The Astros ARE CHEATERS!

[King]

[Spanky__99]

All their pitchers use illegal substances as well.

 

Bosox I assume?

[Dr. Dinger]

Well I think a lot of pitchers on a lot of teams are using illegal substances (Kimbrel and Barnes 100% on the Sox) but I think the Astros are really upping the ante. I essentially believe whatever Trevor Bauer is saying because he's basically a scientist who tests hypotheses on the field of play and has the guys at Driveline who back him up with data.

 

The spin rate increases are just too much, I think. Bauer said it was impossible without illegal substances, people obviously pushed back, and then in his very next start for just the 1st inning, his spin rate increased by like 300 RPM over his career norms. So he was showing his work. He said there are a lot things that work even better than pine tar, like bubble gum for example (2017 Charlie Morton playoff hero).

 

The thing is, he could easily just start using it too and probably take another half run off his ERA but he won't do it for some reason. And it's sort of a fine line thing but I'm pretty sure the Astros are completely all-in on doing whatever it takes to up their spin rates so it's a pretty huge advantage (especially if they came up with some sort of home brew of illegal substances).

 

Hairspray. It's both tacky and invisible. Can easily be reapplied between innings.

[Boxcar]

I strongly dislike the Astros. Who saw this one coming?

[TheHurl]

I strongly dislike the Astros. Who saw this one coming?

 

I know you have talked about their poor trading, I looked it up and they have won like 3 trades in Luhnow's 7 year history (Verlander, Cole and sending an end of career Brett Myers for garbage and Chris Devenski). A couple that I had as wins are starting to look bad now (Folty having a breakout and Gattis being not so good...also the Marisnick deal which it turns out was for Kike Hernandez.

 

You could argue that the first Lowrie trade was a win (for Chris Carter, Brad Peacock and Stassi) as they got Lowrie back as a FA.

 

Admittedly their losses in trades aren't among the worst, but overall it would be tough to find a current playoff team with a worse trade history.

 

I meant to post this sometime last year when you first talked about it. I don't tell Boxy that he's not a complete idiot nearly enough.

[Boxcar]

The Astros are just the Eddie Guerreros of MLB. That's how they win.

[onwego]

Started with Mike Scott's miraculous improvement, and a dozen balls a game with quarter sized scuffs on them, and the umps didn't care at all.

[Spanky__99]

Started with Mike Scott's miraculous improvement, and a dozen balls a game with quarter sized scuffs on them, and the umps didn't care at all.

 

Mike Scott from the 80's? lol

[Boxcar]

I know you have talked about their poor trading, I looked it up and they have won like 3 trades in Luhnow's 7 year history (Verlander, Cole and sending an end of career Brett Myers for garbage and Chris Devenski). A couple that I had as wins are starting to look bad now (Folty having a breakout and Gattis being not so good...also the Marisnick deal which it turns out was for Kike Hernandez.

 

You could argue that the first Lowrie trade was a win (for Chris Carter, Brad Peacock and Stassi) as they got Lowrie back as a FA.

 

Admittedly their losses in trades aren't among the worst, but overall it would be tough to find a current playoff team with a worse trade history.

 

I meant to post this sometime last year when you first talked about it. I don't tell Boxy that he's not a complete idiot nearly enough.

 

Yeah, all three of their good trades were for pitchers who vastly outperformed their projections. Nothing fishy there. Career revivals for pitchers at 35 are super common.