Ok now before you all start laughing at me deal with my FACTS 1st....
1. Astros ARE 10 1/2 back in Cental Division BUT only 4 1/2 back of the wild card leading SF Giants.
2. The Astros play 39 more home games. The Giants have ONLY 32 home games left(in fact Giants have fewest home games left of ANY team in MLB ) By my way of thinking that shrinks the deficit to closer to 2 games.
3. The Astros have a very favorable schedule left the rest of the year. I think they can play 16 games over .500 the rest of the way (45-29)
4. The addition of the Phil Garner at manager. If he can't light a fire under this team no one can.
5. The Astros are almost done playing 2 of the top ( if not THE top ) teams, Cards and Cubs, in the NL at this point.
6. If, and I do say IF, the Astros make a quick move after the All Star break to make up a few games on the Wild Card, I believe it makes them a real player in the Randy Johnson sweepstakes.( Yanks will live without RJ as long as he ends up in NL and far away from the BoSox )Remember who got him last time he was eligible down the stretch to a contender.( How would this 5 man rotation look down the stretch...RJ, Clemens, Oswalt, Miller and Petitte )
7. The 2 Jeff's in the middle of the lineup are historically 2 of the most consistent guys in the baseball at bat. Bagwell and Kent are both coming off sub par 1st halfs and should be better in the 2nd half.
8. Momentum.,....If( yes that word again ) the Asros can make a move in 2nd half and get the ball rolling down hill they would be a mighty tough team to play in September.
Now ...here is what I am leading up to....as of today...the Astro's are 17-1 to win the NL on pinnacle, 15-1 on Olympic, and get this ...a whopping 26-1 on bet365. Am I saying they WILL win the wild card...well actually I do believe they will but my real point is..it could happen for all these reasons AND you get ( pardon the pun) ASTRONOMICAL odds to do it...Remember this team was 3-1 to win the NL TWO WEEKS ago.
So what do u think...Are they dead ?...am I crazy ? and/or both ?
1. Astros ARE 10 1/2 back in Cental Division BUT only 4 1/2 back of the wild card leading SF Giants.
2. The Astros play 39 more home games. The Giants have ONLY 32 home games left(in fact Giants have fewest home games left of ANY team in MLB ) By my way of thinking that shrinks the deficit to closer to 2 games.
3. The Astros have a very favorable schedule left the rest of the year. I think they can play 16 games over .500 the rest of the way (45-29)
4. The addition of the Phil Garner at manager. If he can't light a fire under this team no one can.
5. The Astros are almost done playing 2 of the top ( if not THE top ) teams, Cards and Cubs, in the NL at this point.
6. If, and I do say IF, the Astros make a quick move after the All Star break to make up a few games on the Wild Card, I believe it makes them a real player in the Randy Johnson sweepstakes.( Yanks will live without RJ as long as he ends up in NL and far away from the BoSox )Remember who got him last time he was eligible down the stretch to a contender.( How would this 5 man rotation look down the stretch...RJ, Clemens, Oswalt, Miller and Petitte )
7. The 2 Jeff's in the middle of the lineup are historically 2 of the most consistent guys in the baseball at bat. Bagwell and Kent are both coming off sub par 1st halfs and should be better in the 2nd half.
8. Momentum.,....If( yes that word again ) the Asros can make a move in 2nd half and get the ball rolling down hill they would be a mighty tough team to play in September.
Now ...here is what I am leading up to....as of today...the Astro's are 17-1 to win the NL on pinnacle, 15-1 on Olympic, and get this ...a whopping 26-1 on bet365. Am I saying they WILL win the wild card...well actually I do believe they will but my real point is..it could happen for all these reasons AND you get ( pardon the pun) ASTRONOMICAL odds to do it...Remember this team was 3-1 to win the NL TWO WEEKS ago.
So what do u think...Are they dead ?...am I crazy ? and/or both ?
