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Astros In Limbo

G-Fafif Aug 28 2017 07:00 PM

As noted in the hurricane thread, the Astros are in limbo. Jon Morosi and Ken Rosenthal each reporting their home series vs. Texas might wind up in the available Tropicana Dome, not Arlington. The seemingly simple solution in which Astros and Rangers just switch hosting duties (there's a HOU@TEX set coming up) would somehow screw up Texas from multiple perspectives that have to be taken into account even against a backdrop of life and death issues elsewhere in their state. Mets seem unlikely to host the next series because the Astros have to be in Seattle for a Labor Day afternoon game, so St. Pete may be where they head after Cincinnati. Very much a stay-tuned situation.

Frayed Knot Aug 28 2017 07:14 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

G-Fafif wrote: Mets seem unlikely to host the next series because the Astros have to be in Seattle for a Labor Day afternoon game, so St. Pete may be where they head after Cincinnati. Very much a stay-tuned situation. St Pete, not being any closer to Seattle than NYC, seems to make that an odd choice. Going east coast to west coast suxx no matter where you're starting, but at least for the Astros it'll be day game to day game after the travel rather than the dreaded DGANG with a cross country trip thrown in. The Astros sked was already in a fucked up part having sent them from home, to LAA for 3, then right back home for 6 before heading to Seattle for the start of a ten-game/eleven-day west coast trip which includes Anaheim a second time in two weeks. Such is the life in the reconfigured AL West which is so much more spread out than any of the other divisions.

G-Fafif Aug 28 2017 07:21 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

AP reporting it's gonna be St. Pete for both the Rangers and the Mets series. Seattle is indeed a continent from everywhere on the East Coast, but this keeps the Astros from making an extra trip in between. Also doesn't make them the road team in home uniforms in New York. Neutral is presumably preferable since they're the ones being put out.

Frayed Knot Aug 28 2017 07:47 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

And Tampa's just a two-plus hour flight from east Texas so there's that. Of course they're coming from the west coast before getting sent right back out there without actually ever going home in between. In all this will keep them on the road -- even if not technically the road team -- from last Friday (25th) thru Sept 14th. By the 15th, their next scheduled home game, the town might even be dried out. Almost as bad as the time the (1988?) Republican convention in the Astrodome kept them on the road for nearly a month. oe: it was '92 No home games between July 26 and Aug 23 From the 27th thru Aug 22 they went from Atlanta to Cincy to LA to SD to SF to Chicago to StL to Philly went 12 - 14 during that stretch, 81-81 for the year

Chad Ochoseis Aug 28 2017 08:06 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

It's remarkable just how little these games matter to Houston, not just in the grand scheme, but from a baseball perspective. They've largely sewn up the AL West, and are 5 1/2 ahead of the Indians for best record in the AL. They're far behind the Dodgers for home field advantage in the WS, and well ahead of the Cubs, Diamondbacks, and Rockies. All that's really on the line for them at this point is home field if they win the AL pennant and the Nats win the NL pennant. And, I guess, the Indians and Sawx do have something of a chance of overtaking them for best AL record.

Edgy MD Aug 28 2017 08:17 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

Tampa got to host an Orioles home game or two during the Baltimore riots and aftermath. I would think the nearest available upper-minor league park (Oklahoma City?) would be preferable than a home game in a state several hours away that will attract under 2,000 people to a stadium meant for 20 times that. Actual evacuees will be in Oklahoma City.

Ashie62 Aug 28 2017 08:23 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

With a natural tragedy taking lives is baseball all that important?

Chad Ochoseis Aug 28 2017 08:27 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

Edgy MD wrote: Tampa got to host an Orioles home game or two during the Baltimore riots and aftermath. I would think the nearest available upper-minor league park (Oklahoma City?) would be preferable than a home game in a state several hours away that will attract under 2,000 people to a stadium meant for 20 times that. Actual evacuees will be in Oklahoma City. As the Grateful Dead would be quick to point out, the closest AAA city to Houston is New Orleans, though New Orleans is getting hit by Harvey's remnants. But I have vague memories that when a team has been forced into another city's stadium in the past, the host city has turned out to root for the displaced team. That being said, Tampa Bay doesn't even root for the Rays.

Frayed Knot Aug 28 2017 08:32 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

AAA park in Austin as well - although their team is at home for the weekend.

Edgy MD Aug 28 2017 08:40 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

Well, part of what I mean by "available" is "not swamped as well." I'm guessing Austin/Round Rock doesn't qualify in that regard.

Nymr83 Aug 29 2017 02:17 AM Re: Astros In Limbo

Ashie62 wrote: With a natural tragedy taking lives is baseball all that important? people are dying somewhere every day, should we just never talk about sports?

Frayed Knot Aug 29 2017 02:23 AM Re: Astros In Limbo

btw, nothing is yet official on the Mets series for this weekend. While it seems almost certain that the series will not be in Houston, the only word so far is that it could also be at the Trop in T/StP but that a decision won't be made until "later this week". http://m.mlb.com/news/article/251073866 ... -to-storm/

Ashie62 Aug 29 2017 06:58 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

Nymr83 wrote: Ashie62 wrote: With a natural tragedy taking lives is baseball all that important? people are dying somewhere every day, should we just never talk about sports? In wake of a mass tragedy it seems trivial to me. IMHO

Edgy MD Aug 29 2017 07:07 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

Well, we're always in the wake of a mass tragedy, usually with far more lives than those lost to Harvey. We haven't had a single word about the mudslides in Sierra Leone which have been exponentially more deadly. But please feel free to talk about the hurricane and it's victims.

cooby Aug 29 2017 07:12 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

Sierra Leone doesn't have a famous baseball team

Benjamin Grimm Aug 29 2017 07:26 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

If they did, they'd be called the Mountain Lions.

