recently, i posted tweet from @jakedc6 that ranked this year as the most frustrating year in the past 10 for the Astros, and some people cited the 100+ loss seasons. to that, i say, you’re whiffing the point.

look. i know. i lived through them too. the 100 loss seasons were TREACHEROUS, and, on paper, one would assume that a 100 loss team is leagues more frustrating than a 70 loss team as of 9/24. but, when you really consider the means at which we’ve reached this point, it’s VERY ugly, uglier than any 100 loss season in Astros history. allow me to explain. When you bought tickets to an Astros game in 2013, bought a jersey in 2013, bought a hat in 2013, or even so much as sat down to watch a game in 2013, you did so knowing FULL and WELL that the Astros had a slim chance of winning that game. but you still sat down and watched them because you loved the Astros. They were giving their all and playing to the best of their abilities, but for them, that was a 100 loss season. whereas with this year’s team, they go through the motions, they play the 7th inning an onwards with zero urgency, they don’t take advantage of lesser teams, even when these lesser teams are using their lesser pitchers (just last night, the Astros’ batters scored zero runs on Jordan Lyles, the 102 loss Royals’ worst starter). If this team played to the peak of their potential even SOMEWHAT consistently, we’re easily looking at triple digit wins. but we never do. so now we’re only at 85 wins on the last home game of the year, second in a division that, if we played to our peak potential somewhat consistently, we’d be running away with by 10+ games. that is FRUSTRATING. that is MUCH more frustrating than a team that was expected to lose 111 games losing 111 games, and if you can’t grasp that, i’m sorry. i know the 100 loss years are a daunting memory during one of the Astros’ darkest years, but there’s no way you can sit here and tell me that you’d rather watch the team with the potential to lose 60 games lose 75 than watch a team with the potential to lose 111 games lose 111 games.