[610 Sports] Astros pitching coach Jim Hickey FIRED

What does a space bar have to do with this?Good lord!
If a space bar is a place where I can get a drink right now,show me the way!

 

You are 100% wrong.

 

I wouldn't say Hirsh would make or break our season... but yes, eventually the guy will have to pan out or it will set this team back. Then again, we did recover from Tim Redding, Wade Miller and Carlos Hernandez' careers not panning out...

Hirsh needs to figure out why he's giving up the long ball (ie- throwing a fastball in the heart of the zone), whereas at round Rock, he gave up only 5 all year (I think he gave up 5 in his first 3 starts in the big leagues). And, before you go putting it on "that's the difference between MLB and AAA hitting..." his MLB HR number is waaaaaaay to inflated to be simply chalked up to the difference between leagues.

His fastball that was being hit for HR's in the big leagues would be rightfully clocked out of AAA parks as well (or at least extra base hits... and with his low .OPS and WHIP at AAA, something tells me that didn't happen).

Thus, the Astros probably are wondering the same thing... why is Hirsh not commanding his fastball at the big leagues like he did at AAA. That's the job of the pitching coach... and whoever comes in here, that will be their main assignment (don't be suprised if Hooton makes a return to the team from RR mainly for this reason).

 

Buck I give Tal Smith full credit for what he's done for this organization.

 

Tal Smith? Tim Purpura, as Director of Player Development, ran the farm system for 7 years prior to being named GM.

 

All kidding aside,you can tell I'm not a fan of Timmy so we will agree to disagree.

 

Frustration is fine... but making baseless claims, false conclusions, and calling out owners/GM's/managers left and right without actually looking at the facts is pretty unresponsible.

Also, as far as the "economics of baseball" is concerned... the ONLY fans that should be really livid are the ones who have owners who simply cannot field a competitive team, no matter what they do:
1.) Royals
2.) Pirates
3.) Tampa
4.) Milwaukee (their talent may finally be putting it together).

If you're not a fan of one of those teams, you really wouldn't be able to blame "baseball economics" on the lack of success. The Marlins, Twins and A's have commited the vast majority of resources to their farm system/scouting department... and it paid off. The Indians, Mariners, Orioles, Cubs, Nats, Rocies, and D-backs are all middle market teams that either make dumb decisions that hampers their payroll flexibility, or they've simply hit a dry spot in the talent department. The Astros, Padres, Cardinals, Phillies, Braves and Tigers spent enough to win... its up to the players at that point. The rest of the teams spend A LOT of cash... and whether they win or not, is based on their decision making (and the Rangers and Dodgers are the main culprits of teams not spending wisely).

 

I don't think anybody's agreeing to that... they're all saying you're flat-out wrong in the statments you've made.

 

"Discovered by the Germans in 1904, they named it San Diego, which of course in German means a whale's vagina."

"No, there's no way that's correct."

"I'm sorry, I was trying to impress you. I don't know what it means. I'll be honest, I don't think anyone knows what it means anymore. Scholars maintain that the translation was lost hundreds of years ago."

"Doesn't it mean Saint Diego?"

"No. No. No."

"No, that's - that's what it means. Really."

"Agree to disagree."

 

their foundation rests on two of the very best players in all of baseball. oswalt may very well be THE best pitcher in baseball and berkman's top 10 among everyday players.

that's a heck of a start, and one FEW teams enjoy. they've spent two years successfully building around that talent; this year, some things fell apart. but the organization has given us no reason to fear it can't fix itself. they have a 10-year track record that's among baseball's best.

right, by signing andy pettitte and roger clemens. i'm assuming (though, not hoping), both will be gone next year.

and in that instance, hirsh's developement does indeed, imo, make or break the astros' '07 season (independent of other moves they may make).

 

LOL... I will from now on bring up that sequence whenever somebody says the "agree to disagree" cliche that doesn't belong.

I do hope the whale's vagina will step up and actually beat the Cardinals just one time today?

 

CC!! What's up dude.

Respectfully, you can credit Tal Smith all you want but all he did was hire Tim (or approve of Hun hiring Tim). Tim did the work, hired the scouts, and oversaw the development. I've read comments multitudinous times from baseball sources crediting Purpura for building that system. Hunsicker won Exec of the Year (and well-deserved it was), but when the Astros won Organization of the Year (or whatever it's called), that renown was clearly for Timmy P's work. That's doesn't take anything away from Tal Smith; he's a great baseball man in his own right.

