Every-Thing Sports
Texans 180 on social justice: What it could mean for their future
Jun 9, 2020, 8:53 am
Photo by Getty Images.
The Texans have been notoriously conservative throughout their history. The term "Texan worthy" was attributed to their penchant for drafting and/or signing players who fit their Boy Scout mold. That outlook led to one of the team's most controversial moments. October 2017: Bob McNair was caught saying "We can't have inmates running the prison" referring to players taking a knee in protest of the National Anthem. This was also after his negative comments about President Obama being elected in 2008. Both rubbed players the wrong way. Both gave this organization a bad rep in players' eyes. Both could've set them back. Luckily, neither caused irreparable damage.
Flash forward to the events surrounding George Floyd's death, and it seems as if this once socially conservative franchise has done a complete 180-degree turn. Not only did Bill O'Brien and Cal McNair each make statements, but Cal also hosted former Texans' player Travis Johnson in a roundtable discussion with his wife Hannah and mom Janice about race relations. This was the first episode in what's titled "Conversations For Change." Things like this will go a long way. Here's how I think it could help:
Cover-up for past transgressions
If any of you have had a bad tattoo, you know what it's like. It doesn't look right. You feel like an idiot, and wish it wasn't there. However, the cover-up tattoo is better than the original in most cases. Bob McNair's comments sort of passed away when he did. When O'Brien started making personnel moves based off personality, most notably the DeAndre Hopkins deal, it looked as if things were status quo as far as having "Texans worthy" players. Given their signings and trades for players who actively work towards and protest social injustice, this could be one of the better cover-up tattoo jobs I've seen recently.
Help keep Deshaun Watson
Deshaun Watson is so critical to this franchise's future. He now has them bent over a tree stump and ready to take it when it comes to him resigning his contract extension. Is he going to sign a mega deal? Yes. Will the recent events and how the franchise reacted to it have some influence? Possibly. I think Watson will take this into consideration, but it won't have a major impact on how his deal is structured. If anything, it'll sway things slightly and get him to the table sooner.
Future draft picks and free agents
The fact that O'Brien said he's talked to Kenny Stills (long time kneeling protester), Michael Thomas (newly signed protester), and others about the recent events gives him some leeway when it comes to player relations. Given his past transgressions, as well as this franchise's, this will go a long way towards endearing himself to future acquisitions. Guys will know they're coming into a franchise that will support their freedom to express themselves and continue to support their ideals after their careers are over given the platform the McNairs created with Travis Johnson in the "Conversations For Change" series.\
Honestly, as a black man with two teenage kids, this makes me feel as if the upper crust of society actually cares and will do something to help spur on change. O'Brien's honesty from the heart was refreshing. Cal's statement seemed more scripted, but the episode he, his wife, and mom recorded with Johnson felt more real and raw. The Texans have taken a more proactive approach. I don't recall too many other NFL owners taking this type of approach in recent weeks, which given previous history, has made what the Texans are doing very much appreciated. I can't wait to see how this plays out in the near future.
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With the Astros now officially ten games under .500 for the season, manager Joe Espada is taking a lot of heat from the fanbase for the team's struggles.
While we don't agree with the sentiment, we even hear fans clamoring for the return of Dusty Baker and Martin Maldonado, thinking the Astros wouldn't be in this mess if they were still here.
Which is ridiculous. First of all, Maldonado has been awful for the White Sox, hitting .048 (even worse than Jose Abreu's .065). And for those of you that think his work with the pitching staff justifies his pathetic offense. Let me say this: Where was Maldy's game calling genius for Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, and Framber Valdez last year? All of them regressed significantly.
And as far as Baker is concerned, we have no idea how much a difference he would make, we can only speculate. Baker would also be dealing with a pitching staff ravaged with injuries. And let's not forget, Baker was the guy that refused to move Jose Abreu down in the batting order, even though he would finish the regular season with the ninth-worst OPS in baseball.
The reality of the situation is managers can only do so much in baseball. Which leads us to something else that needs to be considered. Is Espada being handcuffed by the front office? Espada and GM Dana Brown both said recently that Jon Singleton was going to get more at-bats while they give Abreu time off to try to figure things out. Yet, there Abreu was in the lineup again in the opening game of the Cubs series.
It makes us wonder how much power does Espada truly have? The Astros have some other options at first base. Yainer Diaz may only have eight games played at the position, but how much worse could he be than Abreu defensively? Abreu already has four errors, and Diaz is obviously a way better hitter. Victor Caratini isn't considered a plus offensive player, but his .276 batting average makes him look like Babe Ruth compared to Abreu. Let him catch more often and play Diaz at first. Starting Diaz at first more often could also lengthen his career long-term.
Maybe that's too wild of a move. Okay, fine. How about playing Mauricio Dubon at first base? I understand he doesn't have much experience at that position, but what's the downside of trying him there? If he can play shortstop, he can play first base. He's driving in runs at a higher rate (11 RBIs) than everyone on the team outside of Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez. And he's producing like that as part-time player right now.
The other criticism we see of Espada is his use of Jon Singleton to pinch hit late in games. Let's be real, though, who else does Espada have on the roster to go to? Batting Abreu late in games in which you're trailing should be considered malpractice. Espada can only use who he has to work with. This all really stems from the Astros poor farm system.
They don't have anyone else to turn to. The draft picks the club lost from the sign-stealing scandal are really hurting them right now. First and second rounders from 2020 and 2021 should be helping you in 2024 at the big league level.
Maybe they go to Astros prospect Joey Loperfido soon, but after a hot start he has only two hits in his last six games.
Finally, we have to talk about what seems like a committee making baseball decisions. Lost in a committee is accountability. Who gets the blame for making poor decisions?
As time continues to pass it looks like moving on from former GM James Click was a massive mistake. He's the guy that didn't sign Abreu, but did trade Myles Straw (recently DFA'd) for Yainer Diaz and Phil Maton. He also built an elite bullpen without breaking the bank, and helped the club win a World Series in 2022.
The reality of the situation is Dusty Baker and James Click are not walking back through that door. And all good runs come to an end at some point. Is this what we're witnessing?
Don't miss the video above as we hit on all the points discussed and much more!
Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan. We drop two episodes every week on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel. You can also listen on Apple Podcast, Spotifyor wherever you get your podcasts.