wins, with 57 (a Rangers' World Series win next week would bring Bruce Bochy level with him).

-4th all-time in playoff appearances, with 13.

-His .540 managerial win% is 18th among managers with at least 2000 games in the dugout.

-In his four seasons with the Astros, Dusty posted a 320-226 regular season record. His 546 games with the Astros are the 7th-most by an Astros manager in franchise history.

-His 320 wins are 6th-most in franchise history. And his .586 win% is 2nd-best among managers who managed more than one game, just behind A.J. Hinch's .594 win%.

-He was 34-19 as manager of the Astros in the postseason, a .642 win%, by far the best postseason winning percentage in Astros history (A.J. Hinch was 22-12 in the postseason).

Dusty is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, on track to be the first Black manager to be inducted in Cooperstown in three years.

And here's the thing: nobody at the end of the 2019 season expected Dusty Baker to manage the Astros at all, let alone for the next four years. The exposure of the Trash Can Scandal threw the lifelong tenure of A.J. Hinch with the Astros out the window, 63 wins shy of tying Bill Virdon for the franchise lead.

But the Trash Can Scandal did happen, much as we would like to forget it (and as much as we would like everyone else to, as well). We won't, and neither will They. So Jim Crane did the right thing and fired Hinch.

As I wrote when it was announced that Dusty had been hired:

1. They need someone who is well-respected (by the media and General Baseball People, anyway - your complaints were heard loud and clear)...

2. They need someone who has managed in a variety of situations...
3. They need someone who can handle A Circus...

...Columnists across [puts hand across forehead] the land are going to love it because their hand-wringing, and bringing blood out of a turnip, will easily provide that week's Column. But then they have to deal with Dusty Baker, whom pretty much everyone loves except for you, who gets their narrative from FanGraphs. Their hearts will melt. It's an organizational rehab assignment, for a year, and the best-case scenario is that the Astros (and by that I of course mean Us) and Dusty Baker gets their ring in 2020. Winning a World Series like this, in this year, with this much hate, would be delicious, and the scrutiny would cleanse it. Yankee and Dodger Fan would move the goalposts, to be sure. But it would be sweeter than the first (I think).

That second ring came a couple of years after, but the point is still valid.

Chandler Rome:

The team is sullied by scandal but still set to contend for a title. Its image and reputation remain in ruins. Players will endure eight months of invective from opposing crowds and players. Baker arrives as a slice of serenity amid acrimony, a man who Crane hopes can galvanize an Astros clubhouse still searching for a way forward.

He did all that. Dusty guided this team through those first few years. The vitriol is still there - but the vitriol also is a testament to how much the Astros have won (and who they've beaten) in the last seven years. I understand why other fans hate the Astros, and why the Trash Can Scandal keeps getting brought up. I still make "Change Your Password!" jokes about the Cardinals. It's never going to go away, no matter how many times you can point them to Tony Adams' website. There's absolutely no point in getting upset about it.

Dusty Baker managed 4046 games and played in 2039 more. That's 162 games...37.5 times over. Dusty earned the right to go out on his own terms. He got his ring, and with another loaded roster in 2023 (before we all watched Jose Abreu not hit water if he fell out of a boat for three months), it's understandable why he would want to see if he could run it back for a first-in-a-generation repeat.

You can rightfully question some of the decisions that Dusty made throughout the 2023 season: insisting on Martin Maldonado over Yainer Diaz, and hating Chas McCormick for some reason (banana pudding aside). In my heart of hearts I truly believe that Dusty loved pretty much everyone on that team, and in the end it may have bit him in the ass, particularly in managing Game 7 of the ALCS like there was a Game 8 two days later. Dusty's Magic is designed to work over a 162 game season. Not so much when the season is on the line in the next 10 minutes.

But now that Dusty is stepping aside - allegedly - it's time that Jim Crane remembers his roots. He let Jeff Luhnow run the show based on analytics and look what happened. Crane gets the credit of the work of analysts who "never played the game." Jeff Bagwell and Jim Crane gave Rafael Montero $39m.

Allowing Jeff Bagwell to have a hand in choosing the next manager is extremely concerning because it betrays the very principles this Dynasty (and, yes, it's a dynasty) was founded upon. What I fear for this organization is extremely eloquently summed up by My Buddy Mike. My fear is that Jim Crane can be adequately characterized by Barry Switzer (BOOMER) in that he was born on third base and thought he hit a triple.

Tuesday Lunchtime Hot Links

2023-10-24T11:37:00.004-05:00

I don't care who wins the NLCS, I will be their biggest fan for the next two weeks, despite the fact that I'll likely not watch a minute of the World Series. This is a time for resetting, for reacquaintance, for recharging. More at the end.

To the Links:

*Only two teams in MLB history have lost all four home games in a seven-game series: the 2019 Astros and the 2023 Astros. As much as I hate the Rangers right now, I might hate the Astros just as much.

*Chas McCormick, who got 16 plate appearances in seven games in the ALCS:

I mean, we just didn't play well enough at home. That's what finished our season. We didn't win at home. Game 5, when we came back and won, I was like, 'We have this. We're going back to the World Series.' It's a different taste in the mouth just because I've been in the World Series my first two years in the big leagues, so it's different.

Martin Maldonado, who went 1x7 with runners in scoring position in the ALCS:

It's frustrating, but at the same time, I feel like we accomplished a lot of stuff. It wasn't easy all year. We had a lot of injuries. I'm really proud of this group of guys. We never gave up. Just to make it seven in a row, it's pretty special.

Jeremy Pena, who hit .160/.192/.160 in the ALCS:

I wouldn't consider [this season] a success.

Kyle Tucker, who hit .150/.292/.225 in the 2023 postseason, 0x6 w/RISP in the 2023 ALCS, and .180/.295/.326 in 24 games in the 2022-23 postseasons combined:

We had a good year, a lot of ups and downs throughout the season. And we at least had the opportunity to get there.

Dusty Baker, who is not under contract for the 2024 season and has indicated that 2023 would be his last in the dugout:

There's a whole bunch of stuff you can point to in that ballgame. And so we just got beat. Sometimes there's no rhyme or reason. Sometimes you lose and sometimes you get beat. There's a difference. We got beat.

*Dusty Baker is going to take some time to evaluate his situation for 2024:

I haven't had time to evaluate or think about my future because I'm not that kind of dude. I don't want to steal the spotlight or anything from these guys. You've got to savor what we did. You've got to think about how we can get better. And then I'll evaluate my situation and my life.

Not a single person has any negative thing to say about Dusty Baker's character.

*Alex Bregman, who only had four hits in the ALCS but included a triple and two home runs:

I think we fully expected to be here, and we expected to win. We got outplayed, and we'll learn from the mistakes this offseason. We'll get after it and be ready to get back to competing.

Justin Verlander, who allowed 12H/6ER in 12.1IP in the ALCS:

I think moving forward, there's still a good window available. It's a little early to say I'm excited about next year (Ed. note: SAME) I'm still dealing with this, but that was on my mind.

*Career Postseason Home Runs, MLB History:

1. Manny Ramirez: 29

2. Jose Altuve: 27

3. Bernie Williams: 22

4. Derek Jeter / Kyle Schwarber: 20

6. Alex Bregman / Albert Pujols / George Springer: 19

The Astros are apparently focused solely on extending Jose Altuve this off-season.

*Yordan Alvarez, 2023 Postseason: .465/.510/.977, 6HR/15RBI. Yordan's 41st career postseason RBI moved him into a tie for 18th all-time with Lance Berkman and Alex Rodriguez. His .949 career postseason OPS is 5th all-time among players with 50 postseason games played.

*I had completely forgotten that The Bastard Chris Young threw 4IP in G1 of the 2015 ALDS for the Royals. I don't think I've ever hated another team's GM more, and I hope his bicycle gets stuck in a cattle grate and skins up his knee real bad.

What To Watch, October 24:

2:00pm Central: Champions League: Arsenal at Sevilla.

6:15pm: New Jersey at Montreal

7:07pm: DiamondBacks at Phillies.

