THE HOUSTON SPORTS SCENE
If only the Texans and Rockets could be more like the Astros
Nov 2, 2017, 4:30 pm
Now that we are a city of champions again we need to start acting like it. That means you Texans. And you Rockets. It’s not like they can take the Astros blueprint and copy it exactly. They each have their own challenges but there are some things they can pick from here and there, throw it in the pot and hopefully come out with a nice gumbo of sports greatness. The first ingredient they both need? They need to grow a pair.
What I loved most about this Astros team was that it had giant nuts. The kind you need a wheelbarrow to carry around. I mean huge balls. When you lead the league in hitting in the 7th, 8th and 9th innings it means you don’t give a bleep. Ken Giles agrees with this theory.
I’m not sure Giles is the guy that should be repping the “zero (blanks) given” shirt. I wish he would start caring about stuff like getting guys out. I’m referring more to the hitters that didn’t give a bleep about who the pitcher was, what his stats were, how hard he threw, what inning it was in what game or how much they were down. Chris Sale? No problem. Craig Kimbrel? Knocked him around. C.C.? Come on. Clayton Kershaw? Pssshhh. Kenley Jansen? Bring it. Game 7? Twice? Whatever.
The Rockets and Texans? Not so much. You don’t earn a name like Elimination James unless you really wilt under the pressure of the big moment. This is not even arguable. The evidence is starting to pile up. It started in the 2012 NBA finals when he was with OKC. It got even worse in the ‘15 Western Conference Finals when he went 2 for 11 with 11 turnovers in the 5th and deciding game against the Warriors. Then there was last year’s Game 6 debacle against the Spurs. I don’t even want to go there. Come on man. $181 million deserves a better effort in the biggest games. I don’t know if you heard James but that’s not how we act anymore. That’s how we used to act back in ‘92 when we were playing the Bills and had a 32 point lead or in ‘98 when we struck out 11 times against Sterling Fricking Hitchcock. But we don’t act like that anymore. We just don’t.
Well, the Texans still do but that’s gonna have to change as well. One thing that hasn’t changed at all is their luck. Holy crap. This season had so much promise thanks to one guy and that guy’s gone now. Deshaun Watson out for the year with a knee injury. Add that to J.J. and Whitney and this is beyond cataclysmic. Those two were bad enough but there was still a thrill in the air thanks to Deshaun and if not for Bill O’Brien choking in the final minutes of the Patriot and Seahawks games this team could have been 5-2 instead of 3-4.
That’s the kind of behavior that has got to go. Maybe BOB can take a page from A.J. Hinch’s book and grow a pair when the game is on the line. Game 4 in Boston? Up one. What the hell, let’s bring Verlander in. What???!!!! Twitter exploded. You would have thought A.J. said something about inmates in prison. No. All he did was win a series.
Up 2 with under 3 minutes to play the Texans drive down to the Patriot 20. A touchdown puts it away. What does BOB do? Lamar Miller for 7 yards. Lamar Miller for 2 yards. Lamar Miller for no gain. Field goal. Of course you know how it ended. What a shock. Give Tom Brady the ball back down 5 with 2:24 to play and guess what happens?
In Seattle, up 4 with 2:10 left the Deshaun runs for a first down. One more first down and this thing is over. What does BOB do? Run Lamar Miller three times again, punt it back to Seattle and lose the game. You’ve got the most dynamic player in the game. He was probably wearing Ken Giles’ shirt under his uniform. He didn’t give a bleep about the legion of boom. He went in there and dominated the Seahawk defense but BOB stole all that thunder by playing scared.
Those two faux pas aside, BOB seemed to be a different coach this year. His staid and incredibly dull offense was scrapped in favor of originality and fun. The sign of a good coach is that he can adjust to the talent he has as opposed to the players adapting to his scheme. He was learning as much from Deshaun as Deshaun was from him and other than how he turtled at the end of those two games he was coaching his tail off. It’s going to be interesting to see how he’s going to be judged at the end of this year. He showed ingenuity for the first time as the Texans head coach and Deshaun was flourishing in this offense. Can you fire him now even if they don’t win another game? How can anyone expect him to make chicken salad out of this? Back to boring football. Damn.
