Thursday, July 13, 2006
Astros Fire Gaetti, Hire Berry
BREAKING NEWS
The Houston Astros today fired hitting coach Gary Gaetti and hired former Astro Sean Berry to take his place on an interim basis.
Gaetti, who has been in the Astros organization since 2002, looks to be the main man to take the blame for the team's lack of offensive production the past two seasons. In addition to being 24th in MLB in runs scored in 2005, the Astros this season are tied for last in the NL with a .256 team batting average, are 23rd in MLB with 408 runs scored and are 19th in MLB with 391 RBIs.
It is hard to say whether Berry will have any kind of impact on the Astros' offense, but Gaetti definitely was not getting the job done. Yes, it does fall on the players to perform, but with 2005 team MVP Morgan Ensberg slumping at .236, Jason Lane hitting a paltry .205 and Willy Taveras coming down with Willy Mays Hayes syndrome and hitting the ball in the air too often, there is no doubt that the hitting coach bears some responsibility for the lack of punch in the Astros' offense.
If this deal does anything, this move, as well as the trade for Aubrey Huff and the demotion of Lane to AAA Round Rock, tells Astros hitters that they need to shape up soon or more changes will be made.
"After getting the deal done for Huff, we thought it would make a strong statement," Astos GM Tim Purpura said. "How do we drive it home with our hitters? We can't wait for Aubrey Huff to just come in and save the day. We need to make a change here, and put players on notice that there is expectation here. We want a fresh perspecitve, a changing of the guard."
"We need a fresh perspective, a new point of view."
That fresh perspective, according to Purpura, is Berry, one of the original Killer B's from the mid nineties. Berry hit .283 with 39 home runs and 190 RBIs during three seasons at third base for the Astros from 1996-98 and helped the Astros win division titles in 1997 and 1998. Berry posted his best season with Houston in 1996, when he hit .281 with 17 home runs and 95 RBIs.
The Houston Astros today fired hitting coach Gary Gaetti and hired former Astro Sean Berry to take his place on an interim basis.
Gaetti, who has been in the Astros organization since 2002, looks to be the main man to take the blame for the team's lack of offensive production the past two seasons. In addition to being 24th in MLB in runs scored in 2005, the Astros this season are tied for last in the NL with a .256 team batting average, are 23rd in MLB with 408 runs scored and are 19th in MLB with 391 RBIs.
It is hard to say whether Berry will have any kind of impact on the Astros' offense, but Gaetti definitely was not getting the job done. Yes, it does fall on the players to perform, but with 2005 team MVP Morgan Ensberg slumping at .236, Jason Lane hitting a paltry .205 and Willy Taveras coming down with Willy Mays Hayes syndrome and hitting the ball in the air too often, there is no doubt that the hitting coach bears some responsibility for the lack of punch in the Astros' offense.
If this deal does anything, this move, as well as the trade for Aubrey Huff and the demotion of Lane to AAA Round Rock, tells Astros hitters that they need to shape up soon or more changes will be made.
"After getting the deal done for Huff, we thought it would make a strong statement," Astos GM Tim Purpura said. "How do we drive it home with our hitters? We can't wait for Aubrey Huff to just come in and save the day. We need to make a change here, and put players on notice that there is expectation here. We want a fresh perspecitve, a changing of the guard."
"We need a fresh perspective, a new point of view."
That fresh perspective, according to Purpura, is Berry, one of the original Killer B's from the mid nineties. Berry hit .283 with 39 home runs and 190 RBIs during three seasons at third base for the Astros from 1996-98 and helped the Astros win division titles in 1997 and 1998. Berry posted his best season with Houston in 1996, when he hit .281 with 17 home runs and 95 RBIs.
# posted by Bevo @ 5:00 PM 