*Please allow me a moment of introspection and vulnerability: 51 days ago I decided to stop drinking, which is my personal longest streak since the day I was born until the day I turned 21. It was enough of a problem that I recognized it as a problem. It was not recommended by a doctor (mainly because I don't go to the doctor), it was a personal choice. The first few days were really hard. There were certain triggers around particular days of the week and work milestones and whatnot that I recognized were particularly difficult. Still, I made it through with the help of my wife, a couple of friends who are various stages of their sobriety journey, and a lot of mineral water. I didn't want me opening a beer to be the soundtrack of my kid's childhood. I didn't want to have anxiety about what time I got home in the evenings based on when I could have a drink. It hasn't been easy. It still isn't easy, but I'm not fragile. This weekend I'll go to the wedding of one of my best friends (who happens to be a Ramger fan despite not being able to name three Ramgers on the active roster) armed with a six pack of HEB Lime Mineral Water, and it'll be fine. I feel better, I eat better, I can actually feel rested after sleeping, and get up and go to the gym. I was emotionally dependent on alcohol, and probably will continue to feel that way for a while, but I'm doing fine. If I can make it through an Astros postseason - especially this absolute pile of dogshit of a postseason - without drinking, I feel like I'm invincible. I don't know why I'm telling any of you this, but if you feel like you're in a similar circumstance or vortex or whatever you want to call it, feel free to reach out. FTR.

*A Musical Selection:

Immediate Thoughts on Game 7

2023-10-23T22:52:00.001-05:00

Where do you even start with this? Do you start with the Astros losing every single home game in a seven-game series after winning every road game in the same seven-game series...for the second time in five years. I make a motion that the Astros bulldoze Minute Maid Park and build a new stadium in Idontfknknow Sugar Land? Katy? Port Lavaca so it feels like a road game?

*It's the 6th time the Astros have allowed at least 11 runs in a postseason game. It's the 6th time in postseason history a team has allowed at least 11 runs in a Game 7, the 3rd time out of those that the home team did it, the 2023 Astros joining the 1912 Red Sox, and 1934 Tiger s.

*There will be time to get into the Ins & Outs of Game 7. We'll do that another day. Maybe. But let's just sit back and look at how in the actual hell:

The Astros went 1-5 (with five straight losses) at home this postseason, getting outscored 37-17 while going 5-0 on the road, outscoring opponents 35-15.

The Astros went 40-47 at Minute Maid Park in 2023, including playoffs.

The Astros started the 2nd Half of the season 8-4 at Minute Maid Park, and then went 7-21 at home, including playoffs.

How the Astros went 4x31 with runners in scoring position in four home games in the ALCS.

How Framber Valdez threw 7.2IP in the 2023 ALCS, allowing 12H/7ER, and how just maybe two fewer ER in Game 2 win that game.

How Kyle Tucker went 6x40 with 10 strikeouts this postseason.

How Jeremy Pena still hasn't hit a home run since July 5.

*Here are the impending Astros free agents, with their 2023 salary in parentheses:

Dusty Baker

Michael Brantley ($12m)

Hector Neris ($8m)

Martin Maldonado ($4m)

Ryne Stanek ($3.6m)

Phil Maton ($2.55m)

*A Musical Selection:

Saturday Morning Hot Links

2023-10-21T09:34:00.001-05:00

Yep, just checked again, last night actually happened. We're one ridiculous Game 2 First Inning away from last night being the Series. Let's check in on the morning after, and the day before. Everything is Cope-acetic up in Aledo.

*Verlander:

I don't think anybody is mad about him pimping a homer, it was the biggest homer in his career, quite honestly.

Nathaniel Lowe:

Wearing this jersey, having Adolis be my teammate, it feels pretty intentional. There's a history, obviously, between these two teams. I'm sure Alvarez didn't like the ball high and tight to him either. But in today's game, we throw fastballs up. If you want to get emotional about something like that and take it out on a guy that hit a three-run homer, that's too bad. I don't really stand for it.

That's some mental gymnastics, saying it's okay for Alvarez to get brushed up and in by Aroldis Chapman (who does have a history of hitting people) but not Garcia because Garcia is a hot-head. It's ackshually Alvarez's fault for not getting mad. Hmph. [stomps foot].

When half your bench is running out in a hurry and guys on the injured list want to run their mouth and starters who aren't involved want to get involved, it seems like there are more emotions tied in than gameplay.

*An anonymous Ramger:

One of the best relievers in baseball just suddenly lost command? Maldonado's smart. They got exactly what they wanted, Adolis riled up. Crazy coincidence, isn't it?

Willing to put a small amount of money on the Anonymous Ramger being GM Chris Young. But if Maldonado told Abreu to hit Adolis Garcia to put two men on with nobody out in the bottom of the 8th, down 4-2, just because he knew Adolis Garcia would get pissed off and delay the game for 11 minutes, thus icing Jose LeClerc, who barely ever gives up home runs, so that he would give up a single to Yainer Diaz, who hadn't gotten a hit since September 24, and then walk Jon Singleton, who hadn't received an AB since October 1, thus allowing Jose Altuve to hit a go-ahead three-run home run and take the series back to Houston up 3-2...then Maldonado's new name is Baba Yagaldonado, because that's 18th Dimension Wizard Chess.

What this tells me is that there are various and sundry Rangers who have night terrors and Martin Maldonado is always holding the knife.

*Adolis Garcia:

He could have hurt me.

Dubon:

That helped us out a little bit, I think, focus a little bit more. It's crazy. The emotions were high. Everyone knew what was going on. It's baseball. It's fun baseball. It set a different fire, I think, inside everybody.

Marcus Semien:

Everybody on their side is going to say it wasn't [on purpose]. Everybody on this side is going to say it was. The only one who really knows was the pitcher.

*If there is a suspension for Abreu, it likely won't take effect until the 2024 regular season.

*The ever-even-keeled @RangersInsiders:

Why do good things happen to bad people?

*A Musical Selection:

Game 5 Hot Links

2023-10-20T22:41:00.005-05:00

Ahem. Now we have a rivalry. The Astros won Game 5, 5-4. It was the Astros' 7th straight postseason road win, their last postseason road loss coming in 2022 World Series Game 3, the "Let McCullers Get Shelled and Then Throw A No-Hitter" game.

FanGraphs: Houston 78.4 - 21.6 Six Flags.

Let's look at the Win Expectancy Roller Coaster:

1st Inning - Bregman solo homer: 55.8% Astros

4th Inning - Lowe solo homer: 53.8% Ramgers

6th Inning - Jose Abreu RBI single: 73.8% Astros

6th Inning - Adolis Garcia 3-run homer: 82.7% Rangers

8th Inning - Adolis Garcia HBP: 96.0% Rangers

9th Inning - Yainer Diaz single: 84.3% Rangers

9th Inning - Jon Singleton walk: 72.2% Rangers

9th Inning - Jose Altuve 3-run homer: 82.9% Astros

9th Inning - Mitch Garver single: 65.2% Astros

9th Inning - Jonah Heim single: 53.2% Rangers

9th Inning - Evan Carter strikeout: 100.0% Astros

*Let's talk about that Adolis Garcia HBP:

-Did Adolis Garcia pimp his three-run homer in the 6th? Absolutely! Did he have every right to do that? For sure! I would still be moonwalking between 1st and 2nd base if I had hit that home run, which was actually Adolis Garcia's 100th career home run. That home run was massive. Absolutely no issue with Garcia slamming the bat down and yelling.

-Did Abreu try to hit him? Obviously I'm biased. I've spent a number of years referring to the Rangers as being located in a different random Metroplex suburb. I hate that team. That said, there is absolutely no reason to hit Adolis Garcia. Evan Carter was on 1st base after Abreu walked him. It was 4-2 Rangers, and the Astros had three outs to play with before having to go back to Minute Maid Park needing to win both games to win the Pennant. I'm sure the Astros have won back-to-back home games in 2023...but I can't quite remember when. (September 9-10 vs San Diego).

-What I'm trying to say is that intentionally hitting Garcia would be the height of stupidity. Garcia had woken up the World's Largest Storage Unit already, there would be no reason to fan the flames. I think Abreu was trying to blow an fastball by him. There were 0 outs. Maybe get a GIDP.

-I also understand why Garcia was pissed off. If someone hit me with a 97mph fastball you would see my soul ascend (I'm assuming I'm going to Heaven) on a cloud, playing a harp. There wouldn't even be dental records, such would be my demise.

-Shoutout to Dusty Baker for actually getting out of the dugout and putting his finger in one the faces of this awful umpiring crew. Dusty: "I haven't been that mad in a long time."

-Altuve's homer got Marvin Hudson off the hook for what was an absolutely God-awful job behind the plate. I didn't know Dusty had it in him. It also got Altuve off the hook for trying to bunt with Tucker on second base.

-Ultimately Garcia's outburst may have actually cost the Ramgers that game. He iced LeClerc, which is French for "The Clerc," for 11 minutes after he got Michael Brantley to juuuust get under one to end the inning with Kyle Tucker on second base. LeClerc's 9th Inning: Walk, Walk, Homer (then some outs).

Bruce Bochy:

I was concerned about that delay. I really was. It as a long one. It was taking too long, to be honest. The whole thing is a bunch of crap, to be honest, what happened there. Who knows what intentions are, but it's not the first time it's happened, and couldn't get the game going again.

