Hell...alright...don't fire him then. Your points are taken. I still need someone's head on my platter. Maybe I'll just put my own there.
I like this post from a couple of weeks ago: http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showpost.php?p=9996798&postcount=70 Well guys, CArter has no business playing in the pennant race
another of my favorite things that he does is constantly say people are "making fun of him", while every other post is him antagonizing everybody and telling them how he was right about something and they just didn't know and understand and should have listened to him
Preseason evaluations matter little. You look at the actual talent and performance and attempt to figure out where you should be. There are some advanced statistics that can be useful but a lot of it ultimately is opinion. The Astros still should have a very bright future. Still in baseball a window of opportunity can very widely. Players underachieve, get hurt, prospects don't pan out. Missing out in a wide open race is hard to swallow.
The Astros heirarchy will determine Hinch's fate and I am fine with that. I have certainly seen better..and worse managers get fired. Whether or not the Astros are ahead of schedule is independent of Hinch. Ultimately a decision will be made as to the quality of a manager they believe he will be moving forward. Hinch isn't winning manager of the year, even if the Astros make the playoffs...and he certainly isn't running away with it. Less talented teams are in a similar position as the Astros and will garner attention.
Oh hell. We can still get get the second wildcard and get hot for a few games in the playoffs. Such a roller coaster ride being a Houston sports fan. You're up, you're down, up, down, then you puke, they let you off, then you pay to get back on and ride it again.
He's fallen back to the pack, no question... Bannister and Molitor are now likely in the running if not frontrunners. i think who's in will ultimately determine it. But even if the Astros collapse, he's still a viably strong candidate, IMO.
Unless he uses Carter sometimes, Valbuena usually, Marisnick sometimes, Gattis except when he HRs, Lowrie when he slumps, Gomez when he slumps, Tucker in the OF, Neshek, Harris, Qualls, Perez, Thatcher, or Fields when he gives up runs. In those scenarios, he's a terrible candidate.
Yes, the Astros could get the WC and still make the WS and much would be forgotten by casual fans. Personally, regardless of what happens there are some strong points (starting pitching, defense, young players) and weaknesses (more diverse/established pen, better hitters at key positions). I think we will see significant changes regardless of what happens in the playoffs.
Part of the problem is that Hinch had to pick between Valbuena, Carter, Gattis and Castro. That leads to a bunch of easy outs and the offense providing 2-4 runs a night.
