Goodbye, Phil
Being a high-octane, thrive-on-pressure, top-flight, ultra-hyphenated managerial type, I can understand the need to always—ALWAYS—produce results. Don't, and you're out. That's just the part of the high stakes world we top rollers have bought into.
But that doesn't mean that I can't produce some tears for some of the casualties of the chew-'em-up, spit-'em-out world of professional sports. Yes, even we top dogs have feelings, and I'm feeling those feelings today as I read headline after article after headline about the firing of Astros manager Phil Garner.
While I understand that pathetic last couple of years that the Astros have had (trust me: I understand), I still wish they'd given him a little more time. This was the guy that—not once, but TWICE—miraculously pulled the Astros out of their rightful spot of title bearers of mediocrity and gave them not only their first post-season series win EVER, but their first World Series appearance, which to the Yankees, Reds, Cardinals or Braves fans in my readership may not seem like that big a deal, but it was a life highlight for me.
So I understand. He can't cut it. He's had two pathetic years and he hasn't been able to pull the team up like he did in the past. But good Lord: this guy gave we Astros fans the best years of our life. Would it kill anyone to give him another couple years? Or do I have to coast off of the autumns of 2004 and 2005, when I had a beautiful girlfriend (different girls) who raised her eyebrow in a really sexy way over my Astros-fan geekdom and I watched the team that I was cursed to love win improbably. Those were good Falls. I said goodbye to them today.
But...Astros honchos? Between you and me as big shots? These things happen, huh? These things happen.
2 comments:
But then there's every chance that this time next year you'll be writing a post about how brilliant the new manager is and how much you're enjoying the pennant race between the Astros and the Cubs (who can never quite seem to catch up from a few games behind).
There's also every chance that, what with your rise into bigshotdom that can only be described as meteoric, you will be that manager. In which case I'd put money on your quickly breaking Bobby Cox's record of being thrown out of the most Major League Baseball games.
Thank you, Hans. I'm so tired of people describing my rise to power as "gradual" or "eventual". It was, indeed, meteoric, and that's only the best word to use because I can't think of something that's as fast, big and destructive.
I know that there may well be another successful manager of the Astros. Hell, I was disappointed when they fired Larry Dierker, and he did nothing but lose in the playoffs. But yeah, let's see what they have.
And as for being thrown out, I am going to the Nationals game on Saturday, so there's chance #1.
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