Things that MUST be done NOW

[redbaron]

If the Astros hope to have even a chance of making the playoffs, here are some things that MUST be done NOW:

1. Get rid of Jason Lane, Orlando Palmeiro, Woody Williams and Rick White.

2. Either go get another starting pitcher through a trade or bring up Troy Patton and see what he can do.

3. Bench team icon Craig Biggio. He is killing this team.......offensively and defensively.

4. Change the team attitude. As long as the team knows that Biggio's 3.000 hits are more important than winning, they will continue to play without any heart.

5 Fire Sean Berry and hire a competent hitting coach.

6. Give Lance Berkman a good kick in the ass or whatever it takes to get him to playing up to his potential.

7. Recall Chris Burke, Mark McLemore and Eric Bruntlett from Round Rock. Berkman will be happier with his little friend back on the team.

What I am suggesting is replacing Lane, Palmeiro, Woody, and White with Burke, Bruntlett, McLemore and Patton. They can't do any worse than those four clowns. Ensberg has hit three homers lately so mayb he deserves another chance. It's time for Woody to hang 'em up.

If the above moves are not made, fire Tim Purpura. He is incompetent.

[chandler44]

Berry's only been the hitting coach for less than a year. He's not the problem. It's not his fault that Berkman stopped hitting for power. More often than not pitching coaches and hitting coaches on the MLB level get too much credit or blame.

You want them to trade for a pitcher, which I agree with, but whom do they trade? Last time they tried, people complained about who they sent. Hey, if they can get a great pitcher for a combination of Danny Klassen and Charlton Jimerson, I'm all for it, but odds aren't too high on another team taking our dregs and giving us a good pitcher.

I see a team that's losing, but that doesn't mean they have no heart. Did they have heart back at the beginning of the year when they won several games after late inning come backs?

If we send down Lane, OP, Woody, and White, who becomes our backup OF? There's not a place for Burke to play right now, unless you start him over Loretta and that wouldn't make sense if this team still thinks it has a chance.

[jamesa46]

redbaron said:

If the Astros hope to have even a chance of making the playoffs, here are some things that MUST be done NOW:

1. Get rid of Jason Lane, Orlando Palmeiro, Woody Williams and Rick White.

2. Either go get another starting pitcher through a trade or bring up Troy Patton and see what he can do.

3. Bench team icon Craig Biggio. He is killing this team.......offensively and defensively.

4. Change the team attitude. As long as the team knows that Biggio's 3.000 hits are more important than winning, they will continue to play without any heart.

5 Fire Sean Berry and hire a competent hitting coach.

6. Give Lance Berkman a good kick in the ass or whatever it takes to get him to playing up to his potential.

7. Recall Chris Burke, Mark McLemore and Eric Bruntlett from Round Rock. Berkman will be happier with his little friend back on the team.

What I am suggesting is replacing Lane, Palmeiro, Woody, and White with Burke, Bruntlett, McLemore and Patton. They can't do any worse than those four clowns. Ensberg has hit three homers lately so mayb he deserves another chance. It's time for Woody to hang 'em up.

If the above moves are not made, fire Tim Purpura. He is incompetent.

You must be reading my mind.
I couldn't have said it better.
Biggio can get his 3000 hits as a DH in the American League that way he won't have to humiliate himself everyday with his atrocious defense and as for Berkman if somebody his not willing to give him a swift kick in the butt, then maybe a 3 or 4 week tour down at Round Rock will stun him out of his catatonic state.

[notdead]

You know, I was really rooting for Biggio at the beginning of the year. Yeah, I knew his being in the line-up everyday was gonna weaken us offensively, but I figured all that he had done for the organization was worth a little dip in production. I really wanted to see him bust 3000 by Aug as an Astro, regardless the cost.

Boy was I wrong.

Craig has no business being in the line-up right now. No, he isn't the only problem with this team, but I do believe that his prescence in the line-up, hell, even in the clubhouse right now is such a detriment, that we might ALL be better off if he took a vacation. His production notwithstanding, it's his lacksadasical demeanor that's really hurting us. His apathetic approach to the game has apparently rubbed off on a few players also.

He is a leader. Players will follow his lead, even if it is subconsciously. If he and Berkman don't produce, and no one says anything to them, then what message does that send the other players ?

It's not really Craig's fault at this point, his role on this team should have been redefined last year.

