I agree on Ausmus but, honestly, he left to the west coast because he wanted to be with his family so I would doubt he'd already want to leave them again. If Drayton made Fregosi the manager I would think MMP would be more empty then they already expect in 2010, hiring a fresh name or a splash would make more sense just for the fan appeal factor alone.
Not that I'm on board with this, but is there any reason why Jose Cruz isn't being talked about? Ex-Astro: check Fan fav: check Coaching experience: check Work for cheap: check Sounds like Drayton's guy! Personally, I'd like to see them pry that Dave Duncan guy away from St. Louis. Anyone like Dave Duncan?
I'll say it again...I would love for Brad Ausmus to be a player-manager as a backup backstop and a skipper, too....uh, and a mega-millionaire and his wallet That way the could go ahead a promote Castro and get rid of Towles and Coste for good. Sorry for the Gilligan's Island reference. In this case, I guess Drayton is Gilligan???
Rumors are that some guy named Dave Duncan may be available. Last night my girlfriend's boyfriend's sister talked to this guy she knows that said they saw Dave Duncan pass out at 31 flavors.
St. Louis Cardinals: Mr. Mystery Guest? Are you still there? Astros New Head Coach: Yeah, I'm still here. Unless you wanna open the front door for me. St. Louis Cardinals: Uh, no, I'm afraid not. But, you have me at a loss. You know my name but who are you? Just another American who saw too many movies as a child? Another orphan of a bankrupt culture who thinks he's John Wayne? Rambo? Marshal Dillon? Astros New Head Coach: Was always kinda partial to Dave Duncan actually. I really like those sequined shirts. St. Louis Cardinals: Do you really think you have a chance against us, Mr. Cowboy? Astros New Head Coach: Yippee-ki-yay, mother falcon.
friggin 29 posts in this thread before someone finally says it. thanks for having enough sack to call out the nancies here who won't!!!
Ausmus may not care as much about the west coast if it gave him a chance to be an MLB manager. Most places that need managers are not going to be ideal locations, and he likely won't ever get his first gig for a west coast team, unless he's willing to go to Oakland or something. Plus, he's used to Houston... thus making it far more attractive than the Washington Nationals or Pittsburgh Pirates.
Don't think its a West Coast thing so much as its a family thing. I would love him as our new skipper but just don't think he would leave his kids after barely going back to them. Saying that if it was out of Biggio, Baggy and Ausmus i'd take Ausmus in a heartbeat.
On Dave Duncan: http://blogs.chron.com/baseballblog/archives/2009/09/duncan_likely_n.html Numerous candidates have approached Ed Wade about the managerial office left open in terms of a full-time occupant when Cecil Cooper was fired on Monday. One name you may want to cross off your wish list is Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan, who responded to questions about the job while in town to play the Astros this week. "My interest right now is to be the best pitching coach for the St. Louis Cardinals for the remainder of the season and through postseason," said Duncan, the highest paid coach in baseball. "I don't really want to get distracted with anything that's going to take away from that. I'm just going to concentrate on doing my job right now and finishing the season." "Earlier in my career I think I had a desire to manage more than I do now," Duncan also added. "I don't think that you go into the job like that without making a really strong commitment. And usually it has to have some length to it. So my interest right now, you know I've been around a long time, and I don't know whether I'd have the same desire to make that type of commitment than I might have in years past."
i'd still call and ask and talk dollars. cuz that sounded a whole lot like a nice precursor to negotiations.
So Duncan says the right things. He certainly didn't say he wouldn't consider the job. If Wade is going to wait until after the WS, he may very well listen.
