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For those up in arms over Texans' headset gate, consider this
Dec 22, 2021, 2:16 pm
Culley's comments made national news. Composite image by Jack Brame
texans-coaches
The Texans managed to lose even when they won. Not only did they beat the Jags 30-16, but they also lost out on the driver's seat for the number one overall pick (thanks to the Lions upsetting the Cardinals), but they also created a bit of a stir with coach David Culley's comments after the game.
In his postgame presser, Culley made mention of general manager Nick Caserio being on the headset during the game and giving his input on things. People all over lost their minds and acted as if this was some grand violation of the integrity of the game of football. Well, maybe not that extreme, but you get my point. There was a ton of overreaction. I've seen or heard things running the gamut, from some equating this to Caserio bringing the New England culture of cheating down south, to others acting as if nothing is wrong.
Any time there is something going on that seems like it's underhanded or shady, people will react extreme these days. A lot of the reactions I saw online were fairly meh, but a decent enough number felt like this was a bad look. Not only from Culley spewing too much inside info, but the fact that Caserio was on the headset helping him coach basically. "BIG DEAL!" (In my best Gilbert voice.)
When will we (not only as sports fans, but also as a society) get over the fact that some things can push the envelope or blur the lines of right and wrong, yet still be okay? We're always so wrapped up in a perception of something we think is wrong, that we often fail to look at the circumstances. For example: it's okay for Caserio to be on the headset. This isn't the Ray Farmer/Hue Jackson text message-gate from a few years ago. One is a league-approved form of gameday communication, the other is a clear violation of league rules. Caserio was also noted to have been on headsets during his time in New England. While he didn't have input, Bill Belichick found him important to their operation enough to have him listening in on things.
We can obviously see this isn't giving them an unfair advantage. At 3-11, the Texans need all the help they can possibly muster up. Remember, Culley has never been a head coach. He's never even been a coordinator. Caserio probably wants to have as much input as possible to help Culley through all the decisions on gameday. Sure, there are former coordinators and head coaches on staff. But when you want to establish a certain culture and control over a rebuilding franchise, you tighten the strings and tend to hold things more closely to the vest. After all, Culley isn't the long-term answer at head coach, so, why so serious?
I'm sure there are other instances of team employees crossing boundaries and blurring lines elsewhere. Think about your own jobs. Do you or any of your coworkers ever do other people's jobs, or at least help out other departments with their tasks? Does anyone say you're cheating, and that type of stuff can't be tolerated and should be punished? Since when did this become so taboo? Would we penalize a team if the defensive coordinator noticed the opposing defense do something and told the offensive coordinator to run a certain play?
Bottom line: I see people making mountains out of mole hills here. Does it seem fishy? Yes. Is it illegal? No. Should this be the norm? That depends on the organizational structure. Would this have been a bigger story if this took place in New England a few years ago? You're damn right it would! The Texans' record, as well as the fact that this is allowed, makes this a non-issue that people want to make an issue. It's similar to other non-issues people choose to make big issues out of these days. The sooner we stop doing that foolishness, the better off we'll all be.
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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, Spotifyor wherever you get your podcasts.