Jimy Williams to be named new Astos Skipper at 2pm.

[Ty_Webb]

astros.com

[Ty_Webb]

Beat you by a second A-train!

[A-Train]

No way! Both of them say 12:44! Your's was on the top because you replied to it first! :p

OK, Clutch, it looks like you're going to have to add seconds to the post time

[mc mark]

GREAT!!!!!

Now not only will the Astros play like the Red Sox. They'll lose like the Red Sox.

Oh wait!

They already do!

[Band Geek Mobster]

****!

[Major]

I'm actually thrilled with this. We need someone who'll stand up to Biggio and Bagwell and demand that they do as their manager says. If he's willing to bench Pedro, he'll have no problems with taking control of Biggio & Bagwell.

No more inmates running the asylum.

[Smokey]

*****stros

Anyone want a free Astros cap? I hate those ********.

Nice move Drayton. You fire Dierker for this ****.

[Smokey]

I thought one of the reasons the Red Sox fired him was because he lost control of the clubhouse.

[bobrek]

To me Williams seemed like an unusual choice. He seems to have the same qualities that the players did not like about Dierker. He publically criticizes, he changes lineups frequently and he apparently could not get along with his stars.

I haven't expereinced any of his style in person, so perhaps DEANBCURTIS, nomar and Manny Ramirez could offer their perspective.

I am also surprised that MLB is "allowing" them to make the announcement during the world series. They usually frown upon things like that.

[Smokey]

I'd rather have Jackie Moore or Tony Pena, one of our minor league guys over some guy who obviously sucks.

I hope Biggio and Bagwell have some fun with Jimy. Another wasted opportunity to win.

[Ty_Webb]

Smokey,

why does he "obviously" suck?

[Smokey]

Do I need to point it out?

Why did Boston get rid of Jimy Williams?

He seems to have the same qualities that the players did not like about Dierker. He publically criticizes, he changes lineups frequently and he apparently could not get along with his stars.

He also did not get along with management and did not win in the postseason (meltdowns). He was fired from a team in total disarray.

[Ty_Webb]

A lot of redsox fans think getting rid of him was the wrong thing. He took a team with Nomar and Pedro and a bunch of scrubs and went toe to toe with the Yankees.

I am not saying he was the best choice, but I dont think the man "sucks."

[Major]

<B>I thought one of the reasons the Red Sox fired him was because he lost control of the clubhouse.</B>

I dunno, but I was under the impression that it was because they fell behind the Yankees and Duqette and him never got along as it was. The big issue, I think, was Carl Everett. Duquette would take Everett's side everytime Williams tried to discipline him and such. Williams lost control, to some extent, becuse Duquette kept overriding his decisions.

<B>He publically criticizes, </B>

I can't say that I've paid too much attention to him, but everything I've heard is that he'll defend his players to the media no matter what. He'll criticize privately, but it all stays in-house. He apparently hates the media.

<B>he changes lineups frequently</B>

That, he does do. But looking at the Williams vs. Post-Williams results, he apparently was doing something right.

<B>and he apparently could not get along with his stars. </B>

If that's true, we're in for an exciting year. :) The difference, I think, is that Dierker let the stars control him, while Williams will control the stars. To be honest, I don't care if Biggio and Bagwell like him -- they don't seem to like any of their managers. Just respect and listen to him.

Some of the other choices -- minor league managers in particular -- would more easily be ignored by the veterans. Hopefully, Williams can deal w/ young players well -- that would be my main concern.

<B>I am also surprised that MLB is "allowing" them to make the announcement during the world series. </B>

I agree it is odd. Then again, the labor situation and contraction has been all over the air too.

[red]

Williams didn't lose in the playoffs...the PLAYERS lost...

[Clutch]

I thought this was one of the funniest mock interviews with Jimy Williams... I read it after the Red Sox let him go. I just found it again. Reminded me of the old Super Mario's Worlds ...

http://football.espn.go.com/page2/s/simmons/010817.html

"Manager's decision"

[Smokey]

Originally posted by red
Williams didn't lose in the playoffs...the PLAYERS lost...

True. Players lose games and managers lose control.

Dierker "resigned" for that reason. Williams was canned for it.

It's only a matter of time before Williams loses control in Houston. I'm sure Everett will fill Biggio and Bagwell in about Williams. When the team sees Williams' behavior (calling players out in the media, being overly critical etc...), they will lose respect for him, stop listening to him, and ultimately quit on him just like they did for Dierker.

[DEANBCURTIS]

I haven't expereinced any of his style in person, so perhaps DEANBCURTIS, nomar and Manny Ramirez could offer their perspective.


