Un Freakingbelievable

[Jimcs50]

Oct. 25, 2005, 12:44AM

'The stars at night' will be visible, MLB says
Astros want roof closed for Game 3 for action deep in heart of Texas
By BRIAN MCTAGGART

In a city known for air conditioning and indoor baseball, the first World Series game in its history may be played under the stars instead of under a roof.

Major League Baseball officials say they, and not the Astros, will have final word on whether the retractable roof at Minute Maid Park will be open for tonight's Game 3 against the Chicago White Sox.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig said Monday the league will have control of the roof and prefers keep it open, weather permitting. Forecasters are predicting clear skies and 62 degrees at first pitch, with temperatures falling into the mid-50s during the game.

"MLB controls the postseason, certainly the World Series," Selig said. "We really haven't gotten heavily involved in the debate. Our position is that we want teams to do what they do during the regular season.

"If, say, 80 degrees is the cutoff during the regular season, that's what it should be in the postseason. I don't want it to become a farce. Let's say it's 72 degrees. Why wouldn't the roof be open? Why do you have a retractable roof in the first place?"


Open-and-shut case
The Astros have made it clear they prefer to have the roof closed during the postseason to take advantage of the noise that can be created as sound bounces off the roof.

"Major League Baseball trying to step in and close the roof just because they can get an aerial shot on television, frankly, doesn't cut it," said catcher Brad Ausmus, echoing the sentiment of the majority of his teammates.

The roof was closed for both home games in the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves and all three home games against the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Championship Series.

Astros general manager Tim Purpura was adamant last week the roof would stay closed the remainder of the postseason but backed off Monday.

"When you get to the World Series and the jewel events, it's a cooperative effort between Major League Baseball and its clubs to put on the best show possible, and that's what we're trying to do," he said. "In some ways, people are making this out to be a bigger deal than it really is.

"I think when you get to this point of year and the weather is like this and you have an opportunity to open it, you would try to open it."

This isn't a new issue in the World Series. Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson wanted the roof closed at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix in 2001. MLB did not.


McLane may have pull
Purpura said no decision on the roof would be made until this afternoon, but he's hopeful MLB will weigh heavily the Astros' preference.

"Our owner (Drayton McLane) and commissioner Selig have a longstanding relationship and they know and respect each other very well," Purpura said.

"They both want what's best of the game and both of them are going to do what's right for the game or right for the Astros."

Considering the Astros played 53 of their 81 regular-season home games this year with the roof closed from start to finish, it's no surprise the players would like it that way during the World Series.

"If that's what it turns out to be — that they want a blimp shot — that's not shooting people straight," third baseman Morgan Ensberg said. "I'm shooting you straight in that I like the advantage of the roof being closed because of the sound and (the wind) doesn't swirl.

"I guess I don't understand why they would want it open or closed. Why didn't they tell us on Aug. 20 what they wanted? It seems kind of ridiculous. If Major League Baseball is involved in telling an owner to open or close the roof, you're going to lose credibility."


Watching the skies
Rob Matwick, the Astros' senior vice president for ballpark operations and customer service, said the top concerns during the regular season are the threat of precipitation and the temperature.

"The No. 1 decision-maker probably ends up being the chance of rain in the summer," he said. "If the rain chance is 60, 70 percent, we'll err on the side of caution and stay closed. From there, heat and humidity and the heat index-type numbers are the criteria we would look at."

Matwick said the typical rule of thumb during the summer is the roof will be closed if the temperature is 85 degrees or above at scheduled first pitch for a night game.

"Our only experience with cold is during the College Classic (a baseball tournament in February), and we've played Classic games in the bright sunshine and roof closed just because it's too cold," Matwick said.

Purpura is convinced Minute Maid Park will be rocking regardless of what's overhead.

"I think I know my fans well enough to know that they're going to be just as loud with the roof open as they were with the roof closed," he said. "Maybe there's some echo effect we could get off the roof, but the fans here are so excited about the World Series. It's going to be loud one way or the other."


