Post by Fish Troll on Aug 27, 2007 18:23:44 GMT -5
Astros fire Garner, Purpura
Cooper takes over as interim manager, Smith as GM
Posted: Monday August 27, 2007 3:19PM; Updated: Monday August 27, 2007 5:07PM
sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb/08/27/astros.garner.ap/index.html
Look like the Astros are the "what have you done for me lately" type of team. Its not Garner fault that they don't have Clemans of Petite anymore plue the weak offense. Or again, Phil did a horrible job at the 2006 all-star game.
Cooper takes over as interim manager, Smith as GM
Posted: Monday August 27, 2007 3:19PM; Updated: Monday August 27, 2007 5:07PM
HOUSTON (AP) -- Manager Phil Garner and general manager Tim Purpura were fired Monday by the Houston Astros, less than two years after leading the team to its first World Series appearance.
Bench coach Cecil Cooper was appointed interim manager, and team president Tal Smith will serve as interim general manager.
"I felt this was the time for a change," owner Drayton McLane said. "I just think we needed a fresh start."
Houston slumped to 58-73 this year, nine games behind the division-leading Chicago Cubs.
"We had really fallen into a pattern of so-so ball," Garner said during a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "We were never able to put together the run, like we made in the previous two seasons. I think there were a number of reasons for that."
Garner took over the Astros in the middle of the 2004 season after Jimy Williams was fired. The Astros went 48-26 in the second half and won 36 of their last 46 games to become the NL wild card, then defeated Atlanta in the first round of the playoffs before losing to St. Louis in Game 7 of the NL championship series.
Houston won its second straight wild-card berth in 2005 and defeated the Braves and Cardinals in the playoffs before getting swept by the Chicago White Sox in the World Series.
The Astros were 82-80 last year, finishing 11/2 games behind the Cardinals in the NL Central, but slumped this season following the departures of Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte.
Garner managed Milwaukee from 1992-99 and Detroit from 2000-02. He has a 985-1,054 career record as a major league manager, including 277-252 with the Astros.
"I had a wonderful time with the Astros," Garner said. "They gave me a great opportunity. They reinvigorated my interest in baseball and really gave me a great opportunity to reinvigorate my career. I'm more grateful for the job they gave me than I am saddened and upset by the firing."
Craig Biggio's 3,000th hit has been the highlight of an otherwise dismal season. The Astros were 39-50 record at All-Star break and lost five of their last seven home games to lowly Washington and Pittsburgh.
Houston signed free agent Carlos Lee to a $100 million, six-year contract last offseason but also acquired disappointing starter Woody Williams (7-12). Purpura also took some of the blame for hanging on to Morgan Ensberg, whose stats dropped precipitously after an All-Star season in 2005.
Purpura, who did not immediately return a telephone message, also made an ill-fated trade with Colorado, dealing speedster Willy Taveras and promising pitching prospects Jason Hirsh and Taylor Buchholz for Jason Jennings, who was 2-9 before he was placed on the disabled list with a bad elbow on Aug. 21.
Houston became the fourth team to switch managers this season. Baltimore fired Sam Perlozzo on June 18 and Cincinnati fired Jerry Narron on July 1, the same day Mike Hargrove resigned as Seattle's manager.
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Bench coach Cecil Cooper was appointed interim manager, and team president Tal Smith will serve as interim general manager.
"I felt this was the time for a change," owner Drayton McLane said. "I just think we needed a fresh start."
Houston slumped to 58-73 this year, nine games behind the division-leading Chicago Cubs.
"We had really fallen into a pattern of so-so ball," Garner said during a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "We were never able to put together the run, like we made in the previous two seasons. I think there were a number of reasons for that."
Garner took over the Astros in the middle of the 2004 season after Jimy Williams was fired. The Astros went 48-26 in the second half and won 36 of their last 46 games to become the NL wild card, then defeated Atlanta in the first round of the playoffs before losing to St. Louis in Game 7 of the NL championship series.
Houston won its second straight wild-card berth in 2005 and defeated the Braves and Cardinals in the playoffs before getting swept by the Chicago White Sox in the World Series.
The Astros were 82-80 last year, finishing 11/2 games behind the Cardinals in the NL Central, but slumped this season following the departures of Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte.
Garner managed Milwaukee from 1992-99 and Detroit from 2000-02. He has a 985-1,054 career record as a major league manager, including 277-252 with the Astros.
"I had a wonderful time with the Astros," Garner said. "They gave me a great opportunity. They reinvigorated my interest in baseball and really gave me a great opportunity to reinvigorate my career. I'm more grateful for the job they gave me than I am saddened and upset by the firing."
Craig Biggio's 3,000th hit has been the highlight of an otherwise dismal season. The Astros were 39-50 record at All-Star break and lost five of their last seven home games to lowly Washington and Pittsburgh.
Houston signed free agent Carlos Lee to a $100 million, six-year contract last offseason but also acquired disappointing starter Woody Williams (7-12). Purpura also took some of the blame for hanging on to Morgan Ensberg, whose stats dropped precipitously after an All-Star season in 2005.
Purpura, who did not immediately return a telephone message, also made an ill-fated trade with Colorado, dealing speedster Willy Taveras and promising pitching prospects Jason Hirsh and Taylor Buchholz for Jason Jennings, who was 2-9 before he was placed on the disabled list with a bad elbow on Aug. 21.
Houston became the fourth team to switch managers this season. Baltimore fired Sam Perlozzo on June 18 and Cincinnati fired Jerry Narron on July 1, the same day Mike Hargrove resigned as Seattle's manager.
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb/08/27/astros.garner.ap/index.html
Look like the Astros are the "what have you done for me lately" type of team. Its not Garner fault that they don't have Clemans of Petite anymore plue the weak offense. Or again, Phil did a horrible job at the 2006 all-star game.
