Houston Astros: Three observations from early May
Handling Other Team’s Best Shots
For fifty-six seasons, the Houston Astros scratched and clawed our way to the top. All the while, battling other teams wanting the same thing. Now, their throne is being invaded by other good teams. The Astros played some incredibly talented teams lately that have just as good of a chance to win the World Series as us.
The Yankees are hot right now. There was no question they would be a tough threat when they added Giancarlo Stanton to the roster. So far, they’ve proven that. They beat the Astros three out of four times. There were things we did well and things we didn’t do well. Look at the last series as a test to see where we stood.
Same thing with the Arizona Diamondbacks. They’re the top team in the National League. The Houston Astros hung with them. They didn’t beat them badly. The Astros just didn’t deliver. But we know the Astros can beat them. Houston has got Cleveland coming up soon and before long, the Boston Red Sox will face the Astros. Those are some incredible teams.
Why do 29 other teams try to make acquisitions in the offseason? To beat the living daylights out of the one team that won it all.
World Series Hangover?
I know the theory! I know that there hasn’t been a repeat champion since 2000. It’s due to happen soon, right? I mean, there will be a team that repeats. Will it be the Houston Astros? Maybe! Will it be someone else the following season? Maybe!
Yes, the Astros are the targets and we know teams will give them their best game. Baseball is like a lottery. The balls bounce around a glass container while all teams have a ticket. The team that has the winning ticket this year is the one that will win the World Series.
We hope and maybe expect it to be the Astros again. But trust me, there are seven teams that are hoping this will be their first winning ticket while the other twenty-two teams are looking for more to add to their collection.
Is it a World Series hangover? It’s hard to say. But did we think repeating was going to be easy? No! Any true fan of the Houston Astros knows that our division is getting better and that the American League is getting better. So, the Astros have taken punches. Now, they’ve got to get some back.
The truth of the matter is that baseball is a marathon and not a sprint. Every team struggles just as much as every team surges. Some teams will struggle throughout the year while some teams will surge throughout the year. There maybe odds, but every team has a chance to win it all.
Of course, we all know that. We’re not dummies. We just need to relax and enjoy the season even if we’re struggling.
But then again, maybe that’s the fourth problem. Maybe another problem is us as fans.