Yankees go home and take your fans with you

I lifted my sports moratorium briefly to attend the Houston Astros vs. New York Yankees game on Saturday night. I've seen the Yankees play. In fact I was there to witness Phil Niekro pitch his 3,000 career strikeout. It's just they've never come to Houston to play a regular season series and are here due to inter league play. So for me it was a minor historic event.

Sitting there in the nose bleed section overlooking third base reminded me why I don't enjoy baseball. I like it better on TV where I can change the channel once the Astros go into self destruct mode. Last nights game was a prime reason of why I just don't enjoy going to see them play.

Starts out great with Carlos Lee slamming a three run homer to stake Wandy Rodriquez a three run lead to start off the game. For the first three innings, Rodriquez lets the first batter he faces get on base. He gave up two lead off doubles. In the course of events, he allowed the Yankees to score 5 runs in the first three innings. He settle downs after a while but the damage is done. The batters finally make some noise but the pen can't hold down the Yanks and soon it gets out of hand.

When Drayton McClain bought the team I thought he would make it a top flight organization that would compete year in and out. Occasionally there would be the years where they struggle. What's been going on instead is McClain is doing just enough to try to keep the team competitive and market the team to get the fans in the seats. He lulls them into thinking the Astros can win ball games and keep them returning to the stands. He'll go out and sign players like Carlos Lee, trade for Miguel Tejada and Kazuo Matsui to create buzz for the fans. He doesn't throw mad money at them. They are enough moves that create the illusion that the team will be competitive. Fans buy into this and come to the games. McClain gets the payroll he wants, the fans show up and he gets the bottom line of money he wants at the end of the year.

In the mean time, the farm system is in complete shambles. It's an utter disaster. Hunter Pence is the only player to have come up recently. One looks down at the farm and the pipeline is empty. I read one scouts take in Sports Illustrated that the Astros farm system ranks 30th of all major league systems. That's 30 out of 30. McClain's system of signing players to keep the fans in the seats and the trades for the likes of Randy Johnson and Carlos Beltran have hurt the farm system. By signing Andy Petite and Roger Clemens to go along with star Roy Oswalt, the farm system has been neglected. Since they had the veteran arms, the Astros failed to draft and develop young arms to move up the system to be ready to hit the majors when Clemens and Petite finally move on. The trades for Johnson and Beltran were three for one trades. So over the years, the Astros traded six top prospects for two players to make the playoff run. Worse off, the Astros were unable to retain Johnson or Beltran after the post season push was made. So by making two three for one trade and not developing players to move up to the majors, the Astros are looking at years of mediocrity or worse until someone starts paying attention to the minor league teams again.

A major philosophy shift is needed in the organization. The Astros need to draft and develop players through the minor league system. They especially need to develop pitchers. Of course, free agent signings are still going to take place. It's part of the puzzle to remain competitive but not at the expense of decimating the farm system for players that will be here only part of a season to make a playoff push.

I hope one day soon McClain realizes this and puts a strong product on the field in a few years.

Sports Moratorium

The Great Sports Moratorium continues with one exception: The European 2008 Championships.

With the exclusion of soccer, all other sports topics are banned until further notice. The ban comes courtesy of the following choking teams: San Antonio Spurs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Houston Cougars softball. The crappy play of the Houston Astros also contributes the ban. The sports ban will remain in effect until the beginning of NFL training camps or until such events warrant the lifting of the ban.

Now to Euro 2008. What a fabulous ass kicking the Dutch put on the current World Cup champions. Words cannot describe this glorious victory for the men in orange. If fact I won't try to describe the action. Just enjoy the goals.

The first goal by Ruud van Nistelrooy in the 26 minute. It was a contraversial because the Italian golie pushed an injured defender out of play but the Dutch player was ruled on side.


The second goal put through by Wesley Sneijder minutes later in the 31st minute of play.


For good measure, Giovanni van Bronckhorst finished the scoring and put the hatchet in the Italians in the 79th minute.


Fuerza Azul trips to regroup against the Romanians while Clockwork Oranges hopes to continue the goal scoring against the French.

It's good to find some joy in an otherwise bleak sports landscape.