Eleven chapter members and guests met for barbeque in downtown Austin, chatting about teams fighting for playoff spots in the final week of the regular season.
Jan Larson and Gilbert Martinez shared some stories about the last two Astros home games over the weekend. Martinez also did his best to discount the rumor that he fathered Astros phenom Jose Altuve. No one knows for sure, but the rumor appears to have started in West Texas earlier this week.
Baseball conversations focused on some of the favorite teams of the members in attendance. Ryan Pollack is encouraged by the play of his Baltimore Orioles, despite losing some key players to injury and suspension. The key down the stretch, he said, has been pitching and defense, but Pollack noted that the O’s have also benefited from the down years by the Rays and Red Sox.
Dan Walsh said he feels good about his Los Angeles Dodgers winning the NL West.
Mike McNulty and others wondered if the Boston Red Sox will rebound next season. We talked about ESPN writer Jayson Stark’s recent column that posed this question, “Has there ever been a team that lost 111 games or more one year and then won more games than the defending World Series champs the next?” The short answer is no, and, according to Stark, it’s not even close. But, going into games on Tuesday, the Houston Astros had one more win (69) than the Red Sox and was even in losses.
The New York Yankees fans in attendance – Jan Larson and Michael Hammond – both think that their team needs a lot of help if Derek Jeter’s final season is to be extended.
Speaking of Jeter, Larson has plans to be at Jeter’s final game at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 25. Of greater interest to Martinez (and perhaps few others), Larson will also be at the Astros-Mets game at Citi Field the next night.
Another topic of discussion included the overall improvement by the Astros this season, but some expressed worry about the team’s missteps this season – such as the failure to sign their No. 1 draft pick and two others, and the firing of manager Bo Porter.
The chapter will next meet on Saturday, Oct. 25, for Game 4 of the World Series. As we have done in recent years, we’ll gather for a watch party at the Cedar Park home of Jim Baker. More details to follow, including the names of the teams to play in the aforementioned World Series. Stay tuned for more details.