manager watch

And the Astros are 2-1 in those three games....

 

There's a reason why this adage makes a lot of sense... namely because it takes awhile for a team to not only come together (bullpen players take a certain role, starters show who they really are), but it also takes awhile before players start getting into their "routines" that they have to keep consistent for 6 months.

When that no-name player comes out of spring training and blasts 9 HR's the first month, its up to him to keep the focus of whatever he's doing... or revert back to his career averages. Most of the time, they revert back.

I like the way Garner has handled the Lidge situation... he's looked not only reliable again, but somewhat dominant over his last 7-8 appearances. I like the way he's stayed pretty consistent with the lineup, allowing these guys who are getting paid boat-loads to produce find it themselves, without doing anything drastic. He's also consistently given Lamb, Lane, Loretta, and now Burke plenty of starts in order to keep them focused/fresh... it always pays off big-time as the season goes on (and is part of the reason why this will yet again be a great second-half team).