Cut Coop loose/Paulino can stay

This countdown is agonizing. Day after day after day…I check Astros.com looking for the headline “Coop is canned.” I feel dejected, but move on with the hope that tomorrow is another day and possibly that day could be the one where he gets “rung up.” I’m not sure what else you need to do wrong as a manager to be terminated. Not show up for a game? Take a nap in the dugout? (trust me he’s done that, ask Blum.) I will admit he’s a great prognosticator. His prediction of 90 wins can still happen if the team can somehow pull off a 27-2 record to close out the season. It could happen. O.k., no way in hell.

Paulino looked good yesterday. It was almost a carbon copy of his performance against the Rockies back in June where he his stat line looked like this: 6.0 IN 5H 2ER 1BB 7K. Compare that to yesterday’s stat line: 6.0 IN 4H 2ER 2BB 7K. Not bad Paulino. His best start was against the Tigers in June where he posted 7.0 IN 3H 1ER 0BB 9K. Awesome. I think we’re at place now that this team can keep him in the rotation, and he can work through some of the issues that had him yanked earlier. He has shown flashes of brilliance, and with some fine tuning, he’ll be ready for next year.

Hampton has been excused from his pitching duties for the remainder of the season and now has opted for multiple surgeries (pitching shoulder and both knees.) This is even too much action for an old Bulldog like Hampton. My prediction: He won’t pitch in Houston again, and I doubt he’ll even make it back to the show.

Bud Norris toes the rubber once again on Sunday. He’s had some extra rest so we shall see what kind of game the youngster brings. He keeps it interesting, doesn’t he?  

Am I the only one that thinks of dentistry when I hear the name Moehler? The potential 5th starter for ’10 was let down by his defense on Tuesday. He’s won only one game since July 20th, and honestly, I’m not impressed. I do feel o.k. with him as a 5th starter next year, but he isn’t #5 now is he?  

Things do not get any easier on Friday. We have the newest addition to the Phillies, Cliff Lee, coming to town and he’s had a fantastic season. He’s 12-10 but most of that has been with the lowly Indians. I have bad news though, he had his stink game last time out (6 ER) so the chances he’ll have two stink bombs in a row are slim. Do you know how many runs he normally gives up? Since July 16th (other than his last stinker) he has basically given up one run or less. Wandy better be on top of his game.