Astros fire Garner, Purpura; Cooper promoted
Players take some blame for Astros’ year
Astros fire manager Garner, GM Purpura
Cooper succeeds Garner as Astros manager
HOUSTON — Less than two years ago, the Houston Astros were celebrating their first National League pennant. On Monday, they were starting over. Manager Phil Garner and general manager Tim Purpura were fired by owner Drayton McLane, who said the franchise “needed a fresh start” after a plunge to the bottom of the NL Central. Bench coach Cecil Cooper was appointed interim manager, and team president Tal Smith will serve as interim general manager…. “I felt for a number of reasons, we needed new direction, invigoration, to play with more enthusiasm and play more like a champion,” McLane said. The Astros slumped to 58-73 this year, nine games behind the division-leading Chicago Cubs. They’ve lost five of their last seven home games, to lowly Washington and Pittsburgh.
When I heard the news yesterday, I was surprised, but certainly not shocked. Anyone who’s followed baseball this year knows what an underachieving disappointment the Houston Astros have been this year. Two years removed from being in the World Series, the Astros are trading possession of last place in the NL Central with the Pittsburgh Pirates. OK, so the Pirates aren’t nearly as bad as they’ve been over the past few years, but the Astros have made them look as if the Yankees have moved to the Steel City.
You can talk about underachieving players, of which their are no lack in the Astros dugout, but I believe that things began to fall apart when Tim Purpura traded Willie Taveras to Colorado for Jason Jennings. I never could make sense of the deal. You trade a player who should have been the Astros’ anchor in center field for years to come for a pitcher whose numbers have never been anything more than mediocre. Yes, Jennings has potential, but clearly that potential hasn’t begun to be realized this year.
Phil Garner may not have been able to motivate this group, but Purpura (and by extension team owner Drayton McLane) is the one who should ultimately be held responsible for the demise of a franchise that shouldn’t be where it is now.
On top of that, let’s consider last year’s #2 and #3 spots in the starting rotation (Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens) with this year’s (Jason Jennings and Woody Williams). Brandon Backe’s been out all year with an injury, and Chris Sampson, who’s perhaps the most promising young pitcher on the Astros staff, has been hurt. Combine that with closer Brad Lidge’s struggles, and what you have is a team that looks nothing like the 2005 National League champions.
Making matters even worse is the the minor league cupboard seems to be bare. From all indications, there’s little help on the way from down on the farm. Too many big salaries tied to underperforming stars, too few promising young players in the minor league system, and suddenly it’s difficult to muster a lot of optimism for the future.
Phil Garner was not the problem, though it’s always easier to fire one manager than 25 players. You can question some of his moves, perhaps his handling of the pitching staff, but I’ve always liked Garner for understanding that it’s about the game. Garner has always known that he was hired to be fired, and he’s always handled himself with class, dignity, and humor. Having said that, though, I think Garner would be the first to tell you that he wasn’t shocked by this move.
Fortunately for the Astros, they have a highly qualified replacement in Cecil Cooper. Here’s a man who’s paid his dues and bided his time, secure in the knowledge that someday soon a team would hire him to manage their ball club. He played the game, he knows the game, and he knows the Astros situation. My hope is that Drayton McLane will remove the “interim” label from his Cooper’s managerial status and allow Cooper to have free reign.
It may seem odd that McLane fired Garner and Purpura this late in the season, but if it’s not working, why wait? This way, Cecil Cooper has 31 games to show what he can do. No one’s expecting miracles, but as an extended tryout, Cooper has the opportunity to show that he can handle the job. I believe that he can, and I believe that he deserves to have the “interim” label removed as soon as possible.
No, there’s not going to be a World Series in Houston this year, and perhaps not even next, but if Drayton McLane wants things to turn around, there’s no reason that process can’t start right here, right now.
Just wait ‘til next year, eh??
