When the 2007 season started, we knew it was going to be a year of huge changes within the Astros organization. But we never thought we’d see so many twists and turns.

New manager, new GM, and now Craig Biggio, after 20 seasons of achieving every imaginable milestone, bids farewell as an active player.

A crowd of 43,000-plus said goodbye to the Great Biggio today at Minute Maid Park. It was a moment filled with emotions, slowly building up during this final series against the Atlanta Braves, until today’s heartfelt ceremony.

Biggio thanked the crowd. With a tip of his hat, the ceremonies ended and the baseball started.

Many feelings and sentiments were echoed in the many banners and signs fans displayed at Minute Maid. "Biggio began playing when I was 5, today I’m 25 and he will be my hero forever". "Thanks for the ride, Craig. "Biggio, from H-Town to C-Town".

I don’t believe there’s a single Astros fan in this world who doubts Biggio’s Hall of Fame credentials, being the only MLB player to reach more than 600 doubles, 250 home runs, 3000 hits and 400 steals.

And despite all of this, there will always be the class displayed on and off the field, his commitment to social causes and the way he formed the Astros identity, alongside Jeff Bagwell.

We’ll sure miss the Great Biggio a huge deal. And we’ll always thank him for so many good memories.

We anticipated this moment and we knew it was going to happen, but no one and nothing made us ready for it. We admit it. Fans felt many things, and they passed it along to us.

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With Biggio’s farewell, the Astros 2007 ends. A huge thank you for those who read us throughout the season in our blogs, our articles and for logging on to astros.com and astrosdehouston.com. It sure was a year in which our Stros didn’t live up to expectations, but never dull and we shared plenty of great moments we’ll always treasure. Thanks for those who supported us, and to all of you for reading us.

We’ll take a short break, but we’ll return very shortly.

Thanks to Media Relations for the notes!

Here’s some interesting tidbits, including a few Astros franchise records, from tonight’s 18-1 win over St. Louis:

18 runs, 23 hits for the Astros:

* The 18 runs are the most for the Astros since the 18 on August 26, 2003 vs. the Dodgers.  Houston has scored 19 in a game twice (May 11, 1999 vs. PIT, June 25, 1995 vs. the Cubs).

* The 17-run win (Astros 18, Cardinals 1) is the largest margin of victory in franchise history (old record was 16, accomplished twice – 4/29/74 vs. the Cubs – 18-2; 6/7/67 at the old Busch Stadium, 17-1 over the Cardinals).

* The 23 hits are a season high and tied for the 3rd-highest total in Houston franchise history…23 hits are also the most for Houston in 40 years, since the 23 on that same June 7, 1967 win at the old Busch Stadium vs. the Cardinals. (The club record is 25, twice).

* The 18 runs are also the most scored by Houston in a game vs. St. Louis…the Astros previously scored 17 runs three times.

* Two of the six highest single-game hit totals in Astros franchise history (23 tonight, 22 last Sunday) have happened in a five-day span from Sunday through tonight.

J.R. Towles – 4×4, two doubles, one home run, and a club-record eight RBI.

* The 8 RBI for Towles sets a franchise record.  It’s also tied for the 3rd-highest total by a rookie in a single game since 1957 (with five others) and the most for any Major League rookie since James Loney drove in 9 for the Dodgers on Sept. 28, 2006 at Colorado.

* The four Astros who had driven in 7 runs in a game were Jeff Bagwell (twice, Aug. 13, 2000 at Philly and July 7, 2001 at Kansas City), Pete Incaviglia (6/14/92 vs. SF), and Rafael Ramirez (8/29/89 at the Cubs).

* Other than Loney, the only other Major League rookie (at least since 1957) with more RBI in a single game was Fred Lynn, who drove in 10 on June 18, 1975 for the Red Sox in a 15-1 win at Detroit.  Lynn won the AL Rookie of the Year and the MVP that season (near-unanimous in both cases)

* Stating the obvious, the franchise-record 8 RBI also sets the Astros rookie record, which was 6, accomplished twice (Chris Truby, 8/6/2000 vs. Montreal; Russ Johnson, 8/7/1999 at the Cubs).

* Towles’ 8 RBI is also the 2nd-most in the Majors in 2007, trailing only the 10 by Garret Anderson on 8/21 for the Angels vs the Yankees.