41Forever Aug 29 2017 07:39 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

Heard on the radio today that the Astros asked the Rangers to simply flip their series, so the upcoming games would be in Arlington instead of Houston, and then the later games be in Houston. The Rangers declined, saying team would be on the road for the final four series of the season, and that it would be unfair to season ticket holders and others. Hence the game in St. Pete. I don't know what the Astros' objection would be to playing both series in Arlington.

Nymr83 Aug 29 2017 08:50 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

41Forever wrote: Heard on the radio today that the Astros asked the Rangers to simply flip their series, so the upcoming games would be in Arlington instead of Houston, and then the later games be in Houston. The Rangers declined, saying team would be on the road for the final four series of the season, and that it would be unfair to season ticket holders and others. Hence the game in St. Pete. I don't know what the Astros' objection would be to playing both series in Arlington. Rangers offered them all the revenue from the series as well, they said their real objection to flipping series was that it would be unfair to Rangers fan with tickets to the September series to tell them their seats were now good for 24 hours from now instead. I agree with the Rangers here, and the comments on social media from McCullers about greed are bullshit.

HahnSolo Aug 29 2017 08:51 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

41Forever wrote: Heard on the radio today that the Astros asked the Rangers to simply flip their series, so the upcoming games would be in Arlington instead of Houston, and then the later games be in Houston. The Rangers declined, saying team would be on the road for the final four series of the season, and that it would be unfair to season ticket holders and others. Hence the game in St. Pete. I don't know what the Astros' objection would be to playing both series in Arlington. The Rangers stance could be taken as "a city is under water and they're worried about playing 15 straight road games"? But part of me thinks that if it were my team in that situation, and we were battling for a Wild Card that I'd be OK with my GM taking this stance.

Chad Ochoseis Aug 29 2017 11:51 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

My brother's in Tampa for work and got a ticket to the game. The "crowd" is rooting for Houston, which they'd be doing anyway given that the Rays need the Rangers to lose to keep their slim WC hopes alive. He says the crowd is reminiscent of Municipal Stadium in the 80s, which I think translates as "September 1979, Shea".

Frayed Knot Aug 30 2017 12:04 AM Re: Astros In Limbo

I wonder how the stadium is handling that. The smart thing, IMO, would be to say something like: 'All Seats, $5 each, First Come/First Serve' As far as the Astros/Rangers feud goes, Texas certainly comes off looking like the bad guys here. But, when presented with the options, Houston had a choice between a road series where they'd have a more or less full house and get the home team share from it, or a different (and further) road series where there won't be much of a gate to split whatever the arrangement is. So I'm not sure they made the right decision either. I've read that the mgmts of those teams don't play very well together and this chapter can't help.

Frayed Knot Aug 30 2017 01:25 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

A decision as to the location of the weekend series v Houston is supposed to come down sometime today. Terry: “Our preparation is get on a plane and wherever it lands we’ll get off”

G-Fafif Aug 30 2017 01:39 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

Paid attendance for TEX@HOU@TBR Tuesday night: 3,485, or about as many as appeared to be inside GABP for NYM@CIN. Astro video packages and their seventh-inning stretch jam, "Deep In The Heart Of Texas," were played.

cooby Aug 30 2017 03:29 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

Frayed Knot wrote: A decision as to the location of the weekend series v Houston is supposed to come down sometime today. Terry: “Our preparation is get on a plane and wherever it lands we’ll get off” I hope he said that in the snarky voice it deserves

seawolf17 Aug 30 2017 04:02 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

G-Fafif wrote: Astro video packages and their seventh-inning stretch jam, "Deep In The Heart Of Texas," were played. Well done, Rays. Well done.

Frayed Knot Aug 30 2017 07:37 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

In limbo no more: http://m.mlb.com/news/article/251459366 ... s-weekend/ Mets to get the day off on Friday then play the Astros in a DH in Houston on Saturday [2:10 & 8:10 EDT] and then the final game as scheduled on Sunday

G-Fafif Aug 30 2017 08:28 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

Encouraging logistical development. I hope it does for Houston and Astros fans all a sporting event can do in a time of crisis, even if it can't do everything. Too weird that Harvey will be pitching in Houston, but that's just a name. Last time they played two in Texas, Mets and Astros split a fantastic doubleheader amid a barnburner series in the Astrodome in September 1998, the one that culminated in Piazza putting the Mets ahead in the final game with two out in the ninth off Wagner and Hundley pinch-homering in the eleventh (positioning the Mets to surge to the Wild Card...even though they wouldn't). Mets and Stros played two twinbills at Colt Stadium and four total at the Dome. Wouldn't have guessed they'd ever participate in one at Minute Maid Park.

Ashie62 Aug 30 2017 10:29 PM Re: Astros In Limbo

I miss the Astrodome.