http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_y...b0bYF?slug=ap-astros-mclane&prov=ap&type=lgns HOUSTON (AP) -- Astros owner Drayton McLane voiced support for manager Phil Garner and general manager Tim Purpura on Thursday amid the team's longest losing streak in 12 years. "This is a team that has great potential," McLane said before Houston wrapped up a three-game series against Cincinnati. "The challenge I see is for Tim and Phil, how can we make this team successful?" Entering Thursday's game, the Astros had lost 10 in a row, their longest skid since they dropped a franchise-record 11 straight games in August 1995. They were 21-31, a game out of last place in the NL Central. McLane blamed the players and said the jobs of Garner and Purpura are secure. "Tim has been our general manager and we've had great success the three previous years he's been here. I have a lot of confidence in Tim," McLane said. "Phil has been here and we've been to the World Series with Phil. We've had great accomplishments with Phil. The players have great respect for him personally, particularly as their leader and a manager. I have great confidence in both of them. The team needs to perform." McLane met with Purpura, Garner and other team executives Thursday, but McLane said no major personnel or roster moves were made. "We just talked overall, where we are today, what are some of the issues," McLane said. "We discussed a number of things. No big decisions at this point." The Astros have mustered four runs or fewer in each of their consecutive losses and Garner has repeatedly shuffled the lineup, trying to hit the right combination to generate more offense. Franchise stalwart Craig Biggio, just 26 hits from 3,000, has stayed in the lineup despite a .212 average in May. McLane suggested that "concessions" may be needed to spark the offense without Biggio. But McLane also said Biggio remains a key member of the team. "Craig is not playing as he did 10 years ago, and that's natural," McLane said. "Concessions need to be made, but he is so important to our franchise." McLane wouldn't specify what he meant by "concessions" for Biggio. "We've got 25 players on the team," McLane said. "We need to continue to look at that. That was no reflection on Craig Biggio. Craig Biggio is an important part of the Houston Astros." McLane said the Astros "need some tweaking," but he also said he thinks the current roster is capable of reversing the tailspin. "I'm still convinced we have a very good team," McLane said. "We just need to play better baseball."
Wow, the name of the Astros' owner appeared 12 times in the article, but was still somehow misspelled in the title of the thread.
McLane is a good businessman, a great owner, and a very personable man, but he knows nothing about baseball. He would be foolish to think that Garner and Purpura aren't the root of the Astros' problems. Firing Gaietti and Hickey were both questionable, considering that Gaietti didn't have many good hitters to work with, and Hickey consistently boasted the best pitching in baseball, but not firing the manager for "managing with a gut" and putting out idiotic lineups and making stupid double switches in key situations *cough 2 straight postseasons*cough: come on man. The Astros need to rebuild for next year, and it starts with Tim the Bum and Phil Garner. I actually liked Purpura a lot, but once Drayton gave him the freedom to go out and actually do some things, he's made some questionable moves. I absolutely hated the Jennings trade, as well as the proposed trade with the White Sox involving Garland. Hirsh should have stayed. I didn't understand many of the free agent signings. I thought Lidge should have been gone after the World Series because of his injury history. His stock was as high as ever back then. I've actually had a lot of faith in Lane and Ensberg, and I still do, I just feel like the Astros need a new voice in the clubhouse to get a lot of these underachievers performing again. And Biggio needs to hurry up and get 3,000 and then retire immediately because he's holding this club back. Don't remind me about Garner starting Bagwell in the World Series instead of Chris Burke or at least Mike Lamb or Jose Vizcaino either.
anyone want to take a stab at this? could be the fact that he was dropped lower in the lineup. though he has since been moved back.???
Why? What have Lane and Ensberg done to make you and the Astros continue to have faith in these guys? Jason Lane has no place on a major league roster, especially this one with so many weak hitters. Ensberg is way too streaky and inconsistent to be an everyday player. Both of these players are in their early 30's, if they were going to get it going it should have happened by now. Lane is in the biggest slump I have ever heard of for a non-pitcher at the plate. Why keep trotting these guys out there when they have shown that they cannot perform when needed? A new skipper is not going to make both of these underachievers hit.
no..because capers and carr had never shown you that they had anything in the tank to begin with. most of the team you're watching right now was defending the NL pennant 365 days ago. i wouldn't fire either of them...not yet anyway. this is on the players.
It is on the players but at some point in time, Purpura's head will go under the guillotine because he was in charge of the minor league system which is sucking big time. You caan blame the players all you want but the fact is that these players simply aren't that good.
way too many are underachieving. i agree with you that if things don't improve, he'll lose his job. but if berkman had been hitting like we expected him to, we'd be in a division title race right now.
Isn't this "Vote of Confidence" always a bad thing...Calm before the storm... Something needs to change and I think it will before long...Garner b/f Purpura...
They are both still in their twenties. They have both shown what they are capable of. Jason Lane is actually a high on base pct guy; very patient hitter. He just has a huge hole in his swing. Same with Ensberg. He changes his stance every other week. Get a new manager so they can get their confidence going. We saw what Ensberg did 2 years ago. He tore up the league, putting up MVP-type numbers in the first half of the season. I'm not saying keep trotting them out. But certainly don't cut them outright.
Look at how many of the pitchers have an ERA larger than what they have had in recent years. Look at our lineup. Berkman has seven extra base hits...not seven this week...but for the SEASON. He is batting .244. That is WAY below where he normally is. Scott and Ensberg are hitting a few points higher than .230. This is not what we expected out of them. We shouldn't expect all-star numbers. But the numbers they are putting up aren't even average. Purpura is the GM. He has made some big signings. He has also made some deals that deidn't pan out. A lot of those (Wilson, etc) were considered very good moves when they were made. He really hasn't done an awful job.
The manager when Ensberg was an All-Star was Phil Garner.... Suggesting changing managers to get a player's confidence up might be much, considering that "confidence" is something temperamental. And no one on the club has done anything to hurt his confidence in anyway way. That PLAYER has to get changed for underperforming. Lane has a huge hole in talent.
I'd stand behind by "Yes Men" right now as well if i we're screweing up this bad so the secret doesn't get out if Drayton possibly is making all the moves. The verdict is still out on how much, little, or bad influence Purpura has. We know Biggio is definantly ordered from above to play. However, I haven't heard yet of Purpura bashing heads with Drayton like Hunsicker would for the better of the team. After all, if you had a couple guys that would wipe the unwanted mayo off your hamburger and more, you'd probably like them too.