:cuss
__________________________________________________ _____________

Bud Selig once again proves that he is the biggest moron ever to be in charge of a major sport. Bite me Selig!!!

This is horrible, and should not even be in discussion. The Astros have the right to open or close their Stadium roof

[Jimcs50]

Also the game time temp will be in the 40's. The Houston Astros are a Texas team, they do not play baseball in cold weather very often, this just hurts them even more, not just because of the lack of crowd noise. This just pisses me off to no end. I can not believe this shit.

[3rdCoast]

Valid points, Jim. I think the Astros should do as they please....

[SWC Bonfire]

They made the mistake of making it public. They should have closed the roof and not said anything about it.

[slayermin]

This is some BS.

Close the roof and sabotage the button that re-opens it. The Astros had to deal with the cold and the rain for game two and I think that was a huge advantage for the White Sox.

[Horry For 3!]

Stros should just keep it closed and say FUCK YOU MLB! :) I swear this MLB shit is all for the White Sox winning, especially all these calls White Sox have got the whole playoffs.

[T Park]

Where was this for the NLCS???


MLB has jurisdiction over stadiums during the WS, like the NBA during the Finals, and the NFL during the SB.


Seems fair to me. Play in the same conditions.


Its not fair??? awwww......

[Spurminator]

Both teams would be playing in the same condition: Roof closed.

[T Park]

Baseball is meant to be played outside anyways.


Soldier up Astros.

[Mixability]

I swear this MLB shit is all for the White Sox winning...

Yeah and I'm sure God is a White Sox fan, since he'll control the weather in Chicago's favor. :rolleyes

I wish everyone would stop making excuses as to why Houston will lose a game they haven't even played yet. It's like you want them to lose just so you can say, "See? The MLB is Rigged!" :lol

[Jimcs50]

Dan Patrick has a great idea.

He says that Drayton should just wait till right before the 1st pitch and just start closing the roof...preferably to Star Wars music...the crowd will go crazy, the White Sox will be saying..."oh crap, what is going on"

Talk about great theater...that would be awesome.

:elephant


I mean, what will they do to the Astros? Fine them a million dollars?

[Marcus Bryant]

What? Luke Oswalt and Hans Berkman make their stand? No-lan Kenowbi as Luke's mentor? R2Biggio and C3cianio?

[Spurminator]

Baseball is meant to be played outside anyways.



That's soooo 1964.

[scott]

This can only be described as bullshit.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Astros have to play their way through it. It's all part of becoming a champion. They need to look at themselves in the mirror and realized they have no excuse for not winning game 2. They are more than capable of winning game 3, roof or no.

[Horry For 3!]

Stros players are pissed, Oswalt was on ESPN talking about it that its their field and they should be able to do whatever they want, if they want it open or closed.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

What will truely be unfuckingbelievable is if that suck ass closer gives up another homerun to Billy Average.

[TheTruth]

OH MY GOD!!

You mean they have to play baseball outdoors?????
IN THE COLD???

What is the Commish thinking? BASEBALL WAS MEANT TO BE PLAYED INDOORS WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING....

:rolleyes

[FromWayDowntown]

What I don't get is the Commissioner's notion that the games should be played under the same conditions. Part of baseball is that the conditions are always quite different. That's the beauty of differently sized parks with different nooks and crannies and different features. If the Commissioner truly wanted the conditions to be the same, he'd require that all World Series games be played in the same stadium. Roof closed is one of the features of Minute Maid Park.

Of course, if he had been truly concerned with keeping conditions similar, it wouldn't have taken Congress getting on his ass for his league to develop some sort of realistic steroid testing policy . . . . among other things.

The idea that the conditions be homogeneous is another foible in Bud's Folly (aka, anything baseball after Fay Vincent).

[Spurminator]

Baseball was also meant to be played during the Summer.

[hussker]

Brad Lidge = Mitch Williams

[Trainwreck2100]

Why does the MLB want the White Sox to win.

[scott]

Bud Selig is not a positive figure in baseball, period.

[Marcus Bryant]

Oswalt's pissed? Good.

