I realized I haven't written about Geoff coming back. What this means is the team isn't confident enough with the new manager, so they need Geoff for backup. We have all seen his ability to make split second decisions while the actual manager is having day dreams about night things. I like Geoff, and I think he deserves some accolades.

I heard the Yankees won it all. Congratulations to Jane over there at "Confessions of a She-Fan." I actually picked the Dodgers to win it all, but when the Dodgers blue it, I knew the Yankees had all the pieces in place to beat the Phillies, and I never doubted that. A-Rod will be kissing himself in the mirror a little more often now. Hopefully he shares himself with Kate. Let's see...we have Kate, A-Rod, and the Man in the Mirror, it's a threesome. It's been my experience that someone always gets left out...in this case, sorry Kate.

                   Bottom line...you have to love yourself, before you can love others.

Let's go Grandpa!!! I guess if Brad Mills does something we don't approve of we can all go "Ohhh Grandpa..." I had to check his age again. 52. Are you sure? I've seen plenty of 52 year olds and they don't look like this. He puts a damper on the "50 is the new 30" phrase. He turns it into "50 is the new 70" Maybe somebody could double check? Good. I don't want this to turn into another Tejada age brouhaha. 

Seriously, I think he has a good head on his shoulders. Blum is no longer "on call" for management duties during the game. I am confident this guy can handle it. I don't know much about Mills, but I have a feeling I'm going to like his style. He doesn't look like the doormat type either, so that's very nice. Have you ever dated the doormat type? You lose all respect for them (see Cooper.)   

Good luck Mills. You're going to need it. I'm glad you took the bait, because we were running out of options.

Bottom line..."The Garner for Manager" campaign is over, and I'm so glad. The Astros blew it with Acta, but I'm all for giving Mills a chance. 

The Astros dropped the Acta, and it has officially become a three ring circus. ;) I begged Brian McTaggart (MLB beat writer) to just pull a name out of a hat. Then I thought hey, I can do that...so I wrote down all three names, folded them up, and put them in an Astros cap. To my dismay, I drew Garner. I wonder what would happen if it was a Red Sox cap.

I'm thinking tomorrow we will be down to the Final Two, and I have to say this is becoming exactly like one of those reality shows that Wade was trying to avoid. I'm hoping the craziness will end by Wednesday, but this organization likes to keep you guessing.

Go Mills! Or Clark! Or Garner! Just pick somebody.

PHIL GARNER: A huge shock for all Houston fans, right? If the fans were voting, he would have garnered (pun intended) enough votes to be Governor. He definitely has the majority of the fans on his side, but anyone who reads the words I write, knows I don't want him as manager. A lesser position wouldn't be half bad.

DAVE CLARK: The guy knows how to wear a tie. He won my Best Dressed Award which was given out after the conclusion of the first round of interviews. With that honor comes a chance to win it all. The players back their interim manager, but I don't care who these whiney players want. I know Clark is inexperienced with the post game interviews and it showed. He seemed lost a few times and the media was busting him on game situations. He would get better, and if the owner is concerned about sucking up to the players he will be the next manager. I don't think he's ready.

BRAD MILLS: He comes from a winning organization so I'm sure Julia from Julia's Rants is impressed with him. I know for sure she is impressed with Bogar, but who isn't? I haven't read one derogatory remark regarding the former Astros player. Back to Mills. I'm bored, so I'll move on to....

MANNY ACTA: Didn't you know I would save the best for last? I'm concerned about him being a finalist for the Indians job as well. You know this could be an uncomfortable situation for him. Let's say the Cleveland Indians give him a ring and tell him the good news. What do you say if you are him? "I appreciate the offer, but can y'all wait until I hear from the Astros?" This could get sticky. I listened to his interview with Cleveland online, and his grasp on the English language isn't all that good, but he will continue to improve.  

I hope Drayton gets his Acta together. From what I'm reading, we should know something before the World Series starts on Wednesday. I do hope that Bogar gets back to Houston in some form.

Is anyone up for "sloppy seconds?" You know what I mean, it's like when you heat up leftovers the next day, it doesn't taste the same. You add water to it, you stir it around, and then you nuke it and pray. Unfortunately it never fails when you take a bite, it tastes like scrap iron. ;)

To me, going back to Garner is like getting it on with your ex-girlfriend from 5 years ago...it's familiar, but not very exciting.

Seriously, I hope this doesn't happen. I like for organizations to get straight, go forward, move ahead (lyrics from Devo's "Whip it.") I get disgusted with the athlete that has the retirement party, gets all the goodies, waves goodbye to the fans and supposedly walks away from the game. His most avid fans paid good money to see him play for the last time, only to find out later that he is coming back...he was just kidding. I feel the same way with bringing a manager back for another round. I'm not picking on Garner; I wouldn't want Dierker or any previous manager back either. Do I have to say it every time? It's not personal, it's business.