* The 8 RBI is the most for a catcher in a game since Ivan Rodriguez drove in nine on April 13, 1999 for Texas at Seattle (tied for 2nd-most since 1957 for a catcher).

* The home run in the 9th inning was the first of Towles’ Major League career.

* Towles’ 3 extra-base hits also ties a club rookie record, accomplished several times and most recently by Luke Scott on Sept. 19, 2006 vs. the Reds.

Also:

* Cody Ransom scored five runs, tying the franchise record for most runs scored in a game (accomplished four times, most recently by Chris Burke on June 13, 2006 at the Cubs).

* Houston rookies Josh Anderson and J.R. Towles combined to go 7×10 with 11 RBI in the win.  Anderson is hitting .444 (16×36) during the month, while Towles is at .412 (7×17).

* Wandy Rodriguez’ 8.0 innings pitched were his most in a road game, and his previous high was 7.0 on April 26 of this season at Pittsburgh.

A big gracias to all of you who attended the Hispanic Heritage Festival this Sunday. Lots of fun, lots of color and plenty of latin flavor. I couldn’t attend, but judging from the pictures I’ve seen so far, the mood was great. Music bands, food… I wish I can spend some time there next year. It was a hit and I’m sure it will happen again.

Will we have a new Astros GM tomorrow? 11 candidates have been interviewed so far, and the answers seem to have pleased Drayton McLane and Tal Smith so far. So, there won’t be a second round. Let’s see what happens…

Luke Scott is being announced by the Magallanes team from the Venezuelan Winter League as their main attraction for the upcoming season. Scott would repeat with Magallanes after a breakthrough season two years ago.

Finally some good news, also from the Venezuelan League. Caribes de Anzoategui will play this October. The bickering has been put aside (at least for the time being). There are still some issues to solve, but the final announcement will be made Tuesday. I’m really happy about this.

There are times in which you have so much stuff to talk about, you simply don’t know where to start. It might be unbelievable, but today is one of such days.

– It’s true that the chances for the Astros to advance to the postseason are very remote. However, new manager Cecil Cooper is trying to infuse a new mood into the clubhouse. Of course, the losses are still there. But the job is being done. Talent is being evaluated, and that has a lot to do with this particular edition of September callups. This is for the long stretch, not a sprint; so we’ll have to be a bit patient. It seems like things are going the right way, though.

– Interviews for finding a new GM have begun. Names are being tossed from inside (Ricky Bennett, head of Player Development) and outside (former Expos GM Jim Beattie, reports say the Phillies’ Ruben Amaro Jr. is also in the mix) the organization. This interview process will be a bit long. They really need a VERY creative person, I’d say.

– We hope Matt Albers and Troy Patton keep on pitching well for the rest of the season. In their arms rest a lot of our hopes for a better 2008. It’s great to see Brandon Backe back. He was missed.

– It’s time for Felipe Paulino and Juan Gutierrez to show us what they’re made of. They must not waste this chance.

– We’ve seen an interesting baseball movement going on in Italy. It has caught MLB’s eye, and they have set up an Academy in that European nation. As a product of those efforts, the Astros have signed RHP Andrea Lucati, who belongs to the Ponzano Veneto team. Lucati’s signature has caused headlines big and small in Italy, going from the TV giant RAI to local dailies, and of course, it has been featured in the Italian Baseball and Softball Association Website. Lucati will remain in Italy until his High School promotion, and we’ll get to see him next year in Kissimmee. Reports say the 17-year-old already owns a 90-MPH fastball. Hopefully, this will mean some increase in the interest Italians have in baseball (which is far from being a mainstream sport. Very far), and why not, they will start to follow him in the Astros organization. As a descendant of Italians, I can only be happy about this news. Benvenuto e complimenti ad Andrea!

– I have received some very bad news today. Caribes de Anzoategui, a team from the Venezuelan baseball league, might disappear tomorrow. A power struggle between its stockholders has no solution as of now, and tomorrow will be a decisive day. This saddens me, not just because of the fan base which was hard for Caribes to built, but for its employees, which we know, respect and appreciate, and for the talent this team has showcased in its almost two decades of existence. The list is scary. Magglio Ordoñez, Victor Martinez, Carlos Zambrano, Fernando Nieve, just to name a few. Carlos Lee worn the Caribes jersey while he played in Venezuela.