[boutons]

The New York Times
October 25, 2005

White Sox Lead Series, 2-0

Baseball Tells Astros to Open Stadium Roof
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 7:22 p.m. ET

HOUSTON (AP) -- Major League Baseball pulled the roof out from over the Houston Astros' heads. Over the objections of the Astros, the commissioner's office ordered the roof open at Minute Maid Field for Game 3 of the World Series on Tuesday night and said all games in Houston this week are likely to be played outdoors.

''It is a gorgeous day,'' baseball commissioner Bud Selig said. ''In Milwaukee, you don't get a day like this until July Fourth.''

Jimmie Lee Solomon, executive vice president of baseball operations in the commissioner's office, made the announcement on the field about four hours before the scheduled first pitch. It was 71 degrees and the sky was cloudless when Solomon spoke.

The forecast called for a game time temperature in the low 60s, and Solomon said it would not get too cold for fans.

''This is not unprecedented. It happened in 2001 down in Arizona. The roof was open all four games there,'' Solomon said. ''We looked at everything. We looked at wind. We looked at humidity. We looked at the temperature.''

The Astros like playing with the roof closed because, among other things, it increases the noise. They were not thrilled with the decision.

''They had the opportunity to close it in the division series, they had the chance in the championship series, they didn't say anything then,'' shortstop Adam Everett said. ''It surprises me they're saying something now.''

''This is our home field. If we want to close it, we should be able to close it. That being said, they are Major League Baseball and they have their rule.''

Solomon said the commissioner's office followed the Astros' regular-season guidelines, which he said call for the roof to be open when the temperature is under 80 degrees and there is no rain. Astros spokeswoman Lisa Ramsperger said there are no specific guidelines.

''I think it's a disregard to our fans, the comfort of our fans,'' Astros manager Phil Garner said.

Solomon said that the forecast is favorable for the rest of the week and that the roof is likely to be open for all games in Houston. The Astros played their first five postseason games this year with the roof closed. Solomon said the temperature was over 80 degrees for all except Game 3 of the first-round series against Atlanta.

''By the time we got here to look at the roof it was already there and we could not change it in time,'' he said.

During the regular season, the Astros were 36-17 at home when the roof was closed, 15-11 when it was rolled back and 2-0 in games that began indoors and finished in fresh air. It was open just twice after May -- for a pair of games against the Chicago Cubs during the final series of the regular season.

''If we say anything, it's going to be critical, so I have no comment,'' Astros president for baseball operations Tal Smith said.

* Copyright 2005 The Associated Press

[Brutalis]

I don't think it's cheating, or unfair.

It's 4-0 Astro's and they seem to be fine with it. I guess they realized it's still home field advantage. ... 4-1, check.

[ShoogarBear]

It's 4-0 Astro's and they seem to be fine with it. I guess they realized it's still home field advantage. ... 4-1, check.

Whoops.

[Duff McCartney]

http://www.floorpie.net/media/elguapo.jpg

"The Astros will die like dogs."

[N.Y. Johnny]

Shit

[Horry For 3!]

Willy is defintely our weakest hitter. Then freaking Ensberg couldn't get it done :bang

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Guys the Astros just cant cash in on chicago's mistakes.

[FromWayDowntown]

Ensberg wanted NO part of that plate appearance in the bottom of the 9th. He was a deer in headlights at the plate. Berkman, however, was all over it. That, among other things, is why El Duque walked him.

It's amazing that the Astros could pull within a game of tying the World Series, given their ridiculous struggles to score runners in this postseason.

[Marcus Bryant]

I need a drink.

[Trainwreck2100]

That was a strike Dammit!!!!!

[Low End Specialist]

I can take an 18 inning game during the day, but definitely not at night. :(

[Trainwreck2100]

Top of the lineup

http://www.ezekielbearsports.com/bbs/images/yahoo/nailbite.gif

[Spurminator]

This may shape up to be the most evenly-matched World Series sweep in history.

[Low End Specialist]

Time for some Walk-Off HR magic

[Marcus Bryant]

Make that a double.