It has been written that Wade and Tal Smith weren't around when Garner was fired last time, so no harm no foul, and Garner holds no ill feelings. Are you serious? So what? The owner had his grimy fingerprints all over the gun. I guess if everyone wants to play make believe we can pretend like we had a decent showing in the '05 World Series that Garner led us to. There was plenty of excitement leading up to that point I will agree, but getting swept by the White Sox was extremely disappointing for me, it left a bad taste in my mouth. 

I'll be sitting back watching this process closely. I'm hoping they take a long hard look at the other qualified candidates, then bring in some fresh blood. 

There was a fan on Facebook who wrote this about the list of candidates, "Ten? Maybe they can be voted off one by one and it can be a reality show." I like it.

Back on Opening Day I asked a few questions that I would like to follow up on now that the season is over. This is some good stuff:

Will Hampton and Ortiz pull their weight?

Hampton pulled a little bit harder than Ortiz, but injured himself during the process. I would be surprised to see him pitch again. Ortiz was extremely inconsistent, and was cut somewhere along the way. The answer is a definite NO.

Will Pence turn the corner and be a 30 homer guy?

I was hoping "Bam-Bam" would develop into a slugger, but he simply isn't wired that way. He ended up with 25 home runs, tied with Berkman and one behind Lee's 26. FYI, I really don't want to get started on the power shortage on this team. Of course, Berkman spent some time on the DL so his power numbers could have been better. Overall, I think Pence swings at too many pitches out of the zone, and it doesn't take much for him to slip into a slump. He is hot, and then he is not...back and forth. He has a great arm and his outfield assists are an important part of his game. He was named an All-Star so that will look good on his resume.

Will Keppinger make Wade look like a genius?

Ha ha. Sorry Wade...it didn't happen. Keppinger fizzled out in the end, but I can't really blame him or any other player that fizzled out in the end. As a fan, even I fizzled out. Kepp is still a keeper because of his versatility, but I think he will always be better as a "fill in" player than a full time player.

Will Bourn still be starting in June?

I love this one. I admit I was one of his critics going into the season. I really questioned if he belonged here. He showed the entire league that not only does he belong, but he can get on base, and chances are he's going to steal second. He turned things around and in a good way. The Bourn Supremacy indeed.   

Will Roy have another slow start?

Ohhhh yes he did. His first win didn't come until May 10th. He wasn't the same Roy this year. Here is my take on Roy...he is too small. He is nowhere close to being an "imposing figure on the mound." Now he has a degenerative disc in his back. I'm not a doctor, but this doesn't bode well for a power pitcher who is small in stature. I'm thinking we've all seen Roy's better days. I hope the Wizard proves me wrong.

Bottom line...I may be the only blogger who wants to trade Roy Oswalt. Problem is, the team won't get much with his back condition.

Yes, it is over! It ended with a bang too...for New York anyway. 9 innings of shutout ball by Nelson Figueroa. I didn't get to watch the last game of the season :( I was driving back from Cloudcroft, NM after spending some time in the Lincoln National Forest.  

So I'm buzzing around the net and found this nugget on Astros.com. Here is a quote from one of the fan favorites:

"It's turned into par for the course," Astros first baseman Lance Berkman said.

Par for the course??!! Par for the course is a huge improvement over what this team has brought to the table. Par for the course is average...ho-hum if you will. This team has went from "par for the course" to downright horrific. Ok, so maybe he used the wrong phrase....I'll back off the Puma. ;)

I'll give credit where credit is due. Matsui stayed healthy for several months longer than I thought he would and frankly this really surprised me. I don't know if it's the perfect combination of wasabi and soy sauce that he's been dipping his sushi in, but he's been tattooing some balls out of here. I wonder if he has played well enough that another team might be willing to bite on his 5 million dollar contract. Nahh...I'm sure Wade wants to keep him now that the team could actually get rid of his injury prone ***.

Next blog entry I'll discuss the questions I asked at the beginning of the season. Right now I'm dealing with a massive hangover from all the cheap Astros baseball I've had to endure.

Bottom line...I need some Top Shelf baseball next year. This is a reach, but let's see if Old Man Drayton can heat it up at the winter meetings, etc.

Here we go....again. I'm not complaining, but could this happen less often? Here is some friendly advice to the next pawn:

If you are selected to be the next Houston Astros manager don't get too comfortable. In fact, I wouldn't totally unpack.

If history holds up, you will be manager for approximately 3 years. During that time, Drayton (with Wade's help) will have managed to screw up enough that the players, fans, and the local media will turn on you. You will be the fall guy for these mistakes.

