*Yesterday I ranked the 15 losses to the Rangers in 2016 based on evidence of witchcraft.
*The Giants beat the Cubs in 13 innings to force a Game 4. The Red Sox join the Rangers in "AL teams to not win a 2016 postseason game." Washington has a 2-1 lead over the Dodgers.
*The $19m renovation project to remove Tal's Hill and add more CF seats began yesterday. Center field will now be 409' away from home plate, instead of 436' but Reid Ryan said this:
There was really no communal gathering spot inside the ballpark. We need to figure out as an industry how to continue to grow our fan base for the millennials, and we think this is a step in the right direction where they want TVs, they want craft beer, they want food choices, they want an experience where they can come out and visit and watch the game and stay after and come early.
That may be true. I think the ballpark should be a place people *want* to go. I don't necessarily think that wanting your home park to be a destination for entertainment is limited to "Millennials." I think most generations want to go to a game and have different food and drink options. But I also think that just about every generation of Astros fan would prefer playing in October to the choice of $12.50 beer.
*MLBTR projects that George Springer will be a Super Two player, meaning he gets four spins through arbitration, not just three. (That's good for George Springer).
*Alex Bregman and Joe Musgrove got MLBPipeline's Astros Prospects of the Year awards. Musgrove:
Getting a chance to get up here and kind of earn the respect of some of the guys and show the guys that I'm able to compete at this level was important to me. Getting out there and going through a little bit of failure and learning the adjustments I needed to make, I feel I ended on a good note this year...and knowing what I need to work on. I'm ready to go for next year.
*The Arizona Fall League action starts today, and the Glendale Desert Dogs are the team to watch for Astros prospects with pitchers Rogelio Armenteros, Jacob Dorris, Francis Martes, David Paulino; Catcher Garrett Stubbs; Infielder Nick Tanielu; Outfielders Ramon Laureano and Jason Martin on the roster.
*The under-construction Astros/Nationals Spring Training facility - the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches - "dodged a major bullet" last week when Hurricane Matthew passed about 50 miles to the north of the construction site.
*Collin McHugh addressed what "locker room talk" sounds like with the Astros.
*Fresno's Jordan Jankowski will play for Gigantes del Cibao in the Dominican this winter.
*Paul Hoynes addressed his mid-September column about the impending demise of the Indians.
*Boston Globe: Expect a harsh winter in Boston.
*The New York Times published an article that imagines the hurricane that will destroy Houston and be one of the worst natural disasters in American history. So that's nice.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
