Will the Astros be the best team in OOTP14

[DDover]

Will the Astros be the best team in OOTP14...because they currently sit atop the AL West and lead the league in runs scored and HR.

Sorry for the post, but as an Astros fan, it may well be the only time I get to all year. Usually by the time OOTP is released, the season is done for my home team. Maybe this year will be different.

Go Astros!

[Pdubya64]

In all seriousness, I think both the Astros and Cubs are in the right GM hands now. It will likely mean they won't play anything other than division doormat for the next few years, but I really like the way those teams are going about it.
You only have to look at the Yankees and Phillies (and the "old" Cubs) to see that teams that choose to gut and starve their farm system eventually pay the piper if they don't keep throwing top money around.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Cardinals seem to have all the pieces in place to both contend at the MLB level and grow their farm system at the same time.
Good luck to your Astros!

[Cras]

I am not sure the Cubs are in good hands to be honest.....

and I have no problem with that.




And as for the Astros, thanks for 2005.

[Syd Thrift]

Theo Epstein isn't good hands?

[Cras]

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

Theo Epstein isn't good hands?

I don't think. Didn't really leave the Red Sox in the best of situations. A lot of what he did in winning those World Series was throw tons of money at free agents. And near the end those FA contracts he was handing out looked pretty stupid. Thank God for the Dodgers.

[ajsas01]

In any case, happy Opening Day to everyone!

[David Watts]

Originally Posted by ajsas01

In any case, happy Opening Day to everyone!

Opening day was last night

[Syd Thrift]

Originally Posted by Cras

I don't think. Didn't really leave the Red Sox in the best of situations. A lot of what he did in winning those World Series was throw tons of money at free agents. And near the end those FA contracts he was handing out looked pretty stupid. Thank God for the Dodgers.

Yeah, not really... Theo, particularly earlier in his Red Sox career, was kind of known as Billy Beane with more money (in fact, the Sox attempted to hire Beane but failed). In later years, sure, he threw a good deal of money at problems because his team had a good deal of money to spend; however, even then I don't think that he was particularly anti-stathead or anything in his approach.

[ajsas01]

Originally Posted by David Watts

Opening day was last night

Opening NIGHT was last night. Opening DAY is today.

[LGM]

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

Yeah, not really... Theo, particularly earlier in his Red Sox career, was kind of known as Billy Beane with more money (in fact, the Sox attempted to hire Beane but failed). In later years, sure, he threw a good deal of money at problems because his team had a good deal of money to spend; however, even then I don't think that he was particularly anti-stathead or anything in his approach.

Theo inherited a really good team and was jus there when it came together. He's a great GM, but not the best people thought he was.

[Cras]

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

Yeah, not really... Theo, particularly earlier in his Red Sox career, was kind of known as Billy Beane with more money (in fact, the Sox attempted to hire Beane but failed). In later years, sure, he threw a good deal of money at problems because his team had a good deal of money to spend; however, even then I don't think that he was particularly anti-stathead or anything in his approach.

I am not saying he is anti-stat, not at all. He clearly favours his own special metrics that him and his team come up with in house.

I question the guy's judgement from that point on. He finds a guy who his metrics scream out at him (or maybe he falls away from it once and a while), and then throws stupid money at the guy.

Didnt hurt having Manny all up on 'roids doing his thing. I guess you can say he is a lot like Billy Beane in that regard too.

[Honorable_Pawn]

Originally Posted by ajsas01

Opening NIGHT was last night. Opening DAY is today.

Holy crap!

So when a business advertises that they are open 24 hours a day it is misleading? That it is false advertising? Should we file a class-action lawsuit against Walmart?


***********************



Setting: 1st grade classroom. Teacher instructing students on how to tell time on an analog clock.

Teacher: "Hey kids how many hours in a day?"

Kids: "ooh...oooh! Me! me!"

Teacher points to Stanley--who has the least self-confidence.

Stanley: "Um...uhhhh...tw...tw....twenty-f...f...four?"

Teacher: "Eeeeeeeeeaaa!!!!!!!! Wrong!!! Moron!!! There's 12 hours in a day and 12 hours in a night...on the equator...on the 21st of June. You imbecile!!!!"

[goodelgin]

the Pirates?!!!

[ajsas01]

Originally Posted by Honorable_Pawn

Setting: 1st grade classroom. Teacher instructing students on how to tell time on an analog clock.

Teacher: "Hey kids how many hours in a day?"

