Alyson Footer's new blog post describes how the 2010 Astros aren't your 2000 Astros who, after 30 games, were 12-18. Not 9-21.
Footer:
In 2000, the Astros lost about as many games as the this year's team has one month in, but back then, the pitching was so horrendous that the Astros had pretty much no chance to win, night after night, month after month. The pitchers were largely Astrodome pitchers, for whom the mantra was, throw the ball down the middle and let them hit it. Most likely, the balls will die at the warning track and you'll win ballgames.
So in 2000, in the new ballpark, Astros pitchers other than Scott Elarton and Shane Reynolds had no chance. The season was over on what we office girls affectionately referred to as Black Thursday -- a late-April afternoon game against the Cubs when Jose Lima gave up four home runs in the first inning and pretty much personified what the entire season would be -- 16-14 losses, 10-7 losses, 9-6 losses. You get the drift.
That is what is so infuriating about watching the 2010 Astros. The pitching has been just fine, and when your pitching is just fine, you have a chance. But then there's the offense. Where oh where is the offense? It's unfathomable that Carlos Lee, Lance Berkman and Hunter Pence have collectively contributed almost nothing, and we're a month into the season.
Michael Bourn, you're the best offensive player we have, what do you think?
"It's all on us. It's not the pitching. They've been great. This is on us."
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
