Hey Astros...

Yeah I know it sucked that you had to go to Milwaukee to play those games with the Cubs.

Yeah it really sucked because those were supposed to be home games and instead you played them in a place that is nicknamed "Wrigley North."

Sure they could have put you in a more neutral site like Kansas City or a Minor League park.

And it REALLY sucked that Zambrano threw a no hitter at you and Ted Lilly almost did the same and any momentum you had was squashed.

But this whole protest down to the t shirts isn't Major League stuff... it's Bush League.

How about a little perspective?
Remember WHY you were transplanted?

Oh yeah! Hurricane Ike! And there are a lot of people in the Houston area that didn't have power, their homes or maybe lost a love one or two.

So maybe you can suck it up, go to Milwaukee and try to get hits, plural, over two games!

Yeah Bud Selig stinks. You are just figuring this out?
Yeah they favor the big markets to the little markets (except during strike time!)

Guess what? Baseball is very fair in one way:
Winning on the field trumps all.

The Rays have the lowest payroll in baseball and they play in a division with the highest payrolls. Yet they won more games.

If you won those games in Milwaukee it would have been a rallying cry for the team.

Now it is just whining.

Good job keeping it all in perspective.

Who will fold the least?

There are three teams in the National League that are completely shellshocked and seeing their seasons coming to a crashing end.

The Brewers have won only 3 games this month, shocked the baseball world with a bizarre panic move of firing their manager with a dozen games left, and then lost to their division rival with the best pitcher in baseball losing for the first time since his trade to the NL… all the while knowing that free agency will devastate their pitching staff.

Speaking of devastation, the Astros had a hurricane derail their momentum, force them from their stadium where they were no hit one night, nearly no hit the next day and in the past three games have 1 run and 6 hits COMBINED.

And the Mets are in the middle of a gut wrenching free fall that is reminding everyone of their epic collapse one year ago… their bullpen can’t close games, their rotation is in shambles, their line up is old and banged up and teams like the Braves and Nationals are picking them apart,

There is nothing but panic, despair and resignation of failure in the eyes of those teams and the hearts of their fans.

All three teams resemble Alec Guinness at the end of The Bridge on the River Kwai… battered, about to die, suddenly realizing the mistakes he has made… and as he dies he destroys everything he has fought so hard to build.

Want to know the strange thing?

One of those teams are going to be playing in October.

The National League needs four teams… and one of them will be either the Mets, Brewers or Astros.

Like Rocky at the end of Rocky 2, if one of the teams can climb up that rope and be standing when the ref counts to ten, you win.

The Mets and Astros have 12 games left… the Brewers have 11.
Going on a winning streak over 12 games isn’t an outrageous request.

The Mets need to play the Nats and Braves… which has been a challenge as of late. And then the Cubs and Marlins at home.

The Brewers have 5 more games with the Cubs, plus 6 games with the Reds and Pirates.

The Astros have the easiest schedule… two more games in Miami and then the Pirates, Reds and Braves the rest of the way (with a possible make up game with the Cubbies.)

And if the Astros or Brewers win the Wild Card, chances are they would face either the beatable Phillies or maybe the Mets if they (David) right their ship.

I’d pick either the Astros or the Brewers over the NL East champ!

One of these three teams will be in it… and have that collective sigh of relief that comes over a team that struggles past the finish line.

Everyone remembers the Rockies sprinting past the Padres and Dodgers last year…
But how about the Cardinals in 2006?

They went on a 7 game losing streak in September. They had an 8 ½ game lead with 12 to play and the Astros cut it to ½ a game before the St. Louis finished the year with the third worst playoff record in baseball history.

And once they got in, there seemed to be a release of tension. “We didn’t blow it!” And they went on to win the World Series.

The Tigers that year also had a miserable September where they did blow the division lead and backed into the playoffs as the Wild Card.

They won the pennant.

The 2007 Red Sox and the 2005 White Sox saw their huge leads nearly evaporate in subpar Septembers… and both won the World Series.

So while these the three teams all resemble Mr. Orange bleeding to death in the warehouse… one could have a real shot at making their 2008 season have a happy ending.

At least happier than Mr. Orange’s ending.

I don't like Ike

Obviously and most importantly, we all hope and wish that Hurricane Ike comes and goes with as little damage and loss as possible.

But man the havoc it can cause to the schedule down the stretch is amazing.

The Cubs are trying to clinch a division and the Astros are trying to steal a playoff spot and those teams will likely have 3 head to head match ups canceled with not many off days to make them up. They'll probably have to play some games in a neutral site, like when Hurricane Ivan forced the Expos and Marlins to play in Chicago 4 years ago.

I hope they figure out a solution fast.

Either way, tomorrow promises to be as wild a day in baseball as we've seen all year.
Double headers involving the Red Sox, Rays, White Sox and Twins that can play out with the second place team catching the first... or the Wild Card lead shrinking... or the leaders pulling away or playing to a stand still.

Just go away Ike.