You really think dumping Jason Lane will be the secret of this team's success? The guy who had a grand total of 7-8 AB's during our pathetic losing 13 of 15 games? Sooner or later, you guys are going to run out of guys to blame. First everybody jumps on Lidge and says once he's out of the closers role, things will be okay. Then its Chris Burke... once Hunter Pence comes here, things will be okay. Then, while fishing for ideas, its Everett and Ausmus again... the old tried and true/can't-miss argument for dumping players. Now, its the dumping of Jason Lane that should fix what is right/wrong with the world. What other actions/inactions do you feel would have helped the team tremendously over the last year/two years? Aubrey Huff was certainly an "action"... but unfortunately it hasn't panned out. Final verdict is yet to be determined on the "action" of trading Willy+Hirsh for Jennings. If the record is good... its because of "gerry's guys" and all the signings Drayton made. If the record is bad... its because of "Tim's fatness" and his actions and inactions.
I don't trash every opinion I disagree with. I only trash whiny drivel. As far as suggestions, I'll have to defer to Nick's list. That was pretty solid. And by the way, that's the difference: if I know something's gotta give but I don't know what, I keep my mouth shut rather than say, "something's gotta change dammit! Purpura is fat!"
Remember the last time we fired a manager it sparked the team to win and motivated everyone to play well under new manager Garner. Same thing needs to happen because Astros have reached their ceiling with Garner at the helm and have been in a free fall since that World Series sweep 2 years ago. Look players have tendency to lay back once a manager becomes routine and second nature to them. We need someone to come in and tell these guys how bad they stink and what needs to be done to change that. This is baseball and manager doesn't really play that big of a role unlike basketball or football where a head coach is everything. Get rid of Garner and get a fresh face and new voice on the team.
That's the problem I have with the anti-Purpura arguments. Jason Lane, for the most part, was one of the last bats on the bench. So is Palmeiro. In most games, they've received 1 AB at most, and a better pinch-hitter might get you one extra hit per 10 games. How much of a difference is that really going to make in wins and losses? All the "dump Lane, dump Palmeiro, dump Moehler" talk... do you understand how small of a difference it would make and how small the roles each of those players had/has? Sure, it's frustrating when they fail and it's frustrating they aren't having better seasons, but in terms of wins/losses, those are very minor things. Yes, it would also be great if Everett were hitting around .250 instead of .220, but do you realize how small of a difference that would make? The big things - the real reason that this team is struggling how it has - involve struggles from Berkman and Scott. No, the rest of the team isn't perfect. But the other issues you cited are very minor things that don't have significant impact on W/L. The things that do, by and large, are out of Purpura's control.
You completely missed my point yet again. I did not say 'if Jason Lane had been dumped earlier, the Astros would have been great.' I stated that little things like that are the examples of the poor quality of management. It is not the reason in and of itself. Purpura has been a poor GM. I was giving an example of his mistakes. Gerry was not perfect. Purpura is not the Devil. Benching a player like Ausmus or waiving Palmeiro by itself will not correct everything. But a pattern of poor management has helped lead this team to its current state. (Not discount, as you will reply, Berkman stinking; I will beat you to it, I agree he is playing badly). Lane was an example, not an argument, for being the entire reason for this poor play.
This thread is not 'whiny drivel.' It is about the pathetic state of this team. If you feel that complaints about this are 'whiny drivel,' counter what people are saying, do not simply attempt to attack for sport. Judging by the results of the poll so far, many other people agree about Purpura's ineptitude. Of course, you would term all of them 'whiners.'
So fine... to make your argument more conveinent, and seem less whiny, each of your complaints are minor examples in an elaborate web of "bad decisions, and why the astros are bad, and why pupurra is fat." No matter how you want it worded, its still whining. We've analyzed each of your complaints... first with ausmus/everett, then with Lane/Palmeiro, and given you ample reason as to why none of these so-called issues don't mean jack if Berkman (or the other big money players) aren't producing. You're calling the delayed demotion of Lane a "mistake".... we're mitigating that mistake (as bringing up Burke earlier wouldn't have changed much, given Lane's few AB's during the losing streak)... and then you respond with "well, its not a huge mistake, just an example." Right now, your whining consists of nothing but semantics... its still whining, and it's contributing NOTHING to the ideas of how to make this a better ballclub. For you, every positive result we have is the result of somebody else (even tough guys like Pence and Patton were drafted with Pupurra heading up the scouting)... but every negative still belongs to fatty tim.
I wouldn't try to defend your whining with poll results of an internet message board that consists primarily of Rockets fans, who started following the Astros in 2004.
