edit: the fact this guy will probably play again maybe even for the stos is proof that we should never compare every day jobs to pro sports
i've never heard of a GM's duties extending to going in the clubhouse and ordering players to go into the manager's office, and getting into wars of words with players.
....oops, keep reading the story wrong....in any case, I don't see Wade's actions (of holding the meeting and going to Chacon personally) as out of the ordinary. He is the General Manager of the team after all...if he wants to call a meeting he can...what right do you have to refuse.
well that's just the thing...i viewed it as precisely out of the ordinary. i haven't really heard of that happening much. it just seems to me like he has attempted to make his relationship with the players more personal than a GM should or traditionally does. i found that 10-minute meeting he called a few weeks ago before a game to be a bit odd as well...it seems like he's usurping some of Cooper's duties. like i prefaced all this with: i admittedly do not know the entire scope of a GM's authority and responsibilities, so i could be way off base with all this. just seems Wade has taken a much more hands-on approach with the on-field situations than a GM should.
This is not some avg joe. He is a professional athlete. I wish he beat wade's ass. Maybe it would have taught him to go fix the pitching instead of buying old overprice veteran hitters.
What? What old veteran hitter was bought, and what pitching (superior to our current staff) was out there to be had?
If I'm on lunch break and my boss comes over to me and starts reaming me...that mo fo better go find a corner to hide in cause when I find him he's going to take a shot to the taint...it's okay cause technically i'm off the clock. Way to go Chacon...Wade's a dousche bag anyways.
WOW. Can't believe I'm reading something like this about the stros. Sounds like something from the ChiSox, or the Cubbies.
Not excusing Chacon but if my boss got in my face, raised his voice, and cussed me I would probably instinctively push him back away from me. Wade should be suspended and fined if he did what Chacon says. Chacon should be waived immediately.
I guess mainly Tejada. If I were GM I would have cleaned house. Get rid of lee, wiggington, maybe even berkman. We need young pitching prospects. Thats how all good teams are built. I mean in our hey day we had reynolds, hampton, kyle, oswalt, miller, elarton etc. Some of those guys flamed out, but at least they had talent. We have no young arms coming up and we have nearly a 100 mil payroll. That just spells disaster.
Wade is a jerk. During the game he gave an interview and responded after being asked if Chacon had requested a trade with "yeah to the media" but then in an article I read admitted that his agent called earlier this week with that request.
Its not just young pitching that we need. We need young projectable players in the minor league system, more notably in the AA and AAA affiliates. Years of bad drafting have caught up to the Astros over the last seven years since they were one of the highest rated farm systems in the league. The Astros aren't going to rebuild. Drayton has said as much several times, he wants to field a contender. If the Astros had more pitching, then yes they might be in a better spot. But ultimately IMO Drayton isn't going to raise the payroll to $120 million, so that rules out buying some frontline starters. The price of pitching is pretty ridiculous and if the Astros are entertaining thoughts of signing Sheets, Sabathia, Garland, etc. its going to cost $13 - $20 million dollars per season. Do the Astros continue to try to win it all, reload (which is going to cost money with the dearth of minor league talent) or rebuild? At some point this season, if the Astros are out of contention (which IMO we already are) they should start getting calls about some of their players. I'm sure Roy O and Jose Valverde will probably be some of the first names asked about. Unless the Astros are overwhelmed (two top blue chip prospects on the cusp of major league ready and two or three servicable young players) I'm not dealing Roy. Roy has a very nice contract when compared to what frontline starters are getting on the open market. We already know that the Angels, Braves, Phillies and Cubs have been scouting Roy. I'd never trade Roy within the division, so that rules out the Cubs. The Phillies have some good prospects (Carlos Carrasco, rhp, who should be able to contribute at the end of 2008 or beginning 2009). The Braves have alot of outfield prospects and some young pitchers (mostly A and AA). The Angels would be my candidate because that would move Roy to the AL, and the Angels have a really good farm system that could meet a king's ransom (Brandon Wood, 3B/SS, Nick Adenhart, RHP) and lots of young players that are less than one to two seasons away from being major league ready. Valverde would be able to net some blue chipper and another prospect, because as we all know relief pitching is always a hot commodity around the trade deadline. I got pretty longwinded in the Roy O scenario, but you get the picture. Sooner or later the Astros are going to have to rebuild, I'm of the opinion sooner rather than later. With Bobby Heck as lead scout, hopefully the Astros can draft very well in the next couple of years and elevate the farm system.
Well, it won't be for the Stros, at least, if you listen to what Drayton said (something along the lines of "absolutely not" when asked if Chacon would play for the Stros ever again). I do agree he'll pitch again this year for someone else (that is, if someone else wants him). The MLBPA will never stand for the Stros suspending him w/o pay, for the rest of the year.
Chacon is definitely the one at fault here, but more disturbing was Wade showed his lack of intelligence by yelling at a player when it wasn't the right time. Hunsicker would have assessed the situation and then traded Chacon for a minor league prospect. I miss you Gerry.
If your boss tells/asks you to come into his office (regardless of being on break or not) are you going to refuse? If his boss then tells you to, are you going to refuse? If so, don't expect to remain employed long. If you then subsequently attack him, don't expect to be suspended/fired, expect to be arrested. Good luck in your professional career.
