Welcome To Case's Column
Let me say a big welcome to all of you for joining me here. I'm going to call these blog meetings Case's Column. I wanted to use "Corner", but that was already taken.
Since 2008, it's been a real privilege to come on here and share some of my life with you, and it's a big world where we live.
In these blogs, I'll just speak whatever is on my mind, but we will be playing within the rules here. I may pick a particular topic, point out an event, or shoot the breeze. I'm a little bit of an essayist at times, so I'll just speak what's on my mind, and I might tell a story or two. Or, I might spew out an opinion or three. There will be some serious moments, some tender, some poignant, but there will also be those moments that you'll just bust out laughing. But, hopefully, everything will be in good fun here. And, of course, there's a place below for your comments and thoughts as we go along here. So feel free to join me for the ride -- I sure as heck hope I'm doing this right and not making any mistakes.
Thanks for taking your time in reading Case's Column. Hopefully, you'll enjoy being entertained by it as much as I've enjoyed putting these writings together. And thanks for the time you spend in City-Data.com, where it's great to be alive!
Regards,
case44
Let me say a big welcome to all of you for joining me here. I'm going to call these blog meetings Case's Column. I wanted to use "Corner", but that was already taken.
Since 2008, it's been a real privilege to come on here and share some of my life with you, and it's a big world where we live.In these blogs, I'll just speak whatever is on my mind, but we will be playing within the rules here. I may pick a particular topic, point out an event, or shoot the breeze. I'm a little bit of an essayist at times, so I'll just speak what's on my mind, and I might tell a story or two. Or, I might spew out an opinion or three. There will be some serious moments, some tender, some poignant, but there will also be those moments that you'll just bust out laughing. But, hopefully, everything will be in good fun here. And, of course, there's a place below for your comments and thoughts as we go along here. So feel free to join me for the ride -- I sure as heck hope I'm doing this right and not making any mistakes.
Thanks for taking your time in reading Case's Column. Hopefully, you'll enjoy being entertained by it as much as I've enjoyed putting these writings together. And thanks for the time you spend in City-Data.com, where it's great to be alive!
Regards,
case44
The Astros Could Learn Something From The Royals' Success
Before any more excitement reaches Houston, Texas, we have some intense excitement already going on in Kansas City, Missouri, today. Postseason excitement, in this case. Baseball fever is finally back in the Fountain City. The Royals are enjoying the fruits of a rebuilt franchise, and the fans' patience has certainly been rewarded.
Remember the Tampa Bay Rays when they went from last to first in 2008 and began a great run of playoff contention and playoff participation (and a World Series appearance)? Okay, so their winning season streak ended this year, but they previously reeled off six straight seasons of at least 84 wins. Kansas City, meanwhile, hasn't had playoff baseball since that magical year in 1985, when they beat the St Louis Cardinals in the I-70 World Series. Royals GM Dayton Moore is being credited by me as being the architect of this rebuilt Royals team that finally broke through this season and is now reaping the playoff whirlwind. I knew that, sooner or later, the Royals would turn their ship around.
Where do the Astros come in, you ask? It could be in the next couple of years, thanks to the efforts of current GM Jeff Luhnow and his predecessor, Ed Wade. Like the Royals, Houston has a lot of fine, young players who have emerged as a team, having broken a string of consecutive 100-loss seasons by going 70-92 this year. One of those players was Jose Altuve, this year's American League batting champion. The promise going into next year is very big. This is a team on the verge. Look where Kansas City is now. Heck, look at Baltimore, another great franchise that had been in a deep slump, only to bounce back the last couple of years. Now, they have some great youngsters on their ballclub and are in this year's American League Championship Series. Look at Kansas City and Baltimore and where they're at now. That could be Houston in a couple of years. Next year? A possibility, but that might be pushing it. Still, with the youngsters they have, if they get it going, then the Astros will get to do what the Royals and Orioles are experiencing now.
That's exhibiting winning baseball.
Remember the Tampa Bay Rays when they went from last to first in 2008 and began a great run of playoff contention and playoff participation (and a World Series appearance)? Okay, so their winning season streak ended this year, but they previously reeled off six straight seasons of at least 84 wins. Kansas City, meanwhile, hasn't had playoff baseball since that magical year in 1985, when they beat the St Louis Cardinals in the I-70 World Series. Royals GM Dayton Moore is being credited by me
as being the architect of this rebuilt Royals team that finally broke through this season and is now reaping the playoff whirlwind. I knew that, sooner or later, the Royals would turn their ship around.Where do the Astros come in, you ask? It could be in the next couple of years, thanks to the efforts of current GM Jeff Luhnow and his predecessor, Ed Wade. Like the Royals, Houston has a lot of fine, young players who have emerged as a team, having broken a string of consecutive 100-loss seasons by going 70-92 this year. One of those players was Jose Altuve, this year's American League batting champion. The promise going into next year is very big. This is a team on the verge. Look where Kansas City is now. Heck, look at Baltimore, another great franchise that had been in a deep slump, only to bounce back the last couple of years. Now, they have some great youngsters on their ballclub and are in this year's American League Championship Series. Look at Kansas City and Baltimore and where they're at now. That could be Houston in a couple of years. Next year? A possibility, but that might be pushing it. Still, with the youngsters they have, if they get it going, then the Astros will get to do what the Royals and Orioles are experiencing now.
That's exhibiting winning baseball.
Total Comments 3
Comments
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Indeed, they can. It just won't take the Astros as many years as it took Kansas City.
And by the way, don't be surprised if those Royals end up playing my Cards in the WS. Will we get a rematch of '85?Posted 10-08-2014 at 05:52 PM by malfunction
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You are such an optimist, mal, that it scares me.Posted 10-08-2014 at 06:37 PM by case44
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The Astros will certainly learn from this playoff run the Royals just had, and nobody expected them to get this far. To just go to the World Series was big enough for Kansas City, and it's a lesson for all players when things don't always swing their way. San Francisco, in the end, was just too good in the one game that mattered, Game 7. You make a very convincing point in your post.
Houston will probably be in those shoes (heck, the shoes of either team) in a couple of years. It could be scary how good they can get, and it might be better than the two World Series teams this year.Posted 10-30-2014 at 04:46 PM by malfunction
