I do agree with most of the above. Crane does have an all-in mentality, for better or for worse. The next 60-90 days will reveal much. Either we get back into the race or we continue our slide.
I think it could be a lot less than 90 days. I don’t see how a team recovers from 10-30 or worse. They need a winning streak in literally the worst way.
I remember the days where we sent pitchers to Colorado so it seems like we didn't lose anything when they flamed out in that stadium... sooo let's send Framber to NYY
But here's the problem - you're assuming player performance is independent of the manager and that if a different person was managing the team, the players would be performing the same. The whole point of a manager is leadership and figuring out how to get the best out of their players. Dusty has a history where his teams routinely statistically outperform what they should be doing - in particular, with his bullpens, but also with defense and wins in general. The roster is essentially the same as last year. Offense is better: you have Diaz playing full time, Chas mostly full time (which everyone wanted), and Altuve is not on the IL. Maldy is out of the lineup. Those are really the only differences player-wise. This was what fans begged for all of last year. Starting Pitching: There are some guys on the IL, but many of those guys were there last year too. JV wasn't on the team at this time, and France and Brown pitched a ton last year (and Blanco and Bielak made starts too). They are worse off now than they were to start last year, but once Garcia/Urquidy got hurt, they were in worse shape last year given that none of the subs had any experience. Framber/Javier missing a few starts doesn't help, but Blanco being great has helped balance that. No one seemed to give Dusty's teams any grace for running a bunch of no-name starting pitchers out there last year. Relief Pitching: They lost some good middle relievers, but added an elite closer and Montero has regained his form. Should be weaker in the middle and stronger on the back end. So rosterwise, their offense is better, pitching is a little weaker than April 2023 - but not all that different. But there is one key difference no one wants to acknowledge. Amusingly, Espada is like a fan playing manager. He's doing everything people here asked last year - play Diaz and Chas a ton, move people down the lineup if they suck or up if they do well for a bit, tell everyone to play with more urgency and fire. This is why fans make such bad managers. Obviously we can only look in from the outside, but whatever buttons he's trying to push don't seem to work like they do when all the managers you mentioned are in charge.
I can't handle it now...we should discuss this over wings at Pluckers or at the restaurant of your choice, I'll buy.
who cares what yall do... just get this $hit off the front page (...yeah, I know...) I just want to know how a lackadaisical drunk imbecile was able to fire up these players to gel with eachoth....ohhell... yeah, wait, thats right-- he didnt. JDB didnt "lead this team to a WS title" period, end of story... he got one by proxy. helter skelter, to each their own, carpe diem, every man for them(contract)self. why is Jose Abreu still a Houston Astro?? I'll throw my hands up in submission if you can show me he's adopted Houston, causes/people/culture... if not, find some slickdick attorney/doctor to find a loophole & void tf outta that contractual agreement. how did we end up in the reality where Bagwell becomes the sheister-bro and not Bigg/Berkman/Roger or even Ensberg or Everett?? Hell, put Backe, Brantley or even Josh Reddick into that "go-get-em-recruiter!" role...
What we are seeing is that maybe, just maybe, Dusty knew something that we didn't and there was a reason why the players loved him. For all the talk that Dusty just fluked his way into winning the 2022 WS in every year he was with the Stros they finished no worse than game 7 of the ALCS.
I will completely agree that the players live Dusty and they played hard for him. Not a single argument. My only problem with Dusty was INTENTIONALLY leaving the better players on the bench even when they were hot, giving guys "acclimation days" before playing when they joined/rejoined the team, and refusing to acknowledge hot/cold streaks by playing or not playing those players.
1) We finished the 2020 regular season with a losing record. 2) The top fans in the clubhouse for Dusty were Nico Goodrum, Robel Garcia, and Corey Julks. 2) Ask Chas and Yainer why they thought about Dusty.
You have to be a dumb POS if you are counting a 60 game season against Dusty. If that’s the case you must think the Dodgers’ ring isn’t a Mickey Mouse ring.
Also, no I’m not asking Chas’ fata** a gotdamn thing. All that banana pudding and he can’t stay healthy. Even when he was he didn’t matter, just like Diaz.
Who are the better players? Chas who is hurt again and Diaz who still swings at anything he sees? Two guys who have proven nothing except having a terrible record.
Funny folks keep bumping Hinch’s threads when he lost a WS with the best Astro’s team of all time and oversaw the biggest scandal in team history.
Winning comes down to pitching and in 2022 the Stros had really good starting pitching and a lights out bullpen. This year they don't have that and I don't expect a run to happen because as long as Brown and Arrighetti are in the rotation it will be impossible to go on the type of run it will take to get back into contention. That's if the bullpen comes around to what everybody thought it would be. Also the bullpen lacks depth. But hey, Brown upgraded the the catcher position. SMH