Back to when I said, "how in the hell do you know??" You made a statement that "Drayton refused", and we don't know. Drayton may have demanded that they get something done, and Aubrey Huff was all that worked out. Unless you were there, you don't know. And, there is a history of Drayton spending at the trade deadline, not the other way around (RJ and 'Los both say hi).

Man, that has been disproven over and over and over and over. There are *mountains* of evidence. I understand that in the late '90s a lot of folks had that impression (and I argued with them then), but now there's really no excuse to still believe this--if you'd like, we can trade facts. If you look at the mountains of evidence objectively, you'll see that in no wise is McLane "cheap".

100% dead-on wrong, in each case. Wrong about RJ, wrong about Kile, wrong about Hampton. I'm not being belligerent with you man, it's just that that statement is categorically incorrect.

I'm sorry if the whining comment was offensive--but the reality is when people complain about things in the face of facts that clearly indicate the opposite, that's whining. Pure and simple.

 

As long as Drayton is the owner, the Astros will never be in rebuilding mode. He wants to compete every year.

 

Well, obviously I'm assuming they're either going to re-sign Pettite... or find a suitable replacement for him that is NOT Jason Hirsh.

If they actually go into next year with Hirsh as their #2 starter... then the season is techincally over before it begins (even if Hirsh improves).

 

Look,you think I don't know the history of the Houston Astros and what Timmy's been up to for the last decade?C'mon....I've tried to let it go but neither of you are receptive or you do not recognize when another is saying PEACE.

 

OK msn,I have the utmost repect for you and am letting it all go.I see the error of my ways....guess it's that time of the month for me...just frustrated and acting like a biyatch.....The comment about Tal was meant as a joke.
...and again,It's REALLY good to see you.

 

If you want to argue facts, post facts. You think people are just going to respond "OK" to you posting a bunch of garbage and then saying "let's just agree to disagree" when you're called out on it?

 

The thing is that since 1994 the Astros have finished 1st or second in the division every year with the exception of 2000. For the vast majority of that time McLane has raised payroll every year, he has given huge contracts to keep players around, he has pumped money into their minor leageus and their Venezuelan baseball academy, he has approved deadline deals which added payroll and he has given players big contracts before he needed to (e.g. Berkman and Hidalgo). The times are few and far between when the Astros have lost a free agent and have NOT given them a solid offer.

McLane has a solid history of doing what it takes to make the Astros a perennial division contender. You claim to know your Astros history. Do you remember when Ford Motor Credit owned the team? Do you remember all of the lean years from 1962 to 1978 with very few contenders? Do you remember how excited folks were when the Astros actually finished 81-81 in 1969, their first non-losing record?

Haven't you thoroughly enjoyed the past 10+ years and their almost unbridled success (except for the Braves and Yankees)? Why do you think that McLane will all of a sudden STOP doing what he has been doing for the better part of the past 12 years?

 

Good post Bobrek..I was born in 66 and grew up watching the Astros from my grandfather's season tickets behind the visitor's dugout...I can still remember the heckling of Lasorda and the Dodgers when they would come in.

I love the Houston Astros and I love the city of Houston....Just going thorough a period where I'm moving away for good due to lifepath.I feel like a tourist in my own hometown.... born and raised in Bellaire.My family is gone now.I see the city overrall as less friendly and having changed.Again that's probably a microcosm for society too.Presently I split time between Galveston and Lake Tahoe as I've had it with the big city life.This nexus I've reached has made me a bit cynical at times.I lost my Mom suddenly 5 years ago and am just getting on the other side of it.I've backed off of baseball and have been concentrating on LIVING LIFE AGAIN FINALLY.It's a good thing.Sometimes my pain and frustration seeps through into my posts and for that I apologize to all.

 

I really haven't been able to enjoy the Astros run over the last few years like I would have normally.I had to take care of business.In all honesty,I'm just getting back to that first love,baseball.I played it and have missed watching each night.I'm trying to cozy up to that ole girl again.
Sorry for hijacking the thread.