LeClerc:

I'm not used to waiting around that long to pitch again, but it's no excuse. I needed to execute my pitches and do a better job.

That doesn't happen if Adolis Garcia just walks to first.

-But if Abreu did it on purpose, then he's dumb as hell and deserved to get tossed. And suspended.

*Abreu apparently told Garcia that it wasn't on purpose, and Garcia responded: "Bullshit."

*To the "Game:"

Verlander made one bad pitch. That pitch also moved Verlander out of a tie with Clayton Kershaw for the 2nd-most postseason home runs allowed and past Andy Pettitte's 31 playoff homers and into sole possession of most postseason home runs allowed, at 32.

Of the 32 postseason home runs Verlander has now allowed, 19 have come with the Astros. That breakdown:

Solo: 13

2-Run: 3

3-Run: 3

Grand Slams: 0

It's the 9th time Verlander has allowed 2HR in a postseason game, and the 6th time it's happened with the Astros, who are now 2-4 in postseason games in which Verlander gives up 2HR.

*Jordan Montgomery vs Houston, ALCS: 11.2IP, 10H/2ER, 9K:3BB.

*Shoutout to Yainer Diaz, who got his first career postseason hit.

*Shoutout to Jon Singleton, who drew a walk that became the tying run in his first plate appearance since October 1. Singleton:

You put in the hard work, and you stay ready so you don't have to get ready. That's been my motto so far this year.

*Jose LeClerc had only allowed 23 homers in 302.1 career IP. He had given up 5HR in the 2023 regular season. Only one of those career home runs had more than one on base - a grand slam to Julio Rodriguez on July 15, 2022. And then came Jose Altuve.

*Jose Altuve hit his 26th career postseason home run to record his 54th career postseason RBI. It was his first multi-RBI game since 2021 ALCS G2. Altuve had 3RBI in his previous 25 postseason games combined. Listen to Robert Ford's call of the home run.

Altuve:

I know everybody is talking about the homer. But if you go and see Diaz's base hit and then Singleton's walk, especially when he hasn't played in a lot of days...coming from the bench facing probably one of the best closers right now in the playoffs, I think the key was these two guys and to be able to score all those runs.

*Alex Bregman's 18th career postseason home run moves him into a tie for 3rd in franchise history with Carlos Correa. He needs one more to tie George Springer for 2nd.

*Kyle Tucker got two hits in a postseason game since 2022 World Series Game 1.

*It was Ryan Pressly's first career postseason six-out save, and just the 2nd six-out save of his career.

What To Watch, October 21

Everton @ Liverpool: 6:30am Central

Leeds United @ Norwich: 9am

Penn State @ Ohio State: 11am

Arsenal @ Chelsea: 11:30am

Tennessee @ Alabama: 2:30pm

Texas @ Houston: 3pm

Washington @ Montreal: 6pm

Utah @ USC: 7pm

*A Musical Selection:

Friday Morning Hot Links

2023-10-20T09:30:00.004-05:00

The Astros got to an early lead, choked it up, and then monstered all the way to a 10-3 win. The ALCS is tied 2-2. Houston has one more opportunity in this series to take advantage of being on the road. But we know that the Astros will be forced to play at least one more game in Houston.

*FanGraphs: Houston 55.6 - 44.4 Six Flags.

*When a 7-game series is tied after four games, the Game 5 winner has won the series 71% of the time. One exception: the 2017 ALCS, when New York won Game 5 and then the Astros won Games 6 & 7.

*The Ramgers have now given up 10+ runs at home 10 times in 2023. The Astros are reponsible for five of those.

The Ramgers have allowed 402 runs in 84 games at Globe Life Park in 2023. The Astros are responsible for 81 of those (20.1%) in nine games.

*Martin Maldonado:

The beauty about this team, there's not an easy out. When you think there's an easy out, something big happens.

*Jose Altuve was 3x4 with a walk and three runs scored. It's the 10th 3-hit postseason game of his career, and the 6th time he's scored three runs in a postseason game. Altuve's last ten plate appearances (Games 3&4): Flyout to the track, home run, flyout to the track, single, out, double, single, walk, out, double.

Jose Altuve home runs, Minute Maid Park, 2023: 5

Jose Altuve home runs, Globe Life Field, 2023: 8

*Only seven players in MLB history have appeared in 100 postseason games:

1. Derek Jeter: 158

2. Jorge Posada: 125

3. Bernie Williams: 121

4. David Justice: 112

5. Manny Ramirez: 111

6. Yadier Molina: 104

7. Jose Altuve: 100

Bregman, on Altuve:

It's been an honor to be his teammate - a Hall of Fame player and a Hall of Fame person, incredible leader every single day. From Day 1 of Spring Training, he shows up, works his tail off. He always has a smile on his face. He's so nice to everyone that he comes into contact with - players, coaches, staff, people at the stadium, fans. He's an unbelievable human being, and to be able to be his teammate, it's been an honor. Hopefully I can be his teammate forever.

*Yordan Alvarez was 2x4 with 3RBI. Those 3RBI bring his postseason total to 39 in 55 games, tying him for 4th in franchise history with Yuli Gurriel. Postseason RBI, Astros, career:

1. Carlos Correa: 59

2. Alex Bregman: 52

3. Jose Altuve: 51

4. Yordan/Gurriel: 39

6. George Springer: 38

...

13. Jeff Bagwell: 13

16. Craig Biggio: 11

Yordan has three straight postseason games with at least 2+ RBI. It's only the 28th time in MLB history that a player has three straight postseason games with multiple RBI. The last person to do it was Yordan Alvarez, who did it from 2022 World Series G6 to 2023 ALDS G2. The all-time record is four games, set by Giancarlo Stanton (2020) and Reggie Sanders (2005).

*Jose Abreu crushed a crushing three-run home run and stole a base. Thanks to the incredible Sarah Langs, we now know that Abreu is the oldest player since Fred Clarke in 1909 to hit a homer and steal a base in a playoff game. Abreu:

We're the Houston Astros, and we never give up. It was very important to give credit to all these guys here in this organization who never give up. It's up to us to be able to turn this around.

Abreu, Opening Day-June 13: 273 PAs, 3HR

Abreu, 2023 Postseason: 33 PAs, 4HR

*Mauricio Dubon was 2x5 in G4. He has started four postseason games in his career - all in 2023 - and is 8x17 with three runs scored.

*Chas McCormick hit his first postseason homer since 2022 ALCS G3, at New York.

*The Astros were 8x16 w/runners in scoring position, which is approximately nine more hits than they got with runners in scoring position in Games 1 and 2.

*The only Astros player to not get on base a single time (in a game with 10 hits and seven walks): Kyle Tucker, who went 0x5 with a strikeout.

Tucker, since hitting two homers in 2022 World Series G1: 13 games, 55 PAs, .089/.236/.156

*Bullspen Matchup, Game 4:

Ramgers: 8.1IP, 7H/7ER, 8K:6BB

Astros: 6.2IP, 3H/0ER, 5K:1BB

*Phil Maton: 2IP, 1H/0ER, 2K:0BB. It's his first postseason six-out appearance since his second career postseason appearance in 2020 Wild Card G2 against the Yankees.

*Hunter Brown: 3IP, 2H/0ER, 2K:0BB. Stanek, on Brown:

He's grown into knowing what he's supposed to be doing and how to handle himself. He came in last year, didn't have a whole lot of experience under his belt and pitched in the playoffs, did really well and then came into this year, and he's had some trials and tribulations. And he's battled and grown and learned and handled it well. It's a hard job to have, especially being a young kid and being a starter, and then he was out in the bullpen. You've got to do a lot of different things, and he's just handled it really, really well. It's awesome to see.

*Stanek is the third pitcher in baseball history to throw one pitch and get the Win in a postseason game, joining St. Louis' Jeff Fassero (2002 NLDS G2) and Lance Lynn (2011 NLCS G2).

*Justin Verlander is ready to adjust for Game 5.

*The Hall of Fame announced eight candidates for the Veterans Committee to consider for induction in 2025: Managers Cito Gaston, Davey Johnson, Jim Leyland, Lou Piniella; executives Hank Peters and Bill White; umpires Ed Montague and [snicker] Joe [guffaw] West.

*Before you see Killers of the Flower Moon, read Brian Phillips on The Legend of John Joseph Matthews.

*Esquire: Sixty years in, the Rolling Stones still have something to prove. I'm listening to "Hackney Diamonds" right now and...it's pretty damn good.

*The seven greatest Men's Health recipes of all time.

