2019 ALCS: Houston Astros vs New York Yankees

[bkzwhitestrican]

holy s***. he is signed thru 2027 @ $25MM per. if he continues this downward trend does this replace Arod as the worst contract ever?

 

A-Rod at least was putting up respectable numbers through age 39. In my mind Ellsbury is the worst contract in history just because he hasn't even played.

[Bellhorn04]

holy s***. he is signed thru 2027 @ $25MM per. if he continues this downward trend does this replace Arod as the worst contract ever?

 

I think my vote would be for Pujols.

[a700hitter]

A-Rod at least was putting up respectable numbers through age 39. In my mind Ellsbury is the worst contract in history just because he hasn't even played.

Does Ellsbury even try rehabbing.

[Slasher9]

I think my vote would be for Pujols.

 

arod "opted out" and forced the yankees to resign him at 10 years $300MM after 2007 season with 4 years remaining on his original 10 year contract. that second signing is the worst contract in the history of sports IMO and its not even close. no other team was even bidding for his services. the yankees literally overpaid him vs themselves.

[Bellhorn04]

Does Ellsbury even try rehabbing.

 

I think there's insurance skullduggery going on there. The Yanks are recovering a big chunk through insurance as long as he 'can't play'.

[Bellhorn04]

arod "opted out" and forced the yankees to resign him at 10 years $300MM after 2007 season with 4 years remaining on his original 10 year contract. that second signing is the worst contract in the history of sports IMO and its not even close. no other team was even bidding for his services. the yankees literally overpaid him vs themselves.

 

I agree on all that.

 

What was mind-boggling about the Pujols deal was that the Halos had the example of the A-Rod contract right in front of them, and chose to ignore it.

[moonslav59]

I agree on all that.

 

What was mind-boggling about the Pujols deal was that the Halos had the example of the A-Rod contract right in front of them, and chose to ignore it.

 

While I totally agree, and giving all those years to a guy that was age 32 year one was shocking, but nobody expected him to have just one season above .790 after the trade. What a complete dud signing!

[Bellhorn04]

The one saving grace on the A-Rod re-up was his postseason heroics in 2009.

 

Which some cynical Red Sox fans probably still attribute to extra-good pharmaceuticals or extra-good love from Kate Hudson.

[OH FOY]

Verlander tonight going for the kill. And he pitches good in cold weather.

[TylerD]

Verlander tonight going for the kill. And he pitches good in cold weather.

 

Could be ugly for the yanks, might be a good battle. Yankees are playing with their season on the line.

[OH FOY]

With the Nationals blowing away the Cards, getting it over tonight is smart, to get some rest, before the WS.

Last year the Astros hit .275 against LHP, this year .274. Pretty consistent.

Edited October 18, 2019 by OH FOY!

[bkzwhitestrican]

Yanks will win three straight one run games. Book it!

 

OR they'll get blown out tonight. I'm teetering between the two scenarios.

[TylerD]

Yanks will win three straight one run games. Book it!

 

OR they'll get blown out tonight. I'm teetering between the two scenarios.

 

If the yanks get past Verlander tonight this series gets very interesting. Yes they have Cole as well but if the yankees can get a win over one of (if not the) best pitchers in the game, it will give them all kinds of confidence going into game 6. Houston needs to close this series out tonight otherwise things get very interesting.

[Thunder]

All I know is that if the Yankees make it to a game 7, they're winning it

[Slasher9]

All I know is that if the Yankees make it to a game 7, they're winning it

 

not against Springer they dont!

[TylerD]

All I know is that if the Yankees make it to a game 7, they're winning it

 

Agreed.

[jacksonianmarch]

They looked so defeated yesterday, I doubt they make tonight much of a game. Yankee stadium was rocking, we took an early lead. That Springer HR was a gut punch that just ended our night. They say momentum stops with the next game’s starting pitcher, but when all your starters are great and you take the momentum in a series, it snowballs.

[YastrzemskI]

All I know is that if the Yankees make it to a game 7, they're winning it

 

Disagree. I don't buy into "momentum". Astros could win game seven easily. They won 8-3

last night and the Skanks had their "ace" on the mound. I don't see this series going seven though.

