Garner, Purpura Fired

The Astros made a decisive move today, firing manager Phil Garner and general manager Tim Purpura. Mired near the bottom of the NL Central all season, changes of some sort were necessary. Owner Drayton McLane stated that "a fresh start" was needed, and it's hard to argue with him.

Bench coach Cecil Cooper will cover Garner's duties as manager, and Astros president Tal Smith will take over for Purpura. Cooper has been mentioned for the past couple of years as a candidate for other manager jobs around Major League Baseball, and should be an able replacement for Garner both on the field and in the clubhouse. Smith is responsible for the hill in center field at the Juice Box, which is named after him. Seriously.

The move comes after a weekend of events at the ballpark celebrating the career and contributions of Jeff Bagwell, whose number was retired. Certainly would've been awkward if they'd fired Garner and Purpura during the celebrations, although judging by how Purpura was booed at the number retirement ceremony, that might have been a crowd-pleasing move.

No word on whether or not Smith and Cooper are considered permanent replacements. Houstonist will keep you up to speed with developments as they become available.

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Photo: flickr user sulla55