*A Musical Selection:

Thursday Morning Hot Links

2023-10-19T08:11:00.002-05:00

A quick story, one that I'm not terribly proud of (but proud enough to lead the Hot Links with): I live in Ramger Country. It's gross. I shower four times a day. Anyhow, a co-worker was giving me crap about the Astros being down 2-0. Annoying. So I hollered back, "I've watched the Astros lose more World Series in the last five years than your middle aged ass has ever seen the Rangers play in." Might have ended it with, "Bitch." I'm not sure. I was a little Ragey.

Anyhow, the Astros won 8-5 to make the series 2-1. Michael Brantley:

They eliminated the big inning for the first two games against us. So we had a nice crooked number to put up on the board. But at the same time, it's a great offense over there. We had to keep scoring. We continued to keep pressure on...and we have to continue to do that throughout the entire series.

Bregman:

I thought we did a heck of a lot better job passing the torch to the next guy.

FanGraphs: Houston 37.9 - 62.1 Six Flags.

Houston has won 17 of their last 20 road games. They're 3-0 on the road in the 2023 postseason.

*Five Astros runs scored with two outs.

*Jose Altuve's PAs, Game 3:

1st Inning: 100.7mph off the bat, flyout to dead center. A homer in 13/30 parks.

3rd Inning: 104.4mph off the bat, homer. A homer in 30/30 parks.

5th Inning: 102.4mph off the bat, flyout to dead center. A homer in 12/30 parks.

That would have been 3HR in 3PAs if the game was played at Wrigley, Cincinnati, whatever the White Sox call their field, Angel Stadium, Dodger Stadium, Milwaukee, or Oakland.

It was Altuve's 25th postseason home run of his career. He needs four more to tie Manny Ramirez for the most all-time. Altuve:

Down in the series 0-2, it feels like we had no choice but to win tonight.

*Yordan Alvarez: 2x4, 2RBI. He has 10RBI in the 2023 postseason. The Astros have scored 32 runs in the 2023 postseason. It was the third game out of seven in the 2023 postseason that Yordan didn't hit a home run, but...

Alvarez's 6th Inning flyball that was robbed by Leody Taveras had a 1.000 xBA and would have been a home run in 22 out of 30 ballparks.

*Kyle Tucker hit 6th in the order for the first time since June 11, 2022 and went 0x1, 3BB. It was the 7th 3BB game of his career, and just the 3rd multi-BB postseason game of his career. He also got a double, his 3rd hit of the 2023 postseason, and his first XBH since ALDS G1.

*Mauricio Dubon had three hits for the 12th time in his career and the 7th time in 2023. He's 6x12 in the 2023 postseason and got his first career postseason RBI. Dubon:

I was telling somebody today that, yeah, I got smarter, I got a little stronger. But my ability hasn't changed. For me, it was a matter of getting a chance. And the Astros gave me a chance to get out there and show people what I can do.

*Martin Maldonado was 2x4 with 2RBI - the 3rd 2-hit game of his postseason career, and 2nd of the 2023 postseason. It was his first postseason RBI since Game 1 of the 2022 World Series.

Maldonado, on his AB vs Scherzer:

He can throw any pitch any count. Because he bounces a slider doesn't mean he doesn't come back with another slider. So I was trying to see something up, just to put a good swing on it.

*Alex Bregman hit a ball in the 9th (stop me if you've heard this before) that Leody Taveras caught against the wall. It would have been a home run in 18 out of 30 ballparks.

*Cristian Javier: 5.2IP, 3H/2ER, 3K:1BB.

Four career postseason starts: 22IP, 5H/2ER, 26K:1BB, 0.82 ERA / 0.27 WHIP.

How Cristian Javier re-found his fastball.

*Hector Neris gave up a single and a home run to make it moderately interesting, the 3rd homer he's allowed in the 2023 postseason.

*Bryan Abreu allowed his first earned run since July 15 - a streak of 32 games / 33IP

*Ryan Pressly has converted his 14 of his last 14 save opportunities in the postseason.

Four of Six Flags' runs came courtesy of 2-out 2-run homers by #8 hitter ~~Carl~~ Josh Jung. All five Ramger runs were with two outs.

*Michael Brantley's shoulder survived his enormous catch.

*It's Game(s) 4 Hero Jose Urquidy vs. Andrew Heaney tonight in Game 4.

*ESPN: How the Astros-Ramgers rivalry defines the state of Texas.

*BBC: How I rewired my brain in six weeks.

*Odes to the Texas Indie Bookstores.

*A Musical Selection, in which I discover that I really like French-Canadian Synth-Pop Girls:

Tuesday Morning Hot Links

2023-10-17T09:35:00.005-05:00

We got hoodwinked, Framboozled, led astray, run amok. Framber was bad. The Astros offense was...offensive, going 0x6 w/RISP. Houston goes to Six Flags down 2-0.

Since 2004, teams that went up 2-0 in the LCS are 18-2 in the series. The 2020 Dodgers came back from 0-2 down to win the NL Pennant over the Barves. Otherwise, in non-Mickey Mouse years, the 2004 Red Sox came back from 3-0 down against the Yankees, and I highly suggest that you watch the "Four Days in October" 30 For 30 before Game 3. Speaking of, here's Derek Jeter on the 2023 ALCS:

This team in Houston is great on the road. Just because they're down 2 games, it's not over. We've lost the series being up 3-0. I don't want to bring it back up...but my point is, everyone in this Texas Rangers clubhouse knows this series is not over.

FanGraphs: Houston 23.7 - 76.3 Six Flags

*Bregman:

We have an off day, and I think everyone's gonna regroup and focus on winning the next pitch. That's all you can do. You've got to take it pitch by pitch in the postseason when you're playing against a great team like them. Come in and compete and try to execute just a little bit better. I don't think we've played terrible; they've just played a little bit better than we have.

*The "Houston" "Astros" are 5-14 at Minute Maid Park since September 1. They're 11-3 on the road in the same time frame.

McTaggart: There's no place like the road.

*The Astros had the bases loaded with nobody out in the 5th. Yainer Diaz, finally pinch-hitting for Maldonado, struck out. Altuve struck out. Bregman grounded out weakly to end the inning with no runs scored. The Astros had runners on 1st and 2nd with two outs in the 8th with no runs scored. This feels impossible. But it's true.

*Altuve: 0x5, 2K. He has one hit in his last 18 PAs, and is 4x25 in the 2023 postseason. Since the beginning of the 2022 postseason, Altuve:

Altuve, postseason, 2015-2020: 63 games, 286 PAs, .306/.378/.565, 18HR/40RBI

Altuve, postseason, 2021-2023: 35 games, 165 PAs, .193/.261/.353, 6HR/10RBI

It's the 5th 0x5 in Altuve's 98 career postseason games.

*Framber Valdez had yet another terrible start: 2.2IP, 7H/5ER, 6K:1BB.

Framber, 2022 postseason: 25IP, 14H/4ER, 33K:8BB.

Framber, 2023 postseason: 7IP, 14H/9ER, 11K:4BB.

The Astros, as a franchise, have only had 16 postseason starts in which the starter did not record nine outs. Framber has four of them:

2021 ALCS Game 1: 2.2IP, 6H/2ER, 2K:3BB

2021 World Series Game 1: 2IP, 8H/5ER, 2K:1BB

2021 World Series Game 5: 2.2IP, 4H/5ER, 1K:2BB

2023 ALCS Game 2.

Should this series come back to Houston, I don't want to see Framber until 2024.

Framber:

I thought the quality of my pitches was good. There were a couple balls that they didn't hit well that fell for base hits. It happened a couple times there.

The xBA on the Rangers' five singles that scored four runs: .470, .450, .950, .910, .320

*Yordan Alvarez hit his 11th and 12th career home runs in his 53rd career postseason game - his 2nd 2HR game of the postseason, and his career. It's the 11th 2HR postseason game in franchise history.

He also drew a walk and scored on Michael Brantley's double. It's his 35th, 36th, and 37th career postseason runs scored, tied with Carlos Correa for fourth in franchise history.

Dubon, on Alvarez:

I've seen him get frustrated. This is a guy that expects excellence from himself. But I never see him doubt.

*Alex Bregman passed Carlos Beltran with his 17th career postseason home run and into a tie for 7th-most all-time with David Ortiz and Jim Thome.

*Yainer Diaz is 0x10 with 5K in the 2023 postseason.

*Kyle Tucker was 0x4 with a strikeout. He's 2x22 with a double, 7K:3BB this postseason - an .091/.200/.136 line - just what you want in the middle of the order. Tucker, on his ABs:

They're terrible. I feel fine, just my swing is not there. I haven't done anything with any of the pitches. It's been tough.