Well its great to see Jimy go to a team with a legitimate shot at a world series. As for his style, he really is one of the top managers in the league and he will get your team wins by whatever is neccessary. Although in those lines are something that I never cared for, constant lineup changes. Jimy doesn't like to make a set rotation with all of his players, so just be prepared to see some odd position moves on the roster chart.

[Ty_Webb]

Thanks for the heads up Dean.

I can not WAIT to see how Bags and Biggio handle that.

Can you imagine if Derek Bell were still here?

JiMy: Derek you are batting 8th, b/w Adam Everett and Shane Reynolds

DB: Aw come on DWG, dis be total BS. derek dont bat no 8th. Im going fishin

[Timing]

I think Jimy lost control largely because of Duquette. The one thing I remember is when the Red Sox had a big series against the Yankees and Jimy pulled Pedro in like the 6th or 7th inning because he'd been pitching late into a lot of games and the next day Duquette went on his radio show and blasted Jimy and said Jimy owed the fans an apology for taking Pedro out so early. Of course a week or two later it was discovered Pedro was having arm problems so Duquette really looked like an idiot.

[gr8-1]

Press conference on right now. CNNSI.

[Baqui99]

Jimy is a senile old fart who totally lost control of his overpaid team.

[Puedlfor]

NO.

Jimy Williams is a bad manager.

He continuosly screws around with the lineups, without any reason.

He overworks pitchers, and ended Rod Beck's career. He yanked Tim Wakefield in and out of the rotation like a damn yo-yo.

He has no idea how to work with young pitchers.

He lost his clubhouse in Boston, and it was more than Everett, he lost everyone because of his crazy decisions and inability to explain them beyond the repitive, "manager's decision".

He's insane.

He spells his name Jimy.

The Astros hired Rain Man as their manager. There are a number of other candidates I'd rather have over Williams, including Dierker.

[gr8-1]

Well, nothing left to do but to root for JW and the Stros.


I liked when he said "Stars and salaries won't play. Players will play."

[Baqui99]

Rome is going to have a field day with this one, guys.

[oeilpere]

Great move!


I love Jimy Boy.

Better get used to some real quotable quotes post game.

Oh yeah .... and some honest to gawd real decisions being made while the game is being played. Small ball - hit & runs, sacrifices, suicide steals, double switches, and .... always a step ahead of the "normal" pattern of other teams "regular book" moves.

The fans will love this guy.

The players will be raising their eyebrows at first, but they will learn to like him. (Don't confuse that with anticipate him!)


It will be .......

- "play ball like you're told or I'll sit you down".

- And, " mister big league hotshot millionaire I'll move your arse to Minnesota if you "miss" another bunt sign".

- "uh,huh, ... mmmm yup .... okay.I heard your side of it ... now get on the bench or hit the showers".




PS: - So much for all those "rumors" that Carl wanted to come back to Houston,eh?

[Major]

An analysis that include Jimy Williams info from a RedSox fan site similar to AstrosConnection:

http://www.whatcurse.com/rundown/rundown.cfm

<I>More Nonsensical Rants For An Even More Nonsensical Season

Sigh.

How much does this suck?

A team designed to break your hearts… sure I can handle that. But a team designed to piss everybody off to the point that the entire country is waiting to point and laugh when you lose. It’s not just one thing. It’s not just a few things. It’s everything.

Let’s try to make some sense of it all.

1. Jimy wasn’t entirely to blame. Okay I said it. Our guys ARE slow. <B>Our players ARE pissed at the world, not just Jimy.</B> And Dan Duquette IS one strange guy, who seemingly angers everyone, including most of the media, who, save Michael Holley, has trashed Dan Duquette beyond belief this past week.

<B>In other words, Jimy was a problem, but not THE problem. </B>

Crazy Jimy needed to be fired, and I made it clear in my last column that the Jimy situation was about way more than the team’s Won / Loss record. In a lot of cases, the Sox won in spite of Jimy. But as we’ve found out, Jimy also might have had more insight than we let on, such as the fact that our team has the speed of the fat kid in 4th grade. Sure you want him on your team when you play tackle football out of sight of the teacher during recess, but you’re gonna pick him last for kickball. Folks, kickball equals baseball, and that fat kid is every Red Sox player. Were you that fat kid? I was.

I digress.

Wait. Actually, the real question to the fat kid story is whether anyone remembers the scene in One Crazy Summer with John Cusack, Demi Moore, and Bobcat Gold-whatever. After Bobcat tells this story about a fat kid with a twin brother that’s supposed to be inspiring. John Cusack asks Bobcat, “Were you that little fat kid?” To which Bobcat responds, “No, no, but I used to beat him up and shake him and ask, Whyareyousofatwhyareyousofatwhyareyousofat?”

Okay, back to my analysis.

