What a series.
well darn... I'm out. It is a great series though!
Looks like Dougie is out too...
:sob:
Oh well; good luck to Doug Crawford and the outside chance DDSM could pull this out!
Bottom of the ninth...Doug is looking good
DDSM
Congratulations Astros...and Doug Crawford...well done
DDSM
It was a well played series by both the Astros & the Dodgers.
Doug Crawford, post: 453557, member: 9 wrote: It was a well played series by both the Astros & the Dodgers.
Congrats Doug!!!!!!!!!! :clink:
You even got the correct score! Wow!! :grinning:
Any chance you can tell me if the Cardinals will be in it next year, and what the score will be? 😎
Natural disaster towns always win!
ESPN sports analyst Rob Stone explained. ??The correlation between countries that are torn apart by natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes is evident?, Rob said. ??If you find yourself doing some online betting or putting a few bucks on a Super Bowl square at work, make sure you always go for the team that was most recently crapped on by Mother Nature; your odds of winning will be that much greater!?
Congrats Doug! Nice pick!
Mike,I take offense to that comment.
Actually, I was all in for the Stros, not a Dodger fan. I just find it to be a strange phenom I have observed through the years of watching sports, that is all. Just an observation and sorry for the plight you folks in Texas have had to endure. No offense meant by this.
Mike Martin, post: 453662, member: 516 wrote: Actually, I was all in for the Stros, not a Dodger fan. I just find it to be a strange phenom I have observed through the years of watching sports, that is all. Just an observation and sorry for the plight you folks in Texas have had to endure. No offense meant by this.
What's your data to document this phenom?
Astros were picked by many in the preseason and just before Harvey held a commanding lead in their division.
Astros were the better team no doubt.
Tough bats - Springer, Altuve, Correa and Gurriel et al. Pitchers stepped up.
Dodgers held tough for a young team.
I follow baseball. This was a good year.
I'm question your postulate because I can't recall any championships won by the natural disaster criteria. Mostly all of the ESPN and other TV analysts are lame.
I'm positive Harvey and Maria provided inspiration to the Astros to succeed.
Here is the June 2014 SI cover with the MVP.
Hi-staker, post: 453206, member: 8208 wrote: Felt like I was watching a home run derby at the All-Star break.
Read a few articles quoting players as saying the ball felt completely different. I wouldn't be surprised if MLB made the change intentionally.
Great series with stellar hitting, pitching and fielding. I have followed this season more closely than previous years. I have an interest in sabermetrics.
This season the MLB season record for HRs was shattered in both leagues.
There were changes in the ball. The seams are stitched lower than previous years. Maybe mm? or less. This produces less down spin on the ball causing slightly longer distances. The moonshot home runs and sky high pop ups are related. Tape measure homers are on the upswing. Batters are swinging for the seats. Weather conditions such as heat, humidity and wind are factors in HRs.
Alvin Tostick, post: 453699, member: 13000 wrote: What's your data to document this phenom?
Actually, had I had enough coffee prior to posting, I would have started with something like; "This is merely an observation...." or "do you think there is any correlation to natural disasters and sporting championships...." But then if I had a good night's sleep and the required coffee for a morning jumpstart, I would have headed out into the field asap and avoided posting this "observation" altogether. I have no data to back this up, just an observation from a guy who has watched sports for many years. Sorry for any insensitivities, nothing meant that way. Love the game, despite my observations. Great series, expected lower scores, pitching was good, calls were a little iffy, but consistent for both sides, batting was unbelievable. I actually enjoyed the pitching from the 3rd inning on, and thought Morton did a GREAT job finishing it off.