Caribes and its Chico Carrasquel stadium was the place in which yours truly learned to love baseball, then moved on to the pressbox, and learned the craft of writing, interviewing, keeping score, and basically, living and breathing baseball. That was where I fell in love with baseball for life. I feel that, if they take Caribes away from us, a huge piece of my life will cease to exist.

We’ll be talking Astros and the recent developments today on XM Satellite Radio’s Solamente Pelota, on the MLB en Español channel (174) at 4 PM Central/5 PM Eastern. See you there!

Cooper, Smith to serve as interim manager and  GM, respectively

HOUSTON, TX ? The Houston Astros announced today that the club has replaced manager Phil Garner and General Manager Tim Purpura, effective immediately.  Astros bench coach Cecil Cooper will serve as interim manager and Astros President of Baseball Operations Tal Smith will serve as interim general manager for the remainder of the 2007 season.  The announcements were made by Astros Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Drayton McLane.

The manager position will be evaluated at the end of the season, while a search for a new general manager will begin immediately.  Both Garner and Purpura?s contracts, each of which run through the 2008 season, will be honored fully.

?I feel it was time for the Houston Astros to embark upon a new direction,? said McLane.  ?The bar and standards have been raised in Houston, and our great city is now a baseball town.  With that status comes high expectations from our fans, and I felt a change was necessary to get our organization back on track toward our mission, which is to be a World Series champion.?

The 57-year-old Cooper is in his third season as the Astros bench coach, and he is the 16th manager in Astros history (including Salty Parker, who was 1-0 as interim manager in 1972).  During his career in baseball, Cooper has been an All-Star player as well as a minor league manager, coach, player development director, and player agent.  He previously served as the bench coach for Milwaukee in 2002 and spent both 2003 and 2004 as the manager of the Triple A Indianapolis club in the Brewers organization.

Cooper was named to five All-Star teams as a player and hit .298 (2192×7349) with 241 home runs and 1125 RBI in 1896 career Major League games with Boston (1971-76) and Milwaukee (1977-87).  He earned two Rawlings Gold Glove Awards at first base (1979, 80) and helped lead two clubs to the World Series (1975 Boston, 1982 Milwaukee).

The 2007 season is Smith?s 50th in the game of baseball.  He started his baseball career in the Cincinnati Reds farm department in 1958 and came to Houston in 1960 when he was named assistant to general manager Gabe Paul for the new National League expansion franchise that would become the Colt .45?s.  He was named farm director for the Colt .45?s in 1961, assistant to the president of the Houston Sports Association in 1963, and vice president and director of player personnel for the Astros in 1965, a position he held for eight seasons.

In 1973, Smith left the Astros to become the executive vice president of the New York Yankees, serving in that capacity until his return to Houston as general manager of the Astros in August 1975.  He was named president of the club in 1976, serving in that capacity until 1980.  The primary architect of the 1980 NL West
Division Champion, the first division title-winning team in franchise history, Smith returned to the organization on Nov. 22, 1994, when he was named president of the team once again.  Since 1981, he has also been the owner and operator of Tal Smith Enterprises, a firm which has provided consulting services to 26 of the 30 Major League clubs, with particular emphasis on the preparation of arbitration cases, and operational reviews.

In 1999, Smith was chosen by Baseball America as one of 25 panelists to provide an overview of baseball in the 20th century, and the publication also recognized him for his career of achievements and innovations in December of 2005 with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Winter Meetings in Dallas.

Garner, 57, led the club to a 277-252-1 (.524) record as the Astros manager from July 16, 2004 through August 26, 2007.  In 15 seasons as a Major League manager, Garner owns a 985-1,054 record (.483).  His teams advanced to the postseason twice during his tenure as Astros manager, including an NLCS appearance in 2004 and the first World Series team in franchise history in 2005.  Garner also played in the Majors for 16 seasons, including seven with Houston from 1981-87.

Purpura was the 10th general manager in franchise history and spent 14 years with the Astros organization.  He joined the team in 1994 as assistant director of minor league operations and director of player relations.  From Oct. 24, 1997 until being named general manager on Nov. 1, 2004, Purpura was the assistant general manager and the director of player development, directing the operation of the club?s player development system and its six minor league affiliates.

One of the things we certainly noticed from the announcement we brought you earlier was that it was going to be done by Astros CEO Drayton McLane… by himself. And that’s what we got.

In a bit of a surprising move, McLane has informed us the dismissal of both Astros Manager Phil Garner and GM Tim Purpura. Cecil Cooper will be the new skipper while Smith will perform as interim General Manager.