So clearly these guys can’t run. And I think we can understand why Jimy never made any excuses for it. <B>Was he, the players’ manager, ever going to tell the media that Dante is slower than Mike Stanley’s grandmother</B> or that half the team is, pardon my language, dumb as **** when it comes to baserunning, that half the signs that Gene Lamont and Mr. Wendell gave were only to remind the players to touch all the bases, and in which order to touch them. Hell, I really think we didn’t sign Aussie Dave Nilsson, because we were afraid he might try to run clockwise.

And clearly managing the bullpen is harder than any of us thought. Now Jimy didn’t know what to do either. That’s why he’d march Rod Beck out inning after inning. Joe K. seems to have a better idea, but now the bullpen seems incapable of pitching. I don’t know what it was. Was Jimy in tune with the lack of logic that really rules the world? <B>Or are the players so confounded at being put into games when it makes sense, that they don’t know how to respond?</B> Derek Lowe obviously doesn’t. He has returned to B-Lowe form, and in the meantime, the Red Sox Nation has called for a benching not heard since Craig Grebeck dug tunnels and built toll bridges on the hallowed Fenway grounds.

Is Craig Grebeck still on the team? Seriously. I don’t know. I guess I could check, but that would require more effort than the Sox have been expending playing their games lately, and I try to keep my work proportional.

2. The Duke needs to go too.

Alright, the Duke is neither a saintly man nor does he wear the Mark of the Beast, as some on ESPN would have you believe. Sure every year he probably suggests getting rid of half price games, and sure he probably steals recyclable cans from the poor, but I hardly think he’s evil. Really, he’s just another problem too, like Jimy, who has consistently angered the players and the fans, all the while signing fantastic free agents with the time-honored method of throwing wads of cash at them. <B>E’rybody has a price, sez Dan “Bling Bling” Duquette.

So yes, when he wouldn’t let John Valentin or Nomah see their doctors. When he brought people back too soon. When he made Pedro mad. When he sided with Carl. When he did everything but stay out of the mess. That was bad, Duke.</B> We can forgive the polo shirts. It’s difficult to do, but we can forgive it, because you signed The Announcement Tube in Ft. Myers. What we can never defend is firing the pitching coach because the bullpen and the offense now suck. We can never defend making Nomar or Pedro angry. Sure, B-Fat, Lan-suck, Terrible Troy, are all whiners. We’re used to that, but when you make the best players in baseball angry, well, I think we can all complain. <B>At least in Jimy, there was a barrier between the Duke and the clubhouse, </B> but Joe is still learning the ropes. He can’t protect his players, himself, and the entire organization at once. Therefore, The Duke, and he might even know it, has a lot of power right now.

And that’s why some of the blame should fall on him. Let’s not castigate him day in and day out, but let’s just let him go, like Pee Wee Herman in the motorcycle bar.

3. Joe’s a good man.

Yes, and a good manager, despite the current win/loss record since his arrival. No one, save a jerk like yours truly, would try to judge him on the past few weeks. So luckily, since I’ve become smarter than that, my argument should really be unnecessary, but I’ll make it anyway. Kerrigan’s observations tend to reflect those same ones that fans have had since April regarding the lineup and in-game strategy. These are not armchair quarterback type ramblings, but a consensus on the direction this team needs to go in. Bullpen strategy needs to be rethought. Starting pitching should be used more freely. Runners should be given the green light. We should identify who the runners are. We should then time those runners to see if they’re merely fast in comparison to Brian Daubach. We should stop letting Rich hang around with Manny, so that Manny will stop catching the damn pulled hamstrings; it’s worse than the flu.

Of course, as I write this, Boston scored 4 runs in the bottom of the first, thanks to Jose Offerman and Dizzy Izzy. I don’t even have to publish this stuff before the Sox start to contradict me. Bastards. If you’re gonna lose, and I’m gonna have to mope around here, writing cranky columns and trying defend our lost honor against all manner of media, at least be consistent. Don’t crank it up against Steve Woodard.

Sigh.

4. Speaking of the media… they (we???) are crazy. Stop listening to them.

I say this, with sole exception to the one genius of our time, Bill Simmons. I can’t even list the articles that I’ve read in the past week that have just ticked me off. No one gets it right. Everyone has an opinion, and a beleaguered Red Sox Nation just wants it all to stop. The season needs to be over. Just like last year when we got swept at Fenway by the hated Yankees. We don’t need false hope.

We don’t need veterans wearing themselves out against the D-Rays. We need Pedro to go home, to get better, to come back next year with a clean slate. We need Carl to find his stroke and need Manny to be happy. We need a healthy Nomar. We need Trot and V-Tek to continue being the young leaders on this team.

We need all the things we thought we were getting.

We need all the things that we lost.

And now we’re just left wanting anything from what we’ve got left. But there’s nothing left.