[Spurminator]

Berkman shoulda just hit that last pitch. We're fucked now... Ensberg is done.

(Workin it... workin iiiitttt.......)

[Trainwreck2100]

Oh God Ensburg's up.

[Spurminator]

Christ, swing the bat.

[Low End Specialist]

Please, Ensberg, don't strike out looking

[Spurminator]

Popout on a halfassed swing.

[Low End Specialist]

Oh God :(

[midgetonadonkey]

God dammit. They've stranded a dozen. Fuck!

[Low End Specialist]

Qualls was money in that inning.

[Spurminator]

Nice work, Qualls.

[Marcus Bryant]

Someone fucking make contact.

[Trainwreck2100]

Beautiful inning by Qualls

[Spurminator]

McCarver is such an idiot. When oh when will some other network carry the World Series?

"It's almost as if the Astros are thinking they should go down 1-2-3 so the pitcher's spot doesn't come up this inning." I'm sure that's exactly it, you idiot.

[Marcus Bryant]

I muted the TVs long ago...

[Marcus Bryant]

Crap. Get that out of your system Qualls before someone gets on base.

[Low End Specialist]

Damn it. I can't take it anymore!

[Marcus Bryant]

I think Garner's ready to get in the box.

[Marcus Bryant]

Shit.

[Low End Specialist]

Uh Oh. Lead-off walk. Not good. Not good.

[Spurminator]

Garner's been pretty conservative this game... compared to the 18 inning game.

[Low End Specialist]

Hell Yes!

[Marcus Bryant]

Sweet.

[Marcus Bryant]

Toshiba Hitachi is up.

[Low End Specialist]

Toshiba Hitachi is up.

K'd that mofo :fro

[Spurminator]

Nice, that got the crowd into it.

Wake up Houston, you're AT THE WORLD SERIES!!!

You can choose to be miserable or you can choose to have a good time. For the prices of those seats, I'd prefer to have a good time.

[Trainwreck2100]

Someone explain to me how that bunt was fair.

[Low End Specialist]

For real. I think the fact that there's no more beer to go around is making them sleep. Espresso shots for everyone stat!

[Trainwreck2100]

It ends here, I'm calling it, this is the inning.

[Spurminator]

You suck, Vizcaino. You're worthless.

[Low End Specialist]

He got the lead-off walk :)

[Marcus Bryant]

Runner on.

[Spurminator]

Biggio, just retire already. You're done. Done, I tell you. Stop stealing Drayton McLane's money.

[Marcus Bryant]

Backe looks like he finally took his Ritalin.

[Marcus Bryant]

feh

[Spurminator]

I'm tired of Joe Buck too. He's the most negative play-by-play man in sports. Everything is a second guess, a questionable call, or a failure to capitalize.

[HB22inSA]

Biggio's been chasing all game.

[Trainwreck2100]

Taveras ain't gonna do shit.

[Marcus Bryant]

Man there's nothing better than watching guys take strike 3s.

[Spurminator]

Especially after swinging at near passed balls.

[Marcus Bryant]

Nolan's remembering when he was throwing heat, drinking Wild Turkey and chasing tail.

[Spurminator]

6 hours till I have to get up for work.........

[Trainwreck2100]

Blum kinda scares me.

[Marcus Bryant]

Shit, they brought JR Richard in.

[Marcus Bryant]

Awesome double play. There's still hope.

[FromWayDowntown]

If only Ensberg's glove could hit.

[Spurminator]

HOLY SHIT WHAT A PLAY!!

[Trainwreck2100]

That was some shit right there by Ensberg.

[Marcus Bryant]

Ensberg is good for something.

[Spurminator]

That was Crede-esque.

[Spurminator]

Blum kinda scares me.

I hate you.

[FromWayDowntown]

Blum kinda scares me.

Damn. Any other thoughts? Stock tips?

[Marcus Bryant]

Crap. What reject did we give up a homer to?

[Trainwreck2100]

Blum kinda scares me.

I fucking knew it.

[midgetonadonkey]

It's over.