When you continually have problems in a business like this, you fire the manager. After the dust has cleared, and those same problems still exist...you head straight for the top buddy. Unfortunately, you can't fire the owner. Drayton is on my **** list. I know he is hiding behind Wade's skirt right now, but he should be looking at the man in the mirror, and asking him to change his ways. We can only hope that someone has had a "come to Jesus" meeting with Drayton McLane, I doubt it, but one can hope.

As far as candidates are concerned I like Tim Bogar. I'm not sure what his managerial style is, but I liked him as a player. I hope he isn't too laid back. I firmly believe this team does not need another laid back "let the inmates run the asylum" kind of manager. Jim Deshaies mentioned that teams seem to go back and forth from laid back to disciplinarians. They need a manager they will respect, and not make cutesy t-shirts that say "Really?" under their jerseys and behind his back. We have some adolescent behavior going on in the clubhouse, and someone needs to come in and rip them a new one. If you want a name that will cause a real media frenzy try this one:

Alyson Footer. First of all she is from O-High-O.....ok, moving on. She obviously knows how to handle the media. I don't know Alyson, but from listening to her on 1560 the game and following her on Twitter, etc. I am confident when I say she isn't laid back. I don't think she's a "crier" either so that's good (you know, there's no crying in baseball.) I'm kidding! She would be the first female skipper in MLB, so it would be history. She doesn't need to have experience with a pitching staff, etc. Nahhh. What do you think a certain President did when he had no idea how to run a country? He surrounded himself with smart (and corrupt) people who did. If you are insecure with how to handle a pitching staff, you hire a Mike Maddux type to consult with. Problem solved. She understands the game of baseball and what it takes to be successful.

Wow, that was fun. Someone to keep an eye on for the next round, but I actually meant...

Kirk Gibson. Talk about a "name." This would be a huge media splash, wouldn't it? We could call it "Splash Day." If you really want a media circus that goes on forever, hire that guy. The media will be slobbering all over Houston. After that, I don't know his style either. I think I would like it.

Bottom line...Happy Birthday to my wife!! Hopefully, she'll read this. ;)  

First of all, let me say this; no one wants to kick a guy when he's down (most people anyway.) So let me get the obligatory "it's not personal, it's business" out of the way. There. Now I can trash the guy.

I actually feel a little better about this season now. I have been tortured all year with this manager, and I don't like pain. I'm not a masochist (but as a sadist, let me just say I'm glad they exist.) ;) Seriously, most fans are relieved that he's been relieved of his managerial duties. This took way too long. Then I couldn't believe it....there were fans/media asking why they didn't wait until the end of the season? "Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do today." That's what Grandma always said.

Wade has been discussing how the rest of the season will play out, and he has basically said that he won't disrespect the potential free agent vets who may or may not be back with this ball club next season. This means he won't be sending out the youngsters like CJ and Manzella to play as much as they should be. He said that we all get to wait until spring training to look at them. Great idea! It sure will be a lot easier for them there. WTF? I don't like it. I've seen enough from the veterans this year, and do I have to say that I'm not real impressed? All of our sluggers are hitting mid to upper 20's for home run totals. This is unacceptable. That was Pence's total for last year, and probably this one too. Ahem, he's not considered to be a big bopper. This potential power outage should be a major concern for all fans, players, media, and management going into '10.

I came across this quote on twitter. It's Geoff Blum on Dave Clark:

"He's one of those guys who didn't forget to take the 'I forgot how hard it was to play pill.'" 

I don't know about you, but I think the wording in this quote bites. Who knows, maybe Tags didn't jot it down correctly. I actually expect more from Blum. He is my candidate for player/manager, that's right, the next Pete Rose (without the gambling issues.)

Bottom line...I don't give a **** about which veterans need to showcase their talents for their next lucrative contract. Let the youngsters play. 

It is getting tough. It's a battle to muster up a blog entry about this team right now.

The aches and pains that have plagued most MLB players are shutting them down for the season. I'm not just talking about the Astros, all MLB teams are shutting players down. This makes it difficult for the fantasy teams that are in the playoffs (which start next week.) I don't think I have ever seen so many pitchers go down so soon. Several MLB teams are placing pitchers on the shelf because of innings pitched. Basically what this means is management pushed them too hard during the year, and now I guess it's time to pay the fiddler. Thanks a lot. A prime example of this is Yovani Gallardo of the Brewers. They have announced his last start will be today. Could somebody PLEASE find me a couple of Larry Dierkers? How about some more Nolan Ryan's?? I'm tired of these prima donnas and their "dead" arms. I don't think Larry Dierker knew what a "dead arm" was. If he did, he bucked it up and played through it. I sure miss those days.

I'm thinking all fantasy playoffs need to start and end by the first part of September. That way it won't matter who fades off into the sunset. Speaking of sunsets....the sun is setting on the Astros 2009 season.

Bottom line. If someone asked me to choose a movie that would best describe how I felt about this season....I'd go with Misery.