Does this have something to do with the sad spectacle seen during the ceremony in which the Astros retired Jeff Bagwell’s number? Probably so, but the only thing it did was to push forward something which was written on the well a long time ago.

We still have time to gather our reactions and we will probably tell you about it on astrosdehouston.com. However, if one thing is certain is that Cooper, Smith and whomever comes after him will face quite a difficult outlook, with a decimated farm system, a drought of quality starting pitching and an offense which has always been at the NL cellar.

And that’s what made McLane pull the trigger. Yesterday’s fiasco just made it intolerable. Both Garner and Purpura had their share of highlights and low moments (Garner took the Astros to their first World Series, Purpura was always regarded as a talent builder) but it was time for a change.

Media has been called for a press conference regarding a "major announcement" today at 2 PM at Minute Maid Park. We’ll tell you all about it as soon as we get details.

MEDIA ALERT
HOUSTON ASTROS TO HOLD 2:00 PM PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY (MONDAY, AUGUST 27)

            WHO: Drayton McLane, Houston Astros chairman and CEO

            WHAT: Press Conference – Major Announcement

            WHEN: TODAY

            Monday, August 27, 2007

            2:00 p.m. (CDT)

            WHERE: Press Conference Room, Minute Maid Park

            Media should enter through the media entrance on Texas Ave ? South Home Plate gate. The press conference room is located on the service level across from the home clubhouse entrance.

I know my friend Bernardo is going to laugh when he reads the title to this post. But it encapsulates what we lived today in Houston, when the Astros finally retired Jeff Bagwell’s number 5, going with this involuntary tone of nostalgia set on the 2007 season, first saying goodbye to the great first baseman, who always epitomized the best and brightest the Astros could be; and then seeing Craig Biggio calling it quits after batting his 3,000th hit.

Bagwell wasn’t quite fond of the spotlight in his playing days, and that’s why he looked a bit uncomfortable being the center of attention at Minute Maid. But it was certainly deserved nonetheless. It was the least thing that could be done for such an important career.

This is a time in which the Astros seem to come full circle, in saying farewell to Biggio and Bagwell. A new era is beginning, and this is a time at a crossroads. Times for trial and error, see some young and talented players work the kinks out and see how things could be in 2008.

Personally, I’d love to see Jason Jennings coming back from surgery in top shape. Next year, that is. If he comes back in an Astros uniform, all the better. There are plenty who would love to throw stones at him; but in all truth, he tried to do his best in such adverse circumstances. It just simply didn’t work out. Despite the fact that, personally, I thought too many chips were dealt in the Jennings trade, we knew it was a very risky gamble from Day One.

The trading deadline has passed, and in a somewhat recurrent fashion, the Astros didn’t cause a stir at all.

This Saturday we learned about Ty Wigginton coming to Houston from Tampa Bay (the lines of communication with Gerry Hunsicker are still open, alive and well). In order to give a roster spot for Wigginton,  Morgan Ensberg was designated for assignment. Ensberg finally ended up with the San Diego Padres for a player to be named later.

Tampa Bay got Dan Wheeler, a good setup man who has even played as a closer during those moments in which serious doubts about Brad Lidge were raised for the first time. The Astros do not have exactly what we might call "a congestion of talent" in the bullpen. That’s why giving up a piece such as Wheeler indicate an order of priorities the club has and that might seem like a puzzle when we look at it for the first time.

Wigginton became a fan favorite with his happy and hustling style of baseball; however he has shown defensive flaws at Third. He might become a good complement to guys such as Mike Lamb and Mark Loretta, and hopefully, if things go well as planned, he might help them alongside Chris Burke, platooning in an attempt to make the absence of Craig Biggio just a bit easier for us.

Ensberg cannot complain about a lack of opportunities. Indeed, he had plenty of those with the Astros. Sadly, his health didn’t help him and his slump was a bit too long after all. He’s a good man, a classy player with a huge human quality, now he has a change of pace and mood, in his native California and with a contending team. In the end, life and baseball give him a wonderful opportunity to vindicate himself, something that the Astros cannot afford to give him anymore.

However, this doesn’t solve the structural problem the Astros have. I don’t mean to diminish what Wigginton might represent, but we are left with this sour taste and feeling that they could have done a bit more. Just a bit more.