Dusty:

It's frustrating when you're not getting hits. And I'm sure he's frustrated. We need Tuck. He's a big part of our team. Big part of our offense. I just know that Tucker will come across and come through with it in [Six Flags].

*Astros bullpen: 6.1IP, 1H/0ER, 6K:2BB. Just shameful to waste that.

*J.P. France: 2.1IP, 1H/0ER, 1K:1BB. Congratulations to J.P. France, who became the 95th pitcher in Astros history to make a postseason appearance.

*Ken Rosenthal:

It could be that everything finally is catching up to the Astros. All those years of playing so deep into the postseason, which perhaps contributed to injuries to Lance McCullers, Luis Garcia, and Jose Urquidy and the inconsistencies of Valdez and Cristian Javier. All those years of spending modestly in free agency while the Rangers invested $800 million on the open market the past two offseasons.

*Cristian Javier will start Game 3 against Max Scherzer.

What To Watch, October 17

Four Days in October

Minnesota @ Montreal: 6pm Central

Diamondbacks @ Phillies: 7:07pm

Ghana @ United States: 7:37pm

*A Musical Selection:

Monday Morning Hot Links

2023-10-16T06:41:00.003-05:00

Well Jordan Montgomery did his best Pablo Lopez impression and the Astros now find themselves down 1-0 in the Series. Is it ideal? [sensibly chuckling] No, but it's not the end of the world.

Astros Down 1-0 in a 7-Game Series, 2015-present:

2017 World Series (Won 4-3)

2019 ALCS (Won 4-3)

2019 World Series (Well...)

2020 ALCS (Lost 4-3)

2021 World Series (Lost 4-2)

2022 World Series (Won 4-2)

So that's 3-3 after losing Game 1

*FanGraphs: Houston 42.6 - Six Flags 57.4

*It's the first time the Astros have been shutout in a playoff game at home since 2021 World Series Game 6. There wasn't a game after that.

*Houston got five hits - all singles - against Six Flags last night. Dusty:

Sometimes you've got to say: 'Hey, the guy threw a great game tonight against us, excellent game. And they say good pitching beats good hitting, but when you don't hit, everybody wants to know what's wrong. There's not a whole bunch to say. He threw a real good game against us.

*Justin Verlander pitched really well - Evan Carter's 2nd Inning run happened because he took an extra base on his shot underneath Abreu and then hustled to home. The 5th Inning run was one mistake from Verlander. This offense should have bailed Verlander out.

Verlander's 2023 Postseason: 12.2IP, 10H/2ER, 11K:5BB

It's the 17th postseason start of Verlander's career in which he has thrown at least 6IP and recorded 0-2 earned runs. His teams are 12-5 in those games. He's done it with Houston 10 times, and the Astros are now 8-2 (2017 World Series Game 6 was the other one with the Astros).

Verlander:

We lost Game 1 in the World Series last year. We've lost Game 1 of some playoff series before. And that's the great thing about this team. Obviously nobody is sitting in the locker room right now happy. But it's very matter of fact, okay. We just got punched, how do you answer?

*Yordan Alvarez had one of the worst games you'll see him have, going 0x4 with 3K and a weak grounder. In 52 career postseason games, it was just the 3rd time Yordan struck out three times.

Jeff Passan: How Jordan Montgomery finally solved Yordan Alvarez.

*1-5 in the lineup (Altuve-Bregman-Yordan-Abreu-Tucker) went a combined 2x19 with 5K:1BB. Of course Bregman was robbed of a double by Evan Carter, and then was a fraction of a second away from tying the game in the 8th. So that's kind of a hard-luck 2x19, but it still happened.

Tucker is "hitting" .111/.238/.167 in the 2023 postseason. He's 3x34 in his last ten postseason games.

Bregman:

Overall, just didn't do enough tonight, offensively. I thought JV threw the ball tremendously, but we need to string together some better at-bats.

Sinkers and curves sunk the Astros in Game 1.

*Jeremy Pena was 1x3, giving him a hit in 16 of his 18 career postseason games.

*Dusty:

This is the best team I've been around about moving on. And there's nothing you can do. If you're going to lose a game, you'd rather lose it in the first game versus in the middle of the series. And so we know we've got a tough pitcher in Eovaldi tomorrow But we also have a tough pitcher in Framber on our side.

Eovaldi vs Houston, postseason career: five appearances (2018 and 2021 ALCS), 17.2IP, 19H/10ER, 14K:6BB.

Eovaldi vs Houston, regular season career: 3-4, 53IP, 55K:26BB, 45K:19BB, 4.42 ERA/1.40 WHIP.

Game 2 is at 3:37pm.

What To Watch, October 16:

Sweden @ Belgium: 1:45pm Central

Six Flags @ Astros: 3:37pm

Arizona @ Philadelphia: 7:07pm

*SI: The Wild Quest to Create A Fake Indian Cricket League...That Was Just The Beginning.

*We Salted Nannie: A True Southern Ghost Story

*A Musical Selection, as I have to start getting ready:

Saturday Morning Hot Links

2023-10-14T05:49:00.000-05:00

One more sleep, and then it's Gameday.

Astros Hitters vs Rangers Pitchers:

Chas McCormick: 10 Games, .438/.500/.938, 3HR/15RBI, 8K:4BB

Jose Altuve: 8 Games, .286/.342/.886, 7HR/8RBI, 7K:2BB

Kyle Tucker: 13 Games, .400/.571/.650, 3HR/7RBI, 2K:15BB

Yordan Alvarez: 7 Games, .308/.471/.731, 3HR/8RBI, 6K:7BB

Alex Bregman: 13 Games, .314/.407/.451, 1HR/7RBI, 6K:7BB

Jeremy Pena: 9 Games, .325/.357/.425, 0HR/4RBI, 7K:1BB

Martin Maldonado, 11 Games, .222/.282/611, 4HR/6RBI, 15K:3BB

Mauricio Dubon: 13 Games, .264/.291/434, 2HR/6RBI, 5K:2BB

Jose Abreu: 13 Games, .231/.298/.462, 3HR/17RBI, 8K:5BB

Yainer Diaz: 9 Games, .206/.194/.471, 3HR/9RBI, 9K:0BB

Ramgers Hitters vs Astros Pitchers:

Marcus Semien: 13 Games, .431/.508/.706, 4HR/12RBI, 5K:7BB

Mitch Garver: 7 Games, .350/.480/.650, 2HR/5RBI, 5K:5BB

Corey Seager: 7 Games, .346/.379/.654, 2HR/5RBI, 6K:2BB

Travis Jankowski: 12 Games, .361/.395/.528, 1HR/7RBI, 6K:2BB

Josh Jung: 10 Games, .279/.295/.465, 2HR/5RBI, 19K:1BB

Jonah Heim: 13 Games, .279/.313/.419, 1HR/4RBI, 8K:7BB

Nathaniel Lowe: 13 Games, .231/.333/.404, 2HR/9RBI, 9K:7BB

Leody Taveras: 13 Games, .286/.308/.408, 1HR/9RBI, 10K:2BB

Adolis Garcia: 12 Games, .188/.200/.438, 3HR/10RBI, 13K:1BB

Ezequiel Duran: 8 Games, .091/.143/.091, 0HR/0RBI, 12K:2BB

*MLB.com: Four keys for the Astros and Rangers to take the ALCS.

*Dusty vs. Bochy.

*Evan Grant: This is a different Rangers team than the one the Astros beat the dog piss out of in September.

*Max Scherzer is apparently "ready to go." Oooooooo.

*How "aggressive discipline" keeps Corey Seager elite. It would be pretty bad ass to keep Corey Seager from winning a World Series for a second time. Seager, 2017 World Series: .222/.290/.370, 1HR/4RBI, 9K:3BB.

*Six trends that have marked the 2023 postseason.

*MLBTR: Seattle Mariners Offseason Outlook.

*Made a quiz: Name the 86 players who won a World Series ring in 2017 and/or 2022.

*What To Watch, October 14:

2pm Central: USA v Germany

2:30pm: Oregon @ Washington

2:30pm: Texas A&M @ Tennessee

6pm: Chicago @ Montreal

6:30pm: USC @ Notre Dame

7:30pm: Mexico v Ghana

*A Musical Selection:

Friday Morning Hot Links

2023-10-13T09:19:00.001-05:00

We are three days away from what will absolutely 100% be the most toxic ALCS in recent memory. Maybe 2004. I can't freaking wait.

*The Rangers haven't been in the ALCS since 2011. They beat the Detroit Tigers in six games. Justin Verlander lost Game 1 and won Game 5. Six Flags lost in the World Series.

