They DO Have a Pulse

I have not watched an Astros game all the way through this year. For the most part they have been depressing. It seems to be the same annual story. No offense and sometimes shakey pitching. At times the team has made me want to take a nap. I'm not saying they are boring, but I have seen these games before. Flashes of brilliance combinded with hours of dullness.

The Astros are a team with nice people. The manager is a laid back kind of guy. Rarely do they have cross words with anyone. In the past if there were problems or a player thought others were not performing up to standards, meetings were behind closed doors. The Astros are not a team that is going to have players fighting with each other in the dugout, especially while cameras are rolling like the Cubs did recently.

Last night's game looked like another so-so game. Then things changed. Lance Berkman hit a sixth inning double which gave the Astros a 2-1 lead against the Rockies. In the eighth inning Berkman thought he had drawn a two out walk. But the third base Umpire said he was out after a checked swing call. He usually happy,smiling Berkman Yelled "No Way!" from the first base line. Oops! Then he really go mad and was ejected from the game. Clearly frustrated, Berkman did something I have never seen him do. First he threw his gloves, then he threw an equipment bag onto the field. Berkman was clearly very angry.

Then the situation continued to get ugly as the Rockies reliever Manuel Corpas hit Carlos Lee with a fastball to start the ninth inning. I guess you could say that Lee and Corpas weren't happy because obvious angry words were exchanged as Lee went to first. Then Phil Garner was ejected. Benches emptied. What was really funny was the Rockies bullpen players. By the time they managed to get to the field the fight was over.

The Astros are currently 9 games under 500. This is not good. Obviously this year has not started well for them. The team frustration came to a head and maybe got the Astros blood boiling. At least they still have a pulse. After in 2005 they were given up for dead, then went to the World Series. Sometimes the "Good Guys" just have to get into a fight. Wake up Guys- you do have a pulse. Time to get moving!