Since e’rybody got fired.

But then I realize that I’m greedy, and at least we have some semblance of Red Sox baseball. The winter sucks. I’m going to try and enjoy what is left.

But to stay sane, I’ll just keep complaining.
</I>

[gr8-1]

Oilpere, I'm sure Carl has changed his mind now, lol.

[haven]

Oh, yuck...

...prepare for the irrational line-up decisions.

JIMY FRICKIN' WILLIAMS! ARGH! NO!

[SamCassell]

I didn't follow Williams' career at Boston to know for certain that whether this was a good or a bad hire. I do know three things:

(1) We HAD to hire a manager with major league experience. The veteran clubhouse (AKA Biggio and Bagwell) didn't respect the last 2 managers we had, neither of whom had major league managerial experience prior to taking the post.

(2) Williams was unfairly fired last season. That team hung in fairly well despite losing a crazy number of games to player injuries, including Pedro and Nomar for extended periods of time. All things considered, their record prior to their late-season nosedive was exceptional.

(3) I admire a manager who will sit guys with big contracts who aren't getting the job done. I don't see that coming into play much with the frugal Astros, however, since their only guy who definitely overpaid is Mlicki, who showed he deserved to start this season down the stretch and in the playoffs.

[JayZ750]

If Williams is actually as bad as some of you are making him out to be, how come the Red Sox completely fell apart after he left?

Number 1 on my list was always Felipe Alou. I'll take Williams though, and have the oeilpere attitude for the time being. It'll at least be fun.

[RocksMillenium]

Actually this is a very good hire. Boston fell apart after he left, if he stays they very well might have made the playoffs. He took an undertalented Boston team and made them winners the last few years. Other then Martinez, Nomar, who has he really had? He didn't get a chance to have a full-time healthy Everett and Ramirez, and even then they have a ton of holes. He did a pretty good job with that team considering Boston shouldn't have been sniffinf 90 wins the last few years with that talent.

[RocksMillenium]

Where is everybody getting this idea that Jimy Williams lost his clubhouse? Boston was leading their division, and the wild card, most of the season. The team fell apart, melted down, and started exploding in the media AFTER he left! Before then the only problems you heard was from Everett. If it wasn't for Duquette, Boston goes along on their merry way and probably makes the playoffs or comes very close, this with a team that isn't on the same talent level with the Yankees, Indians, A's, Mariners, even the White Sox, Twins, or Blue Jays. Boston is a 2 man show, and 4 man show if Ramirez and Everett are healthy. He did a pretty good job with a shaky team.

[Manny Ramirez]

Originally posted by bobrek
I haven't expereinced any of his style in person, so perhaps DEANBCURTIS, nomar and Manny Ramirez could offer their perspective.



Sorry for the lateness of the response. My first thought when I saw this was to post here and just simply post "ROTFLMFAO!!"

Dean is right in that the crazy line-ups will drive you crazy. Plus Jimy is a little quirky, so the writers in Houston will have a field day with him.

However, one thing that people overlook is that Jimy wanted a contract extension before last season started. Duquette would never give it to him. I have to wonder if Jimy didn't start guys like Bichette and Offerman on purpose because they were "Duquette guys" just to piss Duquette off. It's almost like he wanted to get fired by pissing Duquette off.

Needless to say, these 2 never got along and it would have been easier for Duquette to either have given him the extension he wanted of fired him before the season started.

The Red Sox had a lot of talent, and it is true that they fell apart under Joe Kerrigan. However, don't you think that when players feel challenged and underappreciated like some of the Red Sox players did, that they are going to try harder to do well??

I know it sounds bizarre but I think that the way Jimy did things brought out the best in the Red Sox players. It's too bad that he had to use such a weird, reverse psychology method to do this because it cost him the players' respect.

From what I have read here, it seems that the Astros need someone who won't let themselves get run over by the players. Well, Jimy is your man for that job. Just be prepared to pull your hair out at times and to be hearing and reading a lot of "Manager's Decision." Although my favorite was "In-House".
BTW - Clutch, that Bill Simmons on Page 2 of ESPN is a funny writer. That article was a major ROTFLMFAO!!!

[Manny Ramirez]

Maybe the Astros jumped the gun by hiring Jimy so fast.

Bob Brenly looks like he might be available if they just wait a little bit longer.

[Smokey]

Don't you mean the Astros can have their ex-reliever Kim?

I'm not sold on Brenly as manager (he has tons of talent and hasn't really struggled), but players lose games.

[ROCKSS]

I really dont know much about the guy so I appreciate the comments by Manny and the rest of the BO SOX fans. Does anyone know if we bothered to contact Alou? I was really hoping he would be offered the job especially with his son about to test the free agent market.