Franchise Tale of the Tape:

Houston:

Regular Season Record: 4921-4892 (.501)

Postseason Record: 79-69 (.534)

Division Titles: 12

Pennants: 5

World Series Championships: 2

Six Flags (not including their time as the Washington Senators)

Regular Season Record: 4000-4186 (.489)

Postseason Record: 26-34 (.433)

Division Titles: 8

Pennants: 2

World Series Championships: 0

*Justin Verlander will start Game 1 on Sunday. Game 1 is at 7:03pm. Game 2 is at 3:37pm Monday.

*MLB.com: ALCS Game 1 FAQ.

*Houston Chronicle: Astros/Ramgers Preview. Michael Brantley:

It's going to be a good battle. They worked hard to get here as well. We're really familiar with one another. I know we have a lot of history and we look forward to going out there Game 1 and competing against them and it's going to be a great series.

*Astros' OPS, ALDS:

Yordan Alvarez: 1.783

Jose Abreu: 1.228

Michael Brantley: .879

Mauricio Dubon: .800

Chas McCormick: .727

Alex Bregman: .694

Jose Altuve: .647

Jeremy Pena: .646

Kyle Tucker: .508

Martin Maldonado: .397

Yainer Diaz: .000

Imagine what'll happen if/when Bregman/Altuve/Tucker get hot.

*Max Scherzer could make Six Flags' ALCS roster.

*Look at this mess from WFAA: A Rangers' fans guide to hating the Houston Astros. It's hilarious. Someone who definitely watches baseball regularly wrote this.

*Arbitration Projections are out! Or, I guess, have been for a few days. Anyway. Juan Soto leads the way at a projected $33m The Astros' arbitration-eligible players (with projections in parentheses):

Kyle Tucker: $12.6m

Framber Valdez: $12.1m

Jose Urquidy: $3.5m

Chas McCormick: $3.1m

Mauricio Dubon: $3.1m

Luis Garcia: $2.1m

Bryan Abreu: $2m

*If you like to live dangerously, you can wager on the Angels (+100,000) and Nationals (+200,000) to win the 2023 World Series.

*Division Winners, 2023 Postseason: 6-14

AL/NL East, AL/NL Central, NL West Division Winners, 2023 Postseason: 3-13

100-win Teams, 2023 Postseason: 1-9.

*Minneapolis Star-Tribune: The Twins reverted to their early-season selves.

*ESPN: How a twist of fate and family advice helped make Falorin Balogun the USMNT's next big thing.

*A Musical Selection:

Thursday Lunch Links

2023-10-12T11:30:00.003-05:00

The Astros have advanced to the ALCS for the 7th straight year, or every single year in which Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, Yordan Alvarez, Jose Urquidy, Framber Valdez, and anyone else whose career began with the Astros after 2016 have been in the Majors. This is a dynasty, and anyone who says otherwise deserves to get their teeth knocked into their throat.

*Franchises to make seven straight League Championship Series:

Atlanta: 8 (1991-1999, there were no playoffs in 1994)

Houston: 7 (2017-2023)

*Playoff Wins, 2015-2023 (as of the morning of October 12):

Houston: 60

Los Angeles: 47

Atlanta: 24

New York Yankees: 20

Chicago Cubs: 19

Boston: 18

Cleveland/Washington: 16

Philadelphia/Tampa: 15

Kansas City: 11

Toronto: 10

New York Mets: 9

San Diego: 8

Milwaukee: 7

Arizona/Six Flags: 6

St. Louis: 5

San Francisco: 4

Minnesota/Oakland: 3

Chicago White Sox/Miami/Seattle: 2

Colorado: 1

Anaheim/Baltimore/Cincinnati/Detroit/Pittsburgh: 0

Verlander:

We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the bond that we have and the relationships that we have in this locker room, and we hold each other accountable in a good way. Obviously, this team is built different. These guys are built different. When it's time to step up, we play our best baseball.

*The Astros were held to six hits. Two of them, accounting for all three runs, were home runs. Houston is now 16-32 in postseason games in which they've recorded six or fewer hits.

Houston is also now 1-5 in games where they do not draw a walk.

15 straight Astros were retired until Jose Abreu got a base hit with two outs in the top of the 9th.

*Jose Urquidy: 5.2IP, 3H/2ER, 6K:1BB. 53 of his 82 pitches were for strikes. Three of his 17 starts for the 2023 Astros went 17 outs or longer. Urquidy has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 11 of his 13 career postseason appearances.

Bregman, on Urquidy, Mr. Game 4:

We've seen that since his rookie year, winning World Series games for us. We have a lot of confidence every time he goes and takes the mound. We know what we're going to get every single time: a guy who's competing, a guy who's trying to go execute pitches.

*The bullpen of Neris/Abreu/Pressly struck out eight of the last ten Twins batters in G4.

*Bullpens:

Houston: 15IP, 10H/6ER, 26K:4BB (4ER were courtesy of Hector Neris in G1)

Minnesota: 19IP, 16H/8ER, 21K:7BB

*Carlos Correa watched Max Kepler watch Strike Three to end the series from the on-deck circle.

Correa, Games 1/2: 5x8, 3 doubles, 3RBI, 2K:1BB

Correa, Games 3/4: 1x7, 0RBI, 2K:0BB

Correa:

I wanted that at-bat (in the 9th) so bad. I know Pressly very well, and it would've been a fun matchup. It didn't get there, but that's the way it's supposed to be.

Imagine moving Correa down in the order so that Max Kepler can represent the tying run with two outs in the bottom of the 9th and swing twice.

*What a find by GMs Jim Crane/Jeff Bagwell in this Jose Abreu fella. Abreu was 2x4 with the eventual go-ahead 2-run homer. Abreu had 2HR/7RBI in Games 3&4. Abreu:

The only thing I can say is thank you.k The person that's not grateful with what life has given them isn't going to reach many goals. I can't say anything other than thank you. I'm just very grateful to be here.

*Michael Brantley hit his first postseason home run since 2020 ALCS G3 - a span of 22 games. Brantley:

The core guys that have been here the last seven years, they know how to win games. Since I got here five years ago, you can call it pressure, or when our back is against the wall, we play our best baseball. We always have. And it's a testament to those guys.

*Jeremy Pena went hitless for just the second time in 17 career postseason games.

*Bryan Abreu: 1IP, 0H/0ER, 2K:0BB.

Bryan Abreu since July 18: 31IP, 13H/0ER, 41K:13BB

*Ryan Pressly: 1IP, 0H/0ER, 3K:0BB.

Pressly, postseason career (all with Houston): 40.2IP, 30H/11ER, 53K:12BB. 2.43 ERA/1.03 WHIP.

Pressly last gave up an earned run in the postseason in 2021 ALCS G1. In the 17 postseason games since: 18.2IP, 6H/0ER, 28K:5BB. 0.00 ERA / 0.59 WHIP.

*Correa, on Maldonado:

He knows what he's doing behind the plate, and he knows every hitter's weaknesses and he's going to try to exploit. He pitches against the xSLG...and we knew it, and still it was hard to make the adjustments, the way he was pitching backwards. Hitters counts, he would go off-speed, and then a count where he would go off-speed regularly, he would go fastballs up.

*Verlander, on the Astros' culture:

There's been a culture established here that hasn't faded away. It's still very present, and that's a testament to the guys that were here before and the guys that remain here and the guys that are leaders of this ballclub. They don't allow slacking off, but they do it in a respectful manner. They expect the best of everyone because they're giving their best every single day. What a great way to lead by example. I think our culture is something not tangible. Funny that one (for) one of the most analytic-forward teams in baseball, something that makes this team so special is something that's not measurable.

*Jeff Passan:

For seven years - one short of Atlanta's record eight-straight championship series appearances - the Astros have managed to win at least one playoff series. And as dissatisfying as that might be for those who harbor resentment against the organizaiton for its cheating in 2017, anyone who refuses to acknowledge the Astros' exceptional staying power is just willfully ignorant.

*FanGraphs: Houston 60.9 - 30.1 Six Flags

Other Stuff:

*100-win teams (Baltimore, Atlanta, Los Angeles), 2023 postseason: 1-8.

Pretty sweet to watch the Astros clinch the ALDS and then turn it over to watch the Dloldgers get swept by a team that went 5-8 against them in the regular season. The Dodgers are the second team in MLB history to win 100 games in the regular season and never even hold a lead in the postseason. The Bastard Dave Roberts:

There's some things with the format that people can dissect or whatever, but the bottom line is we've gotten outplayed in the postseason.

Read every single word above this section to see why maybe the playoff format isn't the reason.