[redbaron]

The major problem here is the fact that the whole team knows that Biggio's run at 3, 000 hits is being placed ahead of trying to win. The players look lethargic and I think this is the reason. Biggio has never been a leader because his "aw shucks" approach got old a long time ago. How many times have we heard his line about going out again tomorrow and trying his hardest. Well, watching him strike out four times in one game and look like crap in the field is killing us.

[chandler44]

How many times have we heard his line about going out again tomorrow and trying his hardest.

What is he supposed to do? Cry, moan, gripe, yell, scream? What's the appropriate response to failing - going on and on and beating yourself up about it, or picking yourself up and trying it again the next day?

I don't think that the team's got the 3000 hits as their #1 goal. I think Garner honestly thinks Biggio has been the best solution at 2b.

[notdead]

I believe our best solution at 2nd base currently resides in Round Rock, Texas

[redbaron]

notdead said:

I believe our best solution at 2nd base currently resides in Round Rock, Texas

You are 100% right. Chris Burke should be playing second base and being our leadoff hitter. Biggio should only be playing a couple of days a week, if that. If he can't accept the fact that a 41-year old man whose skills have eroded to the point that he is embarrassing himself and the team, release him and see if some other team will sign him so he can keep trying to get to 3, 000. If that happens, give them his damn statue as a bonus.

[astrobuddy]

I am willing to give Burke a shot at his supposed best position. BUT, I am not sure Burke is going to hit good enough either. He is hitting better than Biggio, but that wouldnt be saying much.

[redbaron]

Burke is not hitting very good at RR but I attribute that mostly to the fact that he knows he shouldn't be in AAA.

Chandler, why don't you contact Drayton and apply for a PR job. You blow smoke almost as good as Draytie himself.

[astrobuddy]

JB.. he does have a point. What are they supposed to say?

[vega51]

Barron, agree on some of your positions.

This should be our lineup:

1. Burke 2b
2. Loretta 3b
3. Berkman rf
4. Lee lf
5. Pence cf
6. Lamb 1b
7. Everett SS
8. Ausmus C
9. Pitcher

Rotation:

1. Oswalt
2. Jennings
3. Woody (awful number 3 pitcher but we did not re sign Pettitte and that way lost Clemens, that is a mistake we can not undue)
Now, I don't agree on Woody because managmente sign this guy for 2 years so we are stuck with him so we better HOPE he improves.
4. Sampson
5. Wandy (we are stuck here)

Patton is not ready, he needs more time in the minors, now, I do believe Gutierrez is ready.

Release Mohler, White.

I don't mind Palmeiro because i like old guy as pinch hitters over young guys.

Now, with our weak offense on catching we need a third catcher, Munson needs to be in the majors.

So, bring Burke (hmmm, interesting, when he was sent down team started to really suck, maybe the PLAYERS know how UNFAIR it was to send him down and keep playing Biggio).
Also, bring Munson up.
With Munson up, then you can release Palmeiro and Burke for Mohler.
Jennings for White.

Why do we need Munson??? So we can pinch hit for Ausmus each game we are behind at the end of the games or when we have a BIG spot in the 6th inning.

I am still on Ensberg, this guy should hit more, i have no idea what is going on with him.

Lane, i lost all confidence on him.

Garner is not a good manager either.

[chandler44]

redbaron said:

Burke is not hitting very good at RR but I attribute that mostly to the fact that he knows he shouldn't be in AAA.

Then, if he 'knows' that he shouldn't be down in AAA, then he needs to be busting his ass to prove it. If he rolls over and plays dead when he thinks he gets 'screwed', then that's not the kinda guy you want on your team.

Chandler, why don't you contact Drayton and apply for a PR job. You blow smoke almost as good as Draytie himself.

WTF are you rambling on about now? What 'smoke' am I 'blowing'?

[redbaron]

Here is what you are blowing smoke about.

I don't think that the team's got the 3000 hits as their #1 goal.

Do you honestly think that Drayton would release Biggio or have him benched if he continues to play the way that he is at the present time? Give me a break!!

[chandler44]

redbaron said:

Here is what you are blowing smoke about.

I don't think that the team's got the 3000 hits as their #1 goal.

Do you honestly think that Drayton would release Biggio or have him benched if he continues to play the way that he is at the present time? Give me a break!!

Where did I say that?

In your haste to try to jump my case, you neglected to copy the whole statement I wrote. I also added: "I think Garner honestly thinks Biggio has been the best solution at 2b."