Kids: "ooh...oooh! Me! me!"

Teacher points to Stanley--who has the least self-confidence.

Stanley: "Um...uhhhh...tw...tw....twenty-f...f...four?"

Teacher: "Eeeeeeeeeaaa!!!!!!!! Wrong!!! Moron!!! There's 12 hours in a day and 12 hours in a night...on the equator...on the 21st of June. You imbecile!!!!"

Yep, haha .

I'm just going by what the MLB marketing complex is spitting out.

[Honorable_Pawn]

[GeoWar]

Originally Posted by LGM

Theo inherited a really good team and was jus there when it came together. He's a great GM, but not the best people thought he was.

Boston had the players in system except pitching. Manny, Ortiz (always strange that Twins dumped him and he burst on scene at Boston - with Manny), Youk, Per,

But Schilling ? Beckett ? Lackey? Crawford ? Gonzo ?

Team Character ?

Theo is not the answer in Chicago - it is his second chance in a less pressure situation.

All teams have a cycle. You must develop talent and the ageing player must know when to leave or accept a lesser role. Did the Yankees want to trade Babe Ruth ? (NO) ... It is one thing that is not mentioned with Aaron (the Braves traded him to Milwaukee to finish his career as a DH).

Where would the Yankees be without Andy, Posada, Jeter, Rivera, (Soriano and Cano), Joba, .....

...... and think about A-Rod - the Rangers paid a lot of his salary (and how much did the Yankees help out Texas with the trade, not just in paying a part of his salary), ... today Wells - the Angels pay as much for him to play for the Yankees .

[GeoWar]

Beane and "Moneyball" was about getting on base and producing "X" number of runs from a group of players and not from an individual player. The ASTROs are not that ----- after the FIRST 3 game series this year ----- the Astros have set a record for most strikeouts in a three-game series to start a season (43).

The entire NL East has 35 Ks coming in to Wednesday's games.

The Astros are trying to build correctly. letting the young talent develop in the minors and putting the team core together. Then make trades to fill in the holes. KC this year made the trades they hope will put them at the top for 3 to 5 years. But is the RBI guy in the organization KC hopes so.

Houston if they were playing "Moneyball" would have watched the waiver wires to pickup the right veterans ( They should have been in the Vernon Wells trade talks - much like "Moneyball" picked up David Justice.)

Depending on the Houston minors situation - they are 4 to 5 years away . But Houston is a baseball city that can win -

[Syd Thrift]

Why in the world would they have wanted to be in the Vernon Wells trade talks? For one thing, Moneyball or no Moneyball, they're not going to contend this year. That team is awful and has been run awfully for several years. Vernon Wells is the kind of guy who, if released, might be a decent sort of minimum-wage pickup for a team like the Astros, in that they can take a flier on him to see if he has anything left in the tank and if so perhaps they could flip him at the trade deadline, but as a trade chit? Oh heck no, not even for non-prospects on the level the Yankees sent out. If nothing else, he'd be a drain on the team's resources. The team has nothing in common with the A's of the early 2000s and Wells has nothing in common with Dave Justice from that period.

To put this back into OOTP perspective, even OOTP, GMing quirks aside, has a "Rebuilding" mode in which they eschew the likes of a Vernon Wells.

[ihatenames]

Originally Posted by GeoWar

Theo is not the answer in Chicago - it is his second chance in a less pressure situation.

First off I'll point out that Theo is not the GM of the Cubs, Jed Hoyer is.

Secondly, To this point I think his tenure going well. The team has done a lot of things I've liked. For one he's really focused on building back up the minor league system. This offseason they signed a lot of guys coming off injuries that may contribue this year. The moves are not to help the cubs compete this year. I believe the signings are ment to be trade chips for prospects. If Guys like Feldman, Baker (once consider upper half starters for their previous teams) can show they are healthy and productive there will be a market for their services come July. And to a lesser extent the same could be said for guys like Carlos Villanueva and Ian Stewart.

He's signing low priced pieces that may have value to someone else. At this point I can't argue with that strategy.

Theo did spent a lot of money to have success in Boston. However Cubs have money to spend. If the right pieces are in place I have no problem with him spending (or overspending) to complete the package. You can't complain if your team wins two championships.

[hit_or_miss54680]

As a Mariners fan I feel sooooo bad for you and your recent 2005 World Series appearance. In 5 more years your team will be chasing pennants again and the Mariners will be finishing in last place again.