I hadn't noticed this thread before today. I am a lifelong Astros fan, through good times (not so many) and bad times (plenty of those). I love the game of baseball. I am even the product of a baseball relationship, as my father played on a barnstorming Latin American baseball team in Texas that was coached by my mother's uncle, and that was how they met. My baseball playing career was pretty forgettable, not lasting past high school. I was pretty well known as a youth baseball coach in the 1990s in Houston. I never coached any future major leaguers, but I did have three college All-Americans. I also had the pleasure of coaching the sons and nephews of former Astros, Twins, and Yankees players. I also coached the grandson of a certain former manager of the Orioles, who was a hero of mine when I was growing up. If I hadn't gotten in to my career choice in this field, I've always said I would have wound up as a history teacher/high school baseball coach.
I follow other sports as well. I was happy when the Rockets won a couple of NBA championships in the 1990s. The Houston Comets won the first three championships in the WNBA, and that was exciting. The Houston Dynamo won an MLS championship in 2007 I believe it was. I love soccer, but had to celebrate that from Indiana. I used to be a season ticket holder for the Houston Aeros, now defunct. I was in the building when they won an AHL championship back in the 1990s. I would be thrilled if the Texans won a Super Bowl. But really, there was only one thing that I've said I wanted to see before I die. That was to see the Astros win a World Series. I'm still having to celebrate from afar in Indiana, but they've done it, and I'm beyond ecstatic.
I wish my parents were still around to have been able to see this. Well my dad liked the Astros, but the Yankees were really his team as the Astros didn't exist when he was growing up and he followed the Yankees religiously. He still would have loved the excitement of a World Series win for Houston. I am glad that my first grandson seems to like wearing his Jose Altuve jersey that I got for him recently after our daughter sent a picture of him in some Red Sox gear during the ALDS (against the Sox no less!) I know it was a gift from someone else but he has to stick to Astros gear!
Thanks for letting me share some memories. I'm still in a state of disbelief. Growing up a fan of Houston sports team I learned long ago to temper my expectations. I'm happy. I'm even watching a replay of game 7 now as I type this. Thankfully I have a wife and kids who put up with my obsession. I think I will go give my wife another hug now.
BlitzkriegBob where did you coach? In Spring Branch by the grain elevators? I played there 90-93.
Mike Martin, post: 453756, member: 516 wrote: Actually, had I had enough coffee prior to posting, I would have started with something like; "This is merely an observation...." or "do you think there is any correlation to natural disasters and sporting championships...." But then if I had a good night's sleep and the required coffee for a morning jumpstart, I would have headed out into the field asap and avoided posting this "observation" altogether. I have no data to back this up, just an observation from a guy who has watched sports for many years. Sorry for any insensitivities, nothing meant that way. Love the game, despite my observations. Great series, expected lower scores, pitching was good, calls were a little iffy, but consistent for both sides, batting was unbelievable. I actually enjoyed the pitching from the 3rd inning on, and thought Morton did a GREAT job finishing it off.
no apology necessary, I understood. Great series. Better team won.
Hurricane definitely motivated the team.
ANOTHER_TEXAS_SURVEYOR, post: 453796, member: 8610 wrote: BlitzkriegBob where did you coach? In Spring Branch by the grain elevators? I played there 90-93.
No, not in Spring Branch. I coached at Bayland Park. Still part of Little League District 16 though! At the time, Bayland had two little leagues, Sharpstown and Braeburn. I started at Braeburn. They have since merged into one league called Bayland Park. There was some great baseball being played in the early 90s on those fields. Braeburn had Jeff Niemann (Rays) and Calvin Medlock (played AAA for several years) while James Loney (Dodgers, Red Sox, Rays, and Mets) starred for Sharpstown. Did you play against any of those guys? Spring Branch also had really good teams back then. I also coached in the Colt leagues at Bayland. If you ever came to Bayland, especially to play, then we surely ran across each other.
Regarding District 16, at one time we were the only district that had more than one league who won national Little League championships. Westbury was world champion in 1966, and Bellaire was the U.S. champion in 2000. Not sure if anyone else has accomplished that over the last two decades.
I am not sure if I have. Looked them up and its not jogging my memory, but Jeff is my age, Calvin is a year older, and James is a year younger, so if they played SBALL there is a good chance we at least shared the field. This is my first and last year I played there.
