re: DAT 5/8: Blue Jays (Matz) @ Astros (Javier) 6:10 CT

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Let’s just admit, our bullpen isn’t deep and just plain sucks. Joe Smith needs to get Pujol’d.

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Some talented guys are hurt while these 2 veteran shitheads constantly pitch us out of games while the a-hole in charge constantly pairs them together. It's a joke, and only a buffoon GM keeps them on the active roster.

Watching Dusty Baker manage this team brings back nightmares of Jimy Williams almost 20 years ago. This team's results are less than the sum of its parts. No coincidence the Astros went on a playoff run after Jimy Williams got fired in 2004. Same thing needs to happen to Baker. He just sucks.

The flip side is that I'd love to give him credit for intentionally running Raley and Smith out as if to prove to the frickstick GM that they suck. But I can't give him that credit because he does too much other stupid shite to earn that benefit of the doubt.

Jimy was kind of on the early end of my Fanhood. I wasn't really plugged into games like I am now. I can remember him being fired at the break, generally aware of that news. The 2004 post season was what really got me sucked into being a huge fan. Jeff Kent's 04 NLCS walk off.

I never got to go a game in the dome. My first game was 2001 when I was 11. My family had moved to Louisiana from Indiana when I was younger so I didn't have any Astros ties and my dad never really was a baseball guy. My childhood best friends Dad was from East Texas and an Astros fan so I picked up being a fan from spending time with them.

Glad you found your way to embracing the Astros. I love hearing how people became fans.

Jimy had a knack for sitting Bagwell and Biggio for Sunday home games. And that would be OK if it was just 1 but it would be most Sunday home games. At that point, both players had slipped a little but still worthy of being starters on an everyday basis. He loved the double-switch at inopportune times. The clubs just always seemed to be an engine that misfired for no good reason.

Apologies for going before your time but it’s relevant here. I went back to Baseball Reference to confirm specific numbers. His ‘87 Blue Jays had a 3 1/2 game lead with 7 to play. They lost all 7 and lost the division to Detroit and missed the playoffs. There was a freak injury to SS Tony Fernandez during that streak but they still should have won the division. His ‘89 Blue Jays started 12-24 and he got fired at that point. Cito Gaston took over and the club ended up winning the AL East that year. And the ‘03 Astros had a half-game lead with a week to play and missed the playoffs completely.

He had other issues in Boston, particularly with Carl Everett, but I think I’ve made my case on how bad he was.