Photo via: Wiki Commons
The playoffs begin for the NASCAR Cup Series and It all begins at Darlington Raceway for the famed Southern 500. They call this track, "the track too tough to tame" as it is one of the roughest tracks on the schedule. Many would consider this track the most challenging on the schedule as there is always a chance that the wall can jump out and bite each driver. It will be interesting to see which driver can come out on top as more than likely the car that can stay the cleanest will go to victory lane. We will also see some great paint schemes as well as it's the annual throwback week, just one of the things that make this race so special.
Last week we saw one of the craziest finishes of the year as William Byorn held off his teammate Chase Elliott for the victory at Daytona. The race was marred by many crashes in the closing stages including a pile-up with two laps to go that collected Joey Logano and Jimmie Johnson. This ended the 7 time champion's chances of making the playoffs. It was heartbreaking to see arguably the greatest NASCAR driver of all time fall to where he did and it appeared that he was in prime position to advance and move on as he was above the cutoff line before the wreck. But as it happens on a track like Daytona the big-one struck, and he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. This has been pretty much the theme this year for Jimmie, just when he thinks he's got some momentum, something comes along and messes it up.
Like at Charlotte after the Coca-Cola 600 when he was disqualified after finishing third or at Darlington when he crashed while leading. The biggest turning point this season for Johnson though had to be when he was diagnosed with Coronavirus back in July at Indy. Regardless, the fact remains that Johnson was not able to close the deal and get a win to lock him into the playoffs and while it was a disappointing way for him to go out, this season will not define Johnson's legacy among the greats. This man did everything right and represented the sport well. He also brought the sport to new heights as well as he was the first ever NASCAR driver to win the AP Male Athlete of the year back in 2008. It is clear that this sport won't be the same with him gone in 2021. I salute Jimmie on his incredible career.
Last week also seemed as a passing of the torch as Jimmies teammate William Byron went on to his first career victory. The 2018 Xfinity Series champion was finally able to close the deal and get to victory lane in the Cup Series. Overall, he is flying under the radar here in the playoffs, but he has one of the best crew chiefs of all time on the pit-box in Chad Kanaus, and he can very well do some damage going forward. I look forward to seeing his progress in the round of 16 as he won just in the knick of time.
As everyone knows, last week's race was the final race before the playoffs and the field is set. The two obvious favorites that stand out are Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick. Both drivers have won 13 races combined and appear to be on their way to the championship race in Phoenix, the question is who will be the other two joining them? There have been a few drivers that have really kept a low profile but have had a great season as well, one of those drivers is Brad Keselowski. If this were any other season, Brad would be heavily favored as a championship contender but as everyone knows this isn't any other year, it's 2020. Needless to say, he has been insanely fast as he has won three races with nine top fives and 19 top tens! The consistency is there. If Brad can stay out of trouble I can see him being the third driver in the final four. The other driver to look out for is Chase Elliott. This young man has had a lot to live up to. He is the son of a living legend, there is a lot for him to carry but overall I think he has exceeded expectations and this year he has really put it together. He has put together ten top five finishes with two wins. He has ascended into a championship favorite and I think he is going to be the fourth guy to race for a title at Phoenix!
The driver I have winning this week is Kyle Busch. This has by far been the most challenging season of his career. His average finish this year is a disappointing 15.2, and he also has five DNF's (did not finish) and one big goose egg in the win column. While he is safely in the playoffs and has done a good job at accumulating stage points to fall back on, he would tell you himself that this has been a bad season. Many people are even saying he won't make it past the round of 16, but I am here to tell you that those people don't know Kyle. This is one of the most talented race car drivers of all time and if there is anyone who is primed to make a comeback, it's Rowdy. I look for Kyle to get it together and win this week at Darlington. This is a track that he has run well at over the course of his career. He only has one win here back in 2008 but that doesn't matter, he knows how to get around this place. If he can keep his Elliott Sadler inspired M&M's Camry off the wall and make minimal mistakes, this is a race I can easily see him winning. Look for Kyle to be a threat come Sunday night.
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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.