Dodgers, regular season, 2018-2023: 558-313 (.641)

Dodgers, postseason, 2018-2023: 30-28 (.517)

Or, Dodgers, postseason, non Mickey Mouse years (2018-19, 2021-23): 17-23 (.425)

*Jay Jaffe: Dodgers take another early exit from the postseason tournament.

*London to Norman: Inside one recruit's 5,000 mile official visit

*Respect to The Ringer for not having a single solitary baseball article on the front page of their website.

*The radical empathy of Jason Isbell.

What To Watch, October 12:

1:45pm Central: UEFA Euro Qualifying - Scotland @ Spain

3:30pm: CONMEBOL Qualifying - Uruguay @ Peru

7:00pm: Rockets @ Pelicans

7:07pm: Braves @ Phillies

*How Braves-Phillies became Baseball's Best Rivalry.

*A Musical Selection:

Wednesday Morning Hot Links

2023-10-11T11:27:00.004-05:00

What can you say? Roadstros showed up, as usual (for 2023), Cristian Javier showed up. Houston took a 2-1 lead and needs to win one of the next two to advance to play Six Flags for the AL Pennant.

*FanGraphs: Houston 77.8 - 22.2 Minnesota

*Houston is 7-3 in potential series-clinching games since 2020. The Astros push the Twins to the brink of elimination.

*Cristian Javier was unreal, again: 5IP, 1H/0ER, 9K:5BB. The walks were stupid, don't worry about them. Maybe we'll get to them in a bit.

Javier, postseason appearances, career: 15GP, 37.2IP, 15H/8ER, 57K:21BB, X.XX ERA / 0.96 WHIP.

Javier, postseason starts, career: 3GS, 16.1IP, 2H/0ER, 23K:10BB. 0.00 ERA / 0.73 WHIP.

Javier, on the Twins fans counting down the pitch clock as a way to try to frustrate him:

I did notice it, and when I did, I used it in my favor. At that point, I stopped paying attention to the clock because they were counting and just paid attention to the catcher.

Full and complete list of pitchers with three consecutive scoreless postseason starts of 5+ IP:

4: Whitey Ford (1960-61)

3: Cristian Javier (2022-23)

3: Madison Bumbarner (2014-16)

3: Kenny Rogers (2006)

3: Christy MF Mathewson (1905)

Full and complete list of pitchers with back-to-back postseason starts of 5+ IP and 0-1 hits allowed:

1. Cristian Javier

Martin Maldonado, on Javier:

The only way you can rattle him is if you punch him.

Yordan, on Javier:

It's incredible. Obviously, nobody's surprised about what he does in the playoffs. I know in the regular season he was a little bit up and down. But now it's the real Cristian Javier.

*Twins SP Sonny Gray had allowed 8HR in 184IP - his 0.4 HR/9 led the League. Gray had given up 2HR in 26.1 career postseason innings thrown. Gray had not allowed 2HR in a game since September 24, 2021.

Yet, there he was, serving up homers to Jose Abreu and Alex Bregman - accounting for all four of his charged earned runs.

*Jose Abreu hit two home runs in Game 3. He had one 2HR game in all of 2023 (September 6, against Six Flags). Granted, it was only the 10th postseason game of his career, but Abreu's 2HR/5RBI game improved his postseason numbers from 1HR/6RBI in the previous nine games combined. He had not homered in a postseason game since his first career postseason game, in G1 of the 2020 Wild Card Round.

*Alex Bregman was 2x5 with a homer and 2RBI - his 16th career home run and 49th career RBI in the postseason. The 49 RBI move Bregman past Reggie Jackson into sole possession of 9th place in MLB Postseason history, one behind Jose Altuve, who is in 8th with 50.

Bregman's 16 postseason homers are the 3rd-most by anybody who played even an inning at 3B (Pujols, 19; and Jim Thome, 17), and the most by anyone who only played 3B in MLB history.

*Yordan Alvarez was 3x5 with two doubles and a home run. It was the 5th 3+ hit postseason game for Yordan's career. Yordan has a home run in four straight postseason games - only the 11th time in MLB history that's happened. 4+ postseason game homer streaks:

6: Daniel Murphy (NYM), 2015

5: Giancarlo Stanton (NYY), 2020; George Springer (HOU), 2017/18; Carlos Beltran (HOU), 2004

4: Yordan Alvarez (HOU), 2022/23; Evan Longoria (TB), 2008; Jim Thome (CLE), 1998/99); Juan Gonzales (6FL), 1996; Jeffrey Leonard (SF), 1987; Reggie Jackson (NYY), 1977; Lou Gehrig (NYY), 1928-1932.

Reggie Jackson who, with Yordan, are the only players to have six extra-base hits with at least three homers in any three-game postseason span:

He's a force, buddy. He's nice to have on your side.

To have two doubles and a homer in a postseason game has been done 31 times, with Jeremy Pena's 2022 ALCS G1 coming as the last time it's happened.

*57 MLB players in history have hit 10+ career postseason home runs. Six of them have played with the Astros (Altuve, Beltran, Correa, Springer, Bregman, Yordan).

*Martin Maldonado was 2x4. It's his 2nd 2-hit postseason game, 2019 ALDS G2 being the first. Yesterday was his 16th multi-hit game of 2023, and the first since September 25 against Seattle. Yainer Diaz is 0x6 with 4K:0BB in the 2023 ALDS.

*Jose Urquidy will start G4 this evening. Twice before in Urquidy's career, he wanted to quit.

*The AL East's three playoff teams (Baltimore, Tampa, Toronto), who went a combined 289-197 in the regular season, went 0-7 in the 2023 Postseason.

*This Day in Astros Postseason History:

2022: Yordan hits a walk-off moonshot off Robbie Ray.

2015: Dallas Keuchel and the Astros win Game 3 of the ALDS to take a 2-1 series lead.

2004: Roy Oswalt gets the win and Jeff Bagwell actually homers in a postseason game as the Astros win NLDS G5, and the Astros actually win a series, over the Braves.

*What To Watch, October 11:

Braves @ Phillies: 4:07pm Central

Canadiens @ Maple Leafs: 6pm

Astros @ Twins: 6:07pm

Sam Houston @ New Mexico State: 8pm

Dodgers @ D'Backs: 8:07pm

*The gorgeous, eternal guitar tone of Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun."

*Is it cheaper to make your own granola?

*The Mississippi River is losing its fight with the ocean.

*A Musical Selection:

Monday Morning Hot Links

2023-10-09T10:30:00.004-05:00

Pablo Lopez (whose parents are both doctors and, you may be aware, was accepted to medical school at 16) was good. Framber was not. It's the Astros' first home loss in the division series since Game 4 of the 2015 ALDS, a streak of 12 straight wins. They managed to snatch a game at Minute Maid Park and finally go back on the road in what is now a Best-Of-Three. So there's that. Game 3 is Tuesday.

*FanGraphs: Houston 55.7 - 44.3 Minnesota.

Twins outfielder Michael A. Taylor:

We're in the driver's seat now.

*The Astros' 2 runs scored are the lowest scored in a playoff home game since Game 6 of the 2021 World Series.

*Framber Valdez was...not good. Framber goes as his mindset goes. And while I am certainly not one to say that Framber - the winning pitcher in two of the 2022 World Series games - is "mentally weak" or a "basket case," it's pretty well-known that if Framber gets in his head, it's going to be an uphill battle for him. And ALDS G2 looked like Framber had the incline setting to Max thanks to D.J. Reyburn's "strike" "zone."

Framber's seven hits allowed were tied for the second-highest he's allowed in 14 postseason starts, and the most since 2021 World Series G1.

Framber, by postseason:

2020: 24IP, 14H/5ER, 26K:10BB, 1.88 ERA / 1.00 WHIP

2021: 19.2IP, 28H/17ER, 16K:7BB, 7.78 ERA / 1.78 WHIP

2022: 25IP, 14H/4ER, 33K:8BB, 1.44 ERA / 0.88 WHIP

2023: 4.1IP, 7H/5ER, 5K:3BB, 10.38 ERA / 2.31 WHIP

It's not fair to put one start up against three full postseasons, but the point is the Astros need Framber's Even-Year Bullshit to come back.

*That strike zone was wild for both sides, so let's not pretend that it was a total screw-job on the Astros. But if I remember the home plate umpire's name the morning after the game, it's safe to say that the home plate umpire needs to look in the mirror and re-evaluate some things.

*How Pablo Lopez, whose parents were doctors and was accepted to medical school at 16, stymied the Astros to tie up the ALDS. Szymborski:

Houston's lineup, despite the dangerous hitters in the top half, mostly just watched their demise pass them by, only swinging at 52% of Lopez's in-zone pitches; Lopez is at 70% for his career and has never had a game in which opponents swung less often at his in-zone offerings. The result was seven strikeouts on just 12 whiffs the entire game, against 22 called strikes. To put that into context, of the 251 games in 2023 in which a pitcher struck out seven batters, only 17 featured fewer swings-and-misses.

