We’re coming on a little early tonight due to the firing of Astros manager Cecil Cooper.  I’m a little surprised by this one.  Houston is 16.5 games out with 2 weeks to go.  Sometimes I understand these moves late in the season, but not this one.  Last year, the Brewers fired Ned Yost with 2 weeks to go in the season, but they were still alive in the playoff hunt and this move worked as they won the wild card.   We’ll learn over the course of the night if he completely lost the clubhouse.

 

We’ll also discuss Milton Bradley tonight.  The question here is what were the Cubs thinking?  Everyone saw disaster coming here except the Cubs and now they’re on the hook with him for another 2 years.  Bradley was advised to take the money when he could have stayed in Texas for a little less and with much less scrutiny and a better fit on the field.

 

I was in San Francisco last week calling the Giants-Rockies game and I got to see Barry Zito pitch like he did back in 2002 with the A’s.  His curveball was nasty.  Our Dan Plesac is going to breakdown his 2nd half resurgance. 

 

Finally, the last piece of Tiger Stadium will be down by October 1st.  I’ve loved this place.  The broadcast booth was unique is that it was so close to the field.  You had a good chance to get hit by a foul ball if you didn’t use the netting, which we didn’t do one time when I was with the Brewers.  My partner Bill Schroeder took it right in the chest.  If I were sitting where he was sitting I would have taken it right in the face.

 

I can’t believe USC lost to Washington on Saturday.  Their annual upset by a Pac-10 team on the road happened much earlier this season. -Matt Vasgersian