Chron: Astros' GM to interview for job with Mets

Yikes... I love Hunsicker.... but maybe, just maybe we can get a risky guy that will make some bold moves. This team needs a shake up.

 

Gerry didn't make moves because he wasn't risky (see Randy Johnson). He didn't make moves because Drayton wouldn't let him.

Whoever will be the new GM (most likely Pupura), will be Drayton's lackey.

Drayton McLane = the new GM

 

Great......









There goes our franchise......

 

While it sucks as an Astros fan that Hunsicker is in all likely going to leave, I for one am happy for Gerry Hunsicker. With the remarkable job he has done here with a shoe string budget and a penny-pinching miser of an owner, it will be nice to see what his talents can do with an owner not afraid to spend.

 

awww crap. that sucks. The guy was good. Wish our owner liked to spend more money. This year was his losing money year inorder to have the team make it far in the playoffs. Now that the year is over and it has back fired on him, there is going to be drastic changes for next season. and now the news of us not having Hunsiker just worsens it.

 

The ONLY positive that we can take from this is that Gerry is leaving us with a lot of pieces in place.

Young hitters:
Lance Berkman, Morgan Ensberg, Adam Everett (he is becoming a better hitter).

Young starting pitching:
Roy Oswalt, Wade Miller, Tim Redding, Carlos Hernandez, Rodrigo Rosario, and Andy Pettite is just a phone call and a decent offer away.

Bullpen depth:
Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel, Mike Gallo, Jared Fernandez.

Actually, the BEST thing Gerry was good at was evaluating young talent in the player's development... that's why our farm system was stocked for all those years.

He was OKAY at getting the free agents and the trades, but no matter who the GM was (even Billy Beane), they'd be frustrated at that aspect since Drayton would not approve most of the big money deals anyways.

With the farm system depleted, and the young guys who are up here expected to become the focal points of this team... there's really not much keeping Gerry here in the first place (he's obviously got some seeds planted in the farm with Derick Grigsby and Tommy Whiteman... but nothing major).

This team needs MONEY to fill up the holes... ANYBODY can go out there and sign Brian Hunter, Bruce Chen, Brian Mohller, Kent Bottenfield, and even Geoff Blum if their owner tells them they only have a limited amount to spend.

 

If Gerry leaves, we are effectively ****ed, long term, unless we can find someone else that understands the best way to win on a small budget (great minors teams, effective drafting using against the grain strategies and defying some old myths). I don't see it happening.

As someone else pointed out, I am happy for Gerry if he gets the job, because he will finally have a chance to prove himself while not being hamstrung, pocket-book wise. But man-oh-man will it suck for Astros fans.

 

You people are talking like it's the end of the franchise. LIttle wake-up call to reality here. The Astros haven't even made the playoffs in 2 years. Something like 15 differnet teams have won at least one playoff series since 1997 - not the Astros.

I agree that Hunsicker was a solid GM, but then again, a 28 (29, 30...something like that?) year old "wiz-kid" up in Boston may just end the curse of the Bambino in his first year. Something extremely positive could come out of this; the glass is half-full.

 

And whoever has been down there in Miami has managed to put together a winning ballclub with even less money than the Astros had to work with.

And the A's routinely make the playoffs (though, like the Astros, they usually get the early exit) with a lower payroll than the Astros.

And even the free-spending Rangers are finally realizing that spending money is not necessarily what gets one to the promised land. They've had a top payroll for years and haven't managed to get out of the bottom of the standings for several years now. They will likely do better in 2004 on the field with a lower payroll than they had this season.

Oh, and here's a quote from Mets owner Fred Wilpon: "It's certainly a clear indication that just throwing money at a situation doesn't guarantee success. We're not going to make the same mistakes again."

Doesn't sound like the Mets are realizing that a bigger payroll does not necessarily a champion make (and considering they came in last in their division, and a full 22 games behind the Astros finish, I don't know that having that extra $20 million to spend made all that much difference. You can't tell me that their GM was really that bad. That having Gerry there instead would've meant not only 22 more games won, but even better than that, since winning 22 more games would've only meant third place in the NL East).

 

I wouldn't be too dissapointed with Purpura as the GM. Everything I've heard, he was the main one behind building the Astros farm system to what it was a couple years ago.

Also, like JayZ mentioned- Theo Epstein stepped into Boston out of nowhere and in one year turned that team from decent and high priced to an offensive juggernaut with some pitching to boot.

 

I actually like Pupura... but I was just saying he might not have the full backbone to stand up to Drayton like Hunsicker did (IIRC, doesn't Hun always have to "convince" Drayton to give the go-ahead on the big deals... Randy Johnson, Jeff Kent, etc.).

Drayton, however, is REAL good at giving the go-ahead on the bad deals. (losing Moises Alou and Vinny Castilla for nothing, trading Carl Everett, etc.)

Pupura is also a front-runner for the Reds job, although I do believe he'd prefer to stay here if Hun was gonna leave.

The Chron also mentioned Omar Minaya as a possible replacement... talk about putting together a team with absolutley NO money.

 

Gene "Stick" Michael is available.

 

Tim Purpura is just as responsible, arguably moreso, for the state of the 'Stros organization top to bottom. He and Gerry share the same philosophies, and he's learned from Hun for many years now.

The sky is not falling. Simmah dah nah.

 

Is Purpura the assistant to Hunsicker? I heard that Gerry's assistant was interviewing for another position...Cincinatti I want to say.

 

Yep, that's him. If Gerry stays, he'll probably take the job in Cincy. If Gerry goes, by all accounts he's the guy Drayton & Gerry want as a replacement, and he wants to stay with the Stros. He's very, very capable. Time will tell, though.

 

If Gerry Hunsicker was that good a GM, he could have found the Astros some pitching help at the trade deadline. The Cubs second-half rise can be attributed in part to the moves they made to get better, like picking up Lofton and Ramirez. Meanwhile the Stros did nothing at all to improve themselves in a pennant race they lost by a single game.

 

Like in a post I put out awhile ago, I'd hate to see Gerry leave BUT I'd love to see what he could do w/ MORE resources to work with. Looks like he's going to get that chance! HAPPY for him, SUX for us because finding another GM who can compete w/ the restraints put on by the owner is going to be tough! Purpura could be the guy BUT he's unproven while Gerry is established.....

Good luck Gerry!

 

i wonder if the A's owner will let us negotiate with billy beane...

 

If Drayton McClane was such a good owner, he could have allowed Gerry to do his job and GET us some help. PLEASE don't shoot the help.....