Houston Astros - The Obama / Trump Years (2010-2019)

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2010

Decade

2010

2013

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2017

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2011

106

2014

2018

103

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107

Titles:

Top Astros Players of the Twenty Teens

2015 - WC; Won WC Play-in (Yankees); Lost ALDS (KC)

2017 - Won Division, Won ALDS (Boston), Won ALCS (Yankees), Won WS (LA)

Pitchers:

2018 - Won Division, won ALDS (Cleveland), Lost ALCS (Boston)

Dallas Keuchel (18.21) - 48

2019 - Won Division, Won ALDS(TB), Won ALCS (Yankees), Lost WS (Washington)

Justin Verlander (15.44) - 30

Collin McHugh (11.17) - 30

Ballpark:

Gerrit Cole (11.88) - 25

Minute Maid Park

Brett Myers (5.23) - 22

Wandy Rodriguez (6.62) - 19

Team Name:

Charlie Morton (5.29) - 18

Astros

Ken Giles (1.58) - 16

Bud Norris (3.79) - 14

Owner:

Brad Peacock (4.58) - 12

Drayton McLane (2010-2011)

Roberto Osuna (2.66) - 12

Jim Crane (2011-2019)

Luke Gregerson (1.11) - 12

Lucas Harrell (0.97) - 11

General Managers:

Mike Fiers (0.56) - 11

Ed Ware (2010-2011)

Lance McCullers (6.14) - 10

Jeff Luhnow (2011-2019)

Wade Miley (1.58) - 8

Managers:

Catchers:

Brad Mills (2010-2012)

Jason Castro (6.82) - 29

Bo Porter (2013-2014)

Evan Gattis (5.39) - 18

AJ Hinch (2015-2019)

Robinson Chirinos (3.75) - 10

Brian McCann (2.11) - 5

Hall of Famers:

None

First Basemen:

Marwin Gonzalez (11.95) - 27

Rookie of the Year:

Chris Carter (2.62) - 19

Carlos Correa (2015)

Carlos Lee (1.84) - 10

Yordan Alvarez (2019)

Second Basemen:

MVP

Jose Altuve (38.82) - 97

Jose Altuve (2017)

Jonathan Villar (1.44) - 8

No Hitters:

ShortStop:

Mike Fiers (2015)

Carlos Correa (21.75) - 49

Sanchez[6], Devenski[1], Harris[1], Biagini[1] (2019)

Jed Lowrie (2.5) - 9

Justin Verlander (2019)

Third Base:

Cy Young:

Alex Bregman (21.78) - 37

Dallas Keuchel (2015)

Chris Johnson (0.02) - 16

Justin Verlander (2019)

Luis Valbuena (4.94) - 6

Notable Events:

Outfield:

George Springer (25.13) - 51

2010 - After making it to the World Series in 2005, Houston backslid into

Michael Bourn (7.66) - 28

mediocrity for the remainder of the Twenty Oughts decade, averaging 79-83

Hunter Pence (6.47) - 18

over the final four seasons. It was about to get a lot worse.

Jake Marisnick (10.67) - 14

It looks like Drayton McLane, who bought the club in '92 had lost interest

Yunieski Gurriel (8.97) - 13

in the club's success. He would sell to Jim Crane in 2011,

Josh Reddick (7.42) - 13

Dexter Fowler (1.8) - 8

2010 - The cupboard is bare. Houston opens the Twenty Teens decade

Colby Rasmus (5.05) - 7

with five consecutive losing seasons including three putrid ones where

Michael Brantley (4.75) - 7

they average a 54-108 record.

Yordan Alvarez (3.73) - 7

JD Martinez (-1.23) - 2

The 2010 roster contains only a handful of decent young players

(and they're not that young):

Notable Events:

□ 3B - Chris Johnson, 25, decent player traded to Arizona in 2012

□ OF - Hunter Pence, 27, traded to the Phillies in 2011

2017 - Houston puts it all together and wins the World Title.

□ OF - Michael Bourn, 27, speedster traded to the Braves in 2011

It's Houston's first ever. It also moves their post season series record

□ RHP - Bud Norris, 24, dealt to Baltimore in 2013

to 7-10 (it once was 0-7).

□ LHP - JA Happ, 27, dealt to Toronto in 2013

They gain seventeen games in the standings.

□ Closer - Mark Melancon, 25, dealt to Boston in 2012

The difference is the hitting as they gain 172 runs while giving up one less

from '16. The core lineup of Altuve, Correa, Springer, Gonzalez and Gattis

2011 - The Astros go into freefall, finishing 56-106 and, for the next two years,

remained highly productive. The lineup became circular with the additions

it only gets worse.

of 3B Alex Bregman, C Brian McCann, 1B Yuri Gurriel, OF Josh Reddick,

DH Carlos Beltran and OF Jake Marisnick into the batting rotation.

2011 - Jim Crane buys the club and hires on Jeff Luhnow as GM.

That's a lot of lumber folks!

It takes a few years but this duo finally rights the ship.

Crane, an ultra competitive ex athlete who was a Division II baseball

2018 - RHP Gerritt Cole, 27, is obtained in a deal with the Pirates for

All-American and a scratch golfer, made his fortune in logistics.

four youngsters

He brings his ultra competitive spirit and logistical background to his ownership.

2018 - Closer Hector Rondon, 30, is signed as a free agent from the Cubs

2014 - The Astros are moved into the American League to balance the two

leagues at fifteen teams apiece (three five team Divisions).

2018 - Altho', on the surface, 2018 would seem to have been a carbon

Interleague play will go on continually as each league does not have

copy of 2017 as the records were only two games different

an even amount of teams to fill out a schedule.

