
Could the 1927 Browns have done to the 1927 Yankees what the 2017 A’s just did to the 2017 Astros? Nor likely. – Talent parity is far better today.
Astros*Notes
The A’s did it, finishing the 4-game, first-time ever, series sweep of the Astros by 10-2, producing some tabs worthy of a baseball house of horrors
For the A’s: 4 wins in 4 tries; 41 runs on 51 hits – and 11 homers!
A’s 11 HR in 4-Game Series vs. Astros, Sep. 8-10, 2017
| HR#/G# | INN | BATTER | B L/R | RUNS | 0UTS | PITCHER | T L/R |
| 1/1 | 2nd | Matt Chapman | BR | 2 | 1 | Collin McHugh | TR |
| 2/1 | 3rd | Matt Joyce | BL | 1 | 0 | Collin McHugh | TR |
| 3/1 | 7TH | Marcus Semien | BR | 4 | 0 | Luke Gregerson | TR |
| 4/1 | 9th | Boog Powell | BL | 1 | 0 | Ben Giles | TR |
| 5/3 | 6TH | Matt Olson | BL | 2 | 0 | Brad Peacock | TR |
| 6/3 | 7TH | Chad Pinder | BR | 1 | 2 | Chris Devenski | TR |
| 7/3 | 8TH | Chad Pinder | BR | 3 | 2 | Michael Feliz | TR |
| 8/4 | 5TH | Matt Chapman | BR | 1 | 0 | Dallas Keuchel | TL |
| 9/4 | 7TH | Ryan Healy | BR | 2 | 1 | Francis Martes | TR |
| 10/4 | 8th | Boog Powell | BL | 2 | 2 | Luke Gregerson | TR |
| 11/4 | 8TH | Matt Olson | BL | 2 | 2 | Tony Sipp | TL |
Two Basic Observations from the Chart’s Data:
(There are many others there, simply awaiting your own excavations.)
1.) 7 of of the 11 HR were yielded by relievers;
2.) 21 of the 41 total runs scored by the A’s came on these charted long balls;
One Overlayed Subjective Observation:
This series screams at the overall parity of talent that spreads today from MLB’s alleged best to worst teams. The 1927 St. Louis Browns never could have done this kind of job in a series with the 1927 New York Yankees if you had spotted them four strikes and four outs per inning. The talent simply was not there within the Browns to get the job done. Assuming that to be true, it does make it easier for a new ownership of a failed performance franchise today to sell the idea to fans that a quick return to serious competition is both possible and probable – with good management and money thrown at the identified solutions. Back in the 1920s, clubs like the A’s did what the old Browns and Senators also actually did. They survived by selling their best players, simply to pay the rent and light bills.
The Damage Tab to the Juice that Squeezed from Houston Strong/Verlander:
Plans for purchasing the Buffalo Bayou Bridge at the foot of Main and painting it orange and deep blue in honor of the 2017 World Series Champions, the Houston Astros, have been put on serious hold.
Three Positive Getaway Thoughts:
- The Astros will not lose today. Monday is a day off;
- No matter what, as always, the sun will come up tomorrow, just as it did today, as long as our personal time is not up; and,
- The hope for something beautiful is the future’s gift to the present.
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AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST STANDINGS
THRU GAMES OF SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2017
| RANK | AL WEST | W | L | PCT. | GB |
| 1 | ASTROS | 86 | 57 | .601 | |
| 2 | ANGELS | 73 | 70 | .510 | 13.0 |
| 3 | RANGERS | 71 | 71 | .500 | 14.5 |
| 4 | MARINERS | 71 | 72 | .497 | 15.0 |
| 5 | ATHLETICS | 63 | 80 | .441 | 23 |
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AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST GAME SCORES
THRU GAMES OF SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2017
ATHLETICS 10 – ASTROS 2
YANKEES 16 – RANGERS 7
ANGELS 5 – MARINERS 3
AMERICAN LEAGUE BATTING AVERAGE LEADERS
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BATTING AVERAGE LEADERS
THRU GAMES OF SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2017
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BA |
| 1 | JOSE ALTUVE | HOU | 538 | 189 | 38 | 4 | 23 | .351 |
| 2 | ERIC HOSMER | KC | 534 | 175 | 27 | 1 | 24 | .328 |
| 3 | AVISAIL GARCIA | CWS | 447 | 144 | 22 | 4 | 16 | .322 |
| 4 | JOSH REDDICK | HOU | 441 | 139 | 30 | 3 | 13 | .315 |
| NR* | CARLOS CORREA | HOU | 532 | 164 | 48 | 6 | 25 | .307 |
| 5 | JOSE RAMERIZ | CLE | 529 | 162 | 47 | 6 | 25 | .306 |
| 6 | ELVIS ANDRUS | TEX | 569 | 174 | 41 | 4 | 20 | .306 |
| 7 | JONATHAN SCHOOP | BAL | 548 | 167 | 33 | 0 | 31 | .305 |
| 8 | JJOE MAUER | MIN | 458 | 139 | 32 | 1 | 6 | .303 |
| 9 | JOSE ABREU | CWS | 550 | 166 | 37 | 5 | 31 | .302 |
| 10 | JEAN SEGURA | SEA | 470 | 141 | 28 | 2 | 9 | .300 |
| RANK | OTHER TOP 40 ASTROS | TEAM | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | BA |
| 13 | MARWIN GONZALEZ | HOU | 404 | 119 | 28 | 0 | 21 | .295 |
| 15 | GEORGE SPRINGER | HOU | 482 | 141 | 25 | 0 | 31 | .293 |
| 20 | YULI GURRIEL | HOU | 473 | 136 | 36 | 1 | 17 | .288 |
| 22 | ALEX BREGMAN | HOU | 490 | 139 | 34 | 5 | 16 | .284 |
NR * LOST TIME ON THE DL HAS TEMPORARILY REMOVED CORREA FROM AN OFFICIAL QUALIFYING PLACE IN THE RANKING OF TOP 40 HITTERS.
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Bill McCurdy
Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher
The Pecan Park Eagle