I’m a bit critical about Sparks more than I am Ford. I think Sparks does fine as the color man but I have a hard time listening to his play by play during the middle innings. He tends to sound overly excited at times. I’ll be in the car and the opposing team will hit the ball and he’ll sound excited and I’ll think, Oh, we must be making a great play or something. But then it will be a ball in the gap or off the wall or a homer. He does it often. I think Ford is just a professional and doesn’t want to be TOO homerish, knowing that there are more than just Astros fans listening. I think they both make it a point to be very knowledgeable about the opponent and try to show respect for them as well. But when I listen to Ford’s play by play, I always know when the Astros are making a good play or when they are not. When the Astros get a ball in the gap or hit a deep drive, Ford gets a bit of excitement in his voice. But when the other team does something, or when they hit a no doubter, he’ll say it in more of a grounded tone but will describe everything that is happening because that’s what he is supposed to do. I think the “Astros are down to their final out” is just him describing what’s happening. I don’t think he does that in a negative way towards the Astros. Now, the ONLY time that I have sort of felt like he was being a yankee homer (He grew up a yankees fan and went to Syracuse) is when the Astros made their first trip back to the Bronx and their fans were giving them the business and he said something like “Well they cheated and so these fans are giving it to them”… or something like that and chuckled almost in agreement with what some of their signs read. Other than that, I like Ford. I wish they would keep Sparks as the colorman always.
I’m also not a fan of the “Sparky’s gettin wet” postgame celebrations. I think it’s a bit much.
P.S.- I met Ford in Rice Village one time. Cool dude.
Now for the Rockets, I think I preferred Matt Thomas better as a color man. He was so fluid and natural in that role. I feel like his natural radio personality is lost when he does play by play because he is so focused on trying to describe everything.
If you hate a bland, straight-down-the-line broadcaster you would have despised Gene Elston. He was devoid of mirth and seemingly oblivious to the circumstances of the game. He would intentionally tamp down his enthusiasm when the stros did well to point where you thought you were listening to the opposition broadcast. This was back in the day when you only rarely got the stros on TV and you where imprisoned in his nightly monotone description of the game. I survived it though.
Chron runs a story about how Dusty thinks Abreu is about to break out. I won’t post it because I don’t want to contribute to the delinquency of Stros fans
He has 85 million reasons to do so….plain and simple.
If this were the 3rd year of the contract he might sit him….but no way in he// this year.
The coaching staff should be embarrassed they can’t get him right….Blum can see it , Sparky can see it, I know what I would be showing if it were one of my guys….
Cintron is no bueno.
I’m surprised hitting instructors from the Florida Complex have not been brought in.
They definitely shouldn’t bench him but maybe he would benefit from a game off here and there. Dusty routinely sits other regulars(ex. Altuve) He’s sitting Tucker today. Why not Abreu? It’s worth a try.
I get it…and to a degree I understand it…but man, the’Stros have a good chance to repeat if they can get some consistent offense going…they have the best ERA in the league, and I’d hate to see them waste that. JMHO.
Sometimes a large investment can eat you alive. Bank of America bought countrywide and by the time they knew it was a failure they rode it down to pennies on the dollar. They could have junked it and hedged their losses but hubris and embarrassment kept them on that donkey til its knees buckled.
Billions in losses later they mused about what kept them riding the FAIL caravan.
I understand the reality but its frustrating that Dusty feels the need to prop up Cranes’ Carlos Lee project.