It's interesting. If someone disagrees with your opinions, it's whining. If you disagree with their opinions, it's fair critique. Yet again, bad decisions are bad decisions. Just because something else is going negative (i.e. Berkman), does not negate the fact that Purpura's, etc. mismanagement has also severly hurt that team. This Berkman obsession of yours, while refusing to considering anything else, is not constructive in helping this TEAM improve.
I cannot comment on other posters. However, I have watched the Astros since 1986. I have many fond memories of players throughout the years, such as Mike Scott, Glenn Davis, and Charley Kerfield and have been a fan of theirs during the up and down times. If I (and I imagine) other people were not fans, they would not particularly care how the team was do and would not care about having ideas about how to improve it.
Lets see, you claim Pupurra has never made a good move, you claim Pupurra is the reason this team is 10 games under .500, you claim every move Pupurra makes now is just another example of poor management. Are you sure I'm the one with an obsession? As far as Berkman goes... THE GUY IS THE BEST PLAYER ON THE TEAM!!! Name one team that can look good, or even halfway decent, with their best player struggling like this. Just one. The Cardinals certainly didn't do anything when Albert Pujols sucked it up... and look what they started doing when he turned on. The Cubs certainly sucked it up after Derek Lee went down with injuries last year. If its the Astros and Pupurra's fault that they have a team that can't withstand Berkman having a prolonged awful slump for 2 months, while remaining in contention, then by all means... complain away. If you expected more from them despite Berkman being awful, then you better start re-adjusting your expectations (but, since you're apparently this "big" fan since 86, I don't have to remind you of all the GOD AWFUL teams you must of followed in the late 80's and early 90's... because you're a supposed diehard). And yes... if you disagree with me that Berkman is the single-biggest problem on this team right now (one that Pupurra, Drayton, or ANYBODY has ZERO control over)... one that is costing this team the majority of its wins... then yes... I will call every other complaint about every single #7,#8, or off the bench hitter as a whole bunch of grade-A WHINING!
You're whining again. I've seen Nick disagree with plenty of people without calling them out for whining--because they weren't. I have, too. You, on the other hand, are whining. And now you're whining about being called out for whining. ad hominem. Berkman's improved individual performance would undoubtedly help "this TEAM improve." It's not that difficult a concept to grasp. The offense was built around Lance Berkman, not Brad Ausmus and Adam Everett, and certainly not around the 23rd, 24th, and 25th people on the roster.
You certainly *are* a fan, and you certainly do care. No one has said any differently. You haven't given any ideas how to improve it, however--you've only demanded that the pieces in place be gotten rid of, and called for the firing of the manager and GM. When you come with complaints and no solution, that's whining. You *are* a fan. A whiny fan.
If the fans didn't "whine" and b**** then there would be absolutely no pressure on management to spend money or even attempt to improve the team. So the irony of people griping about threads of fans griping about the team make no sense, unless you just like watching sub .500 baseball. We can't exactly call up Drayton or Purpura on the phone and tell them how we feel.
I respect what you are saying. I am absolutely not discounting the Berkman factor. Nonetheless, even if he was hitting, I don't think we would be over .500 at the most. That is still not acceptable. This team regressed, in large part, b/c of the totality of bad moves of Purpura, etc. An example: We did not get a big bat in the offseason after the WS when it was obvious how much we need that (I know Drayton might have been a factor in this also). But, this is an example of something that was truly needed that was not done when it needed to be. Another one was replacing Ausmus at least 2 years ago. I feel the totality the many moves/non-moves Tim made helped lead us to this mediocrity (w/o discount the importance of Berkman, etc.)
That's hysterical. Yes, McLane, Purpura, et. al. make decisions based on the mood of fans on Internet BBSs and radio call-in shows. Brilliant.
You honestly think management is paying attention to what fans "whine" and b**** about on the bbs', internet chat rooms, or radio call in shows? If they did, I would have ZERO faith (at all) in management. Even most radio hosts will tell you that they expect management to pay NO attention to the suggestions they make, because if they actually did... it furthers their incompetence. The point is not to have everybody say "this team is great, we love the astros no matter what, etc." Its to say that the pointless whining, and the re-hashed complaints don't provide anything of substance to any conversation. Bring up trade suggestions, bring up stats, bring up feasible lineup changes, bring up feasible call-up scenarios... add something USEFUL to the conversation. Going along with the negative sentiment of "Pupurra is fat, astros suck, etc." is just as unproductive as being a blind homer/yes-man.
This opinion, in and of itself, is not whining. I don't believe it's accurate, and I believe the examples you give are porous at best, but that is only my opinion, and mine is no better than yours.
