HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY

[RaoulDuke79]

HOUSTON -- Coming off a disheartening road trip in which they went 0-6 against division rivals Cincinnati and Milwaukee and played nothing short of lackluster baseball, the Astros decided they couldn't wait until the end of the season to make a managerial change.

Cecil Cooper, who was on the job for barely two years, was relieved of his duties as manager Monday afternoon in a move that wasn't surprising, except for the timing. With 13 games remaining, third-base coach Dave Clark was named interim manager for the rest of the season.

"I thought it was going to be awkward to go all the way to the end of the season, come back from New York [following the final game] and make a move," Astros general manager Ed Wade said. "I think the practicality of it didn't make sense to me, and the fact we can put Dave in place, we can have a different set of circumstances working for two weeks. Albeit a short period of time, but we may find some things out and hopefully this creates a spark and gets us on a run so we can finish on a high note."

http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/arti ... p&c_id=hou


IT'S ABOUT FREAKING TIME. Now fire everyone else on the coaching staff. Trade Oswalt/Berkman/Lee/Anybody else with any value.

Time to clean house, and by clean house I mean burn the damn house down and start over.

[czarleon09]

The only person I would keep on this team is Hunter Pence. I'd probably trade the dirt out of the infield if I could get something for it.

[Vator]

I think they are all available for the right price...Hunter included.

[RaoulDuke79]

I think they are all available for the right price...Hunter included.

I agree. I'd keep Bourn over Hunter though because of his excellent defense in CF, his speed, and the fact that he improved significantly the past year in BA and OBP.

Hunter, as much as I like him and his old-school socks, seems very inconsistent and goes through long stretches where I can't remember the last time he had a big hit or a HR(then again this could be because I tend to tune out and lose interest seeing as how they're really bad and all).

I'd be perfectly happy seeing every last person on the roster shipped out if the price was right though. It pains me to say that because I am a big Oswalt/Berkman guy, but they're not getting any younger and the Astros as an organization need to. Plus, I'd rather see those guys finish their careers on a team where they at least have a shot of playing in the postseason, rather than being stuck on a mediocre joke of a team with no chance of even sniffing the postseason.

First things first though: hire a capable manager whom the players actually respect and isn't a moron. Who that should be, I have no idea. I've seen fans tossing Biggio and Bagwell's name around but I can't imagine them being remotely good at managing with no experience whatsoever in that capacity, other than for their leadership and the respect they would demand from the players.

God what a mess.

[RaoulDuke79]

Great season fellas, it was a blast discussing mediocrity and frustration with all 2-3 of you.

I'd like to tip my 40 in honor of the 2009 Disastros: truly an inspiration to little leaguers everywhere who want to learn how not to play the game. All you young pitchers out there, I hope you were taking notes. Don't let this happen to you.

On the bright side, all you little guys out there who want to learn what it's like to be the only decent player on an otherwise horrible team, I hope you were watching Michael Bourn this year, and in stretches Hunter Pence and Lance Berkman. I'd include Tejada but he's a mediocre defensive player who never walks so his hits don't mean as much to me, and I'd love to include Carlos Lee because he's a great hitter, but his easy-going attitude and lack of defense/baserunning makes his hitting overrated, not to mention the contract.

All sarcasm aside, someone seriously needs to make a highlight reel of Bourn's defensive plays over the course of the season because I know he had a bunch of great ones. He's the team MVP of this season IMO. Maybe we can get some decent young pitching, a catcher, a 3B, and a SS to go along with him and Pence and somehow regain a certain level of respectability in the near future.

As far as the postseason this year is concerned, I will toss out my random and completely un-researched predictions:

Phillies over Rockies
Dodgers over Cardinals

Dodgers over Phillies

Angels over Red Sox(finally?)
Yankees over Twins/Tigers(I'm banking on the Twins!)

Yankees over Angels

Dodgers over Yankees in 7, Torre sticks it to his old team!

(in reality I think the Cardinals have the team to beat in the NL, but screw them)