Were you aware that Pablo Lopez has two doctors for parents, and was accepted to medical school at the age of 16?

Dusty, on Lopez, whose parents are doctors and who himself was accepted to medical school at the age of 16:

There's nothing you can say. The guy was dealing tonight.

*Yordan hit a two-run homer and is responsible for five of Houston's eight runs in the ALDS, and eight of their last 12 postseason runs. He has four homers and eight RBIs in his last three postseason games. Yordan also has a five-game postseason RBI streak, which has only happened 53 times in MLB postseason history. Astros with 5-game postseason RBI streaks:

Carlos Beltran: 5 (2004)

Alex Bregman: 5 (2017)

George Springer: 5 (2017-2018)

Carlos Correa: 5 (2020)

Yordan Alvarez: 5 (2022-2023)

*Speaking of Carlos Correa, he had 3RBI in G2 of the 2023 ALDS. He had five regular season games in 2023 of 3+ RBI. It was his 8th postseason 3+ RBI game.

Framber:

I thought Correa got a little bit lucky with the sinker there. It was going down to the ground, he was able to get to it.

How Correa prepared for the AB that knocked Framber out of the game.

*Jose Altuve was 2x4, the 32nd multi-hit postseason game of his career. Jose Altuve is the greatest Astro of all-time, and it's not even close.

*In the seven postseason games since Kyle Tucker went 3x5 with 2HR/4RBI in 2022 World Series G1, he's hitting .087/.214/.174.

*The Astros have "parted ways" with Assistant GM Bill Firkus and Farm Director Sara Goodrum.

*Baltimore is going to "reset" after losing their two home games to Six Flags.

What To Watch, October 9:

Cambridge United @ Burton Albion: 2pm Central

Phillies @ Braves, 5:07pm

Packers @ Raiders? I think?, 7:15pm

We're 24 hours from NHL Opening Night, and 48 hours from my beloved Montreal Canadiens' 2023 season opener.

Diamondbacks @ Dodgers: 8:07pm

*A Musical Selection:

Sunday Morning Hot Links

2023-10-08T10:56:00.003-05:00

The Astros enjoyed OktOBERfest haha got em. Hector Neris made it interesting, but the Astros go to Game 2 of the ALDS with a 1-0 lead for the 8th time since 2015, and the 7th straight time from 2017-2023. Houston is 22-7 in the ALDS since the beginning of the 2015 postseason (20-4 since 2017).

*Jose Altuve hit a first-pitch homer to open the game. It's his 24th postseason home run. He needs five more to tie Manny Ramirez for the most in MLB history. It was also his first postseason homer since 2021 World Series G4 - a span of 13 postseason games.

Altuve RBI, 2022 Postseason: 0

Altuve RBI, 2023 Postseason (so far): 1

Houston Astros with a leadoff postseason home run:

Jose Altuve, G1 2023 ALDS

George Springer, G5 2020 ALCS

Craig Biggio, G7 2004 NLCS

*Justin Verlander is now tied for 2nd all-time with 35 postseason starts. He started Game 1 for an MLB-record 13th time.

Verlander needed 23 pitches to get out of a (scoreless) 1st Inning. He only had three innings as an Astro in 2023 where he threw more: 2nd Inning September 30, 2nd Inning August 27, and 2nd Inning August 11. He took a little while to settle in:

1st Inning: 23 pitches, 0H/0ER, 0K:2BB

2nd Inning: 13 pitches, 2H/0ER, 0K:0BB

3rd Inning: 19 pitches, 1H/0ER, 1K:0BB

4th Inning: 10 pitches, 0H/0ER, 1K:0BB

5th Inning: 13 pitches, 0H/0ER, 2K:0BB, HBP

6th Inning: 15 pitches, 0H/0ER, 1K:1BB

Verlander got two GIDPs in the first two innings, the most he's induced in a game since May 10, 2022 against...the Twins. It's just the 27th time in his career he's gotten two GIDPs in a start, playoffs included, and the 3rd time he's gotten two GIDPs in a postseason outing. G1 was his 545th career MLB start.

Dusty, on Verlander:

Early, he was forcing his breaking ball...he couldn't get it over. He got in trouble a couple times early, but if you don't get to JV early, he usually finds his groove.

Postseason Wins, MLB Career:

1. Andy Pettitte: 19

2. Justin Verlander: 17

3. John Smoltz: 15

4. Tom Glavine: 14

5. Clayton Kershaw: 13

Verlander, regular season career: 18 seasons, 257-141, 3342K:925BB, 3.24 ERA / 1.12 WHIP

Kershaw, regular season career: 16 seasons, 210-92, 2944K:669BB, 2.48 ERA / 1.00 WHIP

Verlander, postseason career: 36 appearances, 17-11, 236K:71BB, 3.54 ERA / 1.11 WHIP

Kershaw, postseason career: 39 appearances, 13-13, 213K:51BB, 4.49 ERA / 1.11 WHIP

Verlander:

It's been a whirlwind of a year, season for me. To find myself back here in Houston and pitching in the playoffs is not something I foresaw, but happy to be here, happy to help contribute, and happy to be in the playoffs.

*Jeremy Pena was 1x4. He has at least one hit in 13 of his 14 career postseason games.

*Yordan Alvarez hit a two-run homer in the 3rd, the 7th postseason home run of his career, and the second consecutive postseason game with a home run, going back to the when he turned the game upside-down in G6 of the 2022 World Series. Yordan has at least one RBI in four straight postseason games.

Worth mentioning that Yordan Alvarez has 199 career post-season plate appearances, and just one GIDP.

2+ HR games, postseason, Astros history:

Jose Altuve: 3 - G1 2017 ALDS

Yordan Alvarez: 2 - G1 2023 ALDS

Kyle Tucker: 2 - G1 2022 World Series

Michael Brantley: 2 - G4 2020 ALDS (somehow I have zero recollection of this)

George Springer: 2 - G2 2020 ALDS

Carlos Correa: 2 - G1 2020 ALDS

George Springer: 2 - G3 2018 ALDS

Carlos Correa: 2 - G4 2015 ALDS

Carlos Beltran: 2 - G5 2004 NLDS

Yordan:

When I go up there, I try not to think about the situation, try not to think about the noise. Just say to myself, 'I'm the only one that can get the job done at this moment.

Dubon, on Yordan:

It's not easy to face him in general. You have no idea what he's going to do. He can hit a ball out dead center 460 feet or he's on his front foor and (hitting) it out 400 feet. Pick your poison - what do you want?

Twins pitcher Caleb Thielbar had not allowed a home run to a lefty all season. Lefties big, righties small...Yordan hits them all.

*FanGraphs: Behind Verlander's arm, and Yordan's bat, the Astros snatch Game 1.

*Jose Abreu now has at least one RBI in five of his career eight postseason games. The Athletic: A healthy Jose Abreu now has a clean slate in front of him.

*Hector Neris had not allowed a home run since August 14. So of course he gave up a 3-run shot to make it 5-3 Astros in the 7th and then another one a batter later to make it 5-4. Neris had only given up two homers in a game five times previously in his career. The last time he gave up multiple homers was June 29, 2018.

Neris, 2022 postseason: 6IP, 2H/1ER, 9K:0BB

Neris, 2023 postseason; 0.2IP, 3H/4ER, 2K:0BB, HBP

*The Astros were 2x10 w/RISP, the Twins were 1x12 w/RISP.

*Kendall Graveman was left off the ALDS Roster because he is literally butthurt.

*It was the 48th time the Astros have won a postseason game with Carlos Correa in uniform:

Wins with Correa as an Astro: 47

Wins with Correa as a Twin: 1

Elsewhere in the playoffs:

Rangers 3 - 2 Orioles. FanGraphs has it: Rangers 72.6 - 27.4 Orioles

Phillies 3 - 0 Braves. FanGraphs: Phillies 59.9 - 40.1 Braves

D'Backs 11 - 2 Dodgers. FanGraphs: D'Backs 61.7 - 38.3 Dodgers

Other Stuff

*Two climbers were stranded on a big wall. An iPhone saved the day.

*A 1994 UFO sighting changed lives. What if this guy made it up?

*The Struggle Is Awesome.

What To Watch, October 8:

Roma @ Cagliari: 11am Central

Texans @ Falcons: 12pm

Barcelona @ Grenada: 2pm

Rangers @ Orioles: 3:07pm

Twins @ Astros, 7:03pm

*A Musical Selection: