Shake-up in Houston

bigboydan · 08-27-07, 04:02 PM

What took'um so long in the first place Willie. This should have happen about 2 months ago when they still had a chance to make the playoffs.

BatemanPatrickl · 08-27-07, 04:09 PM

Bobby Valentine is available?

Willie Bee · 08-27-07, 04:10 PM

Dan, I really don't blame too much of this on Garner at all. Maybe he's not the best guy for the job, but he's also not the one that had the most say in putting the team together.

I've slowly lost confidence in Purpura since this spring. He's just never overwhelmed me with much in terms of his ability to function in the GM role. Not sure he's a bad guy or even that he isn't a good evaluator or minor league coordinator. But in the GM slot, he just seemed overmatched, had that deer in the headlights look about him since stepping into the role.

BatemanPatrickl · 08-27-07, 04:26 PM

Originally posted by Willie Bee

Dan, I really don't blame too much of this on Garner at all. Maybe he's not the best guy for the job, but he's also not the one that had the most say in putting the team together.

I've slowly lost confidence in Purpura since this spring. He's just never overwhelmed me with much in terms of his ability to function in the GM role. Not sure he's a bad guy or even that he isn't a good evaluator or minor league coordinator. But in the GM slot, he just seemed overmatched, had that deer in the headlights look about him since stepping into the role.

Willie, who do you like as their next manager?

LT Profits · 08-27-07, 04:31 PM

Another contestant in the Joe Girardi sweepstakes?

BatemanPatrickl · 08-27-07, 04:33 PM

Originally posted by LT Profits

Another contestant in the Joe Girardi sweepstakes?

Nice call LT

EaglesPhan36 · 08-27-07, 04:43 PM

Purpura really F-ed this team up, but some of it was not his fault. They HAD to bring back Biggio for his 3,000th hit. Woody Wiliams was a decent signing who pitched like shit for half the season.

Purpura's death blow was the Jason Jennings trade which looks really horrible in retrospect because Taveras really could have helped this team in CF not to mention Hirsh could still become a decent SP. But he also hadn't signed any of their top draft picks from this season. Their biggest problem is a POS farm system that needs to be upgraded with solid prospects.

Managerial candidates? Personally I think it depends on what direction the team takes in the off-season. I highly doubt that Drayton McLane would take a chance on a hot assistant coach, so I'll guess he goes for a name.

Willie Bee · 08-27-07, 06:19 PM

Originally posted by EaglesPhan36

But he also hadn't signed any of their top draft picks from this season.

You can blame that on Drayton holding the line on the ridiculous nature of the draft that agents like that scum-of-the-earth Scott Boras have for all intents and purposes taken over. Unlike other teams *cough*Detroit*cough* who caved in and really screwed the pooch this year giving a #27 overall pick the richest contract EVER to a high school player, I'm on McLane's side not to give in to the top two Astros picks -- That were 3rd- and 4th-round picks to begin with.

I'm not sure about who I like as their next manager. My gut says Girardi would like the NYY job, and may not really be serious about any other offers until the obvious becomes obvious to him, the obvious being that Donnie Baseball has the inside track to stand on the top step of the Yankees' dugout when Torre does leave. I'd be ok with Blue Bell, aka Cecil Cooper, who is the interim dugout commander for now. Good Texas boy, always liked him when he was playing in Milwaukee and Boston, plus he appears to have developed a decent raport with the players if reports are true.

There aer already rumors that McLane will possibly bring Dierker back, but I ain't buying that one little bit. If they bring a former manager back, and if they are going to go in a 'younger direction' with the roster, I'd like to see Art Howe at least interviewed. He has shown that he can get a lot out of youngsters a year or two earlier than the 'experts' think they will arrive. And another guy I really wanted the club to think about back in 1994 when they canned Howe and hired Terry "Watch Me Destroy A Bullpen" Collins is Chris Chambliss. Always liked Chambliss, and he did have a strong track record managing in the Braves' farm system years ago.

I'm really more concerned with who gets the GM slot. We need someone really special who will stand up to McLane and tell him how the cow ate the cabbage when it comes to the business of baseball personnel, scouting and roster management. One name that keeps popping in my head is John Mirabelli who is an assistant in the Indians' front office currently.

EaglesPhan36 · 08-27-07, 06:52 PM

If Dierker gets re-hired, I quit being an Astros fan.