Astros are the better team and have exposed the Skanks. It seems like the Astros are the Skank's

landlord in the post season and rent is due again.. (2015, 2017, 2019)

[OH FOY]

Get Torres up in the #2 Spot and drop Judge 1. I want Torres up as much as I can in the game.

[Fan_since_Boggs]

The Yankees look like a broken team to me -- there is no way they are winning this. The Yankees gave the Astros their best punch and the Astros laughed it off, hit the Yankees harder, and both sides now know who the better team is. The Yankees just aren't good enough to beat the Astros and even if something unexpected happens tonight--Verlander struggles and Paxton throws the game of his life--the Yankees have little chance to win two in Houston.

 

One amazing thing about this series: Grienke didn't pitch all that well in his two starts (I expected better things from him) and Bregman has been playing like dog crap. And yet, even with lukewarm performances from Grienke and Bregman, the Astros are still kicking the Yankees ass.

Edited October 18, 2019 by Fan_since_Boggs

[bkzwhitestrican]

Historically, teams that have fallen behind 3-1 in a seven game playoff series have come back to win the series 15% of the time. Not good odds at all, but not impossible either.

[TylerD]

They looked so defeated yesterday, I doubt they make tonight much of a game. Yankee stadium was rocking, we took an early lead. That Springer HR was a gut punch that just ended our night. They say momentum stops with the next game’s starting pitcher, but when all your starters are great and you take the momentum in a series, it snowballs.

 

We will find out in about 4.5 hours what the Yankees can do after last night's loss. It's hard to picture Aaron Boone lighting a spark under his team, but he definitely needs to. Can't look at last night's loss, or the fact that Verlander is pitching.... Just look at the fact that this is your last and only chance to keep the season alive. Hoping for a hell of a game.

[jacksonianmarch]

I am hoping for a Yankee win for sure.

[jacksonianmarch]

And btw, this is the final year of the Stros dominance. They’re getting expensive. Cole is going elsewhere (hopefully NY). And my bet is the Stros deal Springer this offseason (he’s a FA after 2020) and install Tucker in the lineup to save some coin. Greinke isn’t what he was and he’ll be older. Verlander has to fade eventually. Whitley, McCullers and Urquidy will round out an old top heavy rotation filled in with question marks at the back end. This is the final year of their window. They’ll be good next year, but not dominant

[moonslav59]

And btw, this is the final year of the Stros dominance. They’re getting expensive. Cole is going elsewhere (hopefully NY). And my bet is the Stros deal Springer this offseason (he’s a FA after 2020) and install Tucker in the lineup to save some coin. Greinke isn’t what he was and he’ll be older. Verlander has to fade eventually. Whitley, McCullers and Urquidy will round out an old top heavy rotation filled in with question marks at the back end. This is the final year of their window. They’ll be good next year, but not dominant

 

They drop $25.5M after 2020 (Brantley & Gurriel) and $67M after 2021 (Verlander & Greinke).

 

Altuve ($23.4M/yr) and Bregman ($20M/yr) are good long term deals.

 

They have a lot of very talented young talent on the roster and still on the farm.

 

I think their window will be 2-3 more years. It can be longer, if they open their wallets- like they can afford to do after being so frugal for many years.

 

[TylerD]

https://nypost.com/2019/10/18/yankees-fan-mock-zack-greinke-for-social-anxiety-disorder/

 

Pretty f***ing disgusting, I know this isn't all Yankees fans as the ones on the site are good people... but seriously, how can anyone act like this.... makes me sick.

[Kimmi]

The human white flag is out in the pen. Ottavino was used to much this year that he's toast. Colorado did it to him last year too.

 

Ottavino was never that good. He way out pitched his peripherals. It was a matter of time before he came back down to earth.

[Kimmi]

What happened to all that pen depth?

 

The thing about the pen depth is that no matter how good, you cannot expect the pen to pitch 5+ innings regularly. They get overworked and exposed.

[Kimmi]

Hate to see CC end like that; he was a true warrior in his prime who had the mindset of going 9 every time out and reinvented himself later on. He knew how to pitch.

 

Agreed. Tip of the cap to CC.

[Kimmi]

I agree on all that.

 

What was mind-boggling about the Pujols deal was that the Halos had the example of the A-Rod contract right in front of them, and chose to ignore it.

 

And yet, we all want to give Mookie and open checkbook. Yes, I understand Mookie is younger. But still. Don't do it.