[Silver21_Black20]

DAYUM!!!!! HR White Sox

[Spurminator]

Podsednik and now Blum.

Unreal.

[Marcus Bryant]

Garner had a good reaction.

[Trainwreck2100]

It's all up to Ensberg to carry that momentum from that bad ass play

[Low End Specialist]

That was another kick in the nuts.

[Trainwreck2100]

It's all up to Ensberg to carry that momentum from that bad ass play


Nevermind

[Marcus Bryant]

Quality mullet on this bitch.

[Spurminator]

Bean this motherfucker again.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Are you fucking kidding me? WTF is up with all these home runs

[Spurminator]

You've got to be shitting me with these pussy ass hits.

[Marcus Bryant]

Morgan Ensberg he's the man. If he cant screw it up nobody can.

[King]

Does anyone else hate Ensberg's leg kick when he throws?

[HB22inSA]

The sweep is coming Astros fans.

Sorry to say.

[Low End Specialist]

Wow. This is the weirdest World Series I've seen in quite some time.

[Spurminator]

Like I said... Most evenly matched sweep in baseball history.

[Marcus Bryant]

What a fucking frustrating series.

[Trainwreck2100]

Bases Jacked

[Silver21_Black20]

Crap. What reject did we give up a homer to?


A reject with fucked up hair :lmao

[Spurminator]

The inning that wouldn't end...

[Marcus Bryant]

Good way to start off, Astacio. Who's left, Phil?

[Spurminator]

Grand Slam right here.

[Marcus Bryant]

Can the man throw a strike?

[Marcus Bryant]

One pitch away from more joy.

[King]

If he doesn't walk him

[Marcus Bryant]

Awesome. Simply awesome. Now we make the call.

[Trainwreck2100]

It's going to end like this, after all this shit that Pastacio bitch blows it.

[Spurminator]

Started with tough luck... Then he just got rattled.

[HB22inSA]

Can't throw a strike or another one will leave the yard.

All the home runs can be attributed to the Astros playing on a Little League field, what is it, 210 to the corners?

:)

[Trainwreck2100]

Crap. What reject did we give up a homer to?


I would like to say when it was mentioned that Blum played for them I didn't want to see him cause former players have a tendency to bite you in the ass.

[Spurminator]

All three homeruns tonight were legitimate. None of them were Crawford Box pop flies.

[IcemanCometh]

at some point, astacio is going to need more than just good looks if he is going to make it at this level

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Alright, Im way too tired. Hope they pull it out, but it looks kinda bleak.

[Marcus Bryant]

You can tell when someone hasn't been watching the game.

[HB22inSA]

Bleak is an understatement

[Spurminator]

I'll feel bad for Astacio if he ends up being the goat... He didn't give up 5 runs in one inning or leave countless runners on base with chances to win the game.

[Trainwreck2100]

We do need said pop flies though.

[Marcus Bryant]

Good, back in time to see Morgan take 2 called strikes.

[Marcus Bryant]

At least he swung for the 3rd one.

[Spurminator]

Ensberg has had a good seat for the World Series, though.

[Marcus Bryant]

Lane is up.

[Spurminator]

Double play.

[Marcus Bryant]

Fuck. Well at least he took a hack.

[Marcus Bryant]

Whoa. There's still hope.

[Spurminator]

Uh oh.... Juan Buckner blows the routine grounder...

[Spurminator]

Ten more minutes of sleep I could have had.

[Marcus Bryant]

Everett's up. At least he's due up.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

are you fucking kidding me

this game wont let me sleep

[Spurminator]

I'd be tempted to pinch hit Raul Chavez here.

[GINNNNNNNNNNNNOBILI]

Anyway we can get Steve Bartman in a sox jersey

[Marcus Bryant]

Dammit Adam get a hit you motherfucker

[Spurminator]

Well, shit.

[Horry For 3!]

Fuck the MLB!

[IcemanCometh]

you know this is all because the roof was open

[Horry For 3!]

Astacio is horrible, why did we have to put him in there :bang

[Boulevard1]

This blows.