One other thing that would be awesome is if BOB in some way somehow might learn to be a little more likeable like A.J.
A.J. meets with the media twice a day. He sits down with pretty much the same guys before and after every game; 180 this year. That’s at least 360 sessions and that doesn’t count his radio obligations. It can’t be easy. When a reporter asks him about leaving Giles in while he’s blowing another save it really means, “What the hell were you thinking there? Have you ever seen him pitch?” But A.J. answers every question no matter how dumb or unintentionally insulting it might be and he does it thoughtfully and respectfully.
BOB? Again, not so much. I don’t care that you hate the media. I don’t care that you don’t respect the media. I don’t care if you never talk to the media again but since you have to you might as well be nice. It doesn’t cost anything to be nice. You’re not Bill Belichick. You haven’t won enough to act like him. Part of it could be that northeast upbringing. Those people (yes those people) are abrasive. It’s just how they are. But you’re in Houston now and I hope someday Houston rubs off on you a little.
So here’s what we need from our Rockets and Texans. Take a look at the Astros and grab some of that swagger. Grow a giant pair and don’t be afraid to win big. Try to be nice along the way and maybe people will like you. How about that? A championship team that’s likeable. Crazy but true. Someday maybe we can have a few of those in this city.
The Houston Astros didn’t just sweep the Philadelphia Phillies. They sent a message.
In three tightly contested games against one of the best teams in baseball, the Astros leaned on their elite pitching and timely offense to secure a statement sweep. Hunter Brown was electric in the finale, shutting down the Phillies’ lineup and showing the kind of dominance that’s become a defining feature of his game. Bryan Abreu slammed the door with four strikeouts to close out the win, and rookie Cam Smith delivered the deciding blow — an RBI single in the eighth to drive in Isaac Paredes, lifting the Astros to a 2-1 victory.
It wasn’t a series filled with offensive fireworks, but that’s exactly the point. Both teams sent out top-tier pitching throughout the series, and Houston was the team that kept finding a way. For much of the season, the Astros’ inconsistent offense might’ve been a concern in a series like this. But this time, it felt different. The bats showed up just enough, and the pitching did the rest.
Now, with Houston on pace for 96 wins at the halfway point, the question becomes: Is the league officially on notice?
Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing is certain, the Astros have the third-best record in baseball, they’re 17-7 in one-run games, and they’re playing with the kind of rhythm that’s defined their near-decade of dominance. Unlike last year’s uneven campaign, this version of the Astros looks like a team that’s rediscovered its edge. Whether or not they need to take care of business against the Cubs to validate it, their recent run leaves little doubt: when Houston is clicking, there are very few teams built to stop them.
Off the field, however, a bit of long-term uncertainty is starting to creep in. Reports surfaced this week that extension talks with shortstop Jeremy Peña have been put on hold as he recently signed with super-agent Scott Boras. The combination has led many to wonder if Peña might follow the same free-agent path as Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, and others before him. Boras clients rarely settle early, and Peña, now one of the most valuable shortstops in the game, could command a price tag the Astros have historically avoided paying.
If Peña and even Hunter Brown are likely to get priced out of Houston, the front office may need to pivot. Isaac Paredes could be the most logical extension candidate on the roster. His approach — particularly his ability to pull the ball with authority — is tailor-made for Daikin Park and the Crawford Boxes. Last year, Paredes struggled to leave the yard at Wrigley Field, but in Houston, he’s thriving. Locking him in long term would give the Astros offensive stability and the kind of value they’ve typically targeted.
As for Cam Smith, the breakout rookie is far from free agency and will remain a cost-controlled piece for years. That’s exactly why his contributions now, like his clutch eighth-inning knock to beat Philadelphia, matter so much. He's one more reason why the Astros don’t just look good right now. They look dangerous.
And the rest of the league is starting to feel it.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
___________________________
*ChatGPT assisted.
Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!