Tough Day...
As a responsible married man, the day has finally come for me to sell the motorcycle, and I finally took the leap.
Financially, it's the smart choice, especially to get a few wedding bills out of the way, but that doesn't make me feel better.
Luckily, there's a bar across the street from the dealership where I made the sell, so for the next hour, I'll cry into my beer until the cab comes to get me.
And to top it off, the Astros can't win a game to save their jobs.
I'm ready to put this week behind me. I don't remember the last time I was excited about Monday.
So you finally admit that its time for McLane's church buddy Phil Garner to get the boot??
Posted by Rickey Di Dio | June 24, 2007 at 1:00 PM
Not at all.
Who would have thought Lance Berkman would be hitting under .270?
Phil Garner had no control over the loss of Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, and can't help the fact that Luke Scott and Morgan Ensberg aren't having the season that was expected of them.
If Drayton McLane isn't willing to spend money on free agent pitchers like Gil Meche, Ted Lilly, Jason Marquis, or Jason Schmidt, then you're stuck paying $3 million for a 40+ year old Woody Williams with a ridiculous ERA.
Not that I'm calling for anyone to be fired, but if someone is to blame, it's General Manager Tim Purpura. Just like Brian Cashman, they seem to have no clue how to make a creative trade.
Yogi Berra was once asked, "what makes a good manager of a baseball team?"
His reply: "Good players."
Posted by M. Derrick Davis | June 24, 2007 at 1:11 PM
You are right about Berkman.
So I will give you the fact that Garner has no control over those things but he wouldnt be the first or last manager to be fired for players not playing up to their potential.
As long as McLane owns the team they will always have the problem of not being able to sign big free agent pitchers who dont live in Houston in the off season. It takes good talent to win championships and a little luck. The Astros dont have an abundance of either these days. Potential doesnt win championships, otherwise the Braves would have won a lot more.
I believe in this day and age it it getting harder to make a creative trade because nobody wants your used goods and you dont want anyone else's. So you have to take back young talent and roll the dice with those guys. Not many general managers feel good about their job security laying in bed at night wondering if their hot RF prospect, who bats .378 in triple-A, is going to be able to crack .290 in the big park.
Finally, what were you expectations of the Astros this year? wild card or close? Dont say the division because you and i both know that who ever wins that division is going to earn it because from top to bottom that division got a LOT better this offseason and it was anyone's guess as to who was going to come out on top.
Posted by Rickey Di Dio | June 24, 2007 at 1:57 PM