(101-61 in 2017, 103-59 in 2018),

The leagues had gotten unbalanced in 1998 when Tampa and Arizona

in reality it was like two completely different teams.

were created, making it 30 teams in all in the major leagues.

The 2017 Astros bludgeoned the opposition scoring a whopping 896 runs

Instead of doing the intelligent thing back in '98, which was eventually done

while giving up 700. The 2018 Astros, on the other hand, were a club that

in '14 with the move of the Astros to the American League, major league

dominated the opposition with their pitching, giving up only 534 runs while

baseball implemented a cockamamie, short-sighted, self-serving

scoring 797. A worrying factor for Houston moving forward is how badly

(for commissioner Bud Selig) alignment that was extremely unwieldy

their hitting declined in 2018.

and barely workable. This was all done at the behest of Selig.

Except for third baseman Alex Bregman, who had a big year at 31-103-.286,

Using his position as commissioner in 1998 as a bully pulpit for his own ends,

the rest of the big boys, (Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Marwin Gonzalez and

Selig moved Milwaukee to the National League creating a 16-14 split of teams

George Springer) fell off considerably.

between the two leagues. Selig did that because he was obsessed with

The additions of Justin Verlander midway thru the previous season and Gerrit

restoring Milwaukee to the National League ever since the Milwaukee

Cole in the offseason made the difference for the 'Stros.

Braves bolted for Atlanta in 1966. He did this, despite the foolishness of

Charlie Morton's improvement in '18 turned it into a big three.

deliberately having unbalanced leagues, for his own personal interests.

Meanwhile, lefty starter Dallas Keuchel dropped off considerably in his free

Bad idea making a used car salesman your commissioner -

agent walk year, another worrying sign.

you get utter nonsense like this happening when you do.

Houston's dominant starting pitching helped them to a run differential

Not to mention (but I will), the utter lack of a sense of continuity and

which would have predicted a 109 win season. The reason for the shortfall

baseball history when you start jockeying teams around from one

of "only" winning 103 was due to a shaky bullpen. Niether 2017's closer

league to another. Absolute travesty.

Ken Giles or the new guy, Hector Rondon, was an answer coming out of

Minimally, Milwaukee should have gone back to the American League

the pen.Thus, Houston was losing the close ones, thus the shortfall.

where they belong in 2014, not the Astros. At least that move would have

The Astros shortcomings became visible in the postseason as, other

belatedly righted a historical wrong. Anyway, it is what it is.

than the dominant starters, the Red Sox lineup and, to a lesser degree,

Lets just hope in the future that we don't get some other commissioner

bullpen, was better than Houston's.

who decides Houston should rightfully be back in the National League

and goes unbalances things again.

2019 - OF Yordan Alvarez, 22, is Rookie of the Year on the strength of

27-78-.313 hitting. Yordan had been pilfered from the Dodgers in exchange

2015 - Houston finally turns the corner, gaining twenty six games in

for journeyman reliever Josh Fields in 2016.

the standings to go 86-76 and a Wild Card.

The players responsible for the gain:

2019 - The 'Stros win the West for the third time in a row, topping one hundred

□ 2B Jose Altuve, 25, IFA 2007, rookie 2011

wins all three times. It's only the sixth time in history that a major league club

□ SS Carlos Correa, 22, 1st overall pick in 2012, ROY in 2015

won a hundred for three consecutive seasons:

□ OF George Springer, 25, 11th overall pick in 2011, rookie in 2014

□ A's 1929-1931

□ DH Evan Gattis, 28, obtained from Braves in a 2015 trade

□ Cards 1942-1944

□ OF Colby Rasmus, 28, FA in 2015 from Tampa

□ Orioles 1969-1971

□ Utility Marwin Gonzalez, 26, obtained in trade with Boston 2012

□ Braves 1997-1999

□ LHP Dallas Keuchel, 27, 2009 7th round pick, rookie in 2012

□ Yankees 2002-2004

□ RHP Colin McHugh, 28, picked up on waivers from Colorado 2014

Houston makes it to the World Series only to lose to Washiington.

□ RHP - Lance McCullers, 21, 1st round pick in 2012

The three one hundred win seasons were all accomplished in different ways.

□ RHP Brad Peacock, 25, obtained from A's for IF Jeff Lowrie in 2013

In 2017, the hitting dominated. In 2018, it was the pitching.

There are a number of other decent under thirty players on the 2015 roster:

In 2019, it was a balance, both were equally strong.

C-Jason Castro, 28; 1B-Chris Carter, 28, 2B-Luis Valbuena, 29;

2019 - Many folks think that the Houston streak of hundred win seasons is

2016 - 3B Alex Bregman, 22, is a rookie. He was 2nd overall pick in 2015 draft

tainted because they were cheating. The Astros were using electronic

methods of sign stealing to tip off their batters as to what pitch was coming.

2017 RHP Charlie Morton, 33, is signed as a free agent from the Pirates

There are other folks who think that if you're not cheating, then

you're not really trying. Ask Bill Belichick. Houston's management, namely

2017 - RHP Justin Verlander, 34, is obtained in a trade deadline deal

GM Larry Luhnow and Manager AJ Hinch get punished severely for the gambit.

with Detroit for 3 youngsters

Meanwhile, owner Jim Crane had to go rummage thru his sofa cushions to

come up with the five million dollar fine assessed against the club.

2019 - A very successful second half of the decade rising from the ashes of a

horrific first half. The second half success tainted by scandal. Moving into

the next decade, Houston still has an awesome lineup altho' their pitching

will be hurt by the loss of ace Gerrit Cole to the Yankees via free agency.