A Season To Remember
Back from my epic vacation.
Doesn't it suck to be Tim Purpura. Fresh off the World Series berth as a 1st year GM (with former GM Gerry Hunsicker's players) Purpura has gone on to really put his stamp on the team. He's opted to go the "play em till they die" route and it's gone on to bite him in the arse.
It's worth mentioning that I've always had his back. I wanted to believe that Drayton McLane made the right decision so I gave Purpura a few years of slack. I finally realized the error of my ways just this week.
So where did Purpura go wrong? 2007. Sure it's easy to point to this year but it was his philosophy that doomed him from the get go. Once he opted to let Andy Pettitte (and therefore Roger Clemens too since they're Houston's version of the Hardly Boys-Andy, I have a raging clue!!!) go, the Astros should have known they wouldn't have a playoff caliber club. They did sign a big bat but they lost 2 frontline pitchers, age withstanding.
Thus, 2007 started with question marks all over. Ensberg, Lidge, and Burke were just a few of them. He should have more aggresively moved older players for younger players. And the Jennings trade is looking worse and worse by the day. If the Astros ultimately let Jennings go, he's a free agent at year's end, it will have been a disaster. Just look at what the Astros could have had if they did things a bit different.
Taveras CF
Biggio/Burke 2B
Berkman 1B
Lee LF
Lamb 3B
Pence RF
Everett SS
Ausmus C
Next year would bring a new catcher and possible a new 3B. But you'd be set in the OF for years and the right side of the IF.
I agreed with letting Pettitte-Clemens going (why don't they just move to Connecticut and make it official?) and they could have easily plugged in Hirsch in lieu of Jennings. The team would have undoubtedly been younger and just as good if not better.
But none of this happened and it's now time for Purpura to pull something out of his hat. Pence arguably saved his assasination. Now he needs to get the same magic out of a couple more pitchers this offseason-Troy Patton anyone? On top of that they need one more bat in CF or RF.
This will be the only way the Astros make it back as contenders. Can Purpura do it? History suggests he cannot. If so, his job will likely be the same.
Doesn't it suck to be Tim Purpura. Fresh off the World Series berth as a 1st year GM (with former GM Gerry Hunsicker's players) Purpura has gone on to really put his stamp on the team. He's opted to go the "play em till they die" route and it's gone on to bite him in the arse.
It's worth mentioning that I've always had his back. I wanted to believe that Drayton McLane made the right decision so I gave Purpura a few years of slack. I finally realized the error of my ways just this week.
So where did Purpura go wrong? 2007. Sure it's easy to point to this year but it was his philosophy that doomed him from the get go. Once he opted to let Andy Pettitte (and therefore Roger Clemens too since they're Houston's version of the Hardly Boys-Andy, I have a raging clue!!!) go, the Astros should have known they wouldn't have a playoff caliber club. They did sign a big bat but they lost 2 frontline pitchers, age withstanding.
Thus, 2007 started with question marks all over. Ensberg, Lidge, and Burke were just a few of them. He should have more aggresively moved older players for younger players. And the Jennings trade is looking worse and worse by the day. If the Astros ultimately let Jennings go, he's a free agent at year's end, it will have been a disaster. Just look at what the Astros could have had if they did things a bit different.
Taveras CF
Biggio/Burke 2B
Berkman 1B
Lee LF
Lamb 3B
Pence RF
Everett SS
Ausmus C
Next year would bring a new catcher and possible a new 3B. But you'd be set in the OF for years and the right side of the IF.
I agreed with letting Pettitte-Clemens going (why don't they just move to Connecticut and make it official?) and they could have easily plugged in Hirsch in lieu of Jennings. The team would have undoubtedly been younger and just as good if not better.
But none of this happened and it's now time for Purpura to pull something out of his hat. Pence arguably saved his assasination. Now he needs to get the same magic out of a couple more pitchers this offseason-Troy Patton anyone? On top of that they need one more bat in CF or RF.
This will be the only way the Astros make it back as contenders. Can Purpura do it? History suggests he cannot. If so, his job will likely be the same.
posted by christopher at 10:59 AM
2 Comments:
nice! welcome back! I heard talk on the radio this a.m. that he (Purpura) might not be back next year....
Man, can we get Hunsicker back somehow...
the line up's that could have been that you mention, sound so much better than the current bore we have now...
Hey, you didn't even mention, Wiggingtonston or whatever the hell his name is...
True I never mentioned him but if we'd have got rid of Ensberg and given the job to Lamb/Loretta this year it's doubtful we'd have traded for Wiggington. I don't hate the trade like some people. Wheeler had his shot as the successor to Lidge. It didn't work out. Ultimately it will be one of our young guys. Keep an eye out for Paul Estrada. He was awesome as the Closer in AA last year but has been inconsistent in AAA this year. Word was that a lot of the big leaguers were very impressed with him this past spring.
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