It's up to Backe.

[Vashner]

hahahah The commish does not realize with Houston .. the pollution is so thick you can taste it... Forcing them to open that was bullshit.

[TexasAggie2005]

This blows.

It's up to Backe.

No way we start Backe. Time to bring back the Rocket.

[T Park]

Bring back the Rocket on short rest with a hurt hammie??

Yeah thatll work.


And all of those ripping Ensburg, the Astros wouldn't havent have sniffed the playoffs, without that ALL Star.

Ill trade rolen for Ensburg Right now.


Adam ant everett is the hole in the lineup.

If I were Mclane Id sign Furcal in the offseason and get me a good leadoff guy, put Biggio in the second hole and hit Taveras in the 8th.


If Clemens retires, this is all mute, cause the Astros wont sniff the playoffs without Clemens next year.

[Horry For 3!]

Bring back the Rocket on short rest with a hurt hammie??

Yeah thatll work.


And all of those ripping Ensburg, the Astros wouldn't havent have sniffed the playoffs, without that ALL Star.

Ill trade rolen for Ensburg Right now.


Adam ant everett is the hole in the lineup.

If I were Mclane Id sign Furcal in the offseason and get me a good leadoff guy, put Biggio in the second hole and hit Taveras in the 8th.


If Clemens retires, this is all mute, cause the Astros wont sniff the playoffs without Clemens next year.
Actually Willy is probably the weakest hitter in the lineup.

[Spurminator]

Ill trade rolen for Ensburg Right now.

I'd make that trade.

I like Ensberg, but Rolen is a much better player, and it's not like Morgan is all that young.

[TheTruth]

I'll blame it on the roof being open...

So you 'stros fans don't have to...

[Mixability]

Fuck the MLB!

So it was Houston vs. MLB? :rolleyes Houston lost, roof or no roof. Get over it along with your conspiracy theories.

[T Park]

I like Ensberg, but Rolen is a much better player, and it's not like Morgan is all that young.

To counterpoint, name me a playoffs that Scott Rolen has been healthy for?

You cant.

Hes been with the Cardinals for 4 playoffs.

hes finished with the team, playing, in the playoffs for 1.

Hes totally missed the playoffs twice.

Last year he hurt his knee before the playoffs, the first year against Arizona in 02, he hurts his shoulder cause of a collission with Alex Cintron.

[baseline bum]

I'll feel bad for Astacio if he ends up being the goat... He didn't give up 5 runs in one inning or leave countless runners on base with chances to win the game.

How could Astacio be left in that game? His control was so bad it looked like he was about to bean everyone who stepped to the plate. You can't be mad about the homerun - shit happens - but how the fuck do you walk a run in at that point of the game? That walk basically forced the 'stros to swing for the fences every time at bat in the bottom of the inning.

[Spurminator]

I wonder if Garner was trying to save Wandy Rodriguez in case he needed to work heavy duty in Game 4 or 5... I don't know. Shouldn't have gotten to that point though.

[Vashner]

I would close the roof. Take out some big parts / gears from the motor.. or the whole motor and drive it out of town to a ranch for "repairs"... since it broke last night when closed for testing purposes.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

WTF??? I just saw on the SAS show how Lane actually hit a home run last night, but they fucked up the call.

Wtf is this bull shit? Could this series be any gayer

[Spurminator]

Actually, they called it a homerun, but in reality it wasn't.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

I'm confused

Maybe we're talking about different plays here, this was during regulation

The player hit the ball and it knocked off the wall on an area above the fence, bounced in play, the ball was kept in play
SAS said it was a legitimate homerun but not called so

[hussker]

IF this is a SWEEP, it will be the BEST series ever when there was a sweep. I am sure that is not a consolation to us 'Stros fans...G+BUT

IT AIN'T OVER TIL IT'S OVER...As the othercolor SOX, or better yet the Yankees, from last year!

GO 'STROS!!!!

[T Park]

sweep is a sweep.

This will probably silence jim a little on his weak Red Sox sweeping the Cardinals smack though.