Astros will play like Champions over the next 3 games, why ? Because they are playing the Mets after that they will go right back to stinking the Astros will take 2 out of 3 from the Mets, maybe even sweep with the way the sad sacks ( Mets) have been playing the last 6 weeks

The fact that they're THIS AWFUL now tells me that the first half was a total fluke. Its one thing to go from being a playoff contender to being a mediocre team, but I see no bright spots in going from playoff contender to being the worst team in baseball.

Look at the Pirates last year. They made it to the all star break and then fell apart. This year they made it a little further.

It's called rebuilding and I am starting to wonder if anyone on this board understands what that means.

'The fact that they're THIS AWFUL now tells me that the first half was a total fluke.'

Well, there were a few statistical anomalies that's for certain. Dickey had arguably the best first half in franchise history, Wright was on a torrid pace, and this team hit uncharacteristically good with RISP and 2 outs. There was no way that was going to last.

Ultimately, this team is going to end up where many of us thought it would at the outset: between 70-75 wins.

What makes baseball so great is that it's such a long season- Good teams make it to the post-season, flukes do not.

'It's called rebuilding and I am starting to wonder if anyone on this board understands what that means.'

Hahaha yeah... Rebuilding. A rebuilding franchise doesn't sign their second overall pick, right? A rebuilding franchise doesn't spend the least amount of money on the draft in their division. A rebuilding franchise doesn't hold on to players that have any semblance of value at the deadline because finishing .500 is a 'goal' (according to Alderson).

This franchise is being cheap. Alderson is going to cut the fat (ie- everyone) and that money will NOT go back into player development, the draft, or international free agents. It's not going to go anywhere.... What more proof do we need?

Bay and Pelf haven't "been around enough to help"??? Bay has been atrocious. In previous seasons he was merely bad. Pelfrey had a few good starts. Our rotation was fine without him. Who of IMPORT has been injured? Santana and?

The team has tanked in the second half because guys we weren't expecting to play alot or at all came in and excelled for a short time during the first half. And then they didn't. I'm thinking of guys like Niewenhuis. Also, Wright was unreal. Dickey as well. And now? Wright has plunged back to earth. Dickey has still been good. Santana hasn't been himself since mid June and is now out the rest of the way. Without what those three did with a pinch of the unexpected youngsters added in, we're looking at a first half almost as bad as the second half.

Some were telling us that Duda would fill in for the loss of Beltran based on a half a season's numbers. The history of baseball is filled with young players who started off well and never made the adjustment due to a lack of talent. Unfortunately, that's what we have here in a few cases. Alderson needs to take a hard look at the team this offseason and decide who's a pretender and who may just need more time.

i'm all for re-building....but we can't really do it while hanging on to two 30+ year old guys whose market values are at their peak while we wait for our prospects at A and AA to come around

It's called rebuilding and I am starting to wonder if anyone on this board understands what that means.

--> It costs money and resources to BUILD something! The only thing I see being built is the 20 game lead the Nats have over the Mets. Sure we have some nice young arms to look at, but we can't even field a Major League caliber team to support them.

Talk about brain washed are you a Wilpon relative?????

Yup....the last time I saw this many young arms and not much to brag about other than that I was looking at the 09 Nats and Braves.

the last time I saw this many young arms and not much to brag about other than that I was looking at the 09 Nats and Braves.

-->Ok, let's use the Braves for example. Please tell me how many players the Mets have that are better than what the Braves had in 09.

2009 Atlanta Braves

Opening Day Starters

Matt Diaz
Yunel Escobar
Jeff Francoeur
Kelly Johnson
Chipper Jones
Casey Kotchman
Derek Lowe
Brian McCann
Jordan Schafer

2009 Atlanta Braves
Most Games by Position

C Brian McCann (127)
1B Casey Kotchman (85)
2B Kelly Johnson (84)
3B Chipper Jones (133)
SS Yunel Escobar (139)
LF Garret Anderson (124)
CF Nate McLouth (84)
RF Jeff Francoeur (80)

and don't forget they added Uggla,Heyward,Freeman,Venters,and Bourn to that team

we're not getting that from either our minor league system or on the FA market

that's what people just aren't seeing

Exactly! But I think most people DO SEE it.