EVERY-THING SPORTS
Examining the parallels between the Texans and the media
Feb 9, 2022, 10:59 am
Neither get it right 100% of the time. Composite image by Brandon Strange.
The Texans have their next head coach in Lovie Smith. General manager Nick Caserio and Texans brass made the hire despite going through an exhausting process. Process. That word will come up a time or ten. I use the phrase "exhausting" because it felt like the longest time between David Culley's firing and Smith's hiring. Rumors and speculation ran a muck. Some fans were irritated. Others were patient. There are always the extremists who were either wildly furious about any & everything, or overly trusting of the organization thinking this will result in great success sooner than later.
The media did the best they could with what they had. Some got bad info from good sources and got roasted. Others got good info from good sources and were seen as conquering heroes. Either way, they did their jobs because they ran with info from their sources, put stories/reports out as they came, and drove conversation. Whether you agree or not, like it or not, it is what it is. This is the way sausage is made. It's not an easy or pretty process, but everyone loves the end result. Especially when you get the right crispiness on the casing, so it gives you a slight crunch, but still juicy flavorful bite.
This is much the same way with the Texans organization. Sometimes, they do things and get them right, sometimes they will do things and get them wrong. Either way, you'll choose whether you'll consume the product and in what way you choose to do so. Lots of fans decided not to show up this past season. Seats and even the popular tailgating was noticeably more spacious than it's ever been. Casuals definitely tuned out. Hardcore fans were there no matter what. The group that decided to protest with their wallets can factor in for NFL teams, but only to a certain extent. An NFL team is the closest thing to a for sure investment in this country as anything else.
Whether they got this right or not is debatable. How they went about making the decision shouldn't get to people as much as this did. In the end, everyone is looking for this team to be a winner. They want something to be proud of. They need ammo in those trash talking sessions, especially with fans of that other team up I-45. You need history to fight those history majors.
I really hope and think Lovie Smith will do well here. Smith, along with Dusty Baker and Stephen Silas may be the first group of black men to helm a city's three major pro sports teams. Will he coach this team to a playoff appearance? It's possible, if he's given the right amount of time and the roster is rebuilt/retooled into respectability to go along with their competitiveness. Smith had the defense playing very well at times. They kept the offense in games, or as close as they could, with the turnovers they'd create. Smith is known for his defensive coaching prowess. Keeping Pep Hamilton on as the offensive coordinator could prove to be a steal if he can make the team's next franchise quarterback a star. Tall order when the one they have is as good as gone and will hopefully net them the building blocks they need.
I propose a toast: To Lovie's success, and sausage. Let us all enjoy both without worrying how we arrived at either!
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With the Astros now officially ten games under .500 for the season, manager Joe Espada is taking a lot of heat from the fanbase for the team's struggles.
While we don't agree with the sentiment, we even hear fans clamoring for the return of Dusty Baker and Martin Maldonado, thinking the Astros wouldn't be in this mess if they were still here.
Which is ridiculous. First of all, Maldonado has been awful for the White Sox, hitting .048 (even worse than Jose Abreu's .065). And for those of you that think his work with the pitching staff justifies his pathetic offense. Let me say this: Where was Maldy's game calling genius for Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, and Framber Valdez last year? All of them regressed significantly.
And as far as Baker is concerned, we have no idea how much a difference he would make, we can only speculate. Baker would also be dealing with a pitching staff ravaged with injuries. And let's not forget, Baker was the guy that refused to move Jose Abreu down in the batting order, even though he would finish the regular season with the ninth-worst OPS in baseball.
The reality of the situation is managers can only do so much in baseball. Which leads us to something else that needs to be considered. Is Espada being handcuffed by the front office? Espada and GM Dana Brown both said recently that Jon Singleton was going to get more at-bats while they give Abreu time off to try to figure things out. Yet, there Abreu was in the lineup again in the opening game of the Cubs series.
It makes us wonder how much power does Espada truly have? The Astros have some other options at first base. Yainer Diaz may only have eight games played at the position, but how much worse could he be than Abreu defensively? Abreu already has four errors, and Diaz is obviously a way better hitter. Victor Caratini isn't considered a plus offensive player, but his .276 batting average makes him look like Babe Ruth compared to Abreu. Let him catch more often and play Diaz at first. Starting Diaz at first more often could also lengthen his career long-term.
Maybe that's too wild of a move. Okay, fine. How about playing Mauricio Dubon at first base? I understand he doesn't have much experience at that position, but what's the downside of trying him there? If he can play shortstop, he can play first base. He's driving in runs at a higher rate (11 RBIs) than everyone on the team outside of Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez. And he's producing like that as part-time player right now.
The other criticism we see of Espada is his use of Jon Singleton to pinch hit late in games. Let's be real, though, who else does Espada have on the roster to go to? Batting Abreu late in games in which you're trailing should be considered malpractice. Espada can only use who he has to work with. This all really stems from the Astros poor farm system.
They don't have anyone else to turn to. The draft picks the club lost from the sign-stealing scandal are really hurting them right now. First and second rounders from 2020 and 2021 should be helping you in 2024 at the big league level.
Maybe they go to Astros prospect Joey Loperfido soon, but after a hot start he has only two hits in his last six games.
Finally, we have to talk about what seems like a committee making baseball decisions. Lost in a committee is accountability. Who gets the blame for making poor decisions?
As time continues to pass it looks like moving on from former GM James Click was a massive mistake. He's the guy that didn't sign Abreu, but did trade Myles Straw (recently DFA'd) for Yainer Diaz and Phil Maton. He also built an elite bullpen without breaking the bank, and helped the club win a World Series in 2022.
The reality of the situation is Dusty Baker and James Click are not walking back through that door. And all good runs come to an end at some point. Is this what we're witnessing?
Don't miss the video above as we hit on all the points discussed and much more!
Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan. We drop two episodes every week on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel. You can